FROM FLOWERS TO STEEL.

This article introduces the ideological themes and the Leninist outcome of the year 1968 in Finland. Rebellion against authorities enjoyed relative success towards the end of the 1960s, gaining even some presidential support. An unpredicted and sudden consequence of the success of the antiauthoritarian rebellion was, however, a sectarian Marxist-Leninist movement. This highly authoritarian heir of the 1960s adopted official Soviet ideology to a detail. The latter part of the article discusses the reasons behind the drastic turn that often involved a deep and sudden change in the ideological orientation of individual persons. The statistics show that socio-economic background alone cannot explain the ideological choices of the actors. The conclusion of the article is that Leninism provided a mental haven for those whose identities were most threatened in the process of rapid liberalization of the society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]