The finnish army of 160 000 men was opposed to an invading russian army consisting of 2000 russian tanks and 450 000 soldiers. See all 5 formats and editions hide other formats and editions. Learn more about the russofinnish war in this article. A breakdown of the war follows including the causes, finland and the ussrs expectations and advantages and disadvantages, propaganda techniques as well as war tactics for both countries, major battles, and ending with the effects of the winter war.
Pretty much everybody was aware of, that if stalins orchestra gets to perform with the red army at town square in hel. The story of the winter war between finland and soviet russia is a dramatic david versus goliath encounter. This is a topic often missing in english, though in stark contrast to the numerous books on. 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. The defender had no options, only survive or let the kossacks in. Foreign support in the winter war consisted of materiel, men and moral support to the finnish struggle against the soviet union in the winter war. The winter war 193940 general military hardcover september 22, 2015 by vesa nenye author 4. After polands defeat in the autumn of 1939, the soviet union, wishing to safeguard leningrad, demanded from finland a minor part of the karelian isthmus, a naval base at hanko hango, and some islands in the gulf of finland. Buy this book the november 1939 soviet invasion of finland. Russias invasion of finland, 19391940 robert edwards, author. Despite superior military strength the soviet union advance was halted by finland. This is a good book if you are looking for an introductory volume on the winter war. A volume in the brill series history of warfare, finland in world war ii will prove useful reading for anyone interested in the fate of small nations in great wars, democratic institutions in wartime, or the eastern front in world war ii.
It began with a soviet inva sion of finland on 30 november 1939, three months after the outbreak of w orld war ii, and ended three and a half months later with the moscow peace treaty on march 1940. 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. This is a topic often missing in english, though in stark contrast to the numerous books on the shorter and less bloody winter war. The finns not only survived the initial attacks but succeeded in inflicting devastating casualties before superior. Lundes finland s 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. Even though this book was written for older children and teens, i enjoyed it. The aftermath of the winter war covers historical events and comments after the winter war between finland and the soviet union from 30 november 1939 to march 1940. Before its independence, finland was an autonomous grand duchy inside imperial russia. 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.
This book focuses on the winter war between the soviet union and neighboring finland. Useful international support was minimal, arrived late, and the german blockade prevented most armament shipments. The images record the war years from 1939 to 1945, spanning three conflicts the finns recognize as the. The 105day war had a profound and depressing effect in finland. Book, print in english, french, german finlands war years, 19391945. I find this to be a more apt title than the more excitingly titled american edition. Markos job is to alert the troops if the soviets are coming. 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. Finnish armour in the winter war of wwii playing with. 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. Finland 19391940 university of delaware press, newark.
Swedish volunteers in the russofinnish winter war, 19391940. The second world war had not yet begun in earnest and was known to the public as the phoney war. The winter war russia against finland a ballantine book this is another common book that can be located on ebay or with ease. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that. The winter war is a historical fiction book about boy trying to help out his homeland during wartime. The cover art of a soldiers white silhouette against a red background, designed by martti mykkanen, became similarly famous and is often used as a symbol for war in finland. On november 30, 1939, the red army crosses the sovietfinnish border with. In russian historiography, the war is called the soviet finnish front of the great patriotic war. They also gained more than they had initially demanded from finland before launching their surprise inva. Following the soviet invasion of poland in the fall of 1939, they turned their attention north to finland. In my opinion its better than trotters book in that it does not wonder off after details too often.
Why did the soviet union lose the winter war of 1939. This book is an amateurish military history of an oft overlooked conflict at the very beginning of wwii. Review churchill and finland einternational relations. Standard histories of world war ii tend to treat the russofinnish winter war which lasted from november 30, 1939 to the middle of march, 1940 as a kind of prelude or sideshow to the main event, but at the time the plight of the valiant finns, invaded by the russian giant, aroused worldwide sympathy leading in fact to the ouster of the ussr from the league of nations. Germany regarded its operations in the region as part of its overall war efforts on the eastern front and provided finland with. Finnish historian markku ruotsila opens his excellent book with a clear. When finland rejected the demand, the soviet union launched an attack on november 30, 1939, beginning the russo. It is an accurate representation of finlands winter war against the u. The winter war when the finns humiliated the russians. The soviet attack on finland, 19391940 eloise engle, lauri.
Foreign support of finland in the winter war wikipedia. Using this phony provocation as an excuse, the soviets invaded finland with more than a million men, thousands of tanks, artillery pieces and airplanes and dozens of ships. 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. 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. 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. In 1944 and 1945, finland attacked german forces leaving the country in the lapland war. The winter war was a war between the soviet union ussr and finland.
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. Finland, a weak, sparsely populated, and diplomatically isolated nation, succeeded in imposing staggering costs on a far more potent aggressor. Participants talked about how finland survived politically and economically as a neighbor to the soviet union during the cold war. The background of the winter war covers the period before the outbreak of the winter war between finland and the soviet union in 19391940, stretching from the finnish declaration of independence in 1917 to the sovietfinnish negotiations in 19381939. 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. The orders were already given to prepare a retreat to the next line of. The winter war that the soviet union launched against finland in 1939 grew out of territorial disputes that had existed between the two nations for more than two hundred years. The continuation war against the soviet union lasted from the summer of 1941 until the fall of 1944. The winter w ar wa s a war between the soviet union ussr and fi nland. If they are losing, they will offer to surrender some land around leningrad as well as salla.
