Pan-Finnicism

Pan-Finnicism was not an idea taken seriously until the formation of the Grand Duchy of Finland, and even with this sense of a Nation state. Due to hundreds of years of Finland having been under Swedish Rule, a sense of Finnish identity was not prevalent, even with the release of the Kalevala. Zacharias Topelius published an essay called “Den Finska Literaturen och dess Framtid" (English: The Finnish Literature and It's Future) in 1844 where he states the following:[2]

Two hundred years ago few would have believed that the Slavic tribe would attain the prominent (and constantly growing) position it enjoys nowadays in the history of culture. What if one day the Finnish tribe, which occupies a territory almost as vast, were to play a greater role on the world scene than one could expect nowadays? […] Today people speak of Pan-Slavism; one day they may talk of Pan-Fennicism, or Pan-Suomism. Within such a Pan-Finnic community, the Finnish nation should hold the leading position because of its cultural seniority […].

The first Finnish language high school was opened in 1858, and in 1863 Finnish was made on-par with the Swedish Language. The Pan-Finnic Idea was often overlooked by the Idea of Pan-Turanism, which was gaining ever more traction in the field of Nationalist Studies in Academies in Finland. The field of studies on the Finno-Ugric peoples and their linguistic and cultural studies during these times often had a severe lack of Finnish scholars[3]

Photograph of Castrén

Pan-Turanism was the mainstream in the Fennoman movement, and Castrén believed that based off his research, that the Finno-Ugric, Turkic, Mongolian and Tungusic languages were all of the same origins and family. He concluded that the Finns were from Central Asia, and were far from being a small, isolated people:[2]

I am determined to show the Finnish nation that we are not a solitary people from the bog, living in isolation from the world and from universal history, but are in fact related to at least one-sixth of mankind. Writing grammars is not my main goal, but without the grammars that goal cannot be attained.

August Vilhelm Ervasti, who was a journalist and explorer, wrote after his trip to Olonets:[4]

Beyond the eastern border of the Grand Duchy of Finland is not foreign land, but Karelia that should be considered the common ancestral home for the Finns and the Karelians.

At the turn of the 20th Century in Finland, Pan-Finnicism had turned from a study in academics, into a political ideology.

In Post-Independence Post-Civil War Finland, there was a wave of nationalistic fervor, with the Rise of Karelianism and during the Heimosodat, Pan-Finnicism and the Greater Finland Idea gained popularity, as Finnish Volunteers went to fight across the "Finnic World" in hopes uniting the countries into one or liberating many of them. Which was promoted by a meeting between organizations and political parties that supported Pan-Finnicism in the New Student House, Helsinki, organized by the Karjalan Kansalaisliitto (transl. Citizens' Association of Karelia) in October 1919.[5] This growth of Pan-Finnicism in Finnish society gave rise to such organizations as the Academic Karelia Society and the Patriotic People's Movement, who were also bolstered by Aitosuomalaisuus (transl. Authentic Finnishness) in Post-Independence society. During the Winter War and Continuation War, Pan-Finnicism was at an all-time high, with many Finnic and Ugric people from across Europe joining the fight, on the side of Finland, including Estonian Volunteers and Hungarian Volunteers, amongst others. Pan-Finnicism was also a major policy within the Eastern Karelian Military Administration until 1943, where Finnic peoples where set to a higher standard than the East Slavs, who were sent to camps, leading to a genocide (according to Russia).[6]

In Estonia, following the Estonian War of Independence, society was highly individualistic and unstable, which lead to rise of the Vaps Movement, a nationalist and pan-nationalistic veteran's organization and political movement, who were on the path of winning public support, until a coup by moderate Konstantin Päts in 1934, which lead to the banning of the Vaps Movement.[7] Estonian pan-nationalist sentiment was limited to volunteers (Infantry Regiment 200) to Finland during the Continuation War, where Finland was seen as the only country in Europe left to defend the Finno-Ugric peoples, as all other "nations" had been occupied by the Soviets.

Estonian volunteers of Infantry Regiment 200, nicknamed Soomepoisid (Finnish Boys) at Vyborg

Following the Finnish defeat in the Second World War, the idea faded towards obscurity in Finland. There is suspicion that the Karelo-Finnish SSR was planned to encompass all of Finland and Karelia, given it's Fennocentric naming.

Pan-Finnicism in Modern Finland is not very popular, believed in or advocated for by many. Instead, such organizations such as the Finland–Russia Society, advocate for rights for Finnic peoples and offer language studies.[8] Pan-Finnicism in Finland is not a decisive political issue, most Finns instead do not wish for any territorial expansion or are only focused on the Karelia Question, for which a unification between Karelia and Finland seems more likely, than a unification between Finland and Estonia, According to Stratfor.[9] There were increasing demands from the Finns Party Youth, to re-annex Finnish Karelia and sometimes all of Karelia, until it's dissolvement as the official Youth of the Finns Party.[10]

Such organizations as the Federation of Finnish-Estonian Associations and the Tuglas Society, are friendship societies that advocate for the deepening of Estonia-Finland relations. With the limitation of Pan-Finnicism being to political friendship between Finland and Estonia, with such projects as the Tallinn-Helsinki Tunnel.

According to Stratfor, most people in the Republic of Karelia and Vyborgsky District wish to join Finland, however they claim that it is Russian Nationalism and the Authoritarian Politics of Russia, which prevent this.[9]