What was Finland's position in World War Two?
score:19
The USSR attacked Finland in 1939, which ended in a stalemate (1940). This was an embarrassment to the USSR, but the treaty gave the USSR 10% of Finnish territory.
Finland sought to bolster its military strength with treaties and alliances. Great Britain and the USA were allied with the USSR against Hitler at the time and therefore would not help. Finland turned to Germany (the enemy of my enemy is my friend...), which sent troops to Finland.
In June of 1941 the USSR launched air-raids against Finland, which in turn declared war on the USSR and allowed German troops stationed within Finland to take offensive action. In the south the Finns and Germans re-took their territory. When they started going beyond reclaiming land, the UK demonstrated its support of the USSR with its Raid on Kirkenes and Petsamo. In December 1941 Finland took up defensive positions, which resulted in relative calm for several years.
On 16 March 1944, the President of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt, called for Finland to disassociate itself from Nazi Germany.
On 9 June 1944, the Red Army launched a massive attack against Finland.
The USSR pushed the Finns back to where the previous truce had occurred (-10% land for Finland).
The dire situation in 1944 had led to Finnish president Risto Ryti giving Germany his personal guarantee that Finland would not negotiate peace with the Soviet Union for as long as he was the president. In exchange Germany delivered weapons to the Finns. After the Soviet invasion was halted; however, Ryti resigned.
The USSR was then in a race to Berlin and couldn't be bothered with Finland. In Sept 1944, peace was made and the Moscow armistice signed, which bound Finland to drive German forces from Finland. Finland tried to drive the Germans in a friendly fashion; agreeing to let the Germans leave peaceably. The Soviets refused to accept that, and so Finnish troops attacked the Germans, who proceeded to burn most of the houses in the Northern half of Finland (1-2k casualties on each side, and 100,000 people lost their homes).
Note: Finland protected its Jews against the Nazi's antisemitism.
Upvote:-1
Finland had a military treaty with Germany and they commonly prepared operation Barbarossa (invasion in the USSR). German army prepared positions on Finnish territory and Finnish army started mobilization 15 June, a week before the invasion in the USSR had started.
10 July 1941 Finnish army together with German troops stationed in the Finnish territory began offensive in the USSR.
On the occupied territories Finnish administration created concentration camps for Slavic-speaking population and performed ethnic cleanings. On the other hand Permic and Ugic-speaking peoples were respected.
Jewish POWS and Soviet citizens were separated in special camps for Jews with moderate regime. They were planned to be transferred to Germany about which they were informed, although only a minority of POWs were actually transferred to Gestapo (mostly Communists irrespective of ethnicity).
In the Soviet territory Finnish troops also participated in the siege of Leningrad.
In 1944 after the armistice with the USSR Finland declared war on Germany and expelled German troops.
Upvote:1
Finland had lost "11% of its territory and 30% of its economic power" (e.g. the Petsamo nickel mines to the Soviet Union in the "Winter War" of 1939-1940.
http://www.ask.com/wiki/Winter_War
The German invasion of the Soviet Union offered Finland a chance to get these back. Finnish troops advanced to the pre (Winter) war boundary, but no further.
Finland wasn't pro Nazi Germany. But "the enemy of my enemy is my friend."
Upvote:6
Joe Hobbit summarises the bulk of the war, but it is important to note that during the Winter War (1940), the Soviets were collaborating with Germany, and not yet allies with UK or France.
In fact, UK and France tried to send military support to Finland, and many volunteers actually fought alongside the Finns.
Basically, Finland was caught in the middle of events much larger than themselves. They wanted to defend themselves, and allied with whoever was opposed to the Soviets at the time.
Upvote:8
Finland to an extent played both sides. This article pretty well covers things. The combination of difficult terrain and well trained, well equipped soldiers helped the Finns ensure their independence. They did lose a fair chunk of territory to the Soviets but succeeded in staying masters of their own affairs and allegiances.
More post
- 📝 How were concussions treated in late 19th-century America?
