It was fleeting. It began in November 1939. After 3.5 months it was completed.
The Soviet-Finnish war, the causes of which are still in doubt, was provoked by the Mainila incident, when Soviet border guards were fired at from Finnish territory in the village of Mainila. claimed that this event took place. The Finnish side denied its participation in the shelling. Two days later, the Soviet Union unilaterally canceled the non-aggression pact with Finland and unleashed fighting.
The real reasons for the war lay somewhat deeper than the shelling on the border. Firstly, the Soviet-Finnish War was a continuation of Finnish attacks on Russian territory in the period from 1918 to 1922. As a result of these clashes, the parties came to peace and formalized an agreement on the inviolability of the border. Finland received the Pecheneg region and part of the Sredny and Rybachy Islands.
Since then, relations between the countries have remained strained, despite the non-aggression pact. Finland feared that the USSR would try to return its lands, and the USSR assumed that the opponent would allow the forces of another unfriendly country into its territory, which would carry out an attack.
In Finland, during this period, the activities of the Communist Party were banned, and they were also actively preparing for war, and the Soviet Union took this country into its zone of influence under the secret protocols of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.
During the same period, the USSR sought to have part of the Karelian Isthmus exchanged for Karelian territory. But Finland does not agree with the conditions put forward. Negotiations made virtually no progress, descending to mutual insults and reproaches. When they reached a stalemate, Finland announced general mobilization. Two weeks later, preparations for hostilities began Baltic Fleet and Leningrad Military District.
The Soviet press launched active anti-Finnish propaganda, which instantly found an appropriate response in the enemy country. The Soviet-Finnish war has finally come. It's less than a month away.
Many believe that the shelling on the border was an imitation. It is possible that the Soviet-Finnish war, the causes and reasons for which were reduced to this shelling, began with unfounded allegations or provocation. No documentary evidence was found. The Finnish side insisted on a joint investigation, but Soviet authorities this proposal was sharply rejected.
Official relations with the Finnish government were interrupted as soon as the war began.
The attacks were planned to be launched in two directions. Having made a successful breakthrough, the Soviet troops could take advantage of their undeniable force superiority. The Army command expected to carry out the operation within two weeks to a month. The Soviet-Finnish war should not have dragged on.
Subsequently, it turned out that the leadership had very poor ideas about the enemy. The fighting, which had begun successfully, slowed down when the Finnish defenses were broken through. There was not enough combat power. By the end of December it became clear that further offensive according to this plan was hopeless.
After significant changes, both Armies were again ready for battle.
The offensive of Soviet troops continued on the Karelian Isthmus. The Finnish army successfully repulsed them and even attempted counterattacks. But unsuccessfully.
In February, the retreat of Finnish troops began. On the Karelian Isthmus, the Red Army overcame the second line of defense. Soviet soldiers entered Vyborg.
After this, the Finnish authorities put forward a request to the USSR for negotiations. was marked by peace, according to which the Karelian Isthmus, Vyborg, Sortalava, the islands of the Gulf of Finland, the territory with the city of Kuolajärvi and some other territories came into the possession of the Soviet Union. The territory of Petsamo was returned to Finland. The USSR also received a lease of territory on the Hanko Peninsula.
At the same time, trust was completely lost Western countries to the USSR. The cause was the Soviet-Finnish War. The year 1941 began in extremely difficult conditions.
At the beginning of the 20th century, there were crisis relations between the USSR and Finland. For a number of years, the Soviet-Finnish war, alas, was not brilliant and did not bring glory to Russian weapons. Now let’s look at the actions of the two sides, which, unfortunately, could not agree.
It was alarming during these last days November 1939 in Finland: in Western Europe the war continued, there was unrest on the border with the Soviet Union, the population was being evacuated from major cities, the newspapers persistently spoke about the evil intentions of their eastern neighbor. Part of the population believed these rumors, others hoped that the war would bypass Finland.
But the morning that came on November 30, 1939, made everything clear. The coastal defense guns of Kronstadt, which opened fire on the territory of Finland at 8 o'clock, marked the beginning of the Soviet-Finnish War.
The conflict was brewing gradually. Over the two decades between
There was mutual distrust between the USSR and Finland. If Finland was afraid of possible great power aspirations on the part of Stalin, whose actions as a dictator were often unpredictable, then the Soviet leadership, not without reason, was concerned about Helsinki’s major connections with London, Paris and Berlin. That is why, in order to ensure the security of Leningrad, during the negotiations held from February 1937 to November 1939, the Soviet Union offered Finland various options. Due to the fact that the Finnish government did not consider it possible to accept these proposals, the Soviet leadership took the initiative to resolve controversial issue by force, with the help of weapons.
The fighting in the first period of the war took place for Soviet side adversely. The calculation of quickly achieving the goal with small forces was not crowned with success. Finnish troops, relying on the fortified Mannerheim Line, using a variety of tactics and skillfully using terrain conditions, forced the Soviet command to concentrate larger forces and in February 1940 launch a general offensive, which led to victory and the conclusion of peace on March 12, 1940.
