The Friedrichsham Peace is an international treaty drawn up between the Russian Empire and the Kingdom of Sweden. It was the result of the Russian-Swedish war.
The rulers of the states at that time were Alexander the First and Gustav the Fourth, and at the time of signing the peace, Sweden was ruled by the Duke of Südermanland, who ascended the throne under the name of Charles the Thirteenth.
What were the conditions of the world, and why did the Russian nobility sympathize with Sweden after signing the treaty?
The result of the Russian-Swedish war
In 1808-1809 a war was fought between Russia and Sweden. In history, it is also called Finnish or Finnish.
The war began with the events of 1807, when Alexander the First made the Tilsit peace with Napoleon the First. One of the conditions of the agreement was Russia's accession to the blockade of Great Britain. Sweden opted for rapprochement with England and began to prepare for war. Circumstances in foreign policy gave Alexander the First an occasion to conquer Finland.
As a result, France supported Russia, and Great Britain Sweden. The war started without its official announcement. Its beginning was unsuccessful for Russia. Gradually, the Russian army began to win, it was able to completely occupy Finland. Alexander the First signed a manifesto declaring that Finland would become part of Russia under the name of the Grand Duchy. It retained the old laws and the Sejm.
Then the Russian troops moved to Sweden. There was a threat of the capture of Stockholm. In addition, in 1809, Gustav the Fourth was overthrown in Sweden. Sweden wished to quickly stop the bloodshed. The war ended with the victory of Russia and the signing of the Friedrichsham Peace.
Signatories
The document was signed on September 17, 1809. It was made in duplicate in French. The Friedrichsham world consisted of a preamble, a conclusion and twenty-one articles.
Signatories:
- Russia was represented by Count Rumyantsev, who was the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Alopeus, who worked as Russia's ambassador to Stockholm;
- Sweden was represented by Baron von Stedingk and Colonel Skieldebrandt.
The predecessor of the peace agreement in the legal context was the Orekhov Peace. It was signed in the fourteenth century between Sweden and Novgorod and recorded a division of Karelia.
The exchange of instruments of ratification took place on October 13, 1809 in St. Petersburg. From this moment the agreement entered into force.
Conditions
In the Friedrichsham world, Russia received all of Finland, including the Aland Islands (an archipelago in the Baltic Sea). The Swedish population could freely move from Finland to Sweden and vice versa.
There were some disagreements. They concerned the establishment of boundaries on the map. So, the Swedish side wanted to draw the border along the Kemi River, and the Russian side along the Kaliks River. As a result, a compromise was reached - the border was laid along the Tornio River, as well as along its tributary Muonio. It divided the historical Swedish province of West Botnia. The border line ran along the deepest channel of Tornio.
Under the terms of the Friedrichsham Peace, Sweden was obliged to conclude an agreement with Napoleon the First. Prior to this, she was a member of all coalitions directed against France. After that, the Swedes were to begin the continental blockade of Britain. It was held until 1814 and was canceled after the restoration of the Bourbons in France.
The continental blockade was positive for Russia. The country has the opportunity to strengthen the national industry.
At the same time, Russian aristocrats were outraged by the conditions of the world, which were too difficult for Sweden. Moreover, this exalted Napoleon.
Value
The conclusion of the Friedrichsham Peace led to the formation of the Grand Duchy of Finland, which became part of the Russian Empire with its own constitution.
The Principality possessed significant internal autonomy. It was a dualistic estate monarchy. The head of the principality was the Russian emperor; the governor-general, who chaired the Imperial Finnish Council, served as governor. The Committee for Finnish Affairs also existed in St. Petersburg.
In the Principality, the Finnish Sejm remained as a representative body. It included the heads of noble and knightly clans, Lutheran bishops, representatives from cities and peasants. The diet was engaged in domestic legislation. The emperor did not have the right to change domestic laws without the approval of the Sejm.
In 1811, Alexander the First made a gesture of goodwill, transferring to the principality the territory of Old Finland, which was conquered from Sweden back in 1721. So the emperor decided to win the favor of new subjects.
Validity period
In relation to Finland, the Friedrichsham Peace (year of signing 1809) was valid until 1920, that is, for one hundred and eleven years. It was stopped by the Tartu Peace, which was drawn up between the RSFSR and Finland. According to its conditions, the Finns gained independence.