the leaders of the "anjala conspiracy" met in liikkala to secretly open communications with tsarina catherine the great. major johan anders jägerhorn delivered the "liikkala note" dated august 8, 1788 to the empress. the letter note was signed by several officers, including armfelt, commander-in-chief of the savo forces and the king's closest confidant. the officers declared the war to be illegal, asked for the restoration of the finnish borders according to the treaty of nystad of 1721, and for peace negotiations with representatives of "the finnish nation", which they understood as representatives for the eastern and northern half of sweden, which during the 18th century had twice been harshly occupied by russia, and whose population overwhelmingly were ethnic finns.