The war lasted 105 days and was difficult for both sides. Soviet war fighters, following the orders of the command, showed massive heroism in the difficult conditions of a snowy, off-road winter. During the war, both Finland and the Soviet Union achieved their goals not only through military operations, but also through political means, which, as it turned out, not only did not weaken mutual intolerance, but, on the contrary, exacerbated it.
The political nature of the Soviet-Finnish War did not fit into the usual classification, limited by the ethical framework of the concepts of “just” and “unjust” war. It was unnecessary for both sides and not righteous mainly on our part. In this regard, one cannot but agree with the statements of such prominent Finnish statesmen as Presidents J. Paasikivi and U. Kekkonen that Finland’s fault was its intransigence during the pre-war negotiations with the Soviet Union, and the latter’s fault was that it did not use to the end political methods. Gave priority to a military solution to the dispute.
The unlawful actions of the Soviet leadership consist in the fact that Soviet troops, who crossed the border without declaring war on a broad front, violated the Soviet-Finnish peace treaty of 1920 and the non-aggression treaty of 1932, extended in 1934. The Soviet government also violated its own convention concluded with neighboring states in July 1933. Finland also joined this document at that time. It defined the concept of aggression and clearly stated that no considerations of a political, military, economic or any other nature could justify or justify threats, blockades or attacks on another participating State.
By signing the title of the document, the Soviet government did not allow that Finland itself could commit aggression against its great neighbor. She feared only that her territory could be used by third countries for anti-Soviet purposes. But since such a condition was not stipulated in these documents, it follows that the contracting countries did not recognize its possibility and they had to respect the letter and spirit of these agreements.
Of course, Finland's one-sided rapprochement with Western countries and especially with Germany burdened Soviet-Finnish relations. The post-war President of Finland U. Kekkonen considered this cooperation a logical consequence of foreign policy aspirations for the first decade of Finnish independence. The common starting point of these aspirations, as was believed in Helsinki, was the threat from the east. Therefore, Finland sought to ensure the support of other countries in crisis situations. She carefully guarded the image of an “outpost of the West” and avoided a bilateral settlement of controversial issues with her eastern neighbor.
Due to these circumstances, the Soviet government accepted the possibility of a military conflict with Finland since the spring of 1936. It was then that the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR adopted a resolution on the resettlement of the civilian population
(we were talking about 3,400 farms) from the Karelian Isthmus for the construction of training grounds and other military facilities here. During 1938, the General Staff at least three times raised the issue of transferring to the military department forest area on the Karelian Isthmus for defense construction. On September 13, 1939, the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR Voroshilov specifically addressed the Chairman of the Economic Council under the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR Molotov with a proposal to intensify these works. However, at the same time there were attempts diplomatic measures to prevent military clashes. Thus, in February 1937, the first visit to Moscow by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Finland since its independence, R. Hopsti, took place. Reports of his conversations with the People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the USSR M. M. Litvinov said that
“within the framework of existing Soviet-Finnish agreements there is an opportunity
to uninterruptedly develop and strengthen friendly good neighborly relations between both states and that both governments strive and will strive for this.”
But a year passed, and in April 1938 the Soviet government considered
timely offer to the Finnish government to negotiate
regarding the joint development of measures to strengthen security
sea and land approaches to Leningrad and the borders of Finland and
concluding a mutual assistance agreement for this purpose. Negotiation,
continued for several months, were unsuccessful. Finland
rejected this offer.
Soon for informal negotiations on behalf of the Soviet
government arrived in Helsinki B.E. Matte. He brought it on principle
new Soviet proposal, which was as follows: Finland cedes
to the Soviet Union a certain territory on the Karelian Isthmus,
getting more in return Soviet territory and financial compensation
expenses for the resettlement of Finnish citizens of the ceded territory. Answer
the Finnish side was negative with the same justification - sovereignty and
neutrality of Finland.
In this situation, Finland took defensive measures. Was
strengthened military construction, exercises were conducted in which
Chief of General Staff was present ground forces Germany General F.
Halder, the troops received new types of weapons and military equipment.
Obviously, it was these measures that gave rise to second-rank army commander K.A.
Meretskov, who in March 1939 was appointed commander of the troops
Leningrad Military District, assert that Finnish troops from the very
began supposedly had an offensive mission on the Karelian Isthmus with
the goal was to wear down the Soviet troops and then strike at Leningrad.
France and Germany, busy with the war, could not provide support
Finland, another round of Soviet-Finnish negotiations has begun. They
took place in Moscow. As before, the Finnish delegation was headed by
Paasikivi, but at the second stage the minister was included in the delegation
Finance Gunner. There were rumors in Helsinki at that time that the Social Democrat
Ganner had known Stalin since pre-revolutionary times in
Helsinki and even once rendered him a proper favor.
During the negotiations, Stalin and Molotov withdrew their previous proposal
about leasing islands in the Gulf of Finland, but they suggested that the Finns postpone
border several tens of kilometers from Leningrad and rent for
creation of a naval base on the Haiko Peninsula, giving Finland half the size
large territory in Soviet Karelia.
non-aggression and the recall of their diplomatic representatives from Finland.
When the war began, Finland turned to the League of Nations asking for
support. The League of Nations, in turn, called on the USSR to end the military
actions, but received the answer that Soviet country does not lead any
war with Finland.
organizations. Many countries have raised funds for Finland or
provided loans, in particular from the United States and Sweden. Most weapons
delivered by Great Britain and France, but the equipment was mostly
outdated. The most valuable contribution was from Sweden: 80 thousand rifles, 85
anti-tank guns, 104 anti-aircraft guns and 112 field guns.
The Germans also expressed dissatisfaction with the actions of the USSR. The war caused
a significant blow to Germany's vital supplies of timber and nickel
from Finland. The strong sympathy of Western countries made it possible
intervention in the war between northern Norway and Sweden, which would entail
means the elimination of the import of iron ore into Germany from Norway. But even
Faced with such difficulties, the Germans complied with the terms of the pact.
The return of Finnish prisoners to their homeland.
On March 13, 1940, the Finns signed a peace treaty, Finland decided give up and not go all the way, especially since the USSR refused to absorb this country.
USSR losses:
data on the outcome of treatment of the wounded, shell-shocked, burned, frostbitten and sick as of March 1, 1941, amounting to 248,090 people, of which:
172,203 people were returned to service. (69.4%);
46,925 people were dismissed with exclusion from military registration and were granted sick leave. (18.9%);
Killed and died from wounds during the sanitary evacuation stages 65 384 ;
Among the missing, 14,043 were declared dead;
Died from wounds, concussions and illness in hospitals (as of March 1, 1941) 15,921 (6.4%)
The number of wounded, shell-shocked, and patients whose treatment outcome was not determined by the specified date was 13,041 people. (5.3%)
The total number of irrecoverable losses was 95348 people
Those killed on the battlefield according to published data 48,475 people.
( RUSSIA AND THE USSR IN THE WARS OF THE XX CENTURY LOSSES OF THE ARMED FORCES Statistical research Under general edition Candidate of Military Sciences, Professor of the Academy of Military Sciences, Colonel General G. F. Krivosheev).
Finland's losses remain a secret: 25,904 killed, 43,557 wounded, 1,000 prisoners. According to Wiki.
But earlier the Finns admitted the loss of 48.3 thousand soldiers killed, 45 thousand wounded and 806 prisoners in the “Winter War”.
And in 1940, the Finnish government announced in the Blue and White Book that in regular army 24,912 people died.
And in the USSR they were talking then about Finnish losses of 85 thousand people killed and 250 thousand wounded.
By the way, to the official irretrievable losses Finland counts only 26 thousand military personnel of the country, without taking into account those killed from numerous paramilitary forces, such as Shutskor, Lotta Svärd and many others, they are in general statistics There were no losses.
In general, the exact number of Finns killed is unknown, but...
We examine the enemy tank.
The death of only 23.5 - 26 thousand soldiers looks unconvincing. It turns out that with such modest losses, Finland was on the verge of defeat, and the army abandoned its fortifications on the Karelian Isthmus because of such meager losses?
It is unlikely that such small losses would have forced the Finns to retreat. Most likely, the death toll was much higher.
Mannerheim announced large losses in manpower in the troops...
In addition, the author of Mannerheim’s memoirs underestimated the number below any limit Finnish army claiming that it had only 175 thousand troops and only later army increased to 200 thousand people. Sokolov writes that after the pre-war mobilization, the Finnish army included 265 thousand military personnel (of which 180 were in combat units).. (Sokolov B. “Secrets of the Finnish War.” Page 40) By the end of the wars, 340 thousand served in the army. (ibid., p. 380) And this is not counting the forces of the military personnel. Other researchers of the Soviet-Finnish war give much higher figures. Petrov: “After the mobilization in October 1939, the Land Forces (in the text with capital letters) Finnish troops together with reserve formations and rear units already numbered 286 thousand soldiers and officers (according to other sources - 295 thousand people).
In general, we are not talking about any kind of littering with corpses!
Approximately 2 - 2.5 to 1 according to Soviet total losses to general Finnish ones, or even a more parity ratio.
Of all the wars that Russia has waged throughout history, the Karelian-Finnish war of 1939-1940. remained the least advertised for a long time. This is due both to the unsatisfactory outcome of the war and to significant losses.
It is still not known for certain how many combatants on both sides died in the Finnish war.
Soviet-Finnish war, soldiers' march to the front
When the Soviet-Finnish war, started by the country's leadership, took place, the whole world took up arms against the USSR, which in fact turned into colossal foreign policy problems for the country. Next, we will try to explain why the war could not end quickly and turned out to be a failure overall.
Finland has almost never been independent state. In the period from the 12th to the 19th centuries it was under Swedish rule, and in 1809 it became part of Russian Empire.
