Democratic finland had two reasons for aligning itself with totalitarian germany. The amazing story of finland in world war ii, 19391945. The winter war was a war between the soviet union ussr and finland. The hundred day winter war is a military history focusing on the phenomenon called war and its influence on international politics, as well as on the experiences of the people who participated in the war. In russian historiography, the war is called the sovietfinnish front of the great patriotic war. The winter war of 193940, in which stalin invaded finland to grab border territories and possibly to turn it into a communist state, was a disaster for the soviets. War between finland and russia, david and golliath, good and evil, democracy and totalitarianism, freedom and slavery, against the third aggressor of wwii contents. For most of finlands history, the country had lived on the periphery of world events, but for a few weeks during the winter of 193940, finland stood at. During the ominous lull between the nazi conquest of poland and the assault on france, the soviet union sought palpable assurances from neutral, democratic finland to protect vulnerable leningrad against attack, ostensibly from the british or the french, but in fact from hitler. On 23 august 1939 nazi germany and the soviet union signed the molotov.
Was the winter war a victory or a loss for finland. Finns are commemorating the 70th anniversary of the start of the winter war against the soviet union. After months of ultimatums, on november 30, 1939, the soviet union invaded finland. After world war ii, finland would go on to become one of the ussrs closest partners in the west. The russofinnish winter war of 19391940 by william r. These were the atditch on the left, where a ditch is dug, that is so wide that a tank cant drive over it, and so deep that a tank cant climb the vertical wall on. The treaty ending the winter war forced finland to cede 11 percent of its territory to the soviet union, yet the country maintained its independence and later squared off against russia a second. In the midst of wwii, stalin decided to invade the small nation of finland. They wanted to do to scandinavia and finland the same they did with the. Russofinnish war november 30, 1939march 12, 1940, also called the winter war, war waged by the soviet union against finland at the beginning of world war ii, following the conclusion of the germansoviet nonaggression pact august 23, 1939. The winter war is always topical when speaking about finnish selfconsciousness says antero holmila, a researcher at the university of jyvaskyla with a background in british academia, and the editor of a book entitled talvisota muiden silmin the winter war through the eyes of others. Elama isanmaalle is about how little finland fought against big bad russia in the winter war.
European history quarterly delivers new facts via archival research and interviews with vets. This is the story of the quagmire of 1939 that often isnt talked about between. The amazing story of finland in world war ii, 19391945 a soldier with a pack reindeer, on slippery ice, near the tiny village of nautsi, in northern lapland, finland, on october 26, 1941. The finnish civil war was a civil war in finland in 1918 fought for the leadership and control of finland during the countrys transition from a grand duchy of the russian empire to an independent state. In june 1941 finland joined with germany in attacking russia. This book, written by finns, is a solid account, explaining the battles in detail. This book focuses on the winter war between the soviet union and neighboring finland. The underlying cause of the winter war was soviet concern about nazi germanys expansionism.
While the red army had some 2 000 tanks against finland at the start of the war, on march 1940, when the war ended, the red army had 2 998 operational tanks against finland. Aug 16, 2017 the amazing story of finland in world war ii, 19391945 a soldier with a pack reindeer, on slippery ice, near the tiny village of nautsi, in northern lapland, finland, on october 26, 1941. Russia had had two wars already around ww1 and shortly before ww11 with finland. The war reparations that were thrown on finland after wwii actually helped alot in the industrialization of finland. The continuation war was a conflict fought by finland and nazi germany, as cobelligerents, against the soviet union ussr from 1941 to 1944, during world war ii. The finnish bronze age started in approximately 1,500 bc and the iron age started in 500 bc and lasted until 1,300 ad. Fire and ice documents this timeless story of courage against all odds by a people united to preserve their freedom. It is much like the winter war the soviet attack on finland 19391940 by eloise engle and lauri paananen as this book is more a starting out point than a detailed work on the subject. Jul 23, 2012 the winter war of finland and russia 1939 1940. When close to half a million soviet troops poured into finland in 1939 it was expected that finnish defences would collapse in a matter of weeks. Why was finland so successful during the winter war. The war is a fascinating one for those interested in military affairs as it pits two ill matched forces, in a climate and terrain armies would not normally choose to fight over and represents a very odd political situation at the very beginning of the second world war britain, france and other scandinavian countries in support of finland. Marine corps reserve the finnishsoviet winter war of 193940 holds a special place in modern military history.
