The official reasons for the outbreak of the war are the so-called “Maynila Incident”. On November 26, 1939, the USSR government sent a note of protest to the Finnish government regarding the artillery shelling that was carried out from Finnish territory. Responsibility for the outbreak of hostilities was placed entirely on Finland. The beginning of the Soviet-Finnish War occurred at 8 o'clock in the morning, November 30, 1939. On the part of the Soviet Union, the goal was to ensure the security of Leningrad. The city was only 30 km away. from the border. Previously, the Soviet government approached Finland with a request to push back its borders in the Leningrad region, offering territorial compensation in Karelia. But Finland categorically refused.
The Soviet-Finnish War of 1939–1940 caused real hysteria among the world community. On December 14, the USSR was expelled from the League of Nations with serious violations of procedure (minority votes).
By the time hostilities began, the troops of the Finnish army numbered 130 aircraft, 30 tanks, and 250 thousand soldiers. However, the Western powers promised their support. In many ways, it was this promise that led to the refusal to change the border line. The Red Army at the start of the war consisted of 3,900 aircraft, 6,500 tanks and one million soldiers.
The Russian-Finnish War of 1939 is divided by historians into 2 stages. Initially, it was planned by the Soviet command as a short operation that was supposed to last about 3 weeks. But the situation turned out differently. The first period of the war lasted from November 30, 1939 to February 10, 1940 (until the Mannerheim Line was broken). The fortifications of the Mannerheim Line were able to stop the Russian army for a long time. The better equipment of Finnish soldiers and harsher winter conditions than in Russia also played an important role. The Finnish command was able to make excellent use of the terrain features. Pine forests, lakes, and swamps seriously slowed down the movement of Russian troops. The supply of ammunition was difficult. Finnish snipers also caused serious problems.
The second period of the war dates from February 11 – March 12, 1940. By the end of 1939, the General Staff developed a new action plan. Under the leadership of Marshal Timoshenko, the Mannerheim Line was broken on February 11. A serious superiority in manpower, aviation, and tanks allows the Soviet troops to advance forward, suffering heavy losses. The Finnish army is experiencing a severe shortage of ammunition, as well as people. The Finnish government, having never received Western help, was forced to conclude a peace treaty on March 12, 1940. Despite the disappointing results of the military campaign for the USSR, a new border was established.
After Germany's attack on the Soviet Union, Finland will enter the war on the side of the Nazis.
On the eve of the soldiers of 1941
At the end of July 1940, Germany began preparations for an attack on the Soviet Union. The ultimate goals were the seizure of territory, the destruction of manpower, political entities and the aggrandizement of Germany.
It was planned to strike at the Red Army formations concentrated in the western regions, to rapidly advance into the interior of the country and occupy all economic and political centers.
At the beginning of the aggression against the USSR, Germany was a state with a highly developed industry and the strongest army in the world.
Having set himself the goal of becoming a hegemonic power, Hitler forced the German economy, the entire potential of the captured countries and his allies to work for his war machine.
In a short time, the production of military equipment was sharply increased. German divisions were equipped with modern weapons and gained combat experience in Europe. The officer corps was distinguished by excellent training, tactical literacy and was brought up in the centuries-old traditions of the German army. The rank and file were disciplined, and the highest spirit was supported by propaganda about the exclusivity of the German race and the invincibility of the Wehrmacht.
Realizing the inevitability of a military clash, the leadership of the USSR began preparations to repel aggression. In a country rich in minerals and energy resources, heavy industry was created thanks to the heroic work of the population. Its rapid development was facilitated by the conditions of a totalitarian system and the highest centralization of leadership, which made it possible to mobilize the population to carry out any tasks.
The economy of the pre-war period was directive, and this facilitated its reorientation on a war footing. There was a high patriotic upsurge in society and the army. Party agitators pursued a policy of “backwashing” - in the event of aggression, a war was planned on foreign territory and with little bloodshed.
The outbreak of World War II showed the need to strengthen the country's armed forces. Civilian enterprises refocused on the production of military equipment.
For the period from 1938 to 1940. the increase in military production amounted to more than 40%. Every year, 600-700 new enterprises were put into operation, and a significant part of them were built in the interior of the country. In terms of absolute volumes of industrial production, the USSR by 1937 took second place in the world after the United States.
The latest weapons were created in numerous half-prison design bureaus. On the eve of the war, high-speed fighters and bombers (MIG-3, YAK-1, LAGG-3, PO-2, IL-2), a KB heavy tank, and a T-34 medium tank appeared. New types of small arms were developed and put into service.
Domestic shipbuilding has been reoriented towards the production of surface ships and submarines. The construction of the first rocket launchers has been completed. However, the pace of rearmament of the army was insufficient.
In 1939, the law “On General Military Duty” was adopted, and the transition to a unified personnel system for recruiting troops was completed. This made it possible to increase the size of the Red Army to 5 million.
A significant weakness of the Red Army was the low training of commanders (only 7% of officers had a higher military education).
Irreversible damage to the army was caused by the repressions of the 30s, when many of the best commanders at all levels were destroyed. The combat effectiveness of the army was also negatively affected by the strengthening of the role of NKVD workers who interfered in the leadership of the troops.
Military intelligence reports, intelligence data, warnings from sympathizers - everything spoke of the approach of war. Stalin did not believe that Hitler would start a war against the USSR without completing the final defeat of his opponents in the West. He delayed the start of aggression in every possible way, without giving a reason for this.
German attack on the USSR
On June 22, 1941, Nazi Germany attacked the USSR. Army Hitler and the Allied armies launched a swift and carefully prepared attack on several points at once, taking the Russian army by surprise. This day marked the beginning of a new period in the life of the USSR - Great Patriotic War .
Prerequisites for the German attack on the USSR
After the defeat in First World War During the war, the situation in Germany remained extremely unstable - the economy and industry collapsed, and a major crisis occurred that the authorities could not solve. It was at this time that Hitler came to power, whose main idea was to create a single, nation-oriented state that would not only take revenge for losing the war, but would also subjugate the entire mainstream world to its order.
Following his own ideas, Hitler created a fascist state on German territory and in 1939 started World War II by invading the Czech Republic and Poland and annexing them to Germany. During the war, Hitler's army rapidly advanced across Europe, seizing territories, but did not attack the USSR - a preliminary non-aggression pact was concluded.
Unfortunately, the USSR still remained a tasty morsel for Hitler. The opportunity to acquire territories and resources opened up the possibility for Germany to enter into open confrontation with the United States and assert its dominance over much of the world's landmass.