However, after February Revolution Unrest began on the territory of Finland, the population first demanded broad autonomy, and then completely came to the idea of independence. After October revolution The Bolsheviks confirmed Finland's right to independence.
The Bolsheviks confirmed Finland's right to independence.
However further path The development of the country was not clear; a civil war broke out in the country between whites and reds. Even after the victory of the White Finns, there were still many communists and social democrats in the country's parliament, half of whom were eventually arrested, and half were forced to hide in Soviet Russia.
Finland supported a number of White Guard forces during the Russian Civil War. Between 1918 and 1921, several military conflicts occurred between the countries - two Soviet-Finnish wars, after which the final border between the states was formed.
Political map Europe in the interwar period and the border of Finland before 1939 In general, the conflict with Soviet Russia was resolved and until 1939 the countries lived in peace. However, on detailed map The territory that belonged to Finland after the Second Soviet-Finnish War is highlighted in yellow. The USSR claimed this territory.
Finnish border before 1939 on the map The main causes of the Finnish War of 1939:
- Until 1939, the USSR border with Finland was located only 30 km away. from Leningrad. In case of war, the city could be located under shelling from the territory of another state;
- historically the lands in question were not always part of Finland. These territories were part of Novgorod Principality, then were captured by Sweden, recaptured by Russia during the Northern War. Only in the 19th century, when Finland was part of the Russian Empire, were these territories transferred to them for management. Which, in principle, was not of fundamental importance within the framework of a single state;
- The USSR needed to strengthen its position in the Baltic Sea.
In addition, despite the absence of war, the countries had a number of claims against each other. Many communists were killed and arrested in Finland in 1918, and a number of Finnish communists found refuge in the USSR. On the other hand, many Finns suffered during the political terror in the Soviet Union.
this year a large number of communists were killed and arrested in Finland
In addition, border crossings regularly took place local conflicts between countries. Just as the Soviet Union was not satisfied with such a border near the second largest city in the RSFSR, not all Finns were satisfied with the territory of Finland.
In some circles the idea of creating a “ Greater Finland", which would unite the majority of Finno-Ugric peoples.
Thus, there were enough reasons for the Finnish war to start, when there were a lot of territorial disputes and mutual discontent. And after the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact was signed, Finland moved into the sphere of influence of the USSR.
Therefore, in October 1939, negotiations began between the two sides - the USSR demanded to cede the territory bordering Leningrad - to move the border at least 70 km.
Negotiations between the two countries begin in October this year
In addition, we are talking about the transfer of several islands in the Gulf of Finland, the lease of the Hanko Peninsula, and the transfer of Fort Ino. In exchange, Finland is offered a territory twice as large in area in Karelia.
But despite the idea of a “Greater Finland”, the deal looks extremely unfavorable for the Finnish side:
- firstly, the territories offered to the country are sparsely populated and practically devoid of infrastructure;
- secondly, the territories to be taken away are already inhabited by the Finnish population;
- finally, such concessions would both deprive the country of a line of defense on land and seriously weaken its position at sea.
Therefore, despite the length of the negotiations, the parties did not come to a mutually beneficial agreement and the USSR began preparations for an offensive operation. The Soviet-Finnish war, the start date of which was secretly discussed in the highest circles of the political leadership of the USSR, increasingly appeared in Western news headlines.
The causes of the Soviet-Finnish war are briefly outlined in archival publications of that era.
Briefly about the balance of forces and means in the winter war
As of the end of November 1939, the balance of forces on the Soviet-Finnish border is presented in the table.
As you can see, the superiority of the Soviet side was colossal: 1.4 to 1 in numbers of troops, 2 to 1 in guns, 58 to 1 in tanks, 10 to 1 in aircraft, 13 to 1 in ships. Despite careful preparation, the outbreak of the Finnish War (the date of the invasion had already been agreed upon political leadership country) happened spontaneously, the command did not even create a front.
They wanted to fight the war using the Leningrad Military District.
Formation of the Kuusinen government
First of all, the USSR creates a pretext for the Finnish-Soviet war - it suits border conflict at Mainila 11/26/1939 (the first date of the Finnish War). There are many versions describing the reasons for the outbreak of the Finnish War of 1939, but official version Soviet side:
The Finns attacked the border outpost, 3 people were killed.
The documents disclosed in our time that describe the war between the USSR and Finland in 1939-1940 are contradictory, but do not contain clear evidence of an attack by the Finnish side.
Then the Soviet Union forms the so-called. Kuusinen's government, which heads the newly formed Finnish Democratic Republic.
It is this government that recognizes the USSR (no other country in the world has recognized it) and responds to the request to send troops into the country and support the struggle of the proletariat against the bourgeois government.
From this time until peace talks The USSR does not recognize the democratic government of Finland and does not negotiate with it. War has not even been officially declared - the USSR sent troops to assist a friendly government in an internal civil war.
