On December 6, 1917, Finland declared its independence. The Kingdom of Sweden had ruled Finland since the 13th century. In 1742, during the Russian occupation in the Russo-Swedish War, the first recorded mention of Finnish independence was made. At that time, Empress Elizabeth of Russia spoke to the people of Finland in the Finnish language telling them to create a Finland that was independent from Sweden and Russia. A duke was elected – but no further action was taken. Then in 1808, the Finnish War broke out between Russia and Sweden. In the end, Russia took control of Finland and established it as the Grand Duchy of Finland in 1809. Under Russian rule, Finland developed governing bodies and was “elevated as a nation among nations.” Finland also began to develop a national identity – encouraging the people to use the Finnish language instead of Swedish and adopting their own currency.