What do we teach about our neighbours?

What do we teach about the Baltic States?

What do we teach about our neighbours – The Baltic States

• Before the 20th century– The history of Baltic countries are studied only if it touches

on Finnish history. For example:• Gustav Vasa founded the city of Helsinki as a rival to

Tallinn in 1550• The Baltic countries were part of Sweden during the 16th

and 17th century• In the 18th century Sweden lost its territories in the Baltic

countries to Russian regime

What do we teach about our neighbours – The Baltic States

• In the 20th Century (before 1939)– The textbooks start to deal with the history of Baltic states

more extensively– The independence of the Baltic states

• 3700 Finnish volunteers took part in the Estonian war of independence 1918-1919

– The Baltic states practise common foreign policy against Soviet Union in 1920’s together with Poland

What do we teach about our neighbours – The Baltic States

• In the 20th Century (1939 - 1991)– The Nazi-Soviet pact 1939 and the secret supplementary

protocol in which Germany and Soviet Union divided eastern Europe among themselves

• Soviet Union demands military bases from Finland and the Baltic states

• The Estonian volunteers in Finnish Winter War• Soviet Union occupies Baltic states 1940

– The Operation Barbarossa 1941: Baltic countries suffer the consequences of the war

– The Potsdam Conference 1945: Baltic countries remain under Soviet occupation

– The Baltic countries as the Soviet Socialist Republics

What do we teach about our neighbours –The Baltic States

• In the 20th Century (1991-)– The restoration of independence after the collapse of Soviet Union– The role Baltic states in Europe and international politics

• The NATO membership• The EU membership

• How history textbooks present the history of Baltic states– Due to the limited amount of lessons and broad curriculum not

enough emphasis is given to history Baltic states– Textbooks stress close connection between Finland and Baltic

states especially Estonia– The Baltic states are often presented as an example of difficult

geopolitical position– The content is oriented towards political history and less to cultural

or social history

What do we teach about Denmark, Norway and Iceland?

What do we teach about Denmark, Norway and Iceland?

• Unfortunately very little time is used to cover the history of these countries in our teaching.

• In the curriculum the history of Denmark, Norway and Iceland is usually studied in broader historical context.– The Vikings: both plundering expeditions and trade expeditions

in Europe; settlers of Iceland, Greenland and North America– The Danish rule in Estonia– The role of Denmark in the Union of Kalmar– In 1905 Norway got its independence from Sweden– In 1940 Germany conquered Denmark and Norway; resistance

movement and nazi- followers– Denmark, Norway and Iceland in the international politics after

the WWII (NATO members, relationship to European Union)– Norway’s oil riches

What do we teach about Sweden?

Finland as a part of Sweden

• In general Sweden is described as superior and forward-looking and progressive compared to Finland

• Many good things are said to come to Finland from Sweden• When Sweden conquered Finland (12th century), Finland became

westernized and converted to Christianity, e.g laws were got through Sweden from Western Europe (originally Roman laws)

• Finland was a part of catholic church, but in the 16th century in the era of Gustaf Vasa Finland became Lutheran

• Finland and Finns had to participate many wars whether they wanted or not because of its geopolitical position between Sweden and Russia, between west and east

• It is usually said that Finland’s proportion to army was always larger than Sweden’s proportion in comparison with populations

• Sweden in the 18th century is told to become weaker and weaker to defend Finland against the growing threat of Russia

Sweden in the 19th and 20th centuries

• For a long time Finns had close relations to Sweden especially in cultural sense

• At the beginning of the independence of Finland there were a quarrel between Finland and Sweden concerning the possession of Åland Islands and then there were some language quarrels between Finnish- and Swedish-speaking people

• When Finland became independent it had to create diplomatic relations to different countries; Sweden was the country where presidents visited to

• Before the WWII there were some secret plans to join the armies of Finland and Sweden

• Some 10 000 Swedish men came as volunteers to take part in Finland’s Winter War

• At wartime many Finnish children were sent to Sweden so that they could avoid the difficult time in Finland

Sweden in the 19th and 20th centuries

• After the war Finland’s relationship with Sweden and other Scandinavian countries became closer; for example Finland was accepted as a member of the Nordic Council in 1955

• In many things Sweden was an example to Finland; e.g. comprehensive school, welfare state

• Immigration to Sweden in 1950’s and 1960’s• Nowadays Finland is a member of European union and Sweden has

lost its position as a role model

Approaches to Swedish history in history teaching

• Swedish history is taught parallel with Finnish history when Finland is part of the Sweden (until 1809)– The approach is quite balanced between political history and social,

economic and cultural history. > This emphasis Finland’s links to Western Europe

• Swedish history during the 19th and 20th century is taught when it touches on Finnish history– The stress is now on political history and international relations

– Sweden is presented in positive way: political neutrality and welfare state

– These are seen as an aim for Finland too > This emphasis Finland’s links to Scandinavian countries

– The political problems (e.g. The Aland Islands) are toned down as part of Finnish nation building

– The social issues, like the problems of Finnish immigrants in Sweden in the1960’s and 70’s, are passed over with a few words

What do we teach about Poland?