It was developed to attack the USSR plan "Barbarossa" - a plan for a swift, treacherous military assault, which was to be carried out within two months. The implementation of the plan began on June 22 with the German invasion of the USSR
Germany's goals
Ideological and military. Germany sought to destroy the USSR as a state, as well as to destroy the communist ideology, which it considered incorrect. Hitler sought to establish the hegemony of nationalist ideas throughout the world (the superiority of one race, one people over others).
Imperialist. As in many wars, Hitler's goal was to seize power in the world and create a powerful Empire to which all other states would be subordinate.
Economic. The capture of the USSR gave the German army unprecedented economic opportunities for further warfare.
Racist. Hitler sought to destroy all “wrong” races (in particular, the Jews).
The first period of the war and the implementation of the Barbarossa plan
Despite the fact that Hitler’s plans included a surprise attack, the command of the USSR army suspected in advance what might happen, so as early as June 18, 1941, some armies were put on alert, and the armed forces were pulled to the border in the places of the alleged attack. Unfortunately, the Soviet command had only vague information regarding the date of the attack, so by the time the fascist troops invaded, many military units simply did not have time to prepare properly in order to competently repel the attack.
At 4 am on June 22, 1941, German Foreign Minister Ribbentrop handed the Soviet ambassador in Berlin a note declaring war, at the same time German troops launched an offensive against the Baltic Fleet in the Gulf of Finland. Early in the morning, the German Ambassador arrived in the USSR for a meeting with People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs Molotov and made a statement saying that the Union had carried out subversive activities on German territory in order to establish Bolshevik power there, therefore Germany was breaking the non-aggression agreement and starting military operations . A little later on the same day, Italy, Romania and later Slovakia declared official war on the USSR. At 12 noon, Molotov made an official address on the radio to the citizens of the USSR, announcing the German attack on the USSR and announcing the beginning of the Patriotic War. General mobilization began.
The war has begun.
Causes and consequences of the German attack on the USSR
Despite the fact that the Barbarossa plan could not be carried out - the Soviet army put up good resistance, was better equipped than expected and generally fought the battle competently, taking into account territorial conditions - the first period of the war turned out to be a losing one for the USSR. Germany managed to conquer a significant part of the territories in the shortest possible time, including Ukraine, Belarus, Latvia and Lithuania. German troops advanced deep into the country, encircled Leningrad and began bombing Moscow.
Despite the fact that Hitler underestimated the Russian army, the surprise of the attack still played a role. The Soviet army was not ready for such a rapid onslaught, the level of training of the soldiers was much lower, the military equipment was much worse, and the leadership made a number of very serious mistakes in the early stages.
Germany's attack on the USSR ended in a protracted war that claimed many lives and virtually collapsed the country's economy, which was not ready for large-scale military action. However, in the middle of the war, Soviet troops managed to gain an advantage and launch a counteroffensive.
World War II 1939 – 1945 (briefly)
The Second World War was the bloodiest and most brutal military conflict in the entire history of mankind and the only one in which nuclear weapons were used. 61 states took part in it. The dates of the beginning and end of this war, September 1, 1939 - 1945, September 2, are among the most significant for the entire civilized world.
The causes of the Second World War were the imbalance of power in the world and the problems provoked by the results of the First World War, in particular territorial disputes. The winners of the First World War, the USA, England, and France, concluded the Treaty of Versailles on conditions that were most unfavorable and humiliating for the losing countries, Turkey and Germany, which provoked an increase in tension in the world. At the same time, adopted in the late 1930s by England and France, the policy of appeasing the aggressor made it possible for Germany to sharply increase its military potential, which accelerated the Nazis’ transition to active military action.
Members of the anti-Hitler bloc were the USSR, USA, France, England, China (Chiang Kai-shek), Greece, Yugoslavia, Mexico, etc. On the German side, Italy, Japan, Hungary, Albania, Bulgaria, Finland, China (Wang Jingwei), Thailand, Finland, Iraq, etc. participated in World War II. Many states that took part in the Second World War did not take action on the fronts, but helped by supplying food, medicine and other necessary resources.
Researchers identify the following main stages of the Second World War.
The first stage from September 1, 1939 to June 21, 1941. The period of the European blitzkrieg of Germany and the Allies.
Second stage June 22, 1941 - approximately mid-November 1942. Attack on the USSR and the subsequent failure of the Barbarossa plan.
The third stage, the second half of November 1942 - the end of 1943. A radical turning point in the war and Germany’s loss of strategic initiative. At the end of 1943, at the Tehran Conference, in which Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill took part, a decision was made to open a second front.
The fourth stage lasted from the end of 1943 to May 9, 1945. It was marked by the capture of Berlin and the unconditional surrender of Germany.
Fifth stage May 10, 1945 – September 2, 1945. At this time, fighting takes place only in Southeast Asia and the Far East. The United States used nuclear weapons for the first time.
The Second World War began on September 1, 1939. On this day, the Wehrmacht suddenly began aggression against Poland. Despite the reciprocal declaration of war by France, Great Britain and some other countries, no real assistance was provided to Poland. Already on September 28, Poland was captured. A peace treaty between Germany and the USSR was concluded on the same day. Having thus received a reliable rear, Germany begins active preparations for war with France, which capitulated already in 1940, on June 22. Nazi Germany begins large-scale preparations for war on the eastern front with the USSR. Plan Barbarossa was approved already in 1940, on December 18. The Soviet senior leadership received reports of the impending attack, but fearing to provoke Germany, and believing that the attack would be carried out at a later date, they deliberately did not put the border units on alert.
In the chronology of the Second World War, the most important period is the period of June 22, 1941-1945, May 9, known in Russia as the Great Patriotic War. On the eve of World War II, the USSR was an actively developing state. As the threat of conflict with Germany increased over time, defense and heavy industry and science developed primarily in the country. Closed design bureaus were created, whose activities were aimed at developing the latest weapons. At all enterprises and collective farms, discipline was tightened as much as possible. In the 30s, more than 80% of the officers of the Red Army were repressed. In order to make up for the losses, a network of military schools and academies has been created. But there was not enough time for full training of personnel.
The main battles of World War II, which were of great importance for the history of the USSR, are:
The Battle of Moscow September 30, 1941 – April 20, 1942, which became the first victory of the Red Army;
The Battle of Stalingrad July 17, 1942 – February 2, 1943, which marked a radical turning point in the war;
Battle of Kursk July 5 – August 23, 1943, during which the largest tank battle of World War II took place near the village of Prokhorovka;
The Battle of Berlin - which led to the surrender of Germany.
