The Winter War between Finland and the Soviet Union starts - 1939
The Winter War was a military conflict between the Soviet Union and Finland in 1939-1940. It began with Soviet invasion of Finland on 30 November 1939 (three months after the outbreak of World War II), and ended with the Moscow Peace Treaty on 13 March 1940. The League of Nations deemed the attack illegal and expelled the Soviet Union from the League on 14 December 1939.
The Soviet Union sought to conquer (and in a sense recover) parts of Finland, which had been part of the Russian Empire as the Grand Duchy of Finland. During the Russian Revolution and Russian Civil War of 1917-1920, Finland had become independent from Russia. The Soviet Union demanded amongst other concessions that Finland cede substantial border territories in exchange for land elsewhere, claiming security reasons, primarily the protection of Leningrad, which was only 40 km from the Finnish border. Finland refused and the Soviet Union declared war. At this time the Soviet Union established a Communist puppet government for Finland, and intended to conquer all of Finland according to some sources. Other sources argue that there is no documentary evidence to support this and that the strongest argument against the idea of a full Soviet conquest is that it never actually happened, even when the Soviets had the opportunity to do so.
The Soviets possessed more than three times as many soldiers as the Finns, thirty times as many aircraft, and a hundred times as many tanks. The Red Army, however, had been crippled by Soviet leader Joseph Stalin's Great Purge of 1937. With more than 30,000 of its officers executed or imprisoned, including most of those of the highest ranks, the Red Army in 1939 had many inexperienced senior and mid-level officers. Because of these factors, and high morale in the Finnish forces, Finland repelled Soviet attacks for several months, much longer than the Soviets expected.
However, after reorganization and adoption of different tactics, the overwhelming numbers of Soviet forces overcame Finnish defenses at the borders. Finland then agreed to cede the territory originally demanded by the Soviet Union; the Soviets, having lost far more troops than anticipated, accepted this offer.
Hostilities ceased in March 1940 with the signing of the Moscow Peace Treaty. Finland ceded territory representing 11% of its land area and 30% of its economy to the Soviet Union. Soviet losses were heavy, and the country's international reputation suffered. While the Soviet Union did not conquer all Finland, Soviet gains somewhat exceeded their pre-war demands. They gained substantial territory along Lake Ladoga, providing a buffer for Leningrad, and territory in northern Finland. Finland retained its sovereignty and enhanced its international reputation.
The war's end cancelled the Franco-British plan to send troops to Finland through northern Scandinavia. One of the operation's major goals had been to take control of northern Sweden's iron ore and cut its deliveries to Germany; for this reason, it was also a major factor in the launching of Operation Weserübung, Nazi Germany's invasion of Denmark and Norway.
The Soviet Union sought to conquer (and in a sense recover) parts of Finland, which had been part of the Russian Empire as the Grand Duchy of Finland. During the Russian Revolution and Russian Civil War of 1917-1920, Finland had become independent from Russia. The Soviet Union demanded amongst other concessions that Finland cede substantial border territories in exchange for land elsewhere, claiming security reasons, primarily the protection of Leningrad, which was only 40 km from the Finnish border. Finland refused and the Soviet Union declared war. At this time the Soviet Union established a Communist puppet government for Finland, and intended to conquer all of Finland according to some sources. Other sources argue that there is no documentary evidence to support this and that the strongest argument against the idea of a full Soviet conquest is that it never actually happened, even when the Soviets had the opportunity to do so.
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| Damages after first bombings of the Winter War in Helsinki, Finland on November 30, 1939 |
The Soviets possessed more than three times as many soldiers as the Finns, thirty times as many aircraft, and a hundred times as many tanks. The Red Army, however, had been crippled by Soviet leader Joseph Stalin's Great Purge of 1937. With more than 30,000 of its officers executed or imprisoned, including most of those of the highest ranks, the Red Army in 1939 had many inexperienced senior and mid-level officers. Because of these factors, and high morale in the Finnish forces, Finland repelled Soviet attacks for several months, much longer than the Soviets expected.
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| A Finnish ski patrol, lying in the snow on the outskirts of a wood in Northern Finland, on the alert for Russian troops, 12 January 1940. |
However, after reorganization and adoption of different tactics, the overwhelming numbers of Soviet forces overcame Finnish defenses at the borders. Finland then agreed to cede the territory originally demanded by the Soviet Union; the Soviets, having lost far more troops than anticipated, accepted this offer.
Hostilities ceased in March 1940 with the signing of the Moscow Peace Treaty. Finland ceded territory representing 11% of its land area and 30% of its economy to the Soviet Union. Soviet losses were heavy, and the country's international reputation suffered. While the Soviet Union did not conquer all Finland, Soviet gains somewhat exceeded their pre-war demands. They gained substantial territory along Lake Ladoga, providing a buffer for Leningrad, and territory in northern Finland. Finland retained its sovereignty and enhanced its international reputation.
The war's end cancelled the Franco-British plan to send troops to Finland through northern Scandinavia. One of the operation's major goals had been to take control of northern Sweden's iron ore and cut its deliveries to Germany; for this reason, it was also a major factor in the launching of Operation Weserübung, Nazi Germany's invasion of Denmark and Norway.
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