Governor General (Finland)

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The governor general was the highest local representative of the monarch in Finland until 1917 . While the office was only granted sporadically and with varying powers during the Swedish period until 1809, the governor general was the highest constitutional representative of the tsar and chairman of the Finnish Senate during the time of the Grand Duchy of Finland .

Governors General of the Swedish Crown

In the Swedish Empire , governors-general were primarily used as administrators of conquered territories, especially in the great power phase of the 17th century. Depending on the political situation and needs, governors-general were also employed for parts of the core area of ​​the empire. Today's Finland was one of these core areas. The position and scope of duties of these governors-general, who were generally responsible for several provinces, were not generally defined, but depended largely on the person of the governor and his relationship to the crown.

The following persons held the title of Governor General in Finland:

Governors General of the Russian Tsar

Tsarist Russia conquered Finland in the Swedish-Russian War of 1808/09 . In the Treaty of Fredrikshamn in 1809, the defeated Sweden had to cede Finland to Russia. The Russian tsar became head of state of Finland, which as an autonomous Grand Duchy became a part of the Russian Empire endowed with extensive autonomy.

The Russian Tsar was represented in both civil and military matters by the Russian Governor General ( Finnish Suomen kenraalikuvernööri , Swedish Generalguvernör över Finland ) in Finland. From 1808 to 1917, the Governor General officially chaired the Senate, an administrative body comparable to that of a Finnish government. In the event of a tie in the Senate, his vote was decisive. He was the highest representative of the Russian crown and reported directly to the tsar.

The office of Governor General of the Grand Duchy of Finland was held by the following persons: