The story of the winter war between finland and soviet russia is a dramatic david versus goliath encounter. The soviet attack on finland, 19391940 stackpole military history series new ed by engle, eloise, paananen, lauri isbn. Jul 23, 2012 the winter war of finland and russia 1939 1940. Nov 30, 2009 finns are commemorating the 70th anniversary of the start of the winter war against the soviet union. The book is rather short but covers every interesting aspect of the astonishing winter war of 193940 where the red army got a bloody nose from the tiny but brave finnish army. Oct 12, 2016 the documentary shows how the finnishrussian winter war of 1939 influenced world war ii and how finland mobilized against the worlds largest military power. 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.
Nazi germany, finland s chief supporter against russia, was losing the war. At the stirring center of the story lie the resourcefulness and resolve of the finnish people, who against all military oddsin want of ammunition, food, sleep, and troopsfought a blundering. Although many of the pows of winter war were executed, many were sentenced to hard labor in northern russia. The stories of finlands war children sue saffle in 2001, while living in finland, i became fascinated by stories about the mass evacuations of finnish war children during the winter 19391940 and continuation wars 19411944 fought mostly against the. This book focuses on the winter war between the soviet union and neighboring finland. Russias invasion of finland, 19391940 robert edwards. The assault was almost three times larger than the allied landing at normandy. Hadtorteneti intezet es muzeum, budapest text in hungarian and. 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.
Trenches which were dug at the beginning of the finnishrussian tension in helsinki, december 1, 1939. The winter war when the finns humiliated the russians. The bibliography at the back of the book is depressingly limited to english and german publications, but he clearly has used considerably more. 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. Russias invasion of finland, 19391940 by edwards, robert isbn. In march 1940, finland and russia signed the moscow peace treaty and hostilities between the two nations ended. Finlands gallant stand against the soviet army modern war studies hardcover gordon f. But finland held out for 105 bitterly cold, fiercely combative days, until march 15, 1940, when a peace agreement ended the short, savage winter war. One of the most valiant stories of world war iithe heroic finnish stance against the red army when russia invaded finland in november 1939, the international community reacted with a combination of shock and outrage. Before its independence, finland was an autonomous grand duchy inside imperial russia. They also gained more than they had initially demanded from finland before launching their surprise inva. 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.
Foreign support of finland in the winter war wikipedia. The finns are a proud people, and the book is from the finnish view so i would not call it 100% objective. Edwards the winter war is a mustread for anyone interested in the david vs. The soviet invasion of finland remains one of the lesser known segments of world war ii.
Another newer book by viktor stepakov sodalla on hintansa the war has its price,1995 sheds more light on this issue. The winter war and its outcomes bore some serious implications far beyond the scope of finland, and had a considerable impact on the course of the european theatre during world war two. On november 30, 1939 the soviet union attempted to annex finland. A much more objective choice would be history professor richard w condons the winter war russia against finland. Despite superior military strength the soviet union advance was halted by finland. Germany regarded its operations in the region as part of its overall war efforts on the eastern front and provided finland with. These operations are discussed in a hundreds of books and can be found on an infinite number of websites. During the ominous lull between the nazi conquest of poland and the assault on france. The winter war was an epic life and death struggle that changed the course of world war ii, and saved a democracy. Why is the winter war finnishrussian war so important. The winter war russia against finland a ballantine book this is another common book that can be located on ebay or with ease. The bibliography at the back of the book is depressingly limited to english and german publications, but he clearly has used considerably more sources than those stated, including some in finnish. The term means to become like finland referring to the influence of the soviet union on finlands.
The assault was almost three times larger than the allied landing at. The league of nations deemed the attack illegal and expelled the soviet union from the organisation. Toni wirtanen the story of the winter war between finland and soviet russia is a dramatic david versus goliath encounter. War between finland and russia, david and golliath, good and evil, democracy and totalitarianism, freedom and slavery, against the third aggressor of wwii contents.
The public face of this treaty was a tenyear period of nonaggression between nazi germanyand stalins russia. 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. 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. Although quite a number of books have examined finlands heroic, if doomed, resistance to stalins aggression, journalist and historian sander manages to throw a great deal of new light on the 105 day conflict, a work that was a bestseller in finland. With a sizeable advantage in manpower, tanks and aircraft, the red army command expected victory within weeks. This took place three months after the german invasion of poland that triggered the start of world war ii in europe. How a small force of finnish ski troops fought off a. With jason agnello, joe brady, phillip courtney, paul gitsis. 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. European history quarterly delivers new facts via archival research and interviews with vets. Learn more about the russofinnish war in this article. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Jan 20, 2018 the war between russia and finland, generally referred to as the winter war, lasted from november 30th1939 to march th, 1940.