But events important for the course of World War II took place not only on the fronts of the USSR. Among the operations carried out by the Allies, it is worth especially noting: the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, which caused the United States to enter World War II; opening of the second front and landing in Normandy on June 6, 1944; the use of nuclear weapons on August 6 and 9, 1945 to strike Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
The end date of World War II was September 2, 1945. Japan signed the act of surrender only after the defeat of the Kwantung Army by Soviet troops. The battles of World War II, according to rough estimates, claimed 65 million people on both sides. The Soviet Union suffered the greatest losses in World War II - 27 million citizens of the country died. It was he who took the brunt of the blow. This figure is also approximate and, according to some researchers, underestimated. It was the stubborn resistance of the Red Army that became the main cause of the defeat of the Reich.
The results of World War II horrified everyone. Military actions have brought the very existence of civilization to the brink. During the Nuremberg and Tokyo trials, fascist ideology was condemned, and many war criminals were punished. In order to prevent similar possibilities of a new world war in the future, at the Yalta Conference in 1945 it was decided to create the United Nations Organization (UN), which still exists today. The results of the nuclear bombing of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki led to the signing of pacts on the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and a ban on their production and use. It must be said that the consequences of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are still felt today.
The economic consequences of World War II were also serious. For Western European countries it turned into a real economic disaster. The influence of Western European countries has decreased significantly. At the same time, the United States managed to maintain and strengthen its position.
The significance of World War II for the Soviet Union is enormous. The defeat of the Nazis determined the future history of the country. As a result of the conclusion of the peace treaties that followed the defeat of Germany, the USSR noticeably expanded its borders. At the same time, the totalitarian system was strengthened in the Union. Communist regimes were established in some European countries. Victory in the war did not save the USSR from the mass repressions that followed in the 50s.
Soviet-Finnish War 1939-1940 or, as they say in Finland, the Winter War between Finland and the Soviet Union is one of the most significant episodes of the Second World War. Timo Vihavainen, a professor of Russian studies at the University of Helsinki, shares his point of view on this issue.
The battles of the Soviet-Finnish War, which lasted 105 days, were very bloody and intense. The Soviet side lost more than 126,000 people killed and missing, 246,000 wounded and shell-shocked. If we add Finnish losses to these figures, 26,000 and 43,000, respectively, then we can safely say that in terms of its scale, the Winter War became one of the most large battlefields of World War II.
For many countries, it is quite common to evaluate the past through the prism of what happened, without even considering other options for the possible development of events - that is, history turned out the way it did. As for the Winter War, its course and the peace treaty that ended the fighting were unexpected results of a process that initially, as all parties believed, would lead to completely different consequences.
Background of events
In the fall of 1939, Finland and the Soviet Union held high-level negotiations on territorial issues, in which Finland was to transfer to the Soviet Union some areas on the Karelian Isthmus and islands in the Gulf of Finland, as well as lease the city of Hanko. In return, Finland would receive twice the size but less valuable territory in Soviet Karelia.
Negotiations in the fall of 1939 did not lead to results as acceptable to the Soviet Union as happened in the case of the Baltic countries, despite the fact that Finland was ready to make some concessions. For example, the lease of Hanko was considered a violation of Finnish sovereignty and neutrality.
Finland did not agree to territorial concessions, maintaining its neutrality along with Sweden
Earlier, in 1938 and later in the spring of 1939, the Soviet Union had already unofficially recognized the possibility of transferring the islands in the Gulf of Finland, or leasing them. In a democratic country, such as Finland, these concessions were unlikely to be feasible in practice. The transfer of territories would mean the loss of homes for thousands of Finns. No party would probably want to take on political responsibility. There was also fear and antipathy towards the Soviet Union, caused, among other things, by the repressions of 1937-38, during which thousands of Finns were executed. In addition, by the end of 1937, the use of the Finnish language was completely stopped in the Soviet Union. Finnish-language schools and newspapers were closed.
The Soviet Union also hinted that Finland would be unable, or perhaps unwilling, to remain neutral if Germany, now an international troublemaker, violated the Soviet border. Such hints were not understood or accepted in Finland. To ensure neutrality, Finland and Sweden planned to jointly build fortifications on the Åland Islands, which would quite effectively protect the neutrality of the countries from a possible German or Soviet attack. Due to a protest filed by the Soviet Union, Sweden abandoned these plans.
Kuusinen's "People's Government"
After negotiations with the official Finnish government, Risto Ryti, stalled, the Soviet Union formed the so-called "people's government" of Finland. The “People's Government” was headed by the communist Otto Ville Kuusinen, who fled to the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union announced its recognition of this government, which provided an excuse not to negotiate with the official government.
The government asked the Soviet Union for “help” in creating the Republic of Finland. During the war, the government's task was to prove that Finland and the Soviet Union were not at war.
Apart from the Soviet Union, no other country recognized the people's government of Kuusinen
The Soviet Union concluded an agreement on territorial concessions with the self-formed “people's government”
Finnish communist Otto Ville Kuusinen fled to Soviet Russia after the civil war of 1918. His government was said to represent the broad masses of the Finnish people and the rebellious military units that had already formed the Finnish “people's army.” The Finnish Communist Party stated in its appeal that a revolution was underway in Finland, which, at the request of the “people's government,” should be helped by the Red Army. Thus, this is not a war and certainly not an aggression of the Soviet Union against Finland. According to the official position of the Soviet Union, this proves that the Red Army entered Finland not to take away Finnish territories, but to expand them.
On December 2, 1939, Moscow announced to the whole world that it had concluded an agreement on territorial concessions with the “people's government.” Under the terms of the agreement, Finland received huge areas in Eastern Karelia, 70,000 square kilometers of old Russian land that never belonged to Finland. For its part, Finland transferred to Russia a small area in the southern part of the Karelian Isthmus, which reaches Koivisto in the west. In addition to this, Finland will transfer some islands in the Gulf of Finland to the Soviet Union and lease the city of Hanko for a very decent amount.
It was not about propaganda, but about a state treaty that was announced and put into effect. They planned to exchange documents on ratification of the treaty in Helsinki.
The cause of the war was the struggle between Germany and the USSR for spheres of influence
After the official Finnish government did not agree to territorial concessions, the Soviet Union began the war by attacking Finland on November 30, 1939, without declaring war, and without any other ultimatums to Finland.
The reason for the attack was the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact concluded in 1939, in which Finland was recognized as a territory within the zone of influence of the Soviet Union. The purpose of the attack was to implement the pact on this part.
