Old Finns

Old Finns

 

a Finnish political group that existed from the late 1880’s to 1918. The Old Finns, or Old Finn Party (Vanhasuoma-lainen Puolue), represented the right wing of the Finnish Party, or Fennomans. The Young Finns made up the left wing. The Old Finns expressed the interests of big Finnish capital and the landowners. The leaders of the Old Finns were Yrjö-Koskinen, J. R. Danielson-Kalmari, and J. K. Paasikivi.

In the early 20th century, as administrative oppression and police arbitrariness increased in the Grand Duchy of Finland, the Old Finns allied themselves with tsarism. After the defeat of the Finnish Revolution of 1918, they advocated a strong monarchy and maintained a pro-German orientation. The Old Finns formed the basis for the creation of the reactionary Coalition Party in 1918.