The Karelian Isthmus and the area of Lake Ladoga was the primary focus of the Soviet war effort.  • Lend-Lease ISBN. A period of frantic diplomatic efforts and rearmament followed.  • Hong Kong [10] By late December, the two main fronts had come to a standstill as the Finns were counterattacking with more strength and the Soviets were being bogged down. [30] In the subsequent study by Professor Heikki Ylikangas it turned out that about 2,000 of the exchanged prisoners joined the Russian Liberation Army. This put the Finnish people on the defensive without having to make any decision, unifying the once divided country. It was in fact the only democracy in mainland Europe that remained so despite being an involved party in the war.  • Moscow [6] The Soviets had been building their forces up on the border for several months during the previous negotiations. [7] The war was fought mainly in three areas. The village of Ivalo destroyed by Germans during the Lapland War. Finnish military and government leaders had seen that the only thing left to do was to negotiate a peace treaty with Moscow. The Soviet Union fielded four armies composed of 16 divisions and another three were being brought into position; meanwhile, the Finnish army had 9 smaller divisions. Coastal Finnish submarine Saukko at launch. The Soviet Union did not accept this "friendliness" and pressured Finland to take a more active role in pushing the Germans out of Lapland, thus intensifying hostilities. By 27 December it was observed that the Soviet forces were digging in on the Karelian Isthmus. [34], When the Finnish Army controlled East Karelia between 1941 and 1944, several concentration camps were set up for Russian civilians. Part 2: Pistols and Submachine guns (UPDATED) Part 3: Other Infantry Weapons. Finland was the only European country bordering the Soviet Union and still unoccupied by 1945. However, material support from other countries was small and none of Finland's neighbours were willing to commit their militaries to a war against the USSR.  • Lithuania On 6 Dec, the United Kingdom declared war on Finland. [37] However, nearly all Finnish military engagements in World War II were fought solely against an autocratic power, the Soviet Union, and the lack of direct conflicts specifically with other democratic countries leads others to exclude Finnish involvement in World War II as an example of a war between two or more democracies. [2] The Soviet invasion was intended to be a liberation of the 'Red Finns,' with the eventual annexation of Finland into the USSR. "Polities and Peace", Russert, Bruce. Of all the European countries fighting, only three European capitals were never occupied: Moscow, London and Helsinki. By the end of hostilities, Finland remained an independent country, albeit "Finlandized", but had to cede nearly 10% of its territory, including its fourth largest city, Viipuri (Vyborg), pay out a large amount of war reparations to the Soviet Union, and formally acknowledge partial responsibility for the Continuation War. But dont forget, Finnish army sit in strong concrete bunkers with mine-fields around it. Relative strengths of Finnish, German and Soviet troops at the start of the Continuation War in June 1941.  • Greece The proximity of the Finnish border to Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) caused worry in the Soviet leadership. [9] The war was fought mainly in three areas. This caused Great Britain to declare war on Finland on 6 December.  • Territorial changes of Germany By 13 March 1940, the Winter War was officially over, the Moscow Peace Treaty was signed and the Soviet Union had gained more territory than it originally demanded.[19]. It was a country which sided with Germany, but in which native Jews and almost all refugees were safe from persecution. On 24 August 1939 Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.  • Okinawa  • Military equipment With the failure of two of its three offensives by the end of December, the Soviet headquarters ordered a cessation of operations. Finland was Nazi Germany’s co-belligerent in WW2* as being attacked by the Soviet Union in 1939, but only received limited assistance, first from the West (France and UK) and up to 1944, from Germany. Finland entered into the Agreement of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance (YYA Treaty) with the Soviet Union in which the Soviet Union agreed to the neutral status of Finland. [5] Strategic goals of the Red Army included cutting Finland in half and capture Petsamo in the north and Helsinki in the south. [28] However, it is worth pointing out that nearly all Finnish military engagements in World War II were fought solely against an