Otto V. Kuusinen, head of the Finnish government in 1939 Kuusinen himself was an old Bolshevik - he was one of the leaders of the Red Finns in Civil War. He fled the country in time, headed the international for some time, and even escaped repression during the Great Terror, although it primarily fell on the old guard of the Bolsheviks.
Kuusinen's coming to power in Finland would be comparable to the coming to power in the USSR in 1939 of one of the leaders of the white movement. It is doubtful that major arrests and executions could have been avoided.
However, the fighting is not going as well as planned by the Soviet side.
Hard war of 1939
The original plan (developed by Shaposhnikov) included a kind of “blitzkrieg” - the capture of Finland was to be carried out within short term. According to the plans of the General Staff:
The war in 1939 was supposed to last 3 weeks.
It was supposed to break through the defenses on the Karelian Isthmus and make a breakthrough with tank forces to Helsinki.
Despite the significant superiority of Soviet forces, this basic offensive plan failed. The most significant advantage (in tanks) was offset by natural conditions - tanks simply could not make free maneuvers in forest and swampy conditions.
In addition, the Finns quickly learned to destroy Soviet tanks that were not yet sufficiently armored (they used mainly T-28s).
It was during the Finnish war with Russia that an incendiary mixture in a bottle and a wick got its name - the Molotov cocktail. The original name was “Cocktail FOR Molotov”. Soviet tanks simply burned upon contact with the combustible mixture.
The reason for this was not only the armor low level, but also gasoline engines. This incendiary mixture was no less terrible for ordinary soldiers.
Soviet army It also turned out, surprisingly, not ready for war in winter conditions. Ordinary soldiers were equipped with ordinary Budenovkas and overcoats, which did not protect them from the cold. On the other hand, if necessary to fight in the summer, the Red Army would face more big problems, for example, impassable swamps.
The offensive that began on the Karelian Isthmus was not prepared for heavy fighting on the Mannerheim Line. In general, the military leadership did not have clear ideas about this line of fortifications.
Therefore, the artillery shelling at the first stage of the war was ineffective - the Finns simply waited out it in fortified bunkers. In addition, ammunition for the guns took a long time to be delivered - the weak infrastructure affected it.
Let us dwell in more detail on the Mannerheim line.
1939 - war with Finland on the Mannerheim Line
Since the 1920s, the Finns have been actively building a series of defensive fortifications, named after a prominent military leader of 1918-1921. - Carl Gustav Mannerheim. Realizing that a possible military threat to the country does not come from the north and west, it was decided to build a powerful defensive line in the southeast, i.e. on the Karelian Isthmus.
Karl Mannerheim, the military leader after whom the front line is named We should pay tribute to the designers - the terrain of the territory made it possible to actively use natural conditions- numerous dense forests, lakes, swamps. The key structure was the Enkel bunker - a standard concrete structure armed with machine guns.
At the same time, despite the long construction time, the line was not at all as impregnable as it would later be called in numerous textbooks. Most of The pillboxes were created according to Enkel’s design, i.e. early 1920s These were outdated at the time of the Second World War for several people, with 1-3 machine guns, without underground barracks.
In the early 1930s, million-dollar pillboxes were designed and began to be built in 1937. Their fortification was stronger, the number of embrasures reached six, and there were underground barracks.
However, only 7 such pillboxes were built. It was not possible to build up the entire Mannerheim line (135 km) with pillboxes, because before the war, certain sections were mined and surrounded by wire fences.
On the front, instead of pillboxes, there were simple trenches.
This line should not be neglected either; its depth ranged from 24 to 85 kilometers. It was not possible to break through it at once - for some time the line saved the country. As a result, on December 27, the Red Army stops offensive actions and is preparing for a new assault, bringing up artillery and retraining soldiers.
The further course of the war will show that with proper preparation, the outdated line of defense could not hold out for the required time and save Finland from defeat.
Expulsion of the USSR from the League of Nations
The first stage of the war also saw the exclusion of the Soviet Union from the League of Nations (12/14/1939). Yes, at that time this organization lost its significance. The exclusion itself was more likely a consequence of increased antipathy towards the USSR throughout the world.
England and France (at that time not yet occupied by Germany) provide Finland various help- they do not enter into open conflict, but northern country There are active deliveries of weapons.
England and France are developing two plans to help Finland.
The first involves the transfer of military corps to Finland, and the second involves the bombing of Soviet fields in Baku. However, the war with Germany forces us to abandon these plans.
Moreover, expeditionary force would have to go through Norway and Sweden, to which both countries responded with a categorical refusal, wanting to maintain their neutrality in World War II.
Second stage of the war
Since the end of December 1939, a regrouping of Soviet troops has been taking place. A separate Northwestern Front. Armed forces are being built up on all sectors of the front.
By the beginning of February 1940, the number of armed forces reached 1.3 million people, guns - 3.5 thousand. Airplanes - 1.5 thousand. Finland by that time was also able to strengthen the army, including through the help of other countries and foreign volunteers, but the balance of forces became even more catastrophic for the defending side.
