Map of the Finnish War 1939. Soviet-Finnish (Winter) War: “unfamous” conflict. Help for Finland from other countries

I found several in the Finnish archives interesting maps Soviet times Finnish war.

Perhaps the most interesting of them is a unique map that was attached to the peace treaty between the USSR and Finland of March 12, 1940. On the map you can see the border between the USSR and Finland established by the treaty, as well as the signatures of those who approved the treaty: Risto Ryti, Juho Kusti Paasikivi, Rudolf Walden, Väinö Voionmaa (from Finland) and Vyacheslav Molotov, Andrei Zhdanov, Alexander Vasilevsky (from the USSR).

The following map shows the territory of the Finnish Democratic Republic (Suomen kansanvaltainen Tasavalta). The map was compiled by the Aerographic Department of the Red Army Air Force. It shows in lilac the border between the USSR and the Finnish Democratic Republic - a puppet state created on December 1, 1939 on the territory of the Karelian Isthmus occupied by the Soviet Union during the Soviet-Finnish War of 1939-1940) in accordance with the Treaty of Mutual Assistance and Friendship dated December 2, 1939 .

The new republic was officially recognized by only three countries in the world (USSR, Mongolia, Tuva). This is somewhat reminiscent of the situation in a number of modern countries.

• Click on the image to view the map in detail or to compare this map with others.
• Click to view map description.

On the next Soviet map 1940, published in mass circulation, already shows the border between the states under the peace treaty between the USSR and Finland of March 12, 1940.

• Click on the image to view the map in detail or to compare this map with others.
• Click

After the Civil War of 1918-1922, the USSR received rather unsuccessful borders and poorly adapted for life. Thus, it was completely ignored that Ukrainians and Belarusians were separated by the state border line between the Soviet Union and Poland. Another of these “inconveniences” was the close location of the border with Finland to the northern capital of the country - Leningrad.

During the events preceding the Great Patriotic War, the Soviet Union received a number of territories that made it possible to significantly move the border to the west. In the north, this attempt to move the border encountered some resistance, which became known as the Soviet-Finnish, or Winter, War.

Historical overview and origins of the conflict

Finland as a state appeared relatively recently - on December 6, 1917, against the backdrop of a collapsing Russian state. At the same time, the state received all the territories of the Grand Duchy of Finland along with Petsamo (Pechenga), Sortavala and the territories on the Karelian Isthmus. Relations with the southern neighbor also did not work out from the very beginning: the civil war died down in Finland, in which anti-communist forces won, so there was clearly no sympathy for the USSR, which supported the Reds.

However, in the second half of the 20s - the first half of the 30s, relations between the Soviet Union and Finland stabilized, being neither friendly nor hostile. Defense spending in Finland declined steadily during the 1920s, reaching its peak in 1930. However, the arrival of Carl Gustav Mannerheim as Minister of War changed the situation somewhat. Mannerheim immediately set a course for rearming the Finnish army and preparing it for possible battles with the Soviet Union. Initially, the line of fortifications, at that time called the Enckel Line, was inspected. The condition of its fortifications was unsatisfactory, so the re-equipment of the line began, as well as the construction of new defensive contours.

At the same time, the Finnish government took vigorous steps to avoid conflict with the USSR. In 1932, a non-aggression pact was concluded, which was to end in 1945.

Events of 1938-1939 and causes of conflict

By the second half of the 30s of the 20th century, the situation in Europe was gradually heating up. Hitler's anti-Soviet statements forced Soviet leadership take a closer look at neighboring countries that could become Germany's allies in a possible war with the USSR. Finland's position, of course, did not make it a strategically important springboard, since the local nature of the terrain inevitably turned fighting into a series of small battles, not to mention the impossibility of supplying huge masses of troops. However, Finland's close position to Leningrad could still turn it into an important ally.

It was these factors that forced the Soviet government in April-August 1938 to begin negotiations with Finland regarding guarantees of its non-alignment with the anti-Soviet bloc. However, in addition, the Soviet leadership also demanded that a number of islands in the Gulf of Finland be provided for Soviet military bases, which was unacceptable for the then Finnish government. As a result, the negotiations ended without results.

In March-April 1939, new Soviet-Finnish negotiations took place, at which the Soviet leadership demanded the lease of a number of islands in the Gulf of Finland. The Finnish government was forced to reject these demands, as it feared the “Sovietization” of the country.

The situation began to rapidly escalate when the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact was signed on August 23, 1939, a secret addendum to which indicated that Finland was within the sphere of interests of the USSR. However, although the Finnish government had no information regarding the secret protocol, this agreement made it seriously think about the future prospects of the country and relations with Germany and the Soviet Union.

Already in October 1939, the Soviet government put forward new proposals for Finland. They provided for the movement of the Soviet-Finnish border on the Karelian Isthmus 90 km to the north. In return, Finland should have received approximately twice the territory in Karelia, which would have made it possible to significantly secure Leningrad. A number of historians also express the opinion that the Soviet leadership was interested in, if not Sovietizing Finland in 1939, then at least depriving it of protection in the form of a line of fortifications on the Karelian Isthmus, which was already called the “Mannerheim Line.” This version is very consistent, since subsequent events, as well as the development by the Soviet General Staff in 1940 of a plan for a new war against Finland, indirectly point to exactly this. Thus, the defense of Leningrad was most likely just a pretext for turning Finland into a convenient Soviet springboard, like, for example, the Baltic countries.

However, the Finnish leadership rejected Soviet demands and began to prepare for war. The Soviet Union was also preparing for war. In total, by mid-November 1939, 4 armies were deployed against Finland, consisting of 24 divisions with a total number of 425 thousand people, 2300 tanks and 2500 aircraft. Finland had only 14 divisions with a total strength of approximately 270 thousand people, 30 tanks and 270 aircraft.

In order to avoid provocations, the Finnish army received an order in the second half of November to withdraw from the state border on the Karelian Isthmus. However, on November 26, 1939, an incident occurred for which both sides blame each other. Soviet territory was shelled, resulting in several soldiers killed and wounded. This incident occurred in the area of ​​the village of Maynila, from which it got its name. Clouds have gathered between the USSR and Finland. Two days later, on November 28, the Soviet Union denounced the non-aggression pact with Finland, and two days later, Soviet troops received orders to cross the border.

