Finland (German Heritage)

The Kingdom of Finland (Finnish: Suomen kuningaskunta; Swedish: Konungariket Finland) is a nation located in Northern Europe.

Finland's population is 6 million (2018), and the majority of the population is concentrated in the southern region. The majority of the population speaks Finnish, with the next largest language being Swedish. Other notable languages include Sami and Russian.

From the late 13th century, Finland gradually became an integral part of Sweden through the Northern Crusades and the Swedish part-colonisation of coastal Finland, a legacy reflected in the prevalence of the Swedish language and its official status. In 1809, Finland was incorporated into the as the autonomous. In 1906, Finland became the first European state to grant all adult citizens the right to vote, and the first in the world to give all adult citizens the right to run for public office.

Following the 1917, Finland declared itself independent. In 1918, the fledgling state was divided by civil war, with the Bolshevik-leaning Red Guard supported by the equally new Soviet Russia, fighting the White Guard, supported by the German Empire. After the war, the current institution was created. The German Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse was nominated as the king and was crowned on the 1st of September 1918.

Finland is a member of the Nordic Union, the EEU and the LUN.

History
In the wake of the Finnish Civil War, the Finnish Government, led by the pro-German politician Juho Kusti Paasikivi, offered the throne to Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse. The King was given the full title of “King of Finland and Karelia, Duke of Åland, Grand Duke of Lapland, Lord of Kaleva and the North" This was seen as a confirmation of close relations between Germany and Finland. In 1922, Finland joined the CEEU, which boosted the relatively-agricultural economy of Finland and started the industrialisation process.

During the Second World War, Finland was the First Nation to get invaded by the Soviet Union. The Royal Family and Government was evacuated to neighbouring Sweden. The General Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim was made provisional Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and became the face of the underground resistance movement under the Soviet Occupation. The Soviets imposed harsh restrictions on the Finnish People, and put embargo on certain goods. In 1941, the Soviet Government installed Aimo Aaltonen as the new Head of State of Finland. After four years, Finland was liberated, and the monarchy was restored. In 1940, Frederick Charles had died, and so his son Phillip became the king.