Finland and WWII: Three Wars

1
Finland and WWIIThree Wars

• History of Finland
• The Winter War, 1939-40
• The Continuation War, 1941-44
• Lapland War, 1944 - 1945

2
Brief History of Finland

• 1155 A.D. Finland under Kingdom of Sweden
• 1808 Czarist Russia invades Finland
• 1809 Sweden surrenders Finland
• Grand Duchy of Russia
• Independence declared, 1917
• (Bolshevik Revolution)
• Civil War in Finland, 1918
• Republic of Finland established, 1919
• Constitution adopted

3
Finland The Winter War

• Soviet-German Non-Agression Pact, 1939
• Invasion by Soviet Russia
• Nov 1939-March 1940
• Valiant effort with little support
• Peace treaty, Finland forced to cede territories
  (10) to USSR

4
Aspects of The Winter War

• Finnish forces were ill-equipped, but skillful
• Soviet attack stalled and even thrown back in
  some areas
• USSR used air superiority, tanks, greater,
  man-power to wear down Finnish defense
• Winter War drew world attention

5
The Continuation War June 24, 1941- September 4,
1944

• Finland co-belligerent of Nazi Germany in
  Operation Barbarossa (German attack on USSR)
• Contested theories regarding reasons for
  alliance, including
• Finlands security viewed as dependent on
  collaboration with Germany (distrust of USSR)
• Opportunity to win back territories lost in WW
• Belief that Germany would win war.

6
The Continuation War

• Finland allowed Germans to attack via Finland
• Declared war on USSR after bombing of Finnish
  Cities
• Recaptured areas lost in Winter War
• Refused to join in attack on Leningrad

7
The Continuation WarMannerheim President of
Finland, August 1944 -

• War in Static phase 1941 -summer 1944
• June 9, 1944 Soviets attacked Finnish Front
  (Karelian Isthmus)
• Nordic Historys largest battle fought June
  25-July 6, 1944
• Armistice (USSR Finland, signed Sept. 1944

8
The Lapland War Sept. 27, 1944 - April 27, 1945

• War fought against Germany, after signing of
  armistice with USSR.
• Fighting in Northern Finland (Lapland)
• Finland under pressure from Allies and USSR
• Finns to disarm German troops and drive out of
  Finland
• Finland required to withdraw to 1940-lines
• Finland to pay war indemnity to USSR

9
Results of Wars

• Loss of 85,000 Finnish lives 1939-1945
• Finland sole country among defeated nations, not
  occupied by foreign troops
• Finland saved its independence (the Baltic States
  annexed July 1940 by USSR)
• Continued development under democratic government
  after Wars.

10
Väinö Linna (1920-1992)

• Self-taught factory worker
• Military service in Continuation War (machine-gun
  platoon)
• Author, first work in 1947
• Unknown soldier, 1954
• Historical Epic
• Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910)
• Backwoods Realism
• Working mans perspective
• Regional types Dialects