Beginning of the war (November 1939 - January 1940)

On November 30, 1939, Soviet troops went on the offensive in several directions. At the same time, the fighting immediately became fierce.

On the Karelian Isthmus, where the 7th Army was advancing, Soviet troops managed to capture the city of Terijoki (now Zelenogorsk) on December 1, at the cost of heavy losses. Here the creation of the Finnish Democratic Republic was announced, led by Otto Kuusinen, a prominent figure in the Comintern. It was with this new “government” of Finland that the Soviet Union established diplomatic relations. At the same time, in the first ten days of December, the 7th Army managed to quickly capture the forefield and ran into the first echelon of the Mannerheim line. Here the Soviet troops suffered heavy losses, and their advance practically stopped at for a long time.

North of Lake Ladoga, in the direction of Sortavala, the 8th was advancing Soviet army. As a result of the first days of fighting, she managed to advance 80 kilometers in a fairly short period of time. However, the Finnish troops opposing it were able to carry out a lightning-fast operation, the purpose of which was to encircle part of the Soviet forces. The fact that the Red Army was very closely tied to the roads also played into the hands of the Finns, which allowed the Finnish troops to quickly cut off its communications. As a result, the 8th Army, having suffered serious losses, was forced to retreat, but until the end of the war it held part of Finnish territory.

The least successful were the actions of the Red Army in central Karelia, where the 9th Army was advancing. The army's task was to conduct an offensive in the direction of the city of Oulu, with the goal of “cutting” Finland in half and thereby disorganizing Finnish troops in the north of the country. December 7 by forces of the 163rd rifle division The small Finnish village of Suomussalmi was occupied. However, Finnish troops, having superior mobility and knowledge of the terrain, immediately surrounded the division. As a result, Soviet troops were forced to take up a perimeter defense and repel surprise attacks by Finnish ski squads, as well as suffer significant losses from sniper fire. The 44th Infantry Division was sent to help the encircled, which soon also found itself surrounded.

Having assessed the situation, the command of the 163rd Infantry Division decided to fight their way back. At the same time, the division suffered losses of approximately 30% of its personnel, and also abandoned almost all its equipment. After its breakthrough, the Finns managed to destroy the 44th Infantry Division and practically restore the state border in this direction, paralyzing the actions of the Red Army here. The result of this battle, called the Battle of Suomussalmi, was rich booty taken by the Finnish army, as well as an increase in the overall morale of the Finnish army. At the same time, the leadership of two divisions of the Red Army was subjected to repression.

And if the actions of the 9th Army were unsuccessful, then the most successful were the troops of the 14th Soviet Army, advancing on the Rybachy Peninsula. They managed to capture the city of Petsamo (Pechenga) and large nickel deposits in the area, as well as reach the Norwegian border. Thus, Finland lost access to the Barents Sea for the duration of the war.

In January 1940, the drama also played out south of Suomussalmi, where the scenario of that recent battle was broadly repeated. Here the 54th Rifle Division of the Red Army was surrounded. At the same time, the Finns did not have enough forces to destroy it, so the division was surrounded until the end of the war. A similar fate awaited the 168th Infantry Division, which was surrounded in the Sortavala area. Another division and a tank brigade were encircled in the Lemetti-Yuzhny area and, having suffered huge losses and lost almost all of their equipment, finally fought their way out of the encirclement.

On the Karelian Isthmus, by the end of December, the battles to break through the Finnish fortified line had died down. This was explained by the fact that the command of the Red Army perfectly understood the futility of continuing further attempts to strike Finnish troops, which only brought serious losses with minimal results. The Finnish command, understanding the essence of the calm at the front, launched a series of attacks in order to disrupt the offensive of the Soviet troops. However, these attempts failed with heavy losses for the Finnish troops.

However, in general the situation remained not very favorable for the Red Army. Its troops were drawn into battles on foreign and poorly explored territory, in addition to unfavorable weather conditions. The Finns did not have superiority in numbers and technology, but they had streamlined and well-practiced guerrilla warfare tactics, which allowed them, operating with relatively small forces, to inflict significant losses on the advancing Soviet troops.

February offensive of the Red Army and the end of the war (February-March 1940)

On February 1, 1940, a powerful Soviet artillery preparation began on the Karelian Isthmus, which lasted 10 days. The goal of this preparation was to inflict maximum damage on the Mannerheim line and the Finnish troops and exhaust them. On February 11, the troops of the 7th and 13th armies moved forward.

Fierce fighting broke out along the entire front on the Karelian Isthmus. The Soviet troops delivered the main blow to locality The amount that was located in the Vyborg direction. However, here, like two months ago, the Red Army again began to get bogged down in battles, so soon the direction of the main attack was changed, to Lyakhda. Here Finnish troops were unable to hold back the Red Army, and their defenses were broken through, and a few days later, the first strip of the Mannerheim Line was broken. The Finnish command was forced to begin withdrawing troops.

On February 21, Soviet troops approached the second line of Finnish defense. Fierce fighting broke out here again, which, however, by the end of the month ended with the breakthrough of the Mannerheim line in several places. Thus, the Finnish defense failed.

At the beginning of March 1940, the Finnish army was in a critical situation. The Mannerheim Line was broken, the reserves were practically depleted, while the Red Army developed a successful offensive and had practically inexhaustible reserves. The morale of the Soviet troops was also high. At the beginning of the month, troops of the 7th Army rushed to Vyborg, the fighting for which continued until the ceasefire on March 13, 1940. This city was one of the largest in Finland, and its loss could be very painful for the country. In addition, this opened the way for Soviet troops to Helsinki, which threatened Finland with the loss of independence.

Taking all these factors into account, the Finnish government set a course for starting peace negotiations with the Soviet Union. On March 7, 1940, peace negotiations began in Moscow. As a result, it was decided to cease fire from 12 noon on March 13, 1940. The territories on the Karelian Isthmus and in Lapland (the cities of Vyborg, Sortavala and Salla) were transferred to the USSR, and the Hanko Peninsula was also leased.

