Edelfelt, Akseli Gallen-Kallela, Pekka Halonen and Eero Järnefelt, whose likes had never appeared before. 13

The general strike had crushed Bobrikov's program of repression with a single blow; within a week the political situation had changed completely. With the outbreak of unrest, the Czar had entrusted Count Witte with the reins of government; he became

the chairman of the Council of Ministers, actually the Prime Minister, which Russia had not previously had. Juridically, there was no change in Finland's position; the Czar remained its Grand Duke, and no other Russian bodies had anything to say about affairs in Finland. But in actuality the situation gradually became unfavorable for Finland. Previously, not even Finland's enemies had been able to do anything if the ruler was on its side : in his time, Snellman had proved this with his statement that in the final analysis the Emperor's word was Finland's only safeguard, and what the breaking of this word meant the Finns had been able to experience acutely enough, especially in the years after 1899. It was the hope that a lessened autocracy would ease Finland's situation, and it was believed that western concepts of justice and freedom would prevail in the new Russian Duma. And with skillful measures Witte indeed succeeded in checking the revolutionary forces, which lacked purposeful leadership, since the army was still loyal to the Czar.

Even before the November proclamation, there had been discussion in Finland of forming a new Senate, and a coalition government was attempted, but after heated debate it was decided that a constitutionally based cabinet list would be presented to the Governor-General. The list was approved almost as it stood Leo Mechelin became chairman of the economics committee and vice-chairman of the Senate, and of the rest, it should be mentioned that K. J. Stohlberg became chairman of the industry committee and that as a sign of the changed times, a Social Democrat, J. K. Kari, was also appointed a Senator. Of the members of this new government, approximately half were pro-Swedes, while the rest were Young Finns. Kari at first represented the Social Democrats but was soon expelled from his party, "having joined a bourgeois government without permission." For the first time during the entire period of autonomy, the Senate was made up entirely of new men; for the first time since the Porvoo Diet of almost a century earlier, the Czar had been forced

13. op. cit. K. N. Rantakari, "Routavuodet", II, pp. 289-371.

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