The Grand Duchy of Finland was a state within the Russian Empire, created when Russia took Finland from Sweden in the Finnish War, with the peace confirmed at the Treaty of Fredrikshamn. The Russian tsar became Grand Duke of Finland, and Emperor Alexander I promised to respect its Lutheran religion, laws and institutions, so that Finland kept its own administration, legal system, currency and later its own army. The capital was moved from Turku to Helsinki, which was rebuilt in a neoclassical style. During the nineteenth century the Finnish language was raised to equal status with Swedish and a national movement grew. Russian attempts at tighter control in the late 1890s caused resistance, and Finland declared independence after the Russian Revolution.
Before and after
- 31 May 1809Death of Joseph Haydn
- 14 June 1809Battle of Raab
- from 27 July 1809 to 28 July 1809Battle of Talavera
- 16 August 1809Founding of Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
- from 1 October 1809 to 5 December 1917Grand Duchy of Finland
- 14 October 1809Treaty of Schönbrunn
- 29 December 1809Birth of William Ewart Gladstone
- c. 1810Composition of Für Elise
- 1810Discovery of fluorine
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The era
This moment belongs to the Industrial era (1760 CE to 1914 CE), steam, factories and revolutions. You can also browse everything in the 19th century.