Results of the Winter War

Estimates of USSR losses in the Soviet-Finnish war vary significantly and, according to the Soviet Ministry of Defense, amount to approximately 87.5 thousand people killed and died from wounds and frostbite, as well as about 40 thousand missing. 160 thousand people were injured. Finland's losses were significantly smaller - approximately 26 thousand dead and 40 thousand wounded.

As a result of the war with Finland, the Soviet Union was able to ensure the security of Leningrad, as well as strengthen its position in the Baltic. First of all, this concerns the city of Vyborg and the Hanko Peninsula, on which Soviet troops began to be based. At the same time, the Red Army gained combat experience in breaking through the enemy’s fortified line in difficult weather conditions (the air temperature in February 1940 reached -40 degrees), which no other army in the world had at that time.

However, at the same time, the USSR received an enemy in the north-west, albeit not a powerful one, who already in 1941 allowed German troops into its territory and contributed to the blockade of Leningrad. As a result of Finland's intervention in June 1941 on the side of the Axis countries, the Soviet Union received an additional front with a sufficiently large length, diverting from 20 to 50 Soviet divisions in the period from 1941 to 1944.

Great Britain and France also closely followed the conflict and even had plans to attack the USSR and its Caucasian fields. At present, there is no complete data regarding the seriousness of these intentions, but it is likely that in the spring of 1940 the Soviet Union could simply “quarrel” with its future allies and even become involved in a military conflict with them.

There are also a number of versions that the war in Finland indirectly influenced the German attack on the USSR on June 22, 1941. Soviet troops broke through the Mannerheim Line and practically left Finland defenseless in March 1940. Any new invasion of the country by the Red Army could well be fatal for it. After the defeat of Finland, the Soviet Union would move dangerously close to the Swedish mines in Kiruna, one of Germany's few sources of metal. Such a scenario would have brought the Third Reich to the brink of disaster.

Finally, the not very successful offensive of the Red Army in December-January strengthened the belief in Germany that the Soviet troops were essentially incapable of combat and did not have a good command staff. This misconception continued to grow and reached its peak in June 1941, when the Wehrmacht attacked the USSR.

As a conclusion, we can point out that as a result of the Winter War, the Soviet Union still acquired more problems than victories, which was confirmed in the next few years.

If you have any questions, leave them in the comments below the article. We or our visitors will be happy to answer them

MANNERHEIM LINE

USSR - FINLAND: THE UNKNOWN WAR

Remains of the Mannerheim Line construction

Dmitry Ivanov

I have to admit that I have always been wary of short-sighted politicians and unscrupulous historians. Agree, both of them tried a lot to ensure that our ideas about the events of the past were distorted to the point of disgrace.

As an eloquent example, I would like to cite the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939–1940. It is with sadness that we have to admit the fact that many of our compatriots are still convinced that the USSR was defeated in this confrontation. To get to the bottom of the truth, it is worth turning to the history of relations between Russia and Finland.

Let's start with the end XIV centuries, the Suomi tribes, who had no concept of statehood, were conquered by the Swedish crown. The winners, as one might expect, did not grant the Finns any administrative or even cultural autonomy. No…

Perked up indigenous people only after the end of the last Russian-Swedish war in 1809 and the signing of the Friedrichsham Peace Treaty¹. According to its terms, the entire territory of Finland was ceded to Russia.

A little over a century has passed. Through the efforts of the Russian monarchs, the former Swedish province turned, in fact, into an autonomous state (the Grand Duchy of Finland) with all the inherent attributes - authorities, army, customs, post office and currency. All positions in the administration, with the exception of the governor general, were occupied by local natives. Taxes collected here went only to the needs of the region. There was no talk of any “Russification” policy. Moreover, migration of the Russian-speaking population here was prohibited. Therefore, the eternal complaints of the Finnish side about oppression and oppression on the part of the “titular nation” are not worth a penny. But let's continue...

In 1811, the Vyborg province, which included lands that were ceded to Russia under previously signed peace treaties, became part of the Grand Duchy. As a result, the administrative border of Finland moved closer to St. Petersburg. However, instead of gratitude, the Suomi elite rather brazenly began to declare that it would be nice to gain sovereignty.

This fantasy came true immediately after the Great October Socialist Revolution of 1917. Finnish independence was recognized by the Soviet government.

In January 1918, a revolution began in the former Grand Duchy, which developed into a civil war. The Whites immediately called for help from the German interventionists. They were not slow to wait long, and soon the Baltic Division under the command of General von der Goltz landed on the Hanko Peninsula. With her help, the revolutionary troops of Suomi were defeated. On April 14, the Germans occupied Helsinki, and 15 days later Vyborg fell. At the beginning of May, hostilities ceased.

The winners unleashed pure terror. More than 8 thousand people were executed, about 12 thousand died in prisons and concentration camps. Russian-speaking residents of Finland were destroyed everywhere. In a note to the German Ambassador Mirbach dated May 13, 1918, signed by Deputy People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs Chicherin, it was written: “... There was a real extermination of the Russian population without any distinction, old people, women and children, students and in general all Russians were exterminated...”

Carl Gustav Emil Mannerheim

If you think that the White Finns are satisfied with what they have achieved, you are greatly mistaken. They tried to tear off another fatty piece for themselves. On February 3, 1918, the commander-in-chief of the Finnish army, General Mannerheim, declared that “he will not sheathe his sword until Eastern Karelia is liberated from the Bolsheviks.” He approved the so-called “Valenius Plan,” which provided for the seizure of Russian territory up to the White Sea – Lake Onega line, the Svir River – Lake Ladoga. At the same time, the Finns intended to seize the Pechenga region and the Kola Peninsula, and Petrograd was to receive the status of a “free city.” Wow appetites! On May 15, the Finnish government declared war on Soviet Russia. But there were practically no active hostilities until October, partly due to the intervention of Germany, which concluded a contract with the RSFSR Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. The situation changed dramatically after the defeat of the Germans in the First World War.

