The Kingdom Torn Apart: The Finnish War of 1808-09 (From Reason to Revolution 1721-1815) Paperback – May 4, 2026

The Kingdom Torn Apart is a comprehensive study of the 1808-1809 war between Russia and Sweden-Finland. It is a translation of perhaps the best single-volume account of the conflict, written in the 1950s by Eirik Hornborg, one of Finland’s leading and most prolific historical writers.On 21 February 1808, two Russian divisions spearheaded an invasion of Finland. Despite poor defensive preparations and questionable leadership, together with the early loss of the fortress of Sveaborg and much of the archipelago fleet, there was some spirited resistance and the occasional victory against the invaders, but the whole of Finland was occupied by the end of November. Following a remarkable Russian invasion of the Swedish mainland across the frozen Gulf of Bothnia in March 1809 and a coup to overthrow the unpopular King Gustav IV Adolf, the war then continued until September, when a peace settlement ceded Finland to Russia.No comprehensive study of the Finnish War of 1808-1809 has previously been available in English. The Kingdom Torn Apart, a translation of Hornborg’s När riket sprängdes, aims to fill this gap. Hornborg drew first and foremost on the nine-volume Swedish General Staff History, supplemented by his meticulous research and critical analysis of source material. He aimed to create a readable and popular work whilst maintaining a strictly objective and scholarly approach. Read more