Finland and Germany in 1939
Finnish foreign policy was cool towards Germany. Relations between the countries were rather unfriendly, which was confirmed by Hitler during the Winter War. In addition, the division of spheres of influence between the Soviet Union and Germany suggests that Germany was not interested in supporting Finland.
Finland sought to remain neutral until the outbreak of the Winter War and for as long after it as possible.
Official Finland did not follow friendly German policies
Finland in 1939 in no way pursued a policy friendly to Germany. The Finnish parliament and government were dominated by a coalition of farmers and social democrats, which relied on an overwhelming majority. The only radical and pro-German party, the IKL, suffered a crushing defeat in the summer elections of 1939. Its representation was reduced from 18 to 8 seats in the 200-seat parliament.
German sympathies in Finland were an old tradition, which was primarily supported by academic circles. At the political level, these sympathies began to melt in the 30s, when Hitler's policy towards small states was widely condemned.
Sure victory?
With a high degree of confidence we can say that in December 1939 the Red Army was the largest and best equipped army in the world. Moscow, confident in the fighting ability of its army, had no reason to expect that Finnish resistance, if any, would last many days.
In addition, it was assumed that the powerful leftist movement in Finland would not want to resist the Red Army, which would enter the country not as an invader, but as an assistant and give Finland additional territories.
In turn, for the Finnish bourgeoisie, the war, from all sides, was extremely undesirable. There was a clear understanding that no help should be expected, at least not from Germany, and the desire and ability of the Western allies to conduct military operations far from their borders raised great doubts.
How did it happen that Finland decided to repel the advance of the Red Army?
How is it possible that Finland dared to repel the Red Army and was able to resist for more than three months? Moreover, the Finnish army did not capitulate at any stage and remained in combat capability until the last day of the war. The fighting ended only because the peace treaty came into force.
Moscow, confident in the strength of its army, had no reason to expect that Finnish resistance would last many days. Not to mention that the agreement with the “people's government” of Finland will have to be canceled. Just in case, strike units were concentrated near the borders with Finland, which, after an acceptable waiting period, could quickly defeat the Finns, who were armed primarily with only infantry weapons and light artillery. The Finns had very few tanks and aircraft, and actually had anti-tank weapons only on paper. The Red Army had a numerical superiority and almost a tenfold advantage in technical equipment, including artillery, aviation and armored vehicles.
Therefore, there was no doubt about the final result of the war. Moscow no longer negotiated with the Helsinki government, which was said to have lost support and disappeared in an unknown direction.
For the leaders in Moscow, the planned outcome was finally decided: the larger Finnish Democratic Republic was an ally of the Soviet Union. They even managed to publish an article on this topic in the “Concise Political Dictionary” of 1940.
Brave Defense
Why did Finland resort to armed defense, which, soberly assessing the situation, had no chance of success? One explanation is that there were no other options other than surrender. The Soviet Union recognized the puppet government of Kuusinen and ignored the Helsinki government, which was not even presented with any ultimatum demands. In addition, the Finns relied on their military skills and the advantages that the local nature provided for defensive actions.
The successful defense of the Finns is explained both by the high fighting spirit of the Finnish army and by the great shortcomings of the Red Army, in whose ranks, in particular, major purges were carried out in 1937-38. The command of the Red Army troops was carried out unqualified. On top of everything else, military equipment performed poorly. The Finnish landscape and defensive fortifications turned out to be difficult to pass, and the Finns learned to effectively disable enemy tanks using Molotov cocktails and throwing explosives. This, of course, added even more courage and bravery.
Spirit of the Winter War
In Finland, the concept of the “spirit of the Winter War” has been established, which means unanimity and willingness to sacrifice oneself for the defense of the Motherland.
Research supports claims that already in Finland on the eve of the Winter War there was a prevailing consensus that the country must be defended in the event of aggression. Despite heavy losses, this spirit remained until the end of the war. Almost everyone, including the communists, was imbued with the “spirit of the Winter War.” The question arises as to how this became possible when the country went through a bloody civil war in 1918 - just two decades ago - in which the right fought against the left. People were executed en masse even after the main battles had ended. Then at the head of the victorious White Guard was Carl Gustav Emil Mannerheim, a native of Finland, a former lieutenant general of the Russian army, who was now leading Finnish soldiers against the Red Army.
The fact that Finland decided on armed resistance at all, purposefully and with the support of the broad masses, quite likely came as a surprise to Moscow. And for Helsinki too. The “Spirit of the Winter War” is not a myth at all, and its origins require explanation.
An important reason for the appearance of the “Spirit of the Winter War” was deceitful Soviet propaganda. In Finland, they treated Soviet newspapers with irony, which wrote that the Finnish border was “threateningly” close to Leningrad. Just as absolutely incredible were the allegations that the Finns were staging provocations on the border, shelling the territory of the Soviet Union and thereby starting a war. Well, when, after such a provocation, the Soviet Union broke the non-aggression treaty, which Moscow did not have the right to do under the treaty, distrust grew more than before.
According to some estimates of the time, confidence in the Soviet Union was largely undermined by the formation of the Kuusinen government and the vast territories it received as a gift. Although they assured that Finland would remain independent, Finland itself had no special illusions about the veracity of such assurances. Trust in the Soviet Union fell further after urban bombings that destroyed hundreds of buildings and killed hundreds of people. The Soviet Union categorically denied the bombings, although the people of Finland witnessed them with their own eyes.
The repressions of the 1930s in the Soviet Union were fresh in my memory. For the Finnish communists, the most offensive thing was to observe the development of close cooperation between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, which began after the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.
World
The result of the Winter War is well known. According to the peace treaty concluded in Moscow on March 12, Finland's eastern border moved to where it remains today. 430,000 Finns lost their homes. For the Soviet Union, the increase in territory was insignificant. For Finland, the territorial losses were enormous.
The prolongation of the war became the primary prerequisite for the peace agreement concluded in Moscow on March 12, 1940 between the Soviet Union and the bourgeois government of Finland. The Finnish army put up desperate resistance, which made it possible to stop the enemy advance in all 14 directions. Further prolongation of the conflict threatened the Soviet Union with severe international consequences. The League of Nations on December 16 deprived the Soviet Union of membership, and England and France began negotiating with Finland on the provision of military assistance, which was supposed to arrive in Finland through Norway and Sweden. This could lead to a full-scale war between the Soviet Union and the Western allies, who, among other things, were preparing to bomb oil fields in Baku from Turkey.
