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Mikael Shainkman

@shainkman.bsky.social
124 followers 44 following 807 posts

Historian, tour guide and coffee drinker. I host a podcast about Scandinavian history with the creative name the Scandinavian History Podcast.

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Mikael Shainkman @shainkman.bsky.social · 8h
Over the last few days, I’ve published a couple of maps showing Finland during the Civil War in 1918. Several of you have asked why these maps don’t include the Petsamo Corridor as a part of Finland, or “the right arm of the Finnish Maiden”, as it’s sometimes called. >>
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Mikael Shainkman @shainkman.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
During the Finnish Civil War, the Ostrobothnian city of Vaasa became important for the White side. Already on January 18 1918, Mannerheim went there to disarm the Russian troops in Finland. Later, the Senate also reconvened in Vaasa, making the city the temporary capital of the White side. >>
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Mikael Shainkman @shainkman.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Since the latest episode was heavy of Finnish geography, I feel the need to add yet another map to give you a visual aid. Hopefully it'll give you a clearer picture of the battle of Tampere. >>
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Mikael Shainkman @shainkman.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
The other day, September 25 to be exact, King Frederik X of Denmark unveiled the first official portrait of him painted after he became king. The portrait, painted by Cathrine Raben Davidsen, hangs in the Great Hall at Frederiksborg Castle. So do the portraits of many of Frederik's ancestors. >>
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Mikael Shainkman @shainkman.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
On this day, but in 1560, the king of Sweden, Gustav Eriksson Vasa, died. He's one of the Swedish monarchs who've had the most influence on the development of the country. Arguably, no other king has changed Sweden more than he did. >>
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Mikael Shainkman @shainkman.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
In order to help you get a better picture (literally) of the geography of the Finnish civil war, here's a map with (almost) all the towns and cities mentioned in episode 143.
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Mikael Shainkman @shainkman.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Not everyone in the world may have a clear mental image of the map of Finland in 1918. If you fall in that category, here's a map giving you a rough idea about the division of Finland when the civil war broke out in January 1918. >>
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Mikael Shainkman @shainkman.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
This time, the team counting the votes from the latest Spotify poll has been quick, and I'm glad to say that I can already present a result. No need to inundate the SHP HQ with phone calls, faxes and telegrams demanding to know the results of the poll. So without any further ado, here we go. >>
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Mikael Shainkman @shainkman.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
In the newest episode of the Scandinavian History Podcast, Finland sinks ever deeper into blood-soaked chaos. The war between Reds and Whites erupts following the revolution on January 27, 1918. Like so many other civil wars, this conflict is brutal and tears society apart. Links in the comments.
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Mikael Shainkman @shainkman.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
On this day, but in 1972, Norway held a referendum about joining the European Community (today’s EU). The “no” side won with 53.5% of the vote. The result led to Prime Minister Trygve Bratteli resigning, since joining the European Community had been such a central part of his political vision. >>
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Mikael Shainkman @shainkman.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
On this day, but in 1905, the so-called Karlstad Conference was concluded. At this meeting, Norwegian and Swedish delegates had negotiated the terms of the dissolution of the union between their two countries. >>
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Mikael Shainkman @shainkman.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
On this day, but in 1952, the first president of Finland, Kaarlo Juho Ståhlberg died. Ståhlberg was a successful jurist, and first hesitated to become head of state. As president he pardoned lots of people, trying to heal of the country after the civil war. (More on that in the next episode). >>
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Mikael Shainkman @shainkman.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
On this day, but in 1848, the first Baptist congregation was established in Sweden. On the same day, they also held their first baptism. This was all illegal; a law from 1726 forbade Swedes to participate in any sort of organized religious activity that wasn’t handled by the State Church. >>
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Mikael Shainkman @shainkman.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
On this day, but in 1714, the Russian army entered the city of Umeå and burned it to the ground. The city had been left defenseless by Governor Anders Erik Ramsay, and for that Karl XII suspended him three years later. >>
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Mikael Shainkman @shainkman.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
On this day, but in 1819, Göran Magnus Sprengtporten died. He was a Swedish military and politician, who belonged to an aristocratic family based in Finland. In 1786, after a dispute with King Gustav III, Sprengtporten deserted his country and entered into Russian service. >>
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Mikael Shainkman @shainkman.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
In the latest episode of the Scandinavian History Podcast, I mentioned that the Finnish parliament decided that the newly independent Finland should be a monarchy, and to curry favor with the German Empire, a German prince was elected to become the first King of Finland in October 1918. >>
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Mikael Shainkman @shainkman.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
On this day, but in 1809, the peace agreement between Russia and Finland in Fredrikshamn was signed. In it, Sweden had to give up all the land east of the Tornio-Muonio-Könkämä rivers to the Russians. The Russians turned this newly conquered territory into the Grand Duchy of Finland. >>
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Mikael Shainkman @shainkman.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Exactly 500 years ago today, on September 16 1526, the first translation of the New Testament to Swedish was published. Some 15 years later, the Old Testament followed. Translating the Bible was important both for the Reformation and for the development and standardization of the Swedish language.