On October 15, the Finns occupied the Rebolskaya volost, in January 1919 - the neighboring Porosozerskaya volost, and in April they were already close to Petrozavodsk. And then the impossible happened! The Bolsheviks' patience ran out. It was impossible to put up with such shameless behavior any longer. To repel the aggressor, 8.5 thousand military personnel, 166 machine guns and 22 guns were concentrated in Karelia. It seems like not much, but it turned out to be quite enough so that in the end the Finns received the full program. This whole epic ended on February 17, 1922.

The events described shatter to smithereens the rantings of historians and liberal publicists, who still claim that, they say, little Finland could not threaten powerful Russia. In fact, it turns out that this threat was more than real.

There is perhaps no need to dwell much on how difficult the political situation was in Europe at the end of the 1930s. Anticipating a new world war, the leadership of the USSR was seriously concerned about the security of the second largest and most important city in the country. The main cause for concern was the fact that the land border with Finland was only 32 kilometers from Leningrad. This made it very vulnerable to possible long-range artillery fire. Something had to be done.

On October 12, 1939, Soviet-Finnish negotiations began in Moscow. The host party proposed concluding a local agreement on mutual assistance in the joint defense of the Gulf of Finland. They talked about the need to have a military base on the coast of Finland. The Hanko Peninsula was mentioned as a possible location for such a deployment. In addition, neighbors were called upon to cede the part of the Rybachy Peninsula that belonged to them, some islands, and slightly push back the border on the Karelian Isthmus. Instead, much larger areas of Eastern Karelia were proposed. The total area of ​​the territories passing to the USSR would be 2761 square meters. km, and Finland would receive 5529 sq. km as compensation. km. It is worth noting that the authorship of this proposal belonged to the then People's Commissar of Defense Kliment Efremovich Voroshilov.

Alas, the Finnish side rejected the idea of ​​signing an agreement, and regarding territorial changes, they spoke in the spirit that they could not take such a step. It's disgusting, and that's all... Especially when you consider how the Finns acquired land for free thanks to centuries-old concessions. In fact, it was a very profitable deal for everyone.

However, negotiations continued. The position of the Soviet delegation has not changed. Stalin emphasized: “We ask that the distance from Leningrad to the border line be at least 70 kilometers. These are our minimum requirements and you should not think that we will reduce them. We cannot move Leningrad, so the border line must be moved." Negotiations dragged on. After consultations with the government, the Suomi delegation agreed to transfer 5 islands in the Gulf of Finland and push back the border on the Karelian Isthmus by 10 km. There was again a refusal regarding the rental of the Hanko Peninsula. The Soviet side continued to stand its ground, although it agreed to reduce the garrison size of its proposed base from 5 to 4 thousand people. On October 24, citing the need to consult with senior management, the Finnish delegation left for Helsinki.

Oddly enough, the only sane person among the Finnish politicians who had lost all sense of reality was the already mentioned Baron Mannerheim, who by that time had become a marshal. On the eve of the last round of negotiations, he convinced his parliament and diplomats of the need to accept Stalin’s proposal: “We are obliged to come to an agreement. The army is in no condition to fight."

Väinö Alfred Tanner

In seeking to obtain a naval base, the Soviet side was ready for any option: rent, sale, exchange. However, the Finnish leadership, as they say, has the bit between its teeth. It gave instructions to abandon any options for placing a Soviet base on Hanko or any islands in its vicinity. As one of the negotiators, Tanner, later wrote, “We were all disappointed with the instructions we received. We expected that Helsinki would understand: an agreement can only be reached through new concessions.”

On November 9, the last meeting of the contracting parties took place. Stalin went up to the map, pointed to the island of Russarö and asked: “Perhaps you will at least give it up? No? Then it looks like nothing will work out. It won't work."

On November 13, the Suomi delegation left Moscow. As she crossed the border, Finnish border guards... opened fire on their Soviet colleagues.

Main events of the Soviet-Finnish war 11/30/1939 - 3/13/1940.

We did not have to wait long for developments. On November 26 at 15.45 Finnish artillery shelled Soviet territory in the area of ​​the village of Mainila, as a result of which 4 soldiers were killed and 9 were wounded. Two days later, the USSR government denounced the Soviet-Finnish non-aggression treaty and recalled its diplomatic representatives from Helsinki. On November 30, 1939, hostilities began.

The first phase should be considered not entirely successful for the Soviet troops. There are objective reasons for this. Let's start with the fact that Finland mobilized in advance, increasing the size of its army from 37 to 337 thousand people! In 1938-1939, the famous million-dollar pillboxes were built on the famous “Mannerheim Line”. Alas, Soviet intelligence did not have any information about them. The West also provided considerable assistance to the Finns. France, according to Prime Minister Daladier, sent 145 aircraft, 496 guns, 5 thousand machine guns, 400 thousand rifles and 20 million cartridges. His British colleague Chamberlain reported to his parliament that Finland had been supplied with 101 aircraft, 114 guns, 185 thousand shells, 100 Vickers machine guns, 50 thousand gas shells, 15,700 bombs, 200 anti-tank guns, etc.

In addition, about 12 thousand volunteers arrived in Finland. As for England and France, they did not hide their desire to participate in this conflict. Of course on the Finnish side. But their plans were not destined to come true.

The Soviet command made the proper conclusions. After the necessary preparation, our significantly reinforced troops launched a massive offensive on the Karelian Isthmus on February 11, 1940. Having broken through the main defensive line, on March 9 they reached the outskirts of Vyborg. On the same day, Marshal Mannerheim informed his government that the Suomi army was facing the threat of complete defeat. However, England and France persuaded him to hold on, assuring him that their armies were already on the way. However, on March 12 in Moscow the Finnish delegation was forced to sign a peace treaty. Of course, on Soviet terms...

Who became the true winner in this strange “winter war”?

According to the Moscow Treaty, the USSR received new territories free of charge plus a naval base on the Hanko Peninsula. Let me remind you that in 1939 the Soviet Union asked for a little less than 3 thousand square meters. km in exchange for twice the territory. And as a result of the war, he received 40 thousand square meters. km without giving anything in return.

A very significant point: at the pre-war negotiations, the USSR offered, in addition to territorial compensation, also compensation for the value of the property left by the Finns. Even in the case of the transfer of a small piece of land, we would be talking about an amount no less than 800 million marks.

