Embedded Files
Overview
Having identified the ‘what,’ the ‘who,’ the ‘where’ and the ‘when’ that form the basis of the descriptive tools of the conflict problem, the next step is to move to the analytical by asking the ‘how’ questions.
How was the Finnish elite able to change the non-alignment paradigm that had resulted in 70 years of peace for Finland and made their peacekeeping role the envy of many other countries, into an extension of the USA-UK military axis that is NATO? The answers reveal the Machiavellian streak that runs through Finnish decision-makers.
F.5. Reading (Look at this before doing the tasks). The Tasks and Answer Key/Pointers/Sources are in Theme H in the drop-down menu at the top of this page.
Opposition to membership was restricted to small posters on lamp posts
The media jumping on the military bandwagon with a new TV series - contrast with Reinikainen in Theme A
Russian Cultural Centre Töölö
Graffiti under the Soviet symbol at the Cutural Centre...
Think About:
“NATO's brutal military alliance has become the most perfidious instrument of repression known in the history of humankind” – Fidel Castro
“An alliance with a powerful person is never safe” – Phaedrus
“Peace, commerce and honest friendship with all nations; entangling alliances with none” – Thomas Jefferson
“There are no permanent alliances, only permanent interests” – Henry John Temple
“Now the only sure basis of an alliance is for each party to be equally afraid of the other” – Thucydides
Materials Updates/News:
Periodically, materials will be updated, or there may be news items worthy of attention related to this Unit. They will be notified here. If you come across any news/resources, e.g. journal/newspaper articles relevant to the content of this website, please let me know. I can be contacted via the email address below.
Yle 3.11.2024: Graffiti sprayed on the Finnish Embassy in Moscow -"Åland är vårt" ("Åland is ours").
Why is no one talking about Nordstream? Check out the observations by Seymour Hersh who was behind the attack…
Disaster preparedness on the Finnish agenda after joining NATO:
Nikkanan, M. (2024). Sharing responsibility for disaster preparedness: the case of Finland. PhD. University of Helsinki.
Interesting dialogue, but be sensitive to the possible bias:
Forsberg, T., and Patomäki, H. (2023). Debating the War in Ukraine: Counterfactual Histories and Future Possibilities. London: Routledge.
In the early stage of the war, under the auspices of the Helsinki Collegium (of which Forsberg is Director), a panel discussion was set up to evaluate NATO membership. There was no evaluation, all the panel members were advocating for membership.
The following highlights the legacy and implications of alliance membership for Sweden and Finland. It makes no mention of the strain in foreign relations when Finland was accepted and Sweden was not because of Turkey’s resistance:
Elgin, K., and Lanoszka, A. (2023). Sweden, Finland, and the Meaning of Alliance Membership. Texas National Security Preview 6(2): 34-56.
The cost of Finland’s membership of NATO is and will be very high:
Yle. (22.4.2024). Finland among world's top military aid donors to Ukraine.
Taiwan around the corner –
Hague. W. US must make it clear it would fight for Taiwan. The Times, 30.5.2022. Hague is a former leader of the UK Conservative Party
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