Difficult truce conditions were accepted due to desperation
It was not easy for the Soviet government, which had entered into an agreement with the Kuusinen government, to re-recognize the Helsinki government and conclude a peace treaty with it. Peace, however, was concluded and conditions for Finland were very difficult. Finland's territorial concessions were many times greater than those negotiated in 1939. The signing of the peace agreement was a bitter ordeal. When the terms of peace were made public, people cried in the streets and flags were lowered in mourning over their houses. The Finnish government, however, agreed to sign a difficult and intolerable “dictated peace” because the situation militarily was very dangerous. The amount of assistance promised by Western countries was insignificant, and it was clear that from a military point of view it could not play a decisive role.
The Winter War and the difficult peace that followed are among the most tragic periods in Finnish history. These events leave their mark on the interpretation of Finnish history in a broader perspective. The fact that this was an unprovoked aggression, which was carried out vilely and without a declaration of war by its eastern neighbor, and which led to the rejection of the historical Finnish province, remained a heavy burden in the Finnish consciousness.
Having put up military resistance, the Finns lost a large territory and tens of thousands of people, but retained their independence. This is the difficult image of the Winter War, which resonates with pain in the Finnish consciousness. Another option was to submit to Kuusinen's government and expand the territories. For the Finns, however, this was tantamount to submission to the Stalinist dictatorship. It is obvious that, despite all the officiality of the territorial gift, it was not taken seriously at any level in Finland. In today's Finland, if they remember that state treaty, it is only that it was one of the insidious, lying plans that the Stalinist leadership was in the habit of proposing.
The Winter War gave birth to the Continuation War (1941-1945)
As a direct consequence of the Winter War, Finland joined Germany in attacking the Soviet Union in 1941. Before the Winter War, Finland adhered to the Northern European policy of neutrality, which it tried to continue after the end of the war. However, after the Soviet Union prevented this, there were two options left: an alliance with Germany, or with the Soviet Union. The latter option enjoyed very little support in Finland.
Text: Timo Vihavainen, Professor of Russian Studies, University of Helsinki
In Russian historiography, the Soviet-Finnish War of 1939-1940, or, as it is called in the West, the Winter War, was virtually forgotten for many years. This was facilitated by its not very successful results and the peculiar “political correctness” practiced in our country. Official Soviet propaganda was more afraid than fire to offend any of the “friends,” and Finland after the Great Patriotic War was considered an ally of the USSR.
Over the past 15 years, the situation has changed radically. Contrary to the well-known words of A. T. Tvardovsky about the “unfamous war,” today this war is very “famous.” One after another, books dedicated to her are published, not to mention many articles in various magazines and collections. But this “celebrity” is very peculiar. The authors who have made denouncing the Soviet “evil empire” their profession cite in their publications an absolutely fantastic ratio of our and Finnish losses. Any reasonable reasons for the actions of the USSR are completely denied...
By the end of the 1930s, near the northwestern borders of the Soviet Union there was a state that was clearly unfriendly to us. It is very significant that even before the start of the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-1940. The identifying mark of the Finnish Air Force and tank forces was a blue swastika. Those who claim that it was Stalin who pushed Finland into Hitler’s camp through his actions prefer not to remember this. As well as why peace-loving Suomi needed a network of military airfields built by the beginning of 1939 with the help of German specialists, capable of receiving 10 times more aircraft than the Finnish Air Force had. However, in Helsinki they were ready to fight against us both in an alliance with Germany and Japan, and in an alliance with England and France.
Seeing the approach of a new world conflict, the leadership of the USSR sought to secure the border near the second largest and most important city in the country. Back in March 1939, Soviet diplomacy explored the question of transferring or leasing a number of islands in the Gulf of Finland, but Helsinki responded with a categorical refusal.
Those who denounce the “crimes of the Stalinist regime” like to rant about the fact that Finland is a sovereign country that manages its own territory, and therefore, they say, it was not at all obliged to agree to the exchange. In this regard, we can recall the events that took place two decades later. When Soviet missiles began to be deployed in Cuba in 1962, the Americans had no legal basis for imposing a naval blockade of Liberty Island, much less launching a military strike on it. Both Cuba and the USSR are sovereign countries; the deployment of Soviet nuclear weapons concerned only them and was fully consistent with international law. Nevertheless, the United States was ready to start World War 3 if the missiles were not removed. There is such a thing as a “sphere of vital interests”. For our country in 1939, a similar area included the Gulf of Finland and the Karelian Isthmus. Even the former leader of the Cadet Party, P. N. Milyukov, who was by no means sympathetic to the Soviet regime, in a letter to I. P. Demidov, expressed the following attitude towards the outbreak of war with Finland: “I feel sorry for the Finns, but I am for the Vyborg province.”
On November 26, a famous incident occurred near the village of Maynila. According to the official Soviet version, at 15:45 Finnish artillery shelled our territory, as a result of which 4 Soviet soldiers were killed and 9 were wounded. Today it is considered good manners to interpret this event as the work of the NKVD. The Finnish claims that their artillery was deployed at such a distance that its fire could not reach the border are perceived as indisputable. Meanwhile, according to Soviet documentary sources, one of the Finnish batteries was located in the Jaappinen area (5 km from Mainila). However, whoever organized the provocation at Maynila, it was used by the Soviet side as a pretext for war. On November 28, the USSR government denounced the Soviet-Finnish non-aggression treaty and recalled its diplomatic representatives from Finland. On November 30, hostilities began.
I will not describe in detail the course of the war, since there are already enough publications on this topic. Its first stage, which lasted until the end of December 1939, was generally unsuccessful for the Red Army. On the Karelian Isthmus, Soviet troops, having overcome the forefield of the Mannerheim Line, reached its main defensive line on December 4-10. However, attempts to break through it were unsuccessful. After bloody battles, the sides switched to positional warfare.
What were the reasons for the failures of the initial period of the war? First of all, underestimating the enemy. Finland mobilized in advance, increasing the number of its Armed Forces from 37 to 337 thousand (459). Finnish troops were deployed in the border zone, the main forces occupied defensive lines on the Karelian Isthmus and even managed to conduct full-scale maneuvers at the end of October 1939.
Soviet intelligence was also not up to the task, unable to identify complete and reliable information about Finnish fortifications.
Finally, the Soviet leadership had unreasonable hopes for “class solidarity of the Finnish working people.” There was a widespread belief that the population of countries that entered the war against the USSR would almost immediately “rise up and go over to the side of the Red Army,” that workers and peasants would come out to greet Soviet soldiers with flowers.
