How Finland Almost Became a Monarchy
The German Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse Is Elected King
Oct 30, 2009
Finland is now a republic, but after gaining independence from Russia in 1917 it almost became a monarchy. Monarchy was the most popular form of government at that time, and Finland invited the German Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse to be its new king. But European political instability at the end of World War I caused Prince Frederick Charles to wait to accept, and Finland ultimately decided on a republican form of government.
Finland Decides to Become a Monarchy
For years, Finland was an autonomous Grand Duchy under the Russian Tsar. After the Russian Revolution, however, there was no longer a Tsar to rule it and Finland therefore declared independence on December 6, 1917. Finland then had to decide what kind of government it wanted.
Many other countries were gaining independence at that time, and most had chosen a monarchical government as that was not only a popular form of government at the time but also a good way to achieve international respect and prestige. In August of 1918, the Finnish government voted for a monarchy.
Finland Chooses a German Prince to Be King
When choosing a monarch, a country would usually choose a younger son from a ruling family, meaning the new king would not only have respectable royal credentials but would also come with strong international ties. So Finland then had to decide which royal country from which to choose an eligible prince.
In January of 1918, Finland had suffered a civil war between the Finnish Socialists and Communists and the national government. The Germans had helped the national government win the war, so Finland looked favorably on Germany and thought a German prince would bring strength and importance to the Finnish monarchy.
There were many German princes to choose from, not just from the main Prussian royal house of Hohenzollern but also from the many German principalities and grand duchies that had been collected into the German Empire. The Finnish government first proposed either Grand Duke Frederick Francis IV of Mecklenburg-Schwerin or Emperor William II’s son Prince Oscar. Unfortunately, these German princes were reluctant to become king of Finland because Finnish independence at that time was uncertain and Germany did not want to become too tied up in Finnish political problems.
Finland Elects Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse
On October 9, 1918, Finland elected Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse to be king. Prince Frederick Charles was a politically clever choice, as he was prince of a politically uncontroversial grand duchy and also the brother-in-law of Emperor William II. Although the Emperor didn’t want his own son to be king of Finland, he was happy that Finland had chosen a close relation of his, even though ironically he had initially looked down on Frederick Charles as he thought this lesser German prince a poor match for his sister Princess Margarete.
Although Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse was a wise choice, choosing any German prince was a politically controversial move for Finland. The Finnish government knew that choosing a German prince would seem to ally themselves with the Central Powers that were losing World War I. Prince Frederick Charles knew this and prudently said that he would not give an answer for two months, hoping that by that time the political landscape would be more settled.
Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse Refuses the Finnish Throne
The German political situation got more complicated when Emperor William II was forced to abdicate on November 9, 1918. The Allies promptly informed Finland that having a German king would seriously compromise their independence. Prince Frederick Charles soon told Finland that he couldn’t accept the throne.
After the March 1919 election and a change of government, Finland passed a bill to form a republican government. Finland’s brief flirtation with monarchy was officially over, and Finland is now one of the few Scandinavian countries without a monarch. But had it chosen the German Prince Frederick Charles to be king it may have had political problems with the rest of Europe. Furthermore, monarchies have become increasingly weaker and less important in Europe, so republicanism was a wise choice that has served Finland well.
Source:
Kiste, John van der. Northern Crowns: The Kings of Modern Scandinavia. Gloucestershire: Sutton Publishing, 1996.
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