Scandinavian History Podcast

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Scandinavian History Podcast

A journey through the history of Scandinavia from the last ice age to the dawn of the space age.

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02/10/2026

During the Finnish Civil War, the Ostrobothnian city of Vaasa became an important place for the White side. Already on January 18 1918, Mannerheim had traveled to Vaasa to direct the efforts to disarm the Russian troops in Finland from there. After the war broke out, the Senate also reconvened in Vaasa, making the city the temporary capital of the White side since Helsinki was under Red control.

The name of the city comes from the Swedish royal dynasty Vasa. The first Vasa king on the Swedish throne was Gustav Eriksson Vasa, who became king when Sweden broke free from the Kalmar Union. It was his son, Karl IX, who in 1611 granted town privileges to a town called Mustasaari (“Black Island”). But to mark the occasion, the place was renamed after the king’s family.

The coat of arms of Vaasa still carries the heraldic symbol of the Vasa dynasty–the sheaf. The ribbon and cross hanging below, is the Order of the Cross of Liberty, granted to the city of Vaasa by the victorious White government on May 2 1918, in recognition of the role the city played during the Civil War.

01/10/2026

Since the latest episode was heavy of Finnish geography, I feel the need to add yet another map to give you a visual aid. Hopefully it'll give you a clearer picture of the battle of Tampere.

The blue lines show a simplified depiction of White troop movements during the offensive that started on March 15, 1918. Länkipohja fell on March 16, followed by Orivesti two days later, on March 18. After heavy fighting, the Red defenders lost the strategically vital village of Lempäälä on the railway connecting Tampere to Helsinki on March 24.

The White troops started their assault on Tampere itself on March 26, but the last defenders didn't surrender until April 6.

30/09/2026

The other day, September 25 to be exact, King Frederik X of Denmark unveiled the first official portrait of him painted after his accession to the throne. The portrait, painted by the Danish artist Cathrine Raben Davidsen, hangs in the Great Hall at Frederiksborg Castle. So do the portraits of many of Frederik's ancestors.

There have been some critical voices, complaining about the background or claiming that the portrait doesn't look anything like the king. I don't know. The background may be a little busy, but I think I'd be able to identify him based on this painting.

What do you think?

29/09/2026

On this day, but in 1560, the king of Sweden, Gustav Eriksson Vasa, died. He's one of the Swedish monarchs who've had the most influence on the development of the country. Arguably, no other king has changed Sweden more than he did.

Among his achievements can be mentioned:
-surviving the Stockholm Bloodbath
-breaking up the Kalmar Union and establishing Sweden as an independent country
-doing away with elections of Swedish kings, making the crown an heirloom within his own family
-introducing Protestantism as a way to solve his financial problems

Gustav Vasa was a bit of a control freak, as illustrated in the image below. It depicts the king inspecting the Finnish translation of the New Testament, despite the fact that Gustav didn't speak a word of Finnish.

28/09/2026

In order to help you get a better picture (literally) of the geography of the Finnish civil war, here's a map with (almost) all the towns and cities mentioned in episode 143.

27/09/2026

Not everyone in the world, not even those excellent people who listen to the Scandinavian History Podcast, may have a clear mental image of the map of Finland in 1918. If you fall in that category, here's a map giving you a rough idea about the division of Finland when the civil war broke out in January 1918.

The red bits show the territory held by the Red side. It included most of the major population centers in the south (such as Helsinki, Turku, Tampere and Viipuri), as well as pockets further north, like Oulu and Tornio on the border to Sweden.

For some reason, the land held by the White side is shown in blue.

26/09/2026

This time, the team counting the votes from the latest Spotify poll has been quick about it, and I'm glad to say that I can already present a result. No need to inundate the SHP HQ with phone calls, faxes and telegrams demanding to know the results of the poll.

So without any further ado, here we go.

The question was: If you had been living in Finland in late 1917, which development would have worried you the most?

And these were the options:
1) The growing power of the Red Guards
2) The rise of the White Protection Corps
3) The presence of so many Russian soldiers

The winning option, with 77.8 percent of the votes, is #3, the presence of so many Russian soldiers.

I'm sorry if the photo of Russian soldiers spoiled the surprise for you.

A new poll is live right now! Just listen to the newest episode on Spotify first, then vote.

25/09/2026

In the newest episode of the Scandinavian History Podcast, Finland sinks ever deeper into blood-soaked chaos. The war between Reds and Whites erupts following the revolution on January 27, 1918. Like so many other civil wars, this conflict is brutal and tears society apart.

Links in the comments.

24/09/2026

On this day, but in 1972, Norway held a referendum about joining the European Community (today’s EU). The “no” side won with 53.5 percent of the vote. The result led to Prime Minister Trygve Bratteli resigning, since joining the European Community had been such a central part of his political vision. Bratteli didn't stay away for long, though, and after the elections in 1973 he returned as Prime Minister for another three years. He still didn't manage to convince the Euro-skeptic Norwegians, though.

The 1972 referendum was actually Norway’s second attempt at joining the European Community. In 1963, France had vetoed letting Norway in.

23/09/2026

On this day, but in 1905, the so-called Karlstad Conference was concluded. At this meeting, Norwegian and Swedish delegates had negotiated the terms of the dissolution of the union between their two countries. Among other things, the final agreement regulated the rights of the Sami to let their reindeer roam in Norway, and the establishment of a demilitarized zone between the two countries.

The agreement was signed a few weeks later, on October 26. But at the very end there was a bit of drama, when the head of the Norwegian delegation, Christian Michelsen, realized he’d forgotten his seal at home. In the end, the signing ceremony went ahead as planned, because Michelsen could use the seal belonging to the recently deceased mayor of Karlstad, Carl Moberg, since he had the same initials.

The stipulation about the demilitarized zone was scrapped as late as 1993.

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