- 📝 What actual proof is there for Carthaginian child sacrifice?
- 📝 National Symbology and Iconography of Carthage
- 📝 Technology and status symbols that predate language
- 📝 What is the best historical example of conflict between two cultures with differing levels of technology?
- 📝 Why were Catholic priests prohibited from participating in ordeals but allowed to participate in inquisitions?
- 📝 What is this crime, "F and A", from the 1890's US?
- 📝 Has anyone created a binary calendar?
- 📝 How were laws promulgated in the Middle Ages?
- 📝 Does any culture have a native food that is objectively bad?
- 📝 Have governments or combatants marked the houses of groups to be persecuted?
- 📝 Do there exist or have there ever existed "gang war referees"?
- 📝 Were medieval and renaissance era jesters commonly disabled?
- 📝 What was the importance of the patrician class in the Roman Empire?
- 📝 Was there an Act of Oblivion in 1686 for those involved in the Monmouth Rebellion 1685?
- 📝 Why did the US not move to crush the Haitian Revolt after the 1804 massacre?
- 📝 History of the 1793 revision of the constitution of Vermont
- 📝 Are the "bone fields" of the Stalingrad encircled battlefields real?
- 📝 Why is the island of Java so populated?
- 📝 What is the first recorded dog name?
- 📝 How do vetoes affect re-votes in US Congress?
- 📝 Was Brown v Board of Education the only major decision that changed educational choice in America?
- 📝 How were the Big Four compensated when British Rail was formed?
- 📝 How did people and goods move between East Pakistan and West Pakistan?
- 📝 How long would it have taken to sail from Boston to Nova Scotia in 1775?
- 📝 Symbolism of lion with forked tail
- 📝 Why was Caliph Suleyman disliked by the noted generals in the Umayyad army?
- 📝 Population disparities between New York City and Boston
- 📝 Were there any naval engagements during the Mongol invasions of Japan?
- 📝 What language does this look like?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 What was Finland's position in World War Two?
- 📝 What was the reason for Soviet troops to withdraw from Yugoslavia in World War II?
- 📝 What was the longest a World War II submarine stayed at sea without being resupplied at a port?
- 📝 What was the ratio women to men after World War 2 in the Soviet Union
- 📝 What kind of wood was the standard decking for aircraft carriers in World War 2?
- 📝 What was the estimated malaria death toll for US Forces during World War II?
- 📝 To what extent was the Cold War caused by post World War 2 economics?
- 📝 What was the death rate of Germans outside Germany's post war border after World War 2?
- 📝 What was the fate of most SS members after World War II?
- 📝 What was World War 1 called before World War 2?
- 📝 What was the nature of the Japanese presence in China in the later stages of World War II?
- 📝 What did the post world war two civilian food ration consist of in the UK?
- 📝 What was the total megatonnage of all munitions expended in World War 2?
- 📝 What was the ideological and philosophical underpinnings of World War II?
- 📝 What was the effective sight radius of World War II naval reconnaissance aircraft?
- 📝 What was the most popular food staple among civilians during World War II?
- 📝 What was the role of U.S. involvement in World War II?
- 📝 What was the extent of military conscription by the German Army during World War 2?
- 📝 Why was France granted an equal status among victors of World War II?
- 📝 Why was Spanish Fascist dictatorship left in power after World War II?
- 📝 Why was World War I ended on Nov 11 11:00, rather than immediately upon signing the armistice?
- 📝 What did Germany do in World War II about the different rail gauge in the Soviet Union?
- 📝 What were Germany's long-term aims in World War I?
- 📝 Why was Switzerland not attacked during the two World Wars?
- 📝 Was World War I a war of liberals against authoritarians?
- 📝 What was the cleanest war ever fought?
- 📝 What was the Seven Years War called at first?
- 📝 What did Germany do after World War II to recover so successfully that it became more prosperous than its WW2 victors?
- 📝 How were diplomats and their staffs treated when World War II was declared?
- 📝 What tactical situations made the use of traditional horse cavalry effective in World War II?