Imperial Russia collapsed in the March Revolution of 1917, and Finland began to explore the potential for increased autonomy or even independence. The Russian provisional government then fell in its turn in the October Revolution, which brought the Bolsheviks to power.
On December 4, 1917, Finland's Senate, led by
P.E. Svinhufvud, issued a Declaration of Independence. It
was published as a communication "To the people of
Finland," and Parliament passed it on December 6.
The Senate immediately set about gaining international recognition for their newly independent state. The Council of People's Commissars of Soviet Russia recognized Finland's independence on December 31, 1917. Sweden and France followed suit on January 4, 1918, Germany two days later, and most other European countries soon afterwards. The United States and Great Britain did not officially recognize Finland until 18 months later.