Juho Kusti Paasikivi

And in 1940, the head of the Finnish delegation, Paasikivi, had the impudence to hint about compensation and even referred to Peter I , who paid Sweden 2 million thalers under the Treaty of Nystadt. To which the People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov calmly replied: “Write a letter to Peter the Great. If he orders, we will pay..."

Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov

In the meantime, the Soviet side demanded that the losing side pay 95 million rubles. for equipment removed from the occupied territory and damage to property. Finland pledged to transfer to the USSR 350 sea and river Vehicle, 76 locomotives, 2 thousand carriages and a significant number of cars. So who, I repeat, won?

Was the asinine stubbornness of the Finnish elite worth such losses? I don’t understand those who accuse the USSR of aggression. Was a specific and advantageous offer made to Finland? Was. Did you want to come to an amicable agreement with her? They wanted to. Who derailed the negotiations? And ultimately provoked a war? Still the same Old “Good” Europe, pitting its neighbors against the Russian Empire, the USSR, and today against modern Russia states, promising them all sorts of benefits and assistance, including military. At the same time, at the last minute she always deceives naive fools. Because no one will get involved in a war with a big country over trifles.

POSTSCRIPTUM

A separate conversation about human casualties. Some people believe that the Soviet side suffered unjustifiably large losses in the “winter war.” According to the lists of names, 126,875 people died or went missing. I dare to remind those who want to rewrite history in their own way that in any battle the attacking side loses manpower many times more than the defending side. This is an undeniable truth. So there is no point in manipulating the number of those killed on the battlefield in order to diminish the significance of one of the many remarkable victories won by a once great country.

¹ Treaty of Friedrichsham 1809 Concluded between Russia and Sweden following the war between Russia and Sweden of 1808 - 1809, during which Russia managed to completely occupy Finland and defeat Swedish troops. According to the peace treaty, all of Finland (including the Aland Islands) went to Russia. The resettlement of the Swedish population from Finland to Sweden and in the opposite direction was allowed. Sweden had to make peace with Napoleon (it was an indispensable participant in all anti-French coalitions). After the conclusion of peace, the Grand Duchy of Finland was formed with its own constitution, which became part of Russia.

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 the February Revolution, unrest began in 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, the further path of development of the country was not clear-cut; 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 the Principality of Novgorod, then were captured by Sweden, and 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, local border conflicts between countries regularly took place. 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” that would unite the majority of Finno-Ugric peoples was considered.

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 duration of the negotiations, the parties did not come to a mutually beneficial agreement and the USSR began preparations for 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 start of the Finnish war (the date of the invasion had already been agreed upon with the political leadership of the country) occurred 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 Soviet-Finnish war - it organizes a border conflict at Mainila on November 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 that time until the peace negotiations, the USSR did not recognize the democratic government of Finland and did 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 the 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.

The Soviet army also turned out, surprisingly, to be unprepared 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 it were necessary to fight in the summer, the Red Army would be faced with even greater 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 stopped its offensive operations and prepared 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

During the first stage of the war there was an exception 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 with various assistance - they do not enter into an open conflict, but there are active supplies of weapons to the northern country.

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, the expeditionary force would have to pass 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 North-Western Front is formed. 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, taking advantage of the weather conditions, Mannerheim gave 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. There was practically no hope for major military assistance 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 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, the officers were 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 a serious injury to his jaw (it had to be inserted from 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:

1. USSR acquisition of new territories. They managed to move the border away from Leningrad.
2. Gaining combat experience, awareness of the need to improve military equipment.
3. 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.
4. Failure of the plan for the creation of the Finnish Democratic Republic .
5. 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 with feet of clay.
6. 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.

After the signing of the Soviet-German non-aggression pact, Germany went to war with Poland, and relations between the USSR and Finland began to strain. One of the reasons - secret document between the USSR and Germany on delimiting spheres of influence. According to it, the influence of the USSR extended to Finland, the Baltic states, western Ukraine and Belarus, and Bessarabia.

Realizing that a major war was inevitable, Stalin sought to protect Leningrad, which could be shelled by artillery from Finnish territory. Therefore, the task was to move the border further north. To resolve the issue peacefully, the Soviet side offered Finland the lands of Karelia in exchange for moving the border on the Karelian Isthmus, but any attempts at dialogue were suppressed by the Finns. They didn't want to come to an agreement.

Reason for war

The reason for the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-1940 was an incident near the village of Mainila on November 25, 1939 at 15:45. This village is located on the Karelian Isthmus, 800 meters from the Finnish border. Mainila was subjected to artillery shelling, as a result of which 4 representatives of the Red Army were killed and 8 were wounded.

On November 26, Molotov summoned the Finnish ambassador in Moscow (Irie Koskinen) and presented a note of protest, stating that the shelling was carried out from the territory of Finland, and that the only thing that saved him from starting a war was that the Soviet army had an order not to succumb to provocations.

On November 27, the Finnish government responded to the Soviet note of protest. Briefly, the main provisions of the answer were as follows:

• The shelling actually took place and lasted approximately 20 minutes.
• The shelling came from the Soviet side, approximately 1.5-2 km southeast of the village of Maynila.
• It was proposed to create a commission that would jointly study this episode and give it an adequate assessment.

What really happened near the village of Maynila? This is an important question, since it was as a result of these events that the Winter (Soviet-Finnish) War was unleashed. The only thing that can be stated unequivocally is that there really was shelling of the village of Maynila, but who carried it out is impossible to establish through documentation. Ultimately, there are 2 versions (Soviet and Finnish), and each needs to be evaluated. The first version is that Finland shelled the territory of the USSR. The second version is that it was a provocation prepared by the NKVD.

Why did Finland need this provocation? Historians talk about two reasons:

1. The Finns were a political tool in the hands of the British, who needed war. This assumption would be reasonable if we consider the winter war in isolation. But if you remember the realities of those times, then at the time of the incident it was already underway World War, and England has already declared war on Germany. England's attack on the USSR automatically created an alliance between Stalin and Hitler, and this alliance would sooner or later hit England itself with all its might. Therefore, to assume this is tantamount to assuming that England decided to commit suicide, which, of course, was not the case.
2. They wanted to expand their territories and influence. This is an absolutely stupid hypothesis. This is from the category - Liechtenstein wants to attack Germany. It's nonsense. Finland had neither the strength nor the means for war, and everyone in the Finnish command understood that their only chance of success in the war with the USSR was a long defense that would exhaust the enemy. With such situations, no one will disturb the den with the bear.