On February 1, a massive artillery bombardment of the Mannerheim Line began. It turns out that most Finnish pillboxes cannot withstand accurate and prolonged shelling. They bomb for 10 days just in case. As a result, when the Red Army attacked on February 10, instead of bunkers, it found only many “Karelian monuments.”
In winter, on February 11, the Mannerheim Line was broken, Finnish counter-offensives lead to nothing. And on February 13, the second line of defense, hastily strengthened by the Finns, breaks through. And already on February 15, using weather conditions, Mannerheim gives the order for a general retreat.
Help for Finland from other countries
It should be noted that breaking through the Mannerheim Line meant the end of the war and even defeat in it. Hopes for a big one military assistance there was practically none from the west.
Yes, during the war, not only England and France provided Finland with various technical assistance. Scandinavian countries, the USA, Hungary and a number of others sent many volunteers to the country.
soldiers were sent to the front from Sweden
At the same time, it was the threat of direct war with England and France, in the event of a complete capture of Finland, that forced I. Stalin to negotiate with the current Finnish government and make peace.
The request was transmitted through the USSR Ambassador to Sweden to the Finnish Ambassador.
The myth of war - Finnish "cuckoos"
Let us dwell separately on the well-known military myth about Finnish snipers - the so-called. cuckoos During the Winter War (as it is called in Finland), many Soviet officers and the soldiers fell victims to Finnish snipers. A story began to circulate among the troops that Finnish snipers were hiding in the trees and firing from there.
However, sniper fire from trees is extremely ineffective, since a sniper in a tree himself represents an excellent target and does not have a proper foothold and the ability to quickly retreat.
The answer to such accuracy of snipers is quite simple. At the beginning of the war officers was equipped with insulated sheepskin coats of a dark color, which were clearly visible in the snowy desert and stood out against the background of the soldiers' greatcoats.
The fire was fired from insulated and camouflaged positions on the ground. Snipers could sit in improvised shelters for hours, waiting for a suitable target.
The most famous Finnish sniper of the Winter War is Simo Häyhä, who shot about 500 Red Army officers and soldiers. At the end of the war he received seriously injured jaw (it had to be inserted from the femur), but the soldier lived to be 96 years old.
The Soviet-Finnish border was moved 120 kilometers from Leningrad - Vyborg, the northwestern coast of Lake Ladoga, and a number of islands in the Gulf of Finland were annexed.
A 30-year lease for the Hanko Peninsula was agreed upon. In return, Finland received only the Petsamo region, which provided access to the Barents Sea and was rich in nickel ores.
The completion of the Soviet-Finnish war brought bonuses to the winner in the form of:
- USSR acquisition of new territories. They managed to move the border away from Leningrad.
- Gaining combat experience, awareness of the need to improve military equipment.
- Colossal battle losses. Data vary, but the average death toll was over 150 thousand people (125 from the USSR and 25 thousand from Finland). Sanitary losses were even greater - 265 thousand in the USSR and over 40 thousand in Finland. These figures had a discrediting effect on the Red Army.
- Failure of the plan for the creation of the Finnish Democratic Republic .
- Decline in international authority. This applies to both the countries of the future allies and the Axis countries. It is believed that it was after the Winter War that A. Hitler finally became convinced that the USSR was a colossus in feet of clay.
- Finland lost territories that are important to them. The area of land given away was 10% of the entire territory of the country. The spirit of revanchism began to grow in her. From a neutral position, the country increasingly gravitates toward supporting the Axis countries and ultimately participates in the Great Patriotic War on the side of Germany (in the period 1941-1944).
Summarizing all of the above, we can conclude that the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939 was a strategic failure of the Soviet leadership.
"WINTER WAR"
Having signed mutual assistance agreements with the Baltic states, the USSR turned to Finland with a proposal to conclude a similar agreement. Finland refused. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of this country, E. Erkko, stated that “Finland will never make a decision similar to those taken Baltic states. If this happens, it will only be in the very worst case". The origins of the Soviet-Finnish confrontation are largely explained by the extremely hostile, aggressive position of the ruling circles of Finland towards the USSR. Former Finnish President P. Svinhufvud, under whom Soviet Russia voluntarily recognized the independence of its northern neighbor, said that “any enemy of Russia must always be a friend of Finland.” In the mid-30s. M. M. Litvinov, in a conversation with the Finnish envoy, stated that “in no neighboring country there is no such open propaganda for an attack on the USSR and the seizure of its territory as in Finland."
After Munich Agreement Western countries, the Soviet leadership began to show particular persistence towards Finland. During 1938-1939 Negotiations were held during which Moscow sought to ensure the security of Leningrad by moving the border on the Karelian Isthmus. In exchange, Finland was offered territories of Karelia, much larger in size than the lands that were supposed to be transferred to the USSR. In addition, the Soviet government promised to allocate a certain amount for the resettlement of residents. However, the Finnish side stated that the territory ceded to the USSR was insufficient compensation. The Karelian Isthmus had a well-developed infrastructure: a network of railways and highways, buildings, warehouses and other structures. The territory transferred by the Soviet Union to Finland was an area covered with forests and swamps. In order to transform this territory into an area suitable for living and economic needs, it was necessary to invest considerable funds.