autocratic power, the Soviet Union, and the lack of direct conflicts specifically with other democratic countries leads others to exclude Finnish involvement in World War II as an example of a war between two or more democracies. "Finland's Foreign Policy 1940–1941: An Ongoing Historiographic Controversy,", Polvinen, Tuomo. [27], David Reynolds & Vladimir Pechatnov:The Kremlin Letters page 35. [1], The Winter War, fought between Finland and the Soviet Union, can be related to a simple border skirmish between an independent nation and a greater power. Th… Machine-gun armed version of the Renault FT in Finnish service, the Naaras (18 in service). These negotiations did not lead to any settlement. The Moscow armistice was signed by Finland and the Soviet Union on 19 September 1944 ending the Continuation War, though the final peace treaty was not to be signed until 1947 in Paris. [6], The Winter War was fought in three stages: the initial Soviet advance, a short lull and then a renewed Soviet offensive. The Finnish State Aircraft Factory at Tampere went into license-production with the Dutch Fokker C.X two-seat bomber and reconnaissance plane in 1938. The war ended with the victory of the government forces, supported by Germany, and the expulsion of Russian troops. During the occupation of Russian East Karelia, the Finnish Army set up concentration camps to house those perceived as threats to the occupation, and about 4,000 died in these camps largely due to malnourishment. However, about 1,000 POWs were shot, primarily when attempting to escape. Porkkala was returned to Finnish control in 1956. [12] The Soviets, using new equipment and materials, also began using tactics of rotating troops from the reserve to the front, constantly applying pressure to the Finnish defenders. The Lapland War was fought between Finland and Nazi Germany in Lapland, the northernmost part of Finland. During the summer and autumn of 1941 the Finnish Army was on the offensive, retaking the territories lost in the Winter War.  • Pearl Harbor In 1809, the Russian Empire took Finland from Sweden in the Finnish War.  • Czechoslovakia On 30 November the Soviet Union attacked Finland. In November 2003, the Simon Wiesenthal Center submitted an official request to Finnish President Tarja Halonen for a full-scale investigation by the Finnish authorities of the prisoner exchange. On 26 November the Soviet Union accused the Finnish army of shelling the village of Mainila.  • Soviet occupations ... the future Commander in Chief in the Swedish Army, was going to suggest that one Army Group, consisted of two divisions, should be mobilized to protect the Norrbotten territory. Due to the war, elections could not be held, and therefore the Parliament selected the Marshal of Finland Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim, the Finnish commander-in-chief, as president and charged him with negotiating a peace. Moreover, during the war, Finland kept its army outside the German command structure despite numerous attempts by the Germans to tie them more tightly together. The proximity of the Finnish border to Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) caused worry in the Soviet leadership. During the Continuation War (1941–1944) Finland was co-belligerent with Nazi Germany against the Soviet Union, and dependent on food, fuel and armament shipments from Germany. [33] It was the only country that fought alongside Nazi Germany which maintained democracy throughout the war. The Finns played a part in the Siege of Leningrad during the war. [14] The Soviets, using new equipment and materials, also began using tactics of rotating troops from the reserve to the front, constantly applying pressure to the Finnish defenders. approximately 1,000 troops and Germany about 2,000. Finnish President Mauno Koivisto also expressed similar views in 1993. Form then on, the Navy contributed to fend off any Soviet attempt to make an amphibious assault, constraining the operations to the front held by the Finnish Army (see later, operations).  • Mariana and Palau Around 100,000 people lost their homes, adding to the burden of post-war reconstruction. The Finnish front had become a sideshow for the Soviet leadership, as they were in a race to reach Berlin before the Western Allies. This attack pushed the Finnish forces approximately to the same positions as they were holding at the end of the Winter War.  • Market Garden  • Sevastopol Yes, it was great. Sold 25 in the last two weeks. Part 4: Artillery Weapons of All Kind . The military history of Finland during World War II encompasses three major conflicts. [12] A lull period followed in January 1940, as the Soviet army reassessed its strategy, rearmed and resupplied. During the period of Russian rule the country generally prospered. [18], On 9 June 1944, the Red Army launched a major strategic offensive against Finland, attaining vast numerical superiority and surprising the Finnish army. During this period, starting at 1941 but especially after the major German defeat in the Battle of Stalingrad, intermittent peace inquiries took place. It was subsequently found that the Soviets had in fact shelled their own village to create an excuse to withdraw from their non-aggression pact with Finland. The Soviet Union did not accept this "friendliness" and pressured Finland to take a more active role in pushing the Germans out of Lapland, thus intensifying hostilities. Farber, Henry S. and Gowa, Joanne. [25], Finnish Jews were not persecuted, and even among extremists of the Finnish Right they were highly tolerated, as many leaders of the movement came from the clergy. The new armistice also handed the whole of Petsamo over to the Soviet Union.  • Comparative military ranks He knew marshal Mannerheim since the Finnish Civil War and was a good friend of him.  • Strategic bombing, • Expulsion of Germans During the summer and autumn of 1941 the Finnish Army was on the offensive, retaking the territories lost in the Winter War. The mines caused many military and civilian casualties, particularly in Lapland. Their rank is comparable to either Senior Lieutenant, Lieutenant and Staff Sergeant, depending on the level of the civilian education required to serve in this position. By February 28, Molotov made his offer an ultimatum with a 48 hour time limit, which pushed the Finnish leadership to act quickly. [10] A lull period followed in January 1940, as the Soviet army reassessed its strategy, rearmed and resupplied. The Finnish Army was caught by surprise, largely because of the complacency of the Finnish High Command which had failed to take the necessary defensive precautions during the preceding years. On 31 July 1941 the United Kingdom launched raids on Kirkenes and Petsamo to demonstrate support for the Soviet Union. Finally, the armistice also demanded that Finland must expel German troops from its territory, which was the cause of the Lapland War. On 25 June the Soviet Union launched a massive pre-emptive air raid against Finnish cities, after which Finland declared war and also allowed German troops stationed in Finland to begin offensive warfare. See more ideas about wojna, historia, wojsko. The Finnish army also advanced further, especially in the direction of Lake Onega , (east from Lake Ladoga ), closing the blockade of the city of Leningrad from the north, and occupying Eastern Karelia , which had never been a part of Finland before.  • Pointblank During the winter war period, the relationship between Finland and the Soviet Union was tense. RESOLUTION Adopted by the Council of the League of Nations, 14 December 1939", http://www.ibiblio.org/pha/policy/1939/391214a.html. UNIFORMS: Uniforms of Finnish Armed Forces and Civil Guard . An official state-sponsored memorial to the fallen of the Finnish unit stands in Helsinki. The Army defends the entire land area of Finland. However the view that Finland only fought separately during the second world war remains controversial within Finland and was not generally accepted outside Finland. A two-pronged attack, with one pincer engaging the Finnish forces on the Isthmus while the other went around Lake Ladoga in an attempt at encircling the defenders. Defensive arrangements were attempted with Sweden and Great Britain, but the political and military situation in the context of the Second World War rendered these efforts fruitless. These aircraft were used until the end of WW2. The new armistice also handed the whole of Petsamo over to the Soviet Union. [38], Finnish President Tarja Halonen, speaking in 2005, said that "For us the world war meant a separate war against the Soviet Union and we did not incur any debt of gratitude to others". Message Urging Finland to Break with Nazi Germany. Some 100,000 people lost their homes, adding to the burden of post-war reconstruction.  • Operation Paperclip [citation needed] The first attack, on 30 November 1939, was an aerial bombardment of the city of Helsinki and all along the Finnish-Soviet border. Militaria, collectibles, insignia, buttons etc. "The Great Powers and Finland 1941–1944,". In subsequent years the position of Finland was unique in the Cold War. However, the war had exhausted Finnish resources and it was believed that the country would not be able to hold another major attack. There are a total of [ 39 ] WW2 Finnish Aircraft (1939-1945) entries in the Military Factory. [8] The Soviets had been building their forces up on the border for several months during the previous negotiations. On 12 October the Soviet Union started negotiations with Finland concerning parts of Finnish territory, the Karelian Isthmus, the Gulf of Finland islands and the Hanko Peninsula.  • Atomic bombings Message Urging Finland to Break with Nazi Germany. Based on a list of names, there were about seventy Jews among the extradited, although they were apparently not extradited based on ethnic grouping. However, material support from other countries was small and none of Finland's neighbours were willing to commit their militaries to a war against the USSR. No agreement was reached. [20] The German and Finnish troops in Northern Finland were less successful, failing to take the Russian port city of Murmansk during Operation Silver Fox.  • Philippines (1944–1945), • Vistula–Oder [29], About 2,600–2,800 Soviet prisoners of war were handed over to the Germans in exchange for roughly 2,200 Finnic prisoners of war held by the Germans.  • Crete Operation Barbarossa began on 22 June 1941. This force was then to advance to and capture the city of Viipuri. During the summer and autumn of 1941 the Finnish Army was on the offensive, retaking the territories lost in the Winter War.  • Leyte Finally, the armistice also demanded that Finland must expel German troops from its territory, which was the cause of the Lapland War.  • Indonesian National Revolution. The American Presidency Project: Franklin D. Roosevelt – XXXII president of the United States: 1933–1945. The resulting war was known to the Finns as the Continuation War. Flag images indicative of country of origin and not necessarily the primary operator. The second front was in central Karelia, where the Soviet forces were to advance to the city of Oulu, cutting the country in half.  • Morgenthau Plan The Finnish army of 160 000 men was opposed to an invading Russian army consisting of 2000 Russian tanks and 450 000 soldiers.  • Project Hula Finland, however, was never a strong supporter of Nazi Germany and felt that an alliance with Hitler would help ensure that the country would remain independent. About 19,000 Soviet prisoners of war died in Finnish prison camps during the Continuation War, which means that about 30% of Soviet POWs taken by the Finns did not survive. The treaty imposed heavy war reparations on Finland and stipulated the lease of the Porkkala area near the Finnish capital Helsinki as a military base for fifty years. On 16 March 1944, the President of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt, called for Finland to disassociate itself from Nazi Germany.  • Philippines Finland's refusal of the Soviet offer of territorial concessions in exchange for a peace treaty would later cause Great Britain to declare war on Finland on 6 December (The US maintained diplomatic relations with Finland until the summer of 1944). Finally, a southwards drive from the north was to capture the Petsamo region. "The Great Powers and Finland 1941–1944,", Kelly, Bernard. ", Nordling, Carl O.  • Occupation of Germany The Finnish front had become a sideshow for the Soviet leadership, as they were in a race to reach Berlin before the Western Allies. [8], The Winter War was fought in three stages: the initial Soviet advance, a short lull and then a renewed Soviet offensive.  • Iran The country was heavily influenced by the Soviet Union, but was the only country on the Soviet pre-World War II border to retain democracy and a market economy. Weapons such as hand grenades and portable artillery systems are also featured in this listing. Of these interned civilians 4,361[35] perished mainly due to malnourishment, 90% of them during the spring and summer of 1942. Jews in Finland During the Second World War, The Simon Wiesenthal Center, press information, Heikki Ylikankaan selvitys Valtioneuvoston kanslialle, http://www.kolumbus.fi/rastas/nyky/reasons_ww2.html, An essay about Jews in Finland during World War II, Jaeger Platoon: Finnish Army 1918–1945 Web Site, History of World War II by region and country, Sarawak, Brunei, Labuan, and British North Borneo, Finnish prisoners of war in the Soviet Union, German prisoners of war in the Soviet Union, German prisoners of war in the United States, Italian prisoners of war in the Soviet Union, Japanese prisoners of war in the Soviet Union, Japanese prisoners of war in World War II, Polish prisoners of war in the Soviet Union, Romanian prisoners of war in the Soviet Union, https://military.wikia.org/wiki/Military_history_of_Finland_during_World_War_II?oldid=5338851, Pages using duplicate arguments in template calls, Forster, Kent. 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