The most adequate answer to the question posed is that the shelling of the village of Mainila is a provocation of the Soviet government itself, which was looking for any excuse to justify the war with Finland. And it was this incident that was subsequently presented to Soviet society as an example of the treachery of the Finnish people, who needed help to carry out the socialist revolution.

Balance of forces and means

It is indicative how the forces were correlated during the Soviet-Finnish war. Below is a brief table that describes how the opposing countries approached the Winter War.

In all aspects except infantry, the USSR had a clear advantage. But conducting an offensive, superior to the enemy by only 1.3 times, is an extremely risky undertaking. In this case, discipline, training and organization come to the fore. The Soviet army had problems with all three aspects. These figures once again emphasize that the Soviet leadership did not perceive Finland as an enemy, expecting to destroy it in the shortest possible time.

Progress of the war

The Soviet-Finnish or Winter War can be divided into 2 stages: the first (December 39th - January 7th 40th) and the second (January 7th 40th - March 12th 40th). What happened on January 7, 1940? Timoshenko was appointed commander of the army, who immediately set about reorganizing the army and establishing order in it.

First stage

The Soviet-Finnish war began on November 30, 1939, and the Soviet army failed to carry it out briefly. The USSR army actually crossed the state border of Finland without declaring war. For its citizens, the justification was the following - to help the people of Finland in overthrowing the bourgeois government of the warmonger.

The Soviet leadership did not take Finland seriously, believing that the war would be over in a few weeks. They even mentioned a figure of 3 weeks as a deadline. More specifically, there should be no war. The Soviet command's plan was approximately as follows:

• Send in troops. We did this on November 30th.
• Creation of a working government controlled by the USSR. On December 1, the Kuusinen government was created (more on this later).
• Lightning-fast attack on all fronts. It was planned to reach Helsinki in 1.5-2 weeks.
• Declining the real government of Finland towards peace and complete surrender in favor of the Kuusinen government.

The first two points were implemented in the first days of the war, but then problems began. The blitzkrieg did not work out, and the army was stuck in the Finnish defense. Although in the initial days of the war, until approximately December 4, it seemed that everything was going according to plan - Soviet troops were moving forward. However, very soon they stumbled upon the Mannerheim line. On December 4, the armies of the eastern front entered it (near Lake Suvantojärvi), on December 6 - central front(direction Summa), December 10 - western front (Gulf of Finland). And it was a shock. A huge number of documents indicate that the troops did not expect to encounter a well-fortified defense line. And this is a huge question for the Red Army intelligence.

In any case, December was a disastrous month that thwarted almost all the plans of the Soviet Headquarters. The troops advanced inland slowly. Every day the pace of movement only decreased. Reasons for the slow advance of Soviet troops:

1. Terrain. Almost the entire territory of Finland is forests and swamps. It is difficult to use equipment in such conditions.
2. Application of aviation. Aviation was practically not used in terms of bombing. There was no point in bombing villages adjacent to the front line, since the Finns were retreating, leaving behind scorched earth. It was difficult to bomb the retreating troops, since they were retreating with civilians.
3. Roads. While retreating, the Finns destroyed roads, caused landslides, and mined everything they could.

Formation of the Kuusinen government

On December 1, 1939, the People's Government of Finland was formed in the city of Terijoki. It was formed on territory already captured by the USSR, and with the direct participation of the Soviet leadership. The Finnish people's government included:

• Chairman and Minister of Foreign Affairs – Otto Kuusinen
• Minister of Finance – Mauri Rosenberg
• Minister of Defense - Axel Antila
• Minister of the Interior – Tuure Lehen
• Minister of Agriculture – Armas Eikia
• Minister of Education – Inkeri Lehtinen
• Minister for Karelia Affairs – Paavo Prokkonen

Outwardly it looks like a full-fledged government. The only problem is that the Finnish population did not recognize him. But already on December 1 (that is, on the day of formation), this government concluded an agreement with the USSR on the establishment of diplomatic relations between the USSR and the FDR (Finnish Democratic Republic). December 2 is signed new agreement- about mutual assistance. From this moment on, Molotov says that the war continues because a revolution took place in Finland, and now it is necessary to support it and help the workers. In fact, it was a clever trick to justify the war in the eyes of the Soviet population.

Mannerheim Line

The Mannerheim Line is one of the few things that almost everyone knows about the Soviet-Finnish war. Soviet propaganda said about this fortification system that all the world generals recognized its impregnability. This was an exaggeration. The line of defense was, of course, strong, but not impregnable.

The Mannerheim Line (as it received this name already during the war) consisted of 101 concrete fortifications. For comparison, the Maginot Line, which Germany crossed in France, was approximately the same length. The Maginot Line consisted of 5,800 concrete structures. In fairness, it should be noted the difficult terrain conditions of the Mannerheim Line. There were swamps and numerous lakes, which made movement extremely difficult and therefore the defense line did not require a large number of fortifications.

The largest attempt to break through the Mannerheim Line at the first stage was made on December 17-21 in the central section. It was here that it was possible to occupy the roads leading to Vyborg, gaining a significant advantage. But the offensive, in which 3 divisions took part, failed. This was the first major success in the Soviet-Finnish war for the Finnish army. This success came to be called the “Miracle of Summa.” Subsequently, the line was broken on February 11, which actually predetermined the outcome of the war.

Expulsion of the USSR from the League of Nations

On December 14, 1939, the USSR was expelled from the League of Nations. This decision was promoted by England and France, who spoke of Soviet aggression against Finland. Representatives of the League of Nations condemned the actions of the USSR in terms of aggressive actions and the outbreak of war.

