Finnish History

There are 3 varieties of standard Finnish: "kirjakieli" or “book language” which is used in official documents, official speeches and the daily news; "yleiskieli" or “standard language” which is taught in schools - formal and correct, though more relaxed than the "book language"; and "puhekieli" or "spoken language" which is a frequently changing, more casual variety used in everyday conversation. This course teaches the standard Finnish language, "yleiskieli."

This book pulls back the curtain so you can get a better look at Finland’s history. Its history is exciting, even without the Vikings, and its proximity to Russia is something that is still talked about in the news today.

The history of the Russian Revolution and the subsequent civil war has been well documented in a number of books and documentaries. What has received far less coverage is an almost uncannily similar situation in Finland during the same time period. Starting in 1917, Finland was convulsed by a series of events that provided a direct parallel to those in Russia. The revolution, the civil war that followed, and the impact of the end of World War I all helped to define the modern state of Finland. This is the story of a forgotten conflict, its roots, and its impact on Finland and beyond.

In December 1940, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill made a speech about a conflict that had some leading figures in Britain and France, including Churchill himself, briefly discussing the idea of going to war with the Soviet Union, even though they were already fighting Adolf Hitler. Of course, war makes strange bedfellows, and one year later, Churchill would find himself allied with the Soviet Union against Germany and Finland. It’s an interesting saga, one with roots in imperial Russian history and the desire of the Finns to be free in their northern forests.