As a result, the required number of troops was not allocated for combat operations and, accordingly, the necessary superiority in forces was not ensured. Thus, on the Karelian Isthmus, which was the most important section of the front, in December 1939 the Finnish side had 6 infantry divisions, 4 infantry brigades, 1 cavalry brigade and 10 separate battalions - a total of 80 crew battalions. On the Soviet side they were opposed by 9 rifle divisions, 1 rifle-machine-gun brigade and 6 tank brigades - a total of 84 infantry battalions. If we compare the number of personnel, the Finnish troops on the Karelian Isthmus numbered 130 thousand, the Soviet troops - 169 thousand people. In general, along the entire front, 425 thousand Red Army soldiers acted against 265 thousand Finnish military personnel.
Defeat or victory?
So, let's sum up the results of the Soviet-Finnish conflict. As a rule, a war is considered won if it leaves the winner in a better position than he was before the war. What do we see from this point of view?
As we have already seen, by the end of the 1930s, Finland was a country that was clearly unfriendly towards the USSR and was ready to enter into an alliance with any of our enemies. So in this respect the situation has not worsened at all. On the other hand, it is known that an unruly bully understands only the language of brute force and begins to respect the one who managed to beat him. Finland was no exception. On May 22, 1940, the Society for Peace and Friendship with the USSR was created there. Despite persecution by the Finnish authorities, by the time of its ban in December of the same year it had 40 thousand members. Such massive numbers indicate that not only communist supporters joined the Society, but also simply sensible people who believed that it was better to maintain normal relations with their great neighbor.
According to the Moscow Treaty, the USSR received new territories, as well as a naval base on the Hanko Peninsula. This is a clear plus. After the start of the Great Patriotic War, Finnish troops were able to reach the line of the old state border only by September 1941.
It should be noted that if at the negotiations in October-November 1939 the Soviet Union asked for less than 3 thousand square meters. km and in exchange for twice the territory, as a result of the war he acquired about 40 thousand square meters. km without giving anything in return.
It should also be taken into account that at the pre-war negotiations, the USSR, in addition to territorial compensation, offered to reimburse the cost of the property left by the Finns. According to the calculations of the Finnish side, even in the case of the transfer of a small piece of land, which they agreed to cede to us, we were talking about 800 million marks. If it came to the cession of the entire Karelian Isthmus, the bill would already run into many billions.
But now, when on March 10, 1940, on the eve of the signing of the Moscow Peace Treaty, Paasikivi started talking about compensation for the transferred territory, remembering that Peter I paid Sweden 2 million thalers under the Treaty of Nystadt, Molotov could calmly answer: “Write a letter to Peter the Great. If he orders, we will pay compensation.".
Moreover, the USSR demanded an amount of 95 million rubles. as compensation for equipment removed from the occupied territory and damage to property. Finland also had to transfer 350 sea and river vehicles, 76 locomotives, 2 thousand carriages, and a significant number of cars to the USSR.
Of course, during the fighting, the Soviet Armed Forces suffered significantly greater losses than the enemy. According to the name lists, in the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-1940. 126,875 Red Army soldiers were killed, died or went missing. The losses of the Finnish troops, according to official data, were 21,396 killed and 1,434 missing. However, another figure for Finnish losses is often found in Russian literature - 48,243 killed, 43 thousand wounded.
Be that as it may, Soviet losses are several times greater than Finnish ones. This ratio is not surprising. Take, for example, the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. If we consider the fighting in Manchuria, the losses of both sides are approximately the same. Moreover, the Russians often lost more than the Japanese. However, during the assault on the Port Arthur fortress, Japanese losses far exceeded Russian losses. It would seem that the same Russian and Japanese soldiers fought here and there, why is there such a difference? The answer is obvious: if in Manchuria the parties fought in an open field, then in Port Arthur our troops defended a fortress, even if it was unfinished. It is quite natural that the attackers suffered much higher losses. The same situation arose during the Soviet-Finnish War, when our troops had to storm the Mannerheim Line, and even in winter conditions.
As a result, Soviet troops acquired invaluable combat experience, and the command of the Red Army had reason to think about shortcomings in troop training and about urgent measures to increase the combat effectiveness of the army and navy.
Speaking in Parliament on March 19, 1940, Daladier declared that for France “The Moscow Peace Treaty is a tragic and shameful event. This is a great victory for Russia.". However, one should not go to extremes, as some authors do. Not very great. But still a victory.
1. Units of the Red Army cross the bridge into Finnish territory. 1939
2. A Soviet soldier guarding a minefield in the area of the former Finnish border outpost. 1939
3. Artillery crew at their gun in a firing position. 1939
4. Major Volin V.S. and boatswain I.V. Kapustin, who landed with troops on the island of Seiskaari to inspect the coast of the island. Baltic Fleet. 1939
5. Soldiers of the rifle unit are attacking from the forest. Karelian Isthmus. 1939
6. Border guard outfit on patrol. Karelian Isthmus. 1939
7. Border guard Zolotukhin at the post at the Finnish outpost of Beloostrov. 1939
8. Sappers on the construction of a bridge near the Finnish border post of Japinen. 1939
9. Soldiers deliver ammunition to the front line. Karelian Isthmus. 1939
10. Soldiers of the 7th Army fire at the enemy with rifles. Karelian Isthmus. 1939
11. A reconnaissance group of skiers receives instructions from the commander before going on reconnaissance. 1939
12. Horse artillery on the march. Vyborg district. 1939
13. Fighter skiers on a hike. 1940
14. Red Army soldiers in combat positions in the area of combat operations with the Finns. Vyborg district. 1940
15. Fighters cooking food in the forest over a fire during a break between battles. 1939
16. Cooking lunch in the field at a temperature of 40 degrees below zero. 1940
17. Anti-aircraft guns in position. 1940
18. Signalmen restoring the telegraph line destroyed by the Finns during the retreat. Karelian Isthmus. 1939
19. Signal soldiers are restoring the telegraph line destroyed by the Finns in Terijoki. 1939
20. View of the railway bridge blown up by the Finns at Terijoki station. 1939
21. Soldiers and commanders talk with residents of Terijoki. 1939
22. Signalmen on the front line negotiations near the Kemyarya station. 1940
23. Rest of the Red Army soldiers after the battle in the Kemyar area. 1940
24. A group of commanders and soldiers of the Red Army listens to a radio broadcast at a radio horn on one of the streets of Terijoki. 1939
25. View of Suojarva station, taken by Red Army soldiers. 1939
26. Red Army soldiers guard a gasoline pump in the town of Raivola. Karelian Isthmus. 1939
27. General view of the destroyed “Mannerheim Fortification Line”. 1939
28. General view of the destroyed “Mannerheim Fortification Line”. 1939
29. A rally in one of the military units after the breakthrough of the Mannerheim Line during the Soviet-Finnish conflict. February 1940