Today, the exclusion of the USSR from the League of Nations is cited as an example of the limitation of Soviet power and as a loss in image. In fact, everything is a little different. In 1939, the League of Nations no longer played the role it had been assigned following the First World War. The fact is that back in 1933, Germany left it, refusing to comply with the demands of the League of Nations for disarmament and simply left the organization. It turns out that at the time of December 14, the League of Nations de facto ceased to exist. After all, what kind of European security system can we talk about when Germany and the USSR left the organization?

Second stage of the war

On January 7, 1940, the Headquarters of the Northwestern Front was headed by Marshal Timoshenko. He had to solve all the problems and organize a successful offensive of the Red Army. At this point, the Soviet-Finnish war took a break, and no active operations were carried out until February. From February 1 to 9, powerful attacks began on the Mannerheim line. It was assumed that the 7th and 13th armies were to break through the defense line with decisive flank attacks and occupy the Vuoksy-Karkhul sector. After this, it was planned to move to Vyborg, occupy the city and block the railways and highways leading to the West.

On February 11, 1940, a general offensive of Soviet troops began on the Karelian Isthmus. This was a turning point in the Winter War, as units of the Red Army managed to break through the Mannerheim Line and begin advancing deeper into the country. We advanced slowly due to the specifics of the terrain, the resistance of the Finnish army and severe frosts, but the main thing was that we advanced. At the beginning of March, the Soviet army was already on the western coast of the Vyborg Bay.

This effectively ended the war, since it was obvious that Finland did not have much strength and means to contain the Red Army. From that time on, peace negotiations began, in which the USSR dictated its terms, and Molotov constantly emphasized that the conditions would be harsh, because the Finns forced the war to start, during which the blood of Soviet soldiers was shed.

Why did the war last so long

According to the Bolsheviks, the Soviet-Finnish war was supposed to end in 2-3 weeks, and the decisive advantage was to be given by the troops of the Leningrad district alone. In practice, the war dragged on for almost 4 months, and divisions were assembled throughout the country to suppress the Finns. There are several reasons for this:

• Poor organization of troops. This concerns the poor performance of the command staff, but the bigger problem is coherence between the branches of the military. She was practically absent. If you study archival documents, there are a lot of reports according to which some troops fired at others.
• Poor security. The army was in need of almost everything. The war was fought in winter and in the north, where the air temperature dropped below -30 by the end of December. And at the same time, the army was not provided with winter clothing.
• Underestimating the enemy. The USSR did not prepare for war. The plan was to quickly suppress the Finns and solve the problem without war, attributing everything to the border incident of November 24, 1939.
• Support for Finland by other countries. England, Italy, Hungary, Sweden (primarily) - provided assistance to Finland in everything: weapons, supplies, food, airplanes, and so on. The greatest efforts were made by Sweden, which itself actively helped and facilitated the transfer of assistance from other countries. In general, during the Winter War of 1939-1940, only Germany supported the Soviet side.

Stalin was very nervous because the war was dragging on. He repeated - The whole world is watching us. And he was right. Therefore, Stalin demanded a solution to all problems, restoration of order in the army and a speedy resolution of the conflict. To some extent this was achieved. And quite quickly. The Soviet offensive in February-March 1940 forced Finland to peace.

The Red Army fought extremely undisciplinedly, and its management does not stand up to criticism. Almost all reports and memos about the situation at the front were accompanied by a postscript - “an explanation of the reasons for the failures.” I will give some quotes from Beria’s memo to Stalin No. 5518/B dated December 14, 1939:

• During the landing on the island of Sayskari, a Soviet plane dropped 5 bombs, which landed on the destroyer "Lenin".
• On December 1, the Ladoga flotilla was fired upon twice by its own aircraft.
• When occupying the island of Gogland, during the advance of the landing forces, 6 Soviet aircraft appeared, one of which fired several shots in bursts. As a result, 10 people were injured.

And there are hundreds of such examples. But if the situations above are examples of the exposure of soldiers and troops, then next I want to give examples of how the equipment of the Soviet army took place. To do this, let us turn to Beria’s memo to Stalin No. 5516/B dated December 14, 1939:

• In the Tulivara area, the 529th Rifle Corps needed 200 pairs of skis to bypass enemy fortifications. This could not be done, since the Headquarters received 3,000 pairs of skis with broken points.
• The new arrivals from the 363rd Signal Battalion include 30 vehicles in need of repair, and 500 people are wearing summer uniforms.
• The 51st Corps Artillery Regiment arrived to replenish the 9th Army. Missing: 72 tractors, 65 trailers. Of the 37 tractors that arrived, only 9 are in good condition, out of 150 machines - 90. 80% of the personnel are not provided with winter uniforms.

It is not surprising that against the backdrop of such events there was desertion in the Red Army. For example, on December 14, 430 people deserted from the 64th Infantry Division.

Help for Finland from other countries

In the Soviet-Finnish war, many countries provided assistance to Finland. To demonstrate, I will cite Beria’s report to Stalin and Molotov No. 5455/B.

Finland is helped by:

• Sweden – 8 thousand people. Mainly reserve personnel. They are commanded by career officers who are on “vacation.”
• Italy - number unknown.
• Hungary – 150 people. Italy demands an increase in numbers.
• England - 20 fighter aircraft are known, although the actual number is higher.

The best proof that the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-1940 took place with the support of the Western countries of Finland was the speech of Finnish Minister Greensberg on December 27, 1939 at 07:15 to the English agency Havas. Below I quote the literal translation from English.

The Finnish people thank the English, French and other nations for the assistance they provide.

Greensberg, Minister of Finland

It is obvious that Western countries opposed the USSR aggression against Finland. This was expressed, among other things, by the exclusion of the USSR from the League of Nations.

I would also like to show a photo of Beria’s report on the intervention of France and England in the Soviet-Finnish war.

Conclusion of peace

On February 28, the USSR handed over to Finland its terms for concluding peace. The negotiations themselves took place in Moscow on March 8-12. After these negotiations, the Soviet-Finnish war ended on March 12, 1940. The peace terms were as follows:

1. The USSR received the Karelian Isthmus along with Vyborg (Viipuri), the bay and islands.
2. The western and northern coasts of Lake Ladoga, together with the cities of Kexgolm, Suoyarvi and Sortavala.
3. Islands in the Gulf of Finland.
4. Hanko Island with its maritime territory and base was leased to the USSR for 50 years. The USSR paid 8 million German marks for rent annually.
5. The agreement between Finland and the USSR of 1920 has lost its force.
6. On March 13, 1940, hostilities ceased.