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Reposted by Mikael Shainkman
Museum of Twitter @museum-of-twitter.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
@MohanadElshieky

Please stop saying the vaccine doesn't have severe side effects. I took my shots and now I'm alive and have to keep working
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Mikael Shainkman @shainkman.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
On this day, but all the way back in 1947, the first H&M store opened in the Swedish city of Västerås. Back then, it was only called Hennes (“hers”), hinting that it originally focused on women’s clothing–not cheap, poor quality rags for the whole family.
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Mikael Shainkman @shainkman.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
After a few days of counting, analyzing and generating AI images, the Scandinavian History Podcast team can finally present you with the results from the latest Spotify poll. The question connected to episode 141, "The Great War", was: >>
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Mikael Shainkman @shainkman.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
On this day, but in 1770, Johann Friedrich Struensee, the personal physician of crazy King Christian VII of Denmark, took over the government, running the kingdom for 16 months, characterized by a steady stream of progressive reforms, sprinkled with a hefty dose of selfaggrandizement. >>
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Mikael Shainkman @shainkman.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
On this day, but in 1906, the Danish aviation pioneer Jacob Ellenhammer carried out a 42 meter long flight. Half a meter above ground. That may not sound very impressive, but it was if you consider that it was the first ever manned flight in Scandinavia. >>
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Mikael Shainkman @shainkman.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Pehr Edvin Svinhufvud features in the latest episode of the Scandinavian History Podcast, where he became Chairman of the Senate in November 1917. He belonged to the nobility, and as you know by now, Scandinavian aristos tend to have silly names. >>
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Mikael Shainkman @shainkman.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Happy New Year!
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Mikael Shainkman @shainkman.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Norway may no longer have coronations for their new monarchs, but our daughters decided to crown Peppa Pig and Pupu the Rabbit.
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Mikael Shainkman @shainkman.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
A new episode of the Scandinavian History Podcast has dropped! As I promised last time, this episode is all about Finland at the end of the Great War. In 1917, the imperial regime in Russia collapsed, and the Finns found themselves at the verge of independence. >>
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Mikael Shainkman @shainkman.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Norway was neutral during the First World War, but that doesn’t mean that no Norwegian lives were lost, primarily at sea. Already in the first fall of the War, eight Norwegian merchant ships were sunk when they hit mines, causing the death of 28 people. And things would only get worse. >>
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Mikael Shainkman @shainkman.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
When the First World War broke out in 1914, young men all over Germany were conscripted, including ethnic Danes living in Slesvig. Even Danes who lived in the area that had been captured in 1864 were forced to serve in the Imperial German army, despite protests from Copenhagen. >>
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Mikael Shainkman @shainkman.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Famously, Iceland doesn’t have an army, but that didn’t stop Icelanders from fighting in the First World War. No fewer than 1,245 Icelanders were registered as soldiers during the conflict. But of those only 391 were actually born in Iceland. >>
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Mikael Shainkman @shainkman.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
This episode of the Scandinavian History Podcast is nominally about WWI, but since the fighting never reached Scandinavia I don't get into the details. If you feel you need a deeper dive, I highly recommend the podcast The History of the Great War. You'll find it wherever you find good podcasts.