30. General view of the destroyed “Mannerheim Fortification Line”. 1939
31. Sappers repairing a bridge in the Boboshino area. 1939
32. A Red Army soldier puts a letter in a field mail box. 1939
33. A group of Soviet commanders and soldiers inspects the Shyutskor banner captured from the Finns. 1939
34. B-4 howitzer on the front line. 1939
35. General view of the Finnish fortifications at height 65.5. 1940
36. View of one of the streets of Koivisto, taken by Red Army units. 1939
37. View of a destroyed bridge near the city of Koivisto, taken by units of the Red Army. 1939
38. A group of captured Finnish soldiers. 1940
39. Red Army soldiers at a captured gun left behind after the battles with the Finns. Vyborg district. 1940
40. Trophy ammunition depot. 1940
41. Remote-controlled tank TT-26 (217th separate tank battalion of the 30th chemical tank brigade), February 1940.
42. Soviet soldiers at a captured pillbox on the Karelian Isthmus. 1940
43. Units of the Red Army enter the liberated city of Vyborg. 1940
44. Red Army soldiers at fortifications in Vyborg. 1940
45. Ruins of Vyborg after the fighting. 1940
46. Red Army soldiers clear the streets of the liberated city of Vyborg from snow. 1940
47. Icebreaking steamer "Dezhnev" during the transfer of troops from Arkhangelsk to Kandalaksha. 1940
48. Soviet skiers are moving to the forefront. Winter 1939-1940.
49. Soviet attack aircraft I-15bis taxis for takeoff before a combat mission during the Soviet-Finnish war.
50. Finnish Foreign Minister Vaine Tanner speaks on the radio with a message about the end of the Soviet-Finnish war. 03/13/1940
51. Crossing the Finnish border by Soviet units near the village of Hautavaara. November 30, 1939
52. Finnish prisoners talk with a Soviet political worker. The photo was taken in the Gryazovets NKVD camp. 1939-1940
53. Soviet soldiers talk with one of the first Finnish prisoners of war. November 30, 1939
54. Finnish Fokker C.X aircraft shot down by Soviet fighters on the Karelian Isthmus. December 1939
55. Hero of the Soviet Union, platoon commander of the 7th pontoon-bridge battalion of the 7th Army, junior lieutenant Pavel Vasilyevich Usov (right) discharges a mine.
56. The crew of the Soviet 203-mm howitzer B-4 fires at Finnish fortifications. 12/02/1939
57. Red Army commanders examine the captured Finnish Vickers Mk.E tank. March 1940
58. Hero of the Soviet Union, senior lieutenant Vladimir Mikhailovich Kurochkin (1913-1941) with the I-16 fighter. 1940
Finland was included in the Soviet sphere of influence by secret protocols to the 1939 Soviet-German non-aggression pact. But, unlike other Baltic countries, it refused to make serious concessions to the USSR. The Soviet leadership demanded that the border be moved away from Leningrad, since it ran 32 km from the “northern capital”. In exchange, the USSR offered larger and less valuable territories of Karelia. Referring to the threat to Leningrad in the event of aggression from a potential enemy through the territory of Finland during the Second World War, the USSR also demanded the rights to lease the islands (primarily Hanko) to create a military base.
The Finnish leadership, led by Prime Minister A. Kajander and the head of the Defense Council K. Mannerheim (in his honor, the Finnish line of fortifications became known as the “Mannerheim Line”), in response to Soviet demands, decided to play for time. Finland was ready to slightly adjust the border so as not to affect the Mannerheim Line. From October 12 to November 13, negotiations were held in Moscow with Finnish ministers V. Tanner and J. Paasikivi, but they reached a dead end.
On November 26, 1939, on the Soviet-Finnish border, in the area of the Soviet border point Mainila, a provocative shelling of Soviet positions was carried out from the Soviet side, which was used by the USSR as a pretext for an attack. On November 30, Soviet troops invaded Finland in five main directions. In the north, the Soviet 104th Division occupied the Petsamo area. South of the Kandalaksha area, the 177th division moved to Kemi. Even further south, the 9th Army was advancing on Oulu (Uleaborg). By occupying these two ports in the Gulf of Bothnia, the Soviet army would have cut Finland in two. North of Ladoga, the 8th army advanced to the rear of the Mannerheim line. And finally, on the main direction 7, the army was supposed to break through the Mannerheim Line and enter Helsinki. Finland was to be defeated in two weeks.
On December 6-12, troops of the 7th Army under the command of K. Meretskov reached the Mannerheim Line, but were unable to take it. On December 17-21, Soviet troops stormed the line, but unsuccessfully.
An attempt to bypass the line north of Lake Ladoga and through Karelia failed. The Finns knew this territory better, moved faster and were better camouflaged among the hills and lakes. Soviet divisions moved in columns along the few roads suitable for the passage of equipment. The Finns, bypassing the Soviet columns from the flanks, cut them in several places. This is how several Soviet divisions were defeated. As a result of the battles between December and January, the forces of several divisions were surrounded. The most severe defeat was the 9th Army near Suomussalmi on December 27 - January 7, when two divisions were defeated at once.
Frosts hit, snow covered the Karelian Isthmus. Soviet soldiers died from cold and frostbite, since the units arriving in Karelia were not sufficiently provided with warm uniforms - they did not prepare for the winter war, counting on a quick victory.
Volunteers of various views went to the country - from social democrats to right-wing anti-communists. Great Britain and France supported Finland with weapons and food.
On December 14, 1939, the League of Nations declared the USSR an aggressor and expelled it from its membership. In January 1940, Stalin decided to return to modest tasks - not to take all of Finland, but to move the border away from Leningrad and establish control over the Gulf of Finland.
The Northwestern Front under the command of S. Timoshenko broke through the Mannerheim Line on February 13-19. On March 12, Soviet troops broke into Vyborg. This meant that Helsinki could fall in a few days. The number of Soviet troops was increased to 760 thousand people. Finland was forced to accept the conditions of the USSR, and they became stricter. Now the USSR demanded that the border be drawn near the line determined by the Treaty of Nystad in 1721, including the transfer of Vyborg and the Ladoga coast to the USSR. The USSR did not withdraw its demand for the lease of Hanko. A peace agreement on these terms was concluded in Moscow on the night of March 13, 1940.
The irretrievable losses of the Soviet army in the war amounted to more than 126 thousand people, and the Finns - more than 22 thousand (not counting those who died from wounds and diseases). Finland retained its independence.
