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1919 Finnish parliamentary election
General election
General election
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| country | Finland |
| flag_year | state-1918 |
| type | parliamentary |
| previous_election | 1917 Finnish parliamentary election |
| previous_year | 1917 |
| next_election | 1922 Finnish parliamentary election |
| next_year | 1922 |
| seats_for_election | All 200 seats in the Parliament of Finland |
| majority_seats | 101 |
| election_date | 1–3 March 1919 |
| image_size | 130x130px |
| image1 | Väinö Tanner in 1931 (cropped).jpg |
| leader1 | Väinö Tanner |
| party1 | Social Democratic Party of Finland |
| last_election1 | 44.79%, 92 seats |
| seats1 | **80** |
| popular_vote1 | **365,046** |
| percentage1 | **37.98%** |
| swing1 | 6.81pp |
| image2 | Santeri Alkio2.jpg |
| leader2 | Santeri Alkio |
| party2 | Agrarian League (Finland) |
| last_election2 | 12.38%, 26 seats |
| seats2 | 42 |
| popular_vote2 | 189,297 |
| percentage2 | 19.70% |
| seat_change2 | 16 |
| swing2 | 7.32pp |
| image3 | HugoSuolahti (cropped).jpg |
| leader3 | Hugo Suolahti |
| party3 | National Coalition Party |
| last_election3 | – |
| seats3 | 26 |
| popular_vote3 | 151,018 |
| percentage3 | 15.71% |
| seat_change3 | *New* |
| swing3 | *New* |
| image4 | Oskari Mantere circa 1925.jpg |
| leader4 | Oskari Mantere |
| party4 | National Progressive Party (Finland) |
| last_election4 | – |
| seats4 | 26 |
| popular_vote4 | 123,090 |
| percentage4 | 12.81% |
| seat_change4 | *new* |
| swing4 | *new* |
| seat_change1 | 12 |
| leader5 | Eric von Rettig |
| party5 | Swedish People's Party of Finland |
| last_election5 | 10.90%, 21 seats |
| seats5 | 22 |
| seat_change5 | 1 |
| popular_vote5 | 116,582 |
| percentage5 | 12.13% |
| swing5 | 1.23pp |
| before_election | Lauri Ingman |
| title | Prime Minister |
| before_party | National Coalition Party |
| posttitle | Prime Minister after election |
| after_election | Kaarlo Castrén |
| after_party | National Progressive Party (Finland) |
Parliamentary elections were held in Finland between 1 and 3 March 1919. The Social Democratic Party emerged as the largest in Parliament with 80 of the 200 seats. Voter turnout was 67%.
Background
In 1919, Finland was still reeling from the violent and traumatic effects of its Civil War. Many Whites (rightists and centrists) felt that a strong national government was necessary to prevent a new civil war. Some conservatives, especially monarchists, even wondered if Finland should keep its democracy and universal right to vote. For example, Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim, in the White Army's victory parade in Helsinki in May 1918, called for giving the leadership of Finland's to a strong leader, free from partisan wrangling.
Liberals, such as the first President Kaarlo Juho Ståhlberg, believed that discontent with Finland's political, social and economic order would be removed by making reforms. Monarchists had elected the German Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse as the Finnish king in October 1918, but he had renounced the throne in December 1918, conscious of the problems that Finland would have in its relations with the winners World War I if it had a citizen of the defeated Germany as its king. The republican parties (the Social Democrats, Agrarians and Progressives) disagreed on how much power the president should have. The monarchist parties (the National Coalition Party and the Swedish People's Party of Finland) wanted a strong presidency if there was going to be a republic at all.
In the end, enough Finnish voters sided with the republican parties, which also promised significant social reforms, such as the freeing of tenant farmers and the distribution of excess farmland to them.
Results
Aftermath
On 25 July 1919 Ståhlberg defeated Mannerheim in the presidential elections.
References
References
- [[Dieter Nohlen]] & Philip Stöver (2010) ''Elections in Europe: A data handbook'', p606 {{ISBN. 978-3-8329-5609-7
- Nohlen & Stöver, p613
- Seppo Zetterberg et al., eds., ''A Small Giant of Finnish History'', Helsinki: WSOY, 2003, pages 610-612
- Pentti Virrankoski, ''A History of Finland 1&2'', Helsinki: Finnish Literary Society, 2009, pages 756-758, 766-767
- Jonathan Clements, ''Mannerheim: President, Soldier, Spy'', London, UK: Haus Publishing Ltd, 2009
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