Fire and ice documents this timeless story of courage against all odds by a people united to preserve their freedom. After months of ultimatums, on november 30, 1939, the soviet union invaded finland. Sander covers much more of the civilian side of the war than is common. In russian historiography, the war is called the sovietfinnish front of the great patriotic war. Why did the soviet union lose the winter war of 1939. 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. The second world war had not yet begun in earnest and was known to the public as the phoney war. 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.
These implications manifested in the lessons that the soviet union and nazi germany learned, or failed to learn from the conflict. Note 3 in russian historiography, the war is called the sovietfinnish front of the great patriotic war. 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. Finns are commemorating the 70th anniversary of the start of the winter war against the soviet union. As a result of the war, the eastern third of sweden was established as the autonomous grand duchy of finland within the russian empire. It was a war one of the sides involved would rather forget, while the other fights to keep the memory alive.
The swedish volunteer corps provided 9,640 officers and men. Until a comprehesive military history of the war is written this book is the best avaiable. Vaino tanner, the author of the book, was the foreign minister of finland during the winter war against the soviet union. This book examines the leadup to the hostilities, the fighting that left more than 126,000 soviet troops killed or. The winter war was a war between the soviet union ussr and finland. Our main sources for this article were the hundred day winter war. The documentary shows how the finnishrussian winter war of 1939 influenced world war ii and how finland mobilized against the worlds largest military power. Fire and ice the winter war of finland and russia youtube. The book does not give details of the battles of that war but the diplomatic aspects of such conflict. The soviet union thus acquired territorial gains which the russians believed were vital to its strategic and military interests. Sweden did not become actively involved in the conflict, but did indirectly support finland. Suomen sota was fought between the kingdom of sweden and the russian empire from 21 february 1808 to 17 september 1809.
Magyar onkentesek a teli haboruban hungarian volunteers in the winter war. When finland rejected the demand, the soviet union launched an attack on november 30, 1939, beginning the russo. The 105day war had a profound and depressing effect in finland. Finlands fierce resistance changed the course of world war ii and saved a democracy. Thus finland had to face its bigger neighbour on its own, without any great powers protection. 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. Finlands gallant stand against the soviet army modern war studies by gordon f. 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. Sweden was not big enough, and its leadership was wary of confronting russia. During the ensuing finnish civil war, the red guards. In his first book, journalist edwards delivers a lively, opinionated account of this halfforgotten but major war. The molotovribbentrop pact 1938 between nazi germany and the soviet union decided in secret that finland would become a part of the soviet sphere of interest.
A brisk, efficient account of one of the most overlooked episodes of world war iithe soviet invasion of finland. Jun 01, 2008 a brisk, efficient account of one of the most overlooked episodes of world war iithe soviet invasion of finland. The winter war was fought in the four months following the soviet unions invasion of finland on november 30, 1939. The winter war the soviet unions invasion of finland. The finns not only survived the initial attacks but succeeded in inflicting devastating casualties before superior. The western powers were allied with the soviet union. But while the rest of the world dithered, finland was left alone to face the full might of the red army. Soviet attack on finland november 30, 1939march 1, 1940following the german invasion of poland in september of 1939, the soviet union also invaded poland from the east, seizing polish territory, and, in effect, establishing a buffer zone between soviet territory and. Therefore, there was a strong feeling that it was better to defend sweden on finnish soil. They won the war in the sense that they could dictate the terms of peace in their favor. Fire and ice is a timeless story of courage against all odds, of a people united to preserve their freedom.
World opinion at large supported the finnish cause. Russia required finland to cede territory near leningrad and in the far north and to grant several bases. Ussr russia finland world war ii winter war photos. The winter war was a direct result of the nazisoviet nonaggression pact of august 1939. This book, written by finns, is a solid account, explaining the battles in detail. 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 ceded large parts of its territory amounting to approximately 30% of its land area to russia. The winter war the soviet unions invasion of finland 193940 the second world war was a vast conflict with hardfought clashes in places such as stalingrad, normandy, north africa, italy and the pacific theater. The winter war of russia and finland in november 1939, when finland was invaded by the soviet union, no one expected that this tiny nation could resist the largest military force in. Ussr russia finland world war ii winter war photos business. It gives a fast look at the winter war between russia and finland in 193940.
1544 504 861 797 1214 905 517 261 1553 52 1130 76 385 67 1062 1222 1563 1494 623 73 945 360 702 583 179 74 235 965 313 597 963 622 192 359 658 611