Finnishization
Finnishization, or Finlandization, is a term used to describe a policy pattern in which a smaller state maintains formal independence while accommodating the interests and security concerns of a more powerful neighbor to avoid coercion or conflict. The concept is most closely associated with Finland's Cold War era relations with the Soviet Union and is widely used in political science to discuss a strategy of restraint by a smaller state.
After World War II, Finland faced significant pressure from the Soviet Union to align its defense and
Mechanisms of Finnishization included long-standing neutrality, close economic integration with the Soviet Union, careful diplomacy to
In scholarly debate, Finnishization is described as pragmatic realism that allowed Finland to preserve independence and