Soviet forces began the war on november 30, 1939, and it was concluded on march 12, 1940, with the peace of moscow. This war began when stalin and his henchmen claimed that tiny finland attacked the u. This book, written by finns, is a solid account, explaining the battles in detail. The book made by viktor stepakov and dmitri orehov paraatimarssi suomeen parade march into finland,1992 clearly states that they were executed. The public face of this treaty was a tenyear period of nonaggression between nazi germanyand stalins russia. Numerically and technologically speaking, the massive soviet force had a tremendous advantage over the smaller finnish army and. It was a war one of the sides involved would rather forget, while the other fights to keep the memory alive. This was my first book from this general series of military history books stackpole i believe and i will now be getting more from them. As a result of the war, the eastern third of sweden was established as the autonomous grand duchy of finland within the russian empire. One finnish war veteran, lars loflund, believes there was nothing wrong with the russian people.
The short period after the war and before the next, the continuation war, is known as the interim peace. The russofinnish winter war of 19391940 by william r. Finland ceded large parts of its territory amounting to approximately 30% of its land area to russia. The finns are a proud people, and the book is from the finnish view so i would not call it 100% objective.
Finlands gallant stand against the soviet army modern war studies hardcover. The winter war 19391940, where the soviet union invaded finland to impose their will and redraw the map, while the finns fought with determination the soviets did manage to secure peace a peace terriorial claims on finland and displacing some 400,000 people but. 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. Jun 01, 2008 a brisk, efficient account of one of the most overlooked episodes of world war iithe soviet invasion of finland. Finns are commemorating the 70th anniversary of the start of the winter war against the soviet union. 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. 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. Firstly, i have the uk edition, titled the winter war. It was, in a way, a classic case of being up against the wall. It is commonly used in reference to finland s policies in relation to the soviet union during the cold war, but it can refer more generally to similar international relations, such as denmarks attitude toward germany between 1871 and 1945, or the policies of the swiss government towards nazi germany until the end of world war ii. The winter war 30 november 1939 march 1940 was a conflict fought between the soviet union and finland. The british reaction to the invasion of finland admin on 1st june 2017 comments closed last year i talked to irish historian bernard kelly about his book military internees, prisoners of war and the irish state during the second world war, thats episode 23 for those who havent listened. World opinion at large supported the finnish cause. They won the war in the sense that they could dictate the terms of peace in their favor.
The term means to become like finland referring to the influence of the soviet union on finlands. Last month the finnish defence forces put an archive of 160,000 wwiiera. The russofinnish winter war of 19391940 by trotter, william r isbn. In 1939, finland was in war against the soviet union during the winter war. The winter war was fought between finland and the soviet union. Once you get claims on finland through the baltic security focus, you will be given the opportunity to send finland an ultimatum for your claimed territory around leningrad. Despite superior military strength the soviet union advance wa s halted by finland.
Russias invasion of finland, 19391940 by edwards, robert isbn. When close to half a million soviet troops poured into finland in 1939 it was expected that finnish defences would collapse in. Toni wirtanen the story of the winter war between finland and soviet russia is a dramatic david versus goliath encounter. Suomen sota was fought between the kingdom of sweden and the russian empire from 21 february 1808 to 17 september 1809. See all 6 formats and editions hide other formats and editions. During the ensuing finnish civil war, the red guards. Published in 1954, the unknown soldier chronicles the continuation war between finland and the soviet union during 19411944 from the viewpoint of ordinary finnish soldiers. In march 1940, finland and russia signed the moscow peace treaty and hostilities between the two nations ended.
In march 1940 the finnishsoviet winter war ended with an armistice. Finlands war finland in wwii can best be described as having three phases. After world war ii, finland would go on to become one of the ussrs closest partners in the west. This is backed up by the information acquired from several soviet pows captured during the continuation war 19411944. Why was finland so successful during the winter war. Despite the passage of time, it is clear that in finland, the winter war is forever frozen into the nations. This book describes the odd coalition between germany and finland in world war ii, and their joint military operations from 1941 to 1945.
Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The winter war was a direct result of the nazisoviet nonaggression pact of august 1939. They focused on the political influence of communism in finland. A soviet book of red army war heroes in the winter war. Jan 20, 2018 the war between russia and finland, generally referred to as the winter war, lasted from november 30th1939 to march th, 1940. November 30 th, 1939, following the alleged shelling of russian troops by finnish soldiers, the soviet union launched an invasion on finland. At the end of the war, the situation of the finnish army on the karelian isthmus had been the subject of some debate. It began when the soviet union tried to invade finland soon after the invasion of poland. Winter war simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 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. May 23, 20 last month the finnish defence forces put an archive of 160,000 wwiiera photographs online. The soviet union thus acquired territorial gains which the russians believed were vital to its strategic and military interests.
987 47 1495 776 261 1150 1035 730 105 882 26 1029 1359 77 462 469 970 813 1291 399 1324 1112 621 167 152 1643 441 80 1359 12 1526 647 1139 1558 1572 682 1426 841 1032 522 1211 385 1160 1481