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Mikael Shainkman @shainkman.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Even though the majority of the population in the city of Flensburg voted to remain German when they were offered the chance to be reunited with Denmark, there was still a sizable Danish minority in the city then called Flensborg. >>
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Mikael Shainkman @shainkman.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
1917 was a turbulent year in Swedish politics. There were no fewer than three elections, and one feeble government replaced the other. There were strikes and even hunger riots in the streets. >>
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Mikael Shainkman @shainkman.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
This is king Gustav V, delivering the so-called Courtyard Speech on February 6, 1914. Hours before he gave the speech that has gone down in Swedish history as the last attempt by a king to interfere directly in politics. >>
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Mikael Shainkman @shainkman.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
On this day, but in 1813, the battle of Dennewitz was fought between the French army and forces from Prussia, Russia and Sweden. For a change, the Allied troops won, and the victory crushed Napoleon’s hopes of capturing Berlin and forcing the Prussians to bow out of the war this time. >>
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Mikael Shainkman @shainkman.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
In the latest episode of the Scandinavian History Podcast, I talked about the reunification of northern Slesvig and Denmark in 1920. This is a famous photo of king Christian X as he crossed the old border for the first time on July 10 that year, riding on a white horse. >>
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Mikael Shainkman @shainkman.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
In the latest episode I talk quite a bit about the Åland archipelago, and the controversy in the early 1920s about whether it should be Finnish or Swedish. In case you're uncertain where these islands are located, just look for the red ring on the map below.
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Mikael Shainkman @shainkman.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
On this day, but in 1564, Swedish forces massacred the inhabitants of the (then) Danish town of Ronneby in Blekinge. It was a revenge for locals in another part of the Danish province the Swedes had invaded, had captured and hung a number of Swedish soldiers. >>
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Mikael Shainkman @shainkman.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
As I mentioned in the latest episode, the three Scandinavian kings–Christian X of Denmark, his brother Haakon VII of Norway and their cousin once removed Gustav V of Sweden–met in Malmö in December 1914 to strategize about how to handle the fighting that had recently erupted on the continent. >>
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Mikael Shainkman @shainkman.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Turns out you can buy happiness after all.
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Mikael Shainkman @shainkman.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
As I mentioned in the latest episode, Hjalmar Hammarskjöld became Swedish Prime Minister after the crisis triggered by Gustav V’s so-called Courtyard Speech. Hammarskjöld was a conservative professor of law, and he’d been the chief negotiator for Sweden when the union with Norway was dissolved. >>
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Mikael Shainkman @shainkman.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
The conservative explorer and meddler in politics Sven Hedin played a considerable part in the so-called Courtyard Crisis that I mentioned in the latest episode. Hedin also wrote the book A Word of Warning, painting a bleak picture of what life in Sweden under Russian occupation would look like. >>
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Mikael Shainkman @shainkman.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Unlike their British counterparts, Scandinavian monarchs no longer get to have a coronation when they assume the top job. In Denmark, the ceremony was abolished together with Absolutism (or, arguably, with the introduction of Absolutism in 1660). >>
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Mikael Shainkman @shainkman.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
Once again, the whole crew at the SHP HQ has been working overtime to tally the votes of the Spotify poll from the last episode, "Russification". The philosophical, almost existential, question that was posed to you was: What, in your opinion, is the strongest foundation for a nation? >>
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Mikael Shainkman @shainkman.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
The start of the new school year is such a hectic time. So many new WhatsApp groups to mute.
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Mikael Shainkman @shainkman.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
On this day, but in 1941, Finnish forces liberated the city of Viborg (or Viipuri in Finnish). The city had been lost to the Soviet Union a year and a half earlier, during the Winter War. But the joyous refugees who started to return home soon had to start packing again. >>
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Mikael Shainkman @shainkman.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
King Harald V has passed away. The 89-year-old monarch was the first king actually born in Norway since the re-establishment of independence. He's been succeeded by his son, Haakon, now King Haakon VIII.
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Mikael Shainkman @shainkman.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
In today's episode, we reach the First World War. Even though Scandinavia wasn't directly involved in the fighting, the Great War still had a significant impact on the Nordic countries. In fact, the political map of Scandinavia that we know today was shaped by this war.
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Mikael Shainkman @shainkman.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
On this day, but in 1922, a referendum was held in Sweden whether to ban alcohol or not. The initiative was largely a result of the extension of the right to vote to women. It was women who pushed for the ban on alcohol, much like in the US, where prohibition had been introduced two years before. >>
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Mikael Shainkman @shainkman.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
In the latest episode, I mentioned that literature was important in the shaping of the Finnish national identity in the 19th century. But the authors weren’t the only artists involved in this project. Another one was the composer Jean Sibelius. >>
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