There most likely could be a thread about : Who is Who in Finland...
Most notably...
YEAH: I KNOW... PROPAGANDA? .... I HAVE TO SAY...
I HAVE TO LOSE... TO TAKE IT AS THEY SAY IT...
THAT WON't WORK... I KNOW.....
From...
http://ky.hkkk.fi/~k21206/finhist.html
Repeated wars against Russia extended the areas in the east, but keeping up military readiness was hard for the heavily taxed Finnish peasantry. Peace of Teusina (1595), also recognising Swedish rule over northern Estonia, ended a 25 years long war but military service continued. Peasants had to support large army formations. Consequently, a civil uprising called the " nuijasota " (Cudgel War) (1596-97) was fought against the military demands and local nobility, the uprising was eventually suppressed hard. The rebels gathered troops in Pohjanmaa (Ostrobothnia) and inner Finland, southernmost parts of the country remained calm, partly due to more tight government control.
The war happened simultaneously with and catalyzed by the struggle for the thrown of Sweden between King Sigismund and his uncle Duke Karl, catholic Sigismund was also King of Poland. Sigismund's Polish connection could have been valuable for Finland as an ally against Russia and for trade. Thus, the Finnish nobility led by Klaus Fleming(important character...!)
, governor of Finland and marshal of the Swedish army, largely took the side of the King Sigismund. Therefore, their opponent Duke Karl encouraged the discontented Finnish peasantry into an open revolt. Fleming was also preparing an army to invade Sweden proper, but his health was not too good. Duke Karl was backed by the majority of nobility, the Protestant Church and Diet in Sweden. Fleming was not very popular among the Swedish aristocracy even if he had been a succeful general, admiral and administrator. Consequently, Karl's victory in Sweden, Sigismund was dethroned in 1598, and Fleming's premature death led to punitive measures against the weakened Finnish nobility. Soon, many of the government officials in Finland were replaced by Swedes, who mostly were unable to speak Finnish. Thus, first the rebelling Finnish peasantry was punished by the local nobles and then the Finnish aristocracy was punished for opposing the "usurper" Duke Karl.