It was very good at giving some historical background to certain policies and geography. Jul 20, 2016 finlands winter war with the soviet union, waged over the course of 105 days from november 1939 to march 1940, should be an object of study for all students of military strategy. The story of the winter war between finland and soviet russia is a dramatic david versus goliath encounter. In finland we tend to regard it as a victory, in the sense that we managed to remain independent. The finns are a proud people, and the book is from the finnish view so i would not call it 100% objective. I had written many articles about finland before, and it was time to write a book about this little known country, and the war was the perfect subject, as well as one which i knew would interest foreign audiences. One finnish war veteran, lars loflund, believes there was nothing wrong with the russian people. During the second world war, finland fought two wars against the soviet union. Outside of the more popular tales of brave finns holding fast against hordes of soviets during the winter war or how they launched an offensive alongside the germans during the continuation, there is rarely anything else known about finlands illustrious and extensive military history. It is an accurate representation of finlands winter war against the u. First and foremost, finland wanted to recover the territories lost in the 3 1 2 month winter war against the soviets, november 1939march 1940. Finns indeed captured a nice number of bts in winter war from the mottis in ladoga karelia, but none of those were brought to finland before the peace was made. As relations with the soviet union changed during the war, finland was placed in the unusual situation of being for, then against and then for the overall interests of the allied powers. During the years before the war, three different types of obstacles were chosen as the primary ones.
It began when the soviet union tried to invade finland soon after the invasion of poland. It was, in a way, a classic case of being up against the wall. He is believed to have killed over 500 men during the 193940 winter war, the highest number of sniper kills in any major war. If youre one of those who just cant get enough of the mannerheim line, finnish ski patrols, and the suomi kp31 submachine gun, and if talvisota winter war is the first finnish word you ever learned, and sisu guts the second, then you wont be able to live without both volumes of finland at war. Germany regarded its operations in the region as part of its overall war efforts on the eastern front and provided finland with. The authors cover enough of the geopolitical problems that led up to the winter war, along with the military operations and first person accounts, to give you a pretty broad overview of the war from the finnish perspective. Monsieur le ministre, according to information received from the headquarters of the red army, our troops posted on the. Until a comprehesive military history of the war is written this book is the best avaiable.
Before i read this valuable book, i thought of the russofinnish war in relatively simple terms. The winter war russia against finland a ballantine book this is another common book that can be located on ebay or with ease. In my opinion its better than trotters book in that it does not wonder off after details too often. Told from the perspective of marko, the fourteenyearold polio survivor, the story captures the heroic defense of finland from the soviet aggressor. When finland rejected the demand, the soviet union launched an attack on november 30, 1939, beginning the russofinnish war. Finnlandisierung is the process by which one powerful country makes a smaller neighboring country abide by the formers foreign policy rules, while allowing it to keep its nominal independence and its own political system. The soviet attack on finland, 19391940 eloise engle, lauri. Finland at war in the aftermath of the winter war, finland found itself drawing ever closer to nazi germany and eventually took part in operation barbarossa in 1941. It covers the winter war in good detail and adds some things that i have not read about the war before. The story of the winter war is essentially the story of sisu.
Finnish iron age cultures can be separated into finnish proper, tavastian, and karelian cultures. Finland had to cede viipuri and the northern port of petsamo, as well as the entire karelian isthmus. Finland, a weak, sparsely populated, and diplomatically isolated nation, succeeded in imposing staggering costs on a far more potent aggressor. Thus in all the total number of tanks employed in the winter war is around 6 000. The war left approximately 15,000 children orphaned.
When finland rejected the demand, the soviet union launched an attack on november 30, 1939, beginning the russo. Fire and ice the winter war of finland and russia youtube. Map of the areas ceded by finland to the soviet union after the winter war 1940. March, 2020 marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the winter war, the name finland gives to the phase of the second world war that lasted from november 30, 1939 to march, 1940. It began with a soviet invasion of finland on 30 november 1939, three months after the outbreak of world war ii, and ended three and a half months later with the moscow peace treaty on march 1940. Despite the passage of time, it is clear that in finland, the winter war is forever frozen into the nations. Jun 01, 2008 a brisk, efficient account of one of the most overlooked episodes of world war iithe soviet invasion of finland. However, in december 1941 britain declared war on finland and after the german defeat at stalingrad in 1943 the finns realized they must leave the war.
