What is the Aaland Islands history background?

Sweden occupied the islands from 1157-1809.

The Aaland Islands are geographically important to Sweden.

Napoleon claimed the islands  to be the key to Stockholm, Sweden’s capital, and so the key to defeating all of Sweden.

From 1809, when Russian invades Sweden and Finland,  till 1918 with the end of Finish Civil war, the islands have a hard period changing from one country to another in continuous fight.

·       In 1809, Russia created the Grand Duchy of Finland after a victorious war against Finland and Sweden.  The resulting treaty of Fredrikshamn signed on September 17, 1809 allowed Russia to take possession of  Finland and the Åland Islands from   Sweden.

·       Russia begins to fortify[I] the Aaland Islands in 1834.

·     The Franco-British fleet forced the demilitarization of the islands during the Crimean

War in 1855.

·     The Paris Peace Conference’s treaty of Paris in 1856 finished the  demilitarization[II] of the Aaland Islands.

·     The Russian October Revolution begins in 1917, and Finland declared independence

from Russia on December 6, 1917.

·     The Aaland Islands hold an unofficial vote in late December 1917 and petition to

become annexed[III] by Sweden.

·     Russian, Red and White Finnish, Swedish, and German troops[IV] all occupied the Aaland  Islands during the Finnish Civil War. From January 27^th to May 15^th 1918. The Finnish Civil War was a part of the national and social confuson caused by World War I (1914–1918) in Europe.

·     After the world war I and Civil War,  Finland's status changed from a monarchist [V] defender of the German Empire to an independent democratic republic, with a modernizing civil society. The system of government, the primary Constitution of Finland, was confirmed on 17 July 1919.

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[I] Strengthen a place with defensive works to protect it against any attack.

[II] To remove military troops in an area.

[III] To incorporate territory into an existing political unit such as a country, county, or city.

[IV] A group of soldiers

[V]  Support for the principle of having monarchs.