International resolution

League of Nations decision on the Åland question, 1921

The League Council awarded sovereignty over Åland to Finland, conditioned on guarantees for Swedish language and culture and on demilitarisation.

What happened

Sweden and Finland disputed sovereignty over the Åland Islands after Finnish independence, and the question was referred to the League of Nations.[1] In June 1921 the Council of the League of Nations decided that Finland should retain sovereignty, with Finland undertaking to guarantee the population's Swedish language, culture and local customs.[2]

The Council also prescribed that an international agreement confirm and extend the existing 1856 demilitarisation of Åland into full neutralisation. The resulting Åland Convention of 1921 did so, and the demilitarised status was later reaffirmed in the 1947 Paris Peace Treaty.[3]

Sources for this page

Each number marks a specific claim. Notes give the source, its locator and how it relates to the claim.

  1. 1.

    Claim: The Act on the Autonomy of Åland's own preamble recounts that Sweden ceded Finland and the Åland Islands to Russia after the war of 1808–09, that Ålanders hoped for reunion with Sweden when Finland became independent, and that the Finnish Parliament's 1920 Autonomy Act was at first rejected by the Ålanders, leading the question of Åland's status to be referred to the League of Nations.

    • Act on the Autonomy of Åland (1991/1144) (Parliament of Finland / Government of Åland, via UN Peacemaker, 16 August 1991) link, Preamble. Government perspective or primary official source Source record
  2. 2.

    Claim: In June 1921 the Council of the League of Nations decided that Finland should retain sovereignty over the Åland Islands, with Finland undertaking to guarantee the population's Swedish language, culture and local customs.

    • Act on the Autonomy of Åland (1991/1144) (Parliament of Finland / Government of Åland, via UN Peacemaker, 16 August 1991) link, Preamble. Government perspective or primary official source Source record
    • Åland Islands question (Wikipedia) link, The 1921 Council decision. Source record
  3. 3.

    Claim: The League Council also prescribed that an international agreement confirm and extend the 1856 demilitarisation of the Åland Islands into full neutralisation; the resulting 1921 Åland Convention did so, and the arrangement was later confirmed by the 1947 Paris Peace Treaty.

    • Act on the Autonomy of Åland (1991/1144) (Parliament of Finland / Government of Åland, via UN Peacemaker, 16 August 1991) link, Preamble. Government perspective or primary official source Source record
    • Demilitarisation of Åland (Wikipedia) link, The 1921 Convention and the 1947 Peace Treaty. Source record

Source note

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