The growth of the militant and increasingly…

The growth of the militant and increasingly powerful Fennoman movement threatens the traditional dominance of the Swedish speakers in Finland, who react by forming a Swedish-speaking nationalist countermovement, the Svecoman movement.

The main idea of the Svecomans is that the Swedish-speakers of Finland are a separate nation from the Finnish-speakers and need to preserve their Swedish language and culture.

The Svecomans become a small but powerful political movement that wins the backing of much of the Swedish-speaking community in Finland.

A third political faction at this time is the short-lived Liberal Party.

This party seeks to obtain reforms for Finland, especially freedom of the press, greater self-government, and increased economic freedom.

It was split, however, by the growing language controversy, and most of its members are absorbed into either the Fennomans or the Svecomans.