Before the 20th century

• In the 16th century a court life in the castle of Turku got renaissance influences from Poland

• King Sigismund and the battle of power in Sweden and also in Finland (called as a rebel of peasants)

• In the 17th century Sweden took part in religious wars in Europe; Finnish soldiers (hakkapeliittas) were also in Poland and mistreated Polish people

• In the beginning of the 18th century Charles XII, King of Sweden, battled many years in Poland with his army including Finnish troops, too

• Revolts in Poland in 1830 and 1863

The 20th century

• After the WWI Poland was one of the Eastern European countries which got their independence

• The Baltic sea countries - with leadership of Poland - practised common foreign policy against Soviet Union in 1920’s

• Poland and the beginning of the World War Two; the pact of Molotov-Ribbentrop and the secret supplementary protocol in which Germany and Soviet Union divided eastern Europe among themselves

• Persecution of Jews in Poland• Poland and the last battles in the World War Two, e.g. in Warsaw

The 20th century

• People's democracy of Poland• Solidarity movement and Lech Walesa in Poland in 1980’s• The collapse of people's democracies in Eastern Europe• The role of Poland in European Union

What do we teach about Russia?

What do we teach about Russia / Soviet Union?19th and 20th century

1) Russia: Society and political development

Russia in 19th century- Society: peasants and their situation- The role of the emperor- Expansion in the east- Industrialism- Nationalism in Russian empire

Russian revolutions 1917- Revolutions in February and October

Lenin and communism

Soviet Union in the 20´s and 30´s- Civil war- The NEP- Stalin era: 5-years plans, collectivization, industrialization, Stalin’s terror, Stalin cult, dictatorship

Soviet Union after war- The Brezhnev era - Gorbatšov: perestroika, glasnost- The collapse of Soviet Union 1991

Russia after 1991

2) Russia / Soviet Union and Finland

Finland becomes part of Russia 1809- The Treaty of Tilsit 1807- The War between Russia and Sweden 1808-1809- Aleksandr I in Finland 1809

Finland as a part of Russia 1809-1917- Nikolai I and censorship- Reforms of Aleksandr II in Finland

The period of russification 1899-1917- The position of Finland in Russian empire- The administration of Finland: Finnish or Russian?

The civil war of Finland- Russian soldiers in Finland- Finnish emigrants to Soviet Russia

Finnish – Soviet relationships in the 20’s and 30’s- The Peace treaty in Tartu 1920- Distant relations

Second World War- The Winter War- The Continuation War- The Peace Treaty: loss of territory, reparations…

Finland and Soviet Union after war- Finland’s new policy: The Paasikivi Line- The Finno-Soviet Pact of Friendship, Co-operation and Mutual Assistance 1948 - YYA treaty- Kekkonen’s policy: good relationship with Soviet union or “finlandization”?- The collapse of Soviet Union and Finland’s new policy

3) Russia and the rest of the world

USA in the 19th century- Russia sells Alaska to USA- Russian emigrants to USA

Imperialism- Japan’s victory over Russia 1905

The First World War- Russia against Germany

The Second World War- The Nazi-Soviet pact 1939- The division of Poland- The operation Barbarossa- Stalingrad- The end of the war

The Cold War- The role of Soviet Union after 1945- Eastern Europe after war- Arms race, competition of getting to the space- Warsaw Pact- Crisis in Cuba- Improvement in the climate of international relations in the 70’s- The war in Afghanistan

Russia and the rest of the world after Soviet Union- The eras of Jeltsin and Putin- The challenges of Russia nowadays: economy, democracy, environment, social development

How do the textbooks see Russia / Soviet Union?

- The textbooks are only a part of teaching. Teachers are very free to teach differently and use other material as well.

- In the textbooks often the emphasis is on the relationships between Finland and Soviet Union.- There are two sides in those relationships: 1) Russia / Soviet Union as a threat and Finland’s struggle against Russia (especially during the wars) 2) Russia / Soviet Union as a good neighbor or a good ruler (especially during the era of the Grand Duchy of Finland (1809-1917)

- There is much more political than cultural history.- The emperors and leaders are important in both Russian and Soviet era.- There are a lot of negative things: dictatorship, wars, oppression, economical and social problems. There are positive things, as well, in the new books.