Sources:
On both sides of the Karelian Front, 1941-1944: Documents and materials. Petrozavodsk, 1995;
Secrets and lessons of the Winter War, 1939-1940: According to documents from declassified archives. St. Petersburg, 2000.
Another old entry of mine made it to the top after 4 whole years. Today, of course, I would correct some of the statements from that time. But, alas, there is absolutely no time.
gusev_a_v in the Soviet-Finnish War. Losses Part 2
The Soviet-Finnish War and Finland's participation in World War II are extremely mythologized. A special place in this mythology is occupied by the losses of the parties. Very small in Finland and huge in the USSR. Mannerheim wrote that the Russians walked through minefields, in dense rows and holding hands. Every Russian person who recognizes the incomparability of losses must at the same time admit that our grandfathers were idiots.
I’ll quote Finnish Commander-in-Chief Mannerheim again:
« It happened that in the battles of early December, Russians marched singing in tight ranks - and even holding hands - into Finnish minefields, not paying attention to explosions and accurate fire from the defenders.”
Can you imagine these cretins?
After such statements, the loss figures cited by Mannerheim are not surprising. He counted 24,923 Finns killed and dying from wounds. Russians, in his opinion, killed 200 thousand people.
Why feel sorry for these Russians?
Finnish soldier in a coffin...
Engle, E. Paanenen L. in the book “The Soviet-Finnish War. Breakthrough of the Mannerheim Line 1939 - 1940.” with reference to Nikita Khrushchev they give the following data:
“Of the total number of 1.5 million people sent to fight in Finland, the USSR’s losses in killed (according to Khrushchev) amounted to 1 million people. The Russians lost about 1000 aircraft, 2300 tanks and armored vehicles, as well as a huge amount of various military equipment... "
Thus, the Russians won, filling the Finns with “meat”.
Finnish military cemetery...
Mannerheim writes about the reasons for the defeat as follows:
“In the final stages of the war, the weakest point was not the lack of materials, but the lack of manpower.”
Why?
According to Mannerheim, the Finns lost only 24 thousand killed and 43 thousand wounded. And after such scanty losses, Finland began to lack manpower?
Something doesn't add up!
But let's see what other researchers write and have written about the losses of the parties.
For example, Pykhalov in “The Great Slandered War” states:
« Of course, during the fighting, the Soviet Armed Forces suffered significantly greater losses than the enemy. According to the name lists, in the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-1940. 126,875 Red Army soldiers were killed, died or went missing. The losses of the Finnish troops, according to official data, were 21,396 killed and 1,434 missing. However, another figure for Finnish losses is often found in Russian literature - 48,243 killed, 43 thousand wounded. The primary source of this figure is a translation of an article by Lieutenant Colonel of the Finnish General Staff Helge Seppälä published in the newspaper “Abroad” No. 48 for 1989, originally published in the Finnish publication “Maailma ya me”. Regarding the Finnish losses, Seppälä writes the following:
“Finland lost more than 23,000 people killed in the “winter war”; more than 43,000 people were injured. 25,243 people were killed in the bombings, including on merchant ships.”
The last figure - 25,243 killed in bombings - is questionable. Perhaps there is a newspaper typo here. Unfortunately, I did not have the opportunity to familiarize myself with the Finnish original of Seppälä’s article.”
Mannerheim, as you know, assessed the losses from the bombing:
“More than seven hundred civilians were killed and twice that number were wounded.”
The largest figures for Finnish losses are given by Military Historical Journal No. 4, 1993:
“So, according to far from complete data, the losses of the Red Army amounted to 285,510 people (72,408 killed, 17,520 missing, 13,213 frostbitten and 240 shell-shocked). The losses of the Finnish side, according to official data, amounted to 95 thousand killed and 45 thousand wounded.”
And finally, Finnish losses on Wikipedia:
According to Finnish data:
25,904 killed
43,557 wounded
1000 prisoners
According to Russian sources:
up to 95 thousand soldiers killed
45 thousand wounded
806 prisoners
As for the calculation of Soviet losses, the mechanism of these calculations is given in detail in the book “Russia in the Wars of the 20th Century. The Book of Loss." The number of irretrievable losses of the Red Army and the fleet includes even those with whom their relatives broke off contact in 1939-1940.
That is, there is no evidence that they died in the Soviet-Finnish war. And our researchers counted these among the losses of more than 25 thousand people.
Red Army soldiers examine captured Boffors anti-tank guns
Who and how counted the Finnish losses is absolutely unclear. It is known that by the end of the Soviet-Finnish war the total number of Finnish armed forces reached 300 thousand people. The loss of 25 thousand fighters is less than 10% of the armed forces.
But Mannerheim writes that by the end of the war Finland was experiencing a shortage of manpower. However, there is another version. There are few Finns in general, and even minor losses for such a small country are a threat to the gene pool.
However, in the book “Results of the Second World War. Conclusions of the Vanquished,” Professor Helmut Aritz estimates the population of Finland in 1938 at 3 million 697 thousand people.
The irretrievable loss of 25 thousand people does not pose any threat to the gene pool of the nation.
According to Aritz's calculations, the Finns lost in 1941 - 1945. more than 84 thousand people. And after that, the population of Finland by 1947 grew by 238 thousand people!!!
At the same time, Mannerheim, describing the year 1944, again cries in his memoirs about the lack of people:
“Finland was gradually forced to mobilize its trained reserves down to people aged 45, something that had never happened in any country, not even Germany.”
Funeral of Finnish skiers
What kind of cunning manipulations the Finns are doing with their losses - I don’t know. On Wikipedia, Finnish losses in the period 1941 - 1945 are indicated as 58 thousand 715 people. Losses during the war of 1939 - 1940 - 25 thousand 904 people.
A total of 84 thousand 619 people.
But the Finnish website http://kronos.narc.fi/menehtyneet/ contains data on 95 thousand Finns who died between 1939 and 1945. Even if we add here the victims of the “Lapland War” (according to Wikipedia, about 1000 people), the numbers still do not add up.
Vladimir Medinsky in his book “War. Myths of the USSR” claims that ardent Finnish historians pulled off a simple trick: they counted only army losses. And the losses of numerous paramilitary formations, such as the Shutskor, were not included in the general loss statistics. And they had many paramilitary forces.
How much - Medinsky does not explain.
"Fighters" of the "Lotta" formations
Be that as it may, two explanations arise:
First, if the Finnish data about their losses is correct, then the Finns are the most cowardly people in the world, because they “raised their paws” without suffering almost any losses.
The second is that if we assume that the Finns are a brave and courageous people, then Finnish historians simply vastly underestimated their own losses.