Moscow did not give up hope for peaceful resolution conflict and offered various options for concluding an agreement. At the same time, he firmly stated: “Since we cannot move Leningrad, we will move the border to secure it.” At the same time, he referred to Ribbentrop, who explained the German attack on Poland by the need to secure Berlin. Large-scale military construction began on both sides of the border. The Soviet Union was preparing for offensive operations, and Finland - to defensive. Finnish Foreign Minister Erkko, expressing the mood of the government, confirmed: “Everything has its limits. Finland cannot agree to the proposal of the Soviet Union and will defend its territory, its inviolability and independence by any means.”
The Soviet Union and Finland did not follow the path of finding a compromise acceptable to them. Stalin's imperial ambitions made themselves felt this time too. In the second half of November 1939, diplomatic methods gave way to threats and saber-rattling. The Red Army hastily prepared for military operations. On November 27, 1939, V. M. Molotov made a statement in which he said that “yesterday, November 26, the Finnish White Guards undertook a new vile provocation, firing artillery fire military unit Red Army, located in the village of Maynila on the Karelian Isthmus." Disputes over the question of from which side these shots were fired are still ongoing. The Finns already in 1939 tried to prove that the shelling could not have been fired from their territory, and the whole story with the “Maynila incident” is nothing more than a provocation by Moscow.
On November 29, taking advantage of the shelling of its border positions, the USSR terminated the non-aggression pact with Finland. On November 30, hostilities began. On December 1, on Finnish territory, in the city of Terijoki (Zelenogorsk), where Soviet troops entered, on the initiative of Moscow, a new " people's government"Finland, led by the Finnish communist O. Kuusinen. The next day between the USSR and the Kuusinen government, called the government of the Finnish Democratic Republic, an agreement on mutual assistance and friendship was concluded.
Events, however, did not develop as well as the Kremlin had hoped. The first stage of the war (November 30, 1939 - February 10, 1940) was particularly unsuccessful for the Red Army. To a large extent, this was due to an underestimation of the combat capability of the Finnish troops. Break through the Mannerheim Line on the move - a complex of defensive fortifications built in 1927-1939. and stretching along the front for 135 km, and in depth up to 95 km, it was not possible. During the fighting, the Red Army suffered huge losses.
In December 1939 the command ceased unsuccessful attempts advance deep into Finnish territory. Careful preparations for the breakthrough began. The North-Western Front was formed, led by S.K. Timoshenko and member of the Military Council A.A. Zhdanov. The front included two armies, led by K. A. Meretskov and V. D. Grendal (replaced in early March 1940 by F. A. Parusinov). Total number Soviet troops were increased 1.4 times and brought to 760 thousand people.
Finland also strengthened its army, receiving from abroad military equipment and equipment. 11.5 thousand volunteers arrived from Scandinavia, the USA and other countries to fight the Soviets. England and France developed their plans for military action, intending to enter the war on the side of Finland. In London and Paris they did not hide their hostile plans towards the USSR.
February 11, 1940 began The final stage war. Soviet troops went on the offensive and broke through the Mannerheim Line. The main forces of the Karelian Army of Finland were defeated. On March 12, a peace treaty was concluded in the Kremlin after short negotiations. Military operations along the entire front ceased from 12 o'clock on March 13. In accordance with the signed agreement, the Karelian Isthmus, western and north coast Lake Ladoga, a number of islands in the Gulf of Finland. The Soviet Union received a 30-year lease on the Hanko Peninsula to create a naval base on it “capable of defending the entrance to the Gulf of Finland from aggression.”
The cost of victory in the “winter war” turned out to be extremely high. In addition to the fact that the Soviet Union as an “aggressor state” was expelled from the League of Nations, during the 105 days of the war the Red Army lost at least 127 thousand people killed, died from wounds and went missing. About 250 thousand military personnel were wounded, frostbitten, and shell-shocked.
The "Winter War" demonstrated major miscalculations in the organization and training of the Red Army troops. Hitler, who closely followed the course of events in Finland, formulated the conclusion that the Red Army was a “colossus with feet of clay” that the Wehrmacht could easily cope with. Certain conclusions from the military campaign of 1939-1940. They did it in the Kremlin too. Thus, K.E. Voroshilov was replaced as People's Commissar of Defense by S.M. Timoshenko. The implementation of a set of measures aimed at strengthening the defense capability of the USSR began.
However, during " winter war"and after its completion, no significant strengthening of security was achieved in the north-west. Although the border was moved away from the Leningrad and Murmansk railway, this did not prevent the fact that during the Great Patriotic War Leningrad fell into the siege ring. In addition, Finland did not become a friendly or at least neutral country to the USSR - revanchist elements prevailed in its leadership, who relied on supporting Nazi Germany.
