”. ▁This ▁idea ▁was ▁rad ically ▁new . ▁Until ▁then , ▁the ▁Swedish - spe aking ▁rural ▁population ▁had ▁been ▁mostly ▁ignored , ▁but ▁now ▁this ▁minor ity ▁was ▁considered ▁important ▁and ▁directly ▁associated ▁with ▁the ▁el ite ▁of ▁Finland . ▁ ▁The ▁language ▁str ife ▁between ▁F enn om ans ▁and ▁S ve com ans ▁in ▁these ▁dec ades ▁also ▁mirror ed ▁more ▁general ▁political ▁divisions : ▁ ▁The ▁F enn om ans ▁were ▁fav oured ▁by ▁the ▁Russian ▁authorities , ▁while ▁the ▁S ve com ans ▁ch anne led ▁the ▁remaining ▁fear ▁of ▁the ▁Rus si ans ▁and ▁the ▁cultural ▁attachment ▁to ▁their ▁old ▁enemy ▁Sweden . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁Crime an ▁War , ▁when ▁the ▁Swedish - spe aking ▁towns ▁on ▁Finland ' s ▁south ▁coast ▁and ▁the ▁merchant ▁fleet ▁had ▁been ▁sever ely ▁dam aged , ▁neutral ist ▁views ▁received ▁strong ▁support ▁among ▁educated ▁Eastern - S wed ish . ▁ ▁The ▁F enn om ans ▁were ▁chief ly ▁domin ated ▁by ▁the ▁cler gy , ▁the ▁S ve com ans ▁by ▁industrial ists ▁and ▁academ ics ▁from ▁other ▁fac ult ies ▁besides ▁the ▁the ological ▁one . ▁The ▁spiritual ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁S ve com ans ▁was ▁the ▁lingu ist ▁Ax el ▁O lo f ▁Fre udent hal , ▁who ▁also ▁had ▁claims ▁of ▁ra cial ▁supre m acy . ▁ ▁The ▁feeling ▁of ▁unity ▁between ▁the ▁Swedish - spe aking ▁rural ▁population ▁and ▁the ▁( rem ains ▁of ▁the ) ▁Swedish - spe aking ▁el ite ▁is