Military history of finland during world war ii wikipedia. Plus the book downplayed the finnish alliance with the germans, but i gained respect for the tough fortitute of the finnish winter fighter. Despite superior military strength the soviet union advance was halted by finland. Finland participated in the second world war initially as an axis power, twice battling the soviet union, and then switching sides to the allies against nazi germany. Osprey deserves kudos for its firstclass treatment of nenyes. The winter war 30 november 1939 march 1940 was a conflict fought between the soviet union and finland.
The winter war 193940 byvesa nenye, peter munter and toni wirtanen was a fascinating read about a conflict i knew little about. The traumatic hardships of the prison camps increased support for communism in finland. A novel and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle. For the finns this was a chance to right the wrongs of the winter war, and having reached. I knew nothing about this war before reading this book. The continuation war began 15 months after the end of the winter war, also fought between finland and the ussr.
Why did the ussr stop in the winter war against finland in. William trotters book provides a detailed and engaging account of the winter war. For the finns this was a chance to right the wrongs of the winter war, and having reached suitable defensive positions, the army was ordered to halt. Finlands winter war with the soviet union, waged over the course of 105 days from november 1939 to march 1940, should be an object of study for all students of military strategy. The soviets had won the winter war and, in the subsequent treaty of moscow, took much more than what they had demanded originally. The proximity of the finnish border to leningrad now saint petersburg caused worry in the soviet leadership. Dec 23, 2018 democratic finland had two reasons for aligning itself with totalitarian germany. Finnish antitank units and tactics in the winter war. The war was fought between the reds, led by a section of. Packed with firsthand accounts and previously unpublished photographs, this is a rigorously.
The soviet military forces expected a victory over finland in a few weeks, because the soviet army had many more tanks and planes than the finnish. Ive heard some russian opinions that interprete the ussr as the winner, because they took the territories they o. Finlands gallant stand against the soviet army by gordon f. Until a comprehesive military history of the war is written this book is the best. We talk to finnish historian antero holmila about how that time is seen from a modern perspective. The soviet military forces expected a victory over finland in a few weeks, because the soviet army had many more tanks and planes than the finnish army. How finland lost world war ii to the soviets, but won peace. On november 30, 1939 the soviet union attempted to annex finland. With jason agnello, joe brady, phillip courtney, paul gitsis. Lundes finlands war of choice is a book that concentrates on the war of 194144 and also has description of lapland war though only a bare mention of the winter war.
There have been numerous reasons proposed for the finnish decision to invade, with regaining territory lost during the winter war being regarded as the most common. The clashes took place in the context of the national, political, and social turmoil caused by world war i eastern front in europe. I thought this book did a great job of providing ample historical context for finlands relationship with russiaussr well before 1939, and then once it got to the. A brisk, efficient account of one of the most overlooked episodes of world war iithe soviet invasion of finland. The soviet invasion of finland remains one of the lesser known segments of world war ii. It was a war one of the sides involved would rather forget, while the other fights to keep the memory alive. The history of finland begins around 9,000 bc during the end of the last glacial period. This is a good book if you are looking for an introductory volume on the winter war. The winter war is a fantastic window into the littleknown war withina war between finland and the soviet union in 1940.
Their model was the finnish democratic republic, a puppet regime set up by the soviets on the first day of the winter war. Upks gordon sander knighted by finland university press. The history of finland in the 20th century, preceding the winter war, is told. The winter war is a fantastic window into the littleknown warwithinawar between finland and the soviet union in 1940. Before the war, the finnish were mostly exporting raw materials like wood but since the soviet union had enough wood for thousands of years, they wanted something else as reparations. During her childhood, war remained fresh in peoples minds the second world war which finnish historians divide into the winter war of 193940, the continuation war of 194144 and the lapland war of 194445 and the short but brutal finnish civil war of 1918, just months after finlands declaration of independence from russia. Almost every important thing about the finnish armored forces in ww2 was mentioned.
The defender had no options, only survive or let the kossacks in. During the winter war period, the relationship between finland and the soviet union was tense. The winter war was an epic life and death struggle that changed the course of world war ii, and saved a democracy. Published february 12th 2008 by wendy lamb books first published 2008. He used a finnish produced m2830 rifle, a variant of the mosinnagant rifle, and a suomi kp31 submachine gun. Some elements in finland maintained the dream of greater finland which included the sovietcontrolled part of karelia. Pretty much everybody was aware of, that if stalins orchestra gets to perform with the red army at town square in hel. The term means to become like finland referring to the influence of the soviet union on finlands. Learn more about the russofinnish war in this article. Finland went on the offensive in 1941 in the continuation war, before finally agreeing to make peace with the soviets and attack german forces that had been stationed in the country.
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