How Finland humiliated the Russians in the Winter War

[jw5]

Between the East and the West​

Tension has increased in Europe since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Finland and Sweden, Nordic countries that traditionally have maintained a neutral balance between the East and the West, now have grown closer to NATO.

 

[jw5]

David and Goliath​

However, it’s important to remember that one time the little Nordic nation managed to defeat one of the world’s largest armies.

 

[jw5]

A history lesson​

First off, a bit of historical context. For several centuries, the country that we now know as Finland was under Swedish rule. This changed in 1809 when the Russian Empire annexed the territory as the Grand Duchy of Finland.

 

[jw5]

Oceans rise, empires fall​

This lasted until the Russian Revolution in 1917. The old imperial rule collapsed, making way for the establishment of the Republic of Finland on December 6, 1917.

 

[jw5]

The Finnish Civil War​

Peace didn’t come with independence, though. A civil war broke out in Finland between the new government, which was backed by the German Empire, and rebels supported by the Soviet Union.
Pictured: Finnish citizens during the proclamation of independence in Helsinki.

 

[jw5]

Peace and independence​

Something similar happened to Ukraine around that time. However, unlike Ukraine, the independent government came out victorious from the Bolshevik troops in 1918.

 

[jw5]

A nation of three million​

At the time, Finland was a mostly agrarian nation of around three million people that mainly exported to Germany and the United Kingdom.

 

[Froggy]

 

[jw5]

The Great Depression​

However, the rest of Europe still faced the trauma of the aftermath of the First World War. The Great Depression in 1929 didn’t help the matter.

 

[Froggy]

 

[syed putra]

First off, a bit of historical context. For several centuries, the country that we now know as Finland was under Swedish rule. This changed in 1809 when the Russian Empire annexed the territory as the Grand Duchy of Finland.

I believe sweden attacked russia and lost.

 

[red amoeba]

At end of day. Finland still cèded land to Russia to end the war.

 

[syed putra]

So is russia sort of a orthodox domain that see mainly roman Catholicism west as a threat?

 

[jw5]

A new war begins​

Fascist movements with expansionist goals rose in Italy and Germany and in less than 20 years after an armistice, war was decimating the continent again.

 

[jw5]

Battleground Europe​

While Nazi Germany invaded Austria, France, Czechoslovakia, and western Poland, the Soviet Union mobilized to occupy eastern Poland and Finland.

 

[jw5]

Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact​

Hitler and Stalin’s respective Foreign Ministers had signed a non-aggression pact in August 1939, ensuring that neither Nazi Germany nor the Soviet Union would get in each other’s way and virtually divide Poland and the Baltic.
Pictured: Soviet Foreign Minister Viacheslav Mólotov and his German counterpart Joachim von Ribbentrop in 1939.

 

[ginfreely]

View attachment 160344

A nation of three million​

At the time, Finland was a mostly agrarian nation of around three million people that mainly exported to Germany and the United Kingdom.

Wow that’s impressive three million people country won Russia.

 

[jw5]

The shelling of Mainila​

On November 26, 1939, Soviet troops near the Soviet village of Mainila were attacked by an unknown party claimed to be Finnish artillery. The Soviet government claimed it was a provocation and use it as an excuse to justify a full invasion.

 

[jw5]

False flag operation?​

Despite claims through the years, that incident was a false flag operation carried out by the Red Army, including statements made in the 1990s by former Russian leader Boris Yeltsin. The government of Vladimir Putin maintains that the incident was full Finnish responsibility.

 

[jw5]

Invasion​

Soviet victory over Finland, and the possible annexation of the entire country by the USSR, were expected within weeks. Half a million Red Army troops were sent to the tiny, underpopulated Nordic country. However, things were not as easy from the start.