ABSTRACT
Although part of the territory of Finland, the Åland islands are home to a Swedish speaking population and were, until 1809, part of the Swedish state. Despite the rural isolation of the islands, the population has not enjoyed a quiet life. Occupying a strategic position in the Baltic Sea, the islands have a history of military conflict, particularly between the Swedish and Russian Empires. During this period, the islands changed hands several times and were the subject of several local rebellions against Russian occupation. In 1809, the Swedish Empire finally accepted defeat in the east and formally ceded the islands (along with the Grand Duchy of Finland itself) to the Russian state under the Treaty of Fredrikshamn. The Russians immediately set about fortifying the islands, but during the Crimean war proved unable to defend them against attack from a combined French and British force. Under the ensuing peace treaty, the islands were returned to Russia, but declared a demilitarised zone, a status they retain to this day.
