The article explores the clash between Finland and Sweden over the belonging and status of the Åland Islands. In view of the strategic position of the archipelago and the divergent positions of the parties, the Åland question was considered by the Baltic Commission of the 1919 Paris peace conference. The final solution, a compromise in its essence, was prepared in the commissions of the League of Nations, whose cautious tactics allowed to achieve success, rare in the history of the settlement of in-ternational conflicts. Sweden ensured the security of Stockholm, Finland retained its territory, thus confirming the status of a sovereign state; the Åland Islands received a clearly defined status with all the attributes of autonomy.