Below is a map showing the territories ceded to the USSR as a result of the signing of the peace treaty.

USSR losses

The question of the number of USSR soldiers killed during the Soviet-Finnish War is still open. The official history does not answer the question, speaking in veiled terms about “minimal” losses and focusing on the fact that the objectives were achieved. There was no talk about the scale of the Red Army's losses in those days. The figure was deliberately underestimated, demonstrating the success of the army. In fact, the losses were huge. To do this, just look at report No. 174 of December 21, which provides figures on the losses of the 139th Infantry Division over 2 weeks of fighting (November 30 - December 13). The losses are as follows:

• Commanders – 240.
• Privates - 3536.
• Rifles - 3575.
• Light machine guns – 160.
• Heavy machine guns – 150.
• Tanks – 5.
• Armored vehicles – 2.
• Tractors – 10.
• Trucks – 14.
• Horse composition - 357.

Belyanov's memo No. 2170 dated December 27 talks about the losses of the 75th Infantry Division. Total losses: senior commanders - 141, junior commanders - 293, rank and file - 3668, tanks - 20, machine guns - 150, rifles - 1326, armored vehicles - 3.

This is data for 2 divisions (much more fought) for 2 weeks of fighting, when the first week was a “warm-up” - the Soviet army advanced relatively without losses until it reached the Mannerheim Line. And during these 2 weeks, of which only the last was actually combative, the OFFICIAL figures are losses of more than 8 thousand people! A huge number of people suffered frostbite.

On March 26, 1940, at the 6th session of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, data on USSR losses in the war with Finland were announced - 48,745 people killed and 158,863 people wounded and frostbitten. These are official figures and therefore greatly underestimated. Today, historians give different figures for the losses of the Soviet army. It is said that between 150 and 500 thousand people died. For example, the Book of Combat Losses of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army states that in the war with the White Finns, 131,476 people died, went missing, or died from wounds. At the same time, the data of that time did not take into account the losses of the Navy, and for a long time people who died in hospitals after wounds and frostbite were not taken into account as losses. Today, most historians agree that about 150 thousand Red Army soldiers died during the war, excluding the losses of the Navy and border troops.

Finnish losses are listed as follows: 23 thousand dead and missing, 45 thousand wounded, 62 aircraft, 50 tanks, 500 guns.

Results and consequences of the war

The Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-1940, even with a brief study, points to both absolutely negative and absolutely positive aspects. The negative is the nightmare of the first months of the war and the huge number of victims. By and large, it was December 1939 and early January 1940 that demonstrated to the whole world that the Soviet army was weak. That's how it really was. But there was also a positive aspect: the Soviet leadership saw real strength of his army. We have been told since childhood that the Red Army has been the strongest in the world almost since 1917, but this is extremely far from reality. The only major test of this army is Civil War. We will not now analyze the reasons for the victory of the Reds over the Whites (after all, we are now talking about the Winter War), but the reasons for the victory of the Bolsheviks do not lie in the army. To demonstrate this, it is enough to just quote one quote from Frunze, which he voiced at the end of the Civil War.

All this army rabble needs to be disbanded as soon as possible.

Frunze

Before the war with Finland, the leadership of the USSR had its head in the clouds, believing that it had a strong army. But December 1939 showed that this was not the case. The army was extremely weak. But starting in January 1940, changes were made (personnel and organizational) that changed the course of the war, and which largely prepared a combat-ready army for Patriotic War. This is very easy to prove. Almost the entire December of the 39th Red Army stormed the Mannerheim line - there was no result. On February 11, 1940, the Mannerheim line was broken through in 1 day. This breakthrough was possible because it was carried out by another army, more disciplined, organized, and trained. And the Finns did not have a single chance against such an army, so Mannerheim, who served as Minister of Defense, even then began to talk about the need for peace.

Prisoners of war and their fate

The number of prisoners of war during the Soviet-Finnish war was impressive. At the time of the war, there were 5,393 captured Red Army soldiers and 806 captured White Finns. Captured Red Army soldiers were divided into the following groups:

• Political leadership. It was political affiliation that was important, without singling out rank.
• Officers. This group included persons equated to officers.
• Junior officers.
• Privates.
• National minorities
• Defectors.

Particular attention was paid to national minorities. The attitude towards them in Finnish captivity was more loyal than towards representatives of the Russian people. The privileges were minor, but they were there. At the end of the war, a mutual exchange of all prisoners was carried out, regardless of their belonging to one group or another.

On April 19, 1940, Stalin orders everyone who was in Finnish captivity to be sent to the Southern Camp of the NKVD. Below is a quote from the Politburo resolution.

All those returned by the Finnish authorities should be sent to the Southern camp. Within three months, ensure all necessary measures are taken to identify persons processed by foreign intelligence services. Pay attention to dubious and alien elements, as well as those who voluntarily surrendered. In all cases, refer cases to court.

Stalin

The southern camp, located in the Ivanovo region, began work on April 25. Already on May 3, Beria sent a letter to Stalin, Molotov and Timoschenko, informing that 5277 people had arrived at the Camp. On June 28, Beria sends a new report. According to it, the Southern camp “receives” 5,157 Red Army soldiers and 293 officers. Of these, 414 people were convicted of treason and treason.

The myth of war - Finnish “cuckoos”

“Cuckoos” is what Soviet soldiers called snipers who continuously fired at the Red Army. It was said that these are professional Finnish snipers who sit in trees and shoot almost without missing. The reason for such attention to snipers is their high efficiency and the inability to determine the point of the shot. But the problem in determining the point of the shot was not that the shooter was in a tree, but that the terrain created an echo. It disoriented the soldiers.

Stories about “cuckoos” are one of the myths that the Soviet-Finnish war gave rise to large quantities. It’s hard to imagine in 1939 a sniper who, at air temperatures below -30 degrees, was able to sit on a tree for days, while firing accurate shots.