Editing Pehr Evind Svinhufvud (section)

==Independence and the Civil War==
[[File:Senate1917.jpg|thumb|upright|The [[Senate of Finland|Finnish Senate]] of 1917, Svinhufvud in the head of table.]]
[[File:Juho kusti paasikivi and Pehr Evind Svinhufvud 1918.jpg|thumb|upright|[[J. K. Paasikivi]] (''left'') and Svinhufvud discuss the [[Kingdom of Finland (1918)|Finnish monarchy project]] in 1918]]
Svinhufvud was appointed as Chairman of the [[Senate of Finland|Senate]] on 27 November 1917, and was a key figure in the announcement of [[Finland's declaration of independence]] on 6 December 1917.<ref name="valtioneuvosto"/> He also personally went to [[Saint Petersburg]] with [[Carl Enckell]] and [[Gustaf Idman]] to meet [[Vladimir Ilyich Lenin]], who gave his official recognition of Finnish independence.<ref>[https://www.is.fi/kotimaa/art-2000005507922.html IS: Lenin tunnusti Suomen tasan sata vuotta sitten – kohtasi suomalaisdelegaation pää painuksissa ja harmitteli myöhemmin lipsahdustaan] (in Finnish)</ref> This is how the meeting is told in Svinhufvud's biography ''Svinhufvud ja itsenäisyyssenaatti'' written by [[Erkki Räikkönen]]: {{blockquote|After trying in vain to meet the Soviets on December 30, 1917 - then Sunday - the next day, the delegation managed to submit this letter to Lenin's secretary, and in the evening at 9 o'clock it went to [[Smolny, Saint Petersburg]] to hear the decision. "We waited a couple of hours in the big hallway and sat at the corner of the table," says Svinhufvud, "and we had the furs on and the caps on hand, because they didn't dare leave them." Smolny was busy despite the late hours. Guests came and went, typists ran down the hallways, even toddlers on the floor. On several occasions, Enckell tried to rush to the Soviet government's head of office, [[Vladimir Bonch-Bruyevich]], but nothing helped. "We could only see," says Enckell, "how in one room the People's Commissars sat in thick tobacco smoke and probably pondered our case." Despite the fact that the furs were on, it became cold in the hallway while waiting. Finally, almost at midnight, Bonch-Bruyevich brought the decision of the Board of Commissioners.
It was worded as follows: "We rose one after another and signed with special satisfaction the recognition of Finland's independence," writes I. Steinberg, who was a justice commissioner in Lenin's government. "We knew that Finland's current hero Svinhufvud, once sent to exile by the tsar, was our public social enemy. and that he would not spare any of us in the future. But if we free the Finnish people from the oppression of Russia, there will be one less historical injustice in the world." Despite the fact that this letter merely announced the proposed recognition of Finland's independence, it actually meant full recognition of independence, as the confirmation of the Executive Committee was only a formality. Thus, in the last hour of the last day of the year, Finland had received an official certificate of resignation from Russia. After handing over this formal declaration of independence to the delegation, Bonch-Bruyevich planned to say goodbye and leave, but then Enckell pointed out: ''"When the Chairman of the Finnish Government is here, would it not be desirable for him to meet Lenin in person and express his gratitude to the Finnish people for the recognition of their independence."''
Bonch-Bruyevich now went back to the commissioners' room, informing the commissioners that Svinhufvud was waiting in the hallway and wanted to thank Lenin. This resulted in great confusion, Lenin shrugged, laughed a little embarrassed, and refused. ''"What can I say to those bourgeoisie!"'' It was then suggested that [[Leon Trotsky]] go to greet the guests, but he too refused sharply. It was finally invented that Justice Commissioner Steinberg should agree to the request. ''"What can I tell them,"'' he asked and continued: ''"I could only arrest them in my post!"'' Trotsky laughed cunningly at this: ''"Like you would capture!"'' Now Bonch-Bruyevich was nervous. He interrupted the play and again asked Lenin to go out to greet the Finns. In a worn suit and head presses, Lenin was now following Bonch-Bruyevich, while the hall was still laughing and counting dives. "Lenin came and held out his hand to us, and we introduced him to Svinhufvud," says Enckell of this historic scene, adding that "Lenin squeezed Svinhufvud's hand cordially."''"Are you satisfied now?"'' Lenin asked. ''"Very satisfied,"'' replied Svinhufvud. "Russia was spoken there and answered in Russian," says Svinhufvud, adding that "it only said a sad thank you for the letter of resignation." The Finns left now. Svinhufvud, Enckell, and Idman rushed quickly to the Secretary of State’s Office. A typewritten copy of the recognition of independence was urgently taken there, after which we left for the station and from there continued by train to Finland. A few days later, the Russian Central Executive Committee confirmed the recognition of Finland's independence, which was thus finally decided for Russia.<ref>[[Erkki Räikkönen]]: ''Svinhufvud ja itsenäisyyssenaatti : piirteitä P. E. Svinhufvudin ja hänen johtamansa senaatin toiminnasta ja vaiheista syksyllä 1917 ja keväällä 1918''. Otava, 1935.</ref>}}

Svinhufvud's Senate also authorized [[Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim|General Mannerheim]] to form a new Finnish army on the basis on [[White Guard (Finland)|White Guard]], the (chiefly [[Right-wing politics|Rightist]]) volunteer [[militia]] called the ''Suojeluskunta,'' an act simultaneously coinciding with the beginning of the [[Civil War in Finland]].

During the Civil War, Svinhufvud went underground in Helsinki and sent pleas for intervention to Germany and Sweden. The conflict also turned him into an active [[monarchist]], though not a royalist. In March 1918 he managed to escape via [[Berlin]]-[[Stockholm]] to the Senate, now located in [[Vaasa]], where he resumed his function as [[head of government]]. In this role he pardoned 36,000 Red prisoners in the autumn of 1918. On 18 May, Svinhufvud became Protector of State or [[Regent]], retaining this post as [[head of state]] after he stood down as Chairman of the Senate on 27 May.

After Germany's defeat in [[World War I]], and the failed attempt to make Finland a monarchy under the [[King of Finland]] ([[Frederick Charles of Hesse]] was elected), Svinhufvud withdrew from public life and was active only in the anti-communist ''Suojeluskunta'' militia.

[[File:Svinhufvud-1931.jpg|thumb|upright=0.5|Svinhufvud postage stamp from 1931.]]