I.S. Ratkovsky, M.V. Khodyakov. History of Soviet Russia
POET'S VIEW
From a shabby notebook
Two lines about a boy fighter,
What happened in the forties
Killed on ice in Finland.
It lay somehow awkwardly
Childishly small body.
The frost pressed the overcoat to the ice,
The hat flew far away.
It seemed that the boy was not lying down,
And he was still running
Yes, he held the ice behind the floor...
Among great war cruel,
I can’t imagine why,
I feel sorry for that distant fate
Like dead, alone,
It's like I'm lying there
Frozen, small, killed
In that unknown war,
Forgotten, small, lying.
A.T. Tvardovsky. Two lines.
NO, MOLOTOV!
Ivan goes to war with a cheerful song,
but, running into the Mannerheim line,
he starts singing a sad song,
as we hear it now:
Finland, Finland,
Ivan is heading there again.
Since Molotov promised that everything would be fine
and tomorrow in Helsinki they will be eating ice cream.
No, Molotov! No, Molotov!
Finland, Finland,
The Mannerheim Line is a serious obstacle,
and when terrible artillery fire began from Karelia
he silenced many Ivans.
No, Molotov! No, Molotov!
You lie even more than Bobrikov!
Finland, Finland,
The invincible Red Army is afraid.
Molotov already said to look for a dacha,
otherwise the Chukhons are threatening to capture us.
No, Molotov! No, Molotov!
You lie even more than Bobrikov!
Go beyond the Urals, go beyond the Urals,
there is a lot of space for a Molotov dacha.
We will send the Stalins and their henchmen there,
political instructors, commissars and Petrozavodsk swindlers.
No, Molotov! No, Molotov!
You lie even more than Bobrikov!
MANNERHEIM LINE: MYTH OR REALITY?
It is good form for supporters of the theory of a strong Red Army that broke through an impregnable defense line, always quoting General Badu, who built the “Mannerheim Line.” He wrote: “Nowhere in the world were natural conditions so favorable for the construction of fortified lines as in Karelia. At this narrow place between two water spaces — Lake Ladoga and the Gulf of Finland - there are impenetrable forests and huge rocks. The famous “Mannerheim Line” was built from wood and granite, and where necessary from concrete. The greatest fortress The “Mannerheim Line” is created by anti-tank obstacles made in granite. Even twenty-five ton tanks cannot overcome them. Using explosions, the Finns built machine-gun and artillery nests in the granite, which were resistant to the most powerful bombs. Where there was a shortage of granite, the Finns did not spare concrete.”
In general, reading these lines, a person imagining the real “Mannerheim Line” will be terribly surprised. In Badu’s description, one sees before one’s eyes some gloomy granite cliffs with firing points carved into them at a dizzying height, over which vultures circle in anticipation of mountains of corpses of the attackers. Badu's description actually fits more closely to the Czech fortifications on the border with Germany. The Karelian Isthmus is a relatively flat area, and there is no need to cut down in the rocks simply due to the absence of the rocks themselves. But one way or another, the image of an impregnable castle was created in mass consciousness and was firmly established in it.
In reality, the Mannerheim Line was far from the best examples of European fortification. The vast majority of long-term Finnish structures were one-story, partially buried reinforced concrete structures in the form of a bunker, divided into several rooms by internal partitions with armored doors. Three bunkers of the “million-dollar” type had two levels, another three bunkers had three levels. Let me emphasize, precisely the level. That is, their combat casemates and shelters were located on different levels relative to the surface, casemates with embrasures slightly recessed into the ground and completely recessed galleries connecting them with barracks. There were negligibly few buildings with what could be called floors. Below each other - such placement - small casemates directly above the premises of the lower tier were only in two bunkers (Sk-10 and Sj-5) and the gun casemate in Patoniemi. This is, to put it mildly, unimpressive. Even if you do not take into account the impressive structures of the Maginot Line, you can find many examples of much more advanced bunkers...
The survivability of the dots was designed for Renault-type tanks in service in Finland, and did not meet modern requirements. Contrary to Badu's assertions, Finnish anti-tank guns showed during the war their low resistance to attacks from T-28 medium tanks. But it wasn’t even a matter of the quality of the “Mannerheim Line” structures. Any defensive line characterized by the number of long-term fire structures (DOS) per kilometer. In total, on the “Mannerheim Line” there were 214 permanent structures for 140 km, of which 134 were machine gun or artillery DOS. Directly on the front line in the combat contact zone in the period from mid-December 1939 to mid-February 1940 there were 55 bunkers, 14 shelters and 3 infantry positions, about half of which were obsolete structures from the first period of construction. For comparison, the Maginot Line had about 5,800 DOS in 300 defense nodes and a length of 400 km (density 14 DOS/km), the Siegfried Line - 16,000 fortifications(weaker than the French) on a front of 500 km (density - 32 structures per km) ... And the “Mannerheim Line” is 214 DOS (of which only 8 artillery) on a front of 140 km (average density 1.5 DOS / km, on some sections - up to 3-6 DOS/km).