Let $T$ be any first order theory with a countable set of axioms.
As we know from Löweinheim-Skolem theorem if $T$ has a infinite model, then it has an infinite model of any cardinality.
I am now interested in the question whether any such $T$ has an infinite model, or if there are theories which force a finite model.
All ideas to finding a an example, forcing a finite model would end up with an essential core of the axioms being something like. $$ \forall x,y: x = y $$ This looks sound at the first glimps, but only if you have the default meaning of equality in mind. Even if you add all axioms for a theory of equality (reflexivity, transitivity, symmetry, and functional/predicate consistency), there is still the possibility of using an infinite domain and defining all elements to be equal.
So i'd informally conclude that there is always an infinite model for any theory, as long as it has a model at all, since first order logic cannot model semantic equality. My question is now, whether someone has a proof of that statement or whether there is a theory that forces finite domains.
According to the standard semantics first-order logic, if $M$ is an structure and $a$ and $b$ are elements of $M$, then $M\models a = b \iff a = b$. To be totally clear, the right hand side $a = b$ refers to equality of $a$ and $b$ as elements of domain of $M$, which is a set.
The symbol $=$ is a logical primitive, not a relation symbol, and it is handled differently. Relation symbols can have arbitrary interpretations in structures, while $=$ is always interpreted as true equality.
So the sentence $\forall x\, \forall y\, x = y$ is true in a structure $M$ if and only if $M$ has at most one element.
Now you may have in mind a nonstandard semantics for first-order logic, in which $=$ can be interpreted in a structure as an arbitrary equivalence relation which is respected by the other symbols in the language. In that semantics, it's true that any theory with a nonempty model has an infinite model. But it's important to remember that such a semantics is nonstandard. In particular, since you asked about it, the upward Löwenheim-Skolem theorem is completely trivial (and uninteresting) in that semantics. If $T$ has any nonempty model, you can just replace any equivalence class in $T$ by an equivalence class of size $\kappa$ for any infinite cardinal $\kappa$. If you think about this a bit, you'll quickly realize that the only interesting notion of "cardinality of a model" is the number of equivalence classes, i.e. the size of $M/=$, at which point you might as well work with the quotient, in which $=$ has its standard semantics.