Finland's Continuation War
Against Russia 1940-45

Introduction

by Brian R. Train, Victoria, British Columbia

The "Winter War" between Russian and Finland was the second major campaign of the Second World War. It began on 30 November 1939 when Finland resisted Russia's peremptory territorial demands. When peace was signed on 13 March 1940, the Soviets had thrown 45 divisions - almost half the Red Army then stationed in Europe and Western Siberia - and 3,000 tanks against Finland's nine poorly equipped but superbly motivated and led infantry divisions. Their offensives had worn the Finns down to the point of physical collapse, but they lost over 200,000 dead and much material in the process.

The Soviet peace terms were harsh. Finland was force to cede its islands in the Gulf of Finland, large sections of Lapland, and the whole of Karelia up to the borders as they had been in 1721. It also had to grant a 30 year lease on the port of Hanko for the Soviets to use as a naval base. All this constituted about 12% of Finland's territory as a whole, and displaced over 200,000 people in addition to the 220,000 civilians already displaced by the fighting. In their hubris, the overconfident Soviets did not dictate any terms concerning Finland's military which would cause them problems later.

Less than a month after the peace treaty was signed, Germany overran Denmark in a few hours and launched a daring marine and airborne assault on Norway. By the time they had completed their occupation of Norway in June, the Germans has also almost finished their lightning conquests of Holland, Belgium and France. These examples of German power to one side the threatening posture of the USSR to the other, combined with a feeling of abandonment by Britain and France (who had been eloquent with their promises of modern equipment and troops to help them fight the Soviets during the Winter War, but who had never delivered on them), led the Finnish government to believe that Germany was the only power that could help them under their present circumstances. The Soviets further increased the government's anxiety with its veto of their attempt to create a Scandinavian defensive alliance pact with Sweden and Norway, their continued provocative actions and abrogation of the terms of the peace treaty, and the annexation of the Baltic States in August 1940.

Hitler, for his part, had decided in the summer of 1940 to invade the USSR in the following year. Bringing Finland into the struggle would tie down thousands of Red Army troops along the frontier, threaten the railway link south from the important Arctic port of Murmansk, and give Germany access to Finnish sources of lumber copper, nickel, and molybdenum.

The dismal performance of the Red Army against the Finnish during the Winter War probably boosted his confidence that Russia could be defeated in a quick campaign. Negotiations began between the two governments in August. Germany agreed to supply Finland with food, fuel and modern weapons in exchange for the right to send German troops across Finnish territory to Kirkenes, up at the very top of Norway.

While the Germans build up their strength in northern Norway, Field Marshal Gustav Mannerheim (commander of the Finnish military) took advantage of the apparent loophole left in the peace treaty with Russia to rebuild the army. In December 1940 the term of service for conscripts was raised to two years from one, and seven new infantry divisions were raised to bring the total to 16. Each division had one brigade or regiment at full strength at all times. Mannerheim also created or improved several elite units such as two Jager (light infantry) brigades, a motorized cavalry brigade and an independent heavy artillery regiment. On full mobilization, Finland would be able to field 400,000 trained troops - over 10% of the entire population.

In May 1941, only one month before the planned date of Operation Barbarossa, Mannerheim's chief of staff went to Salzburg to learn the German plans for invading Russia. The Germans explained how they thought the Finnish Army "could be most helpful" in aiding the attack - everything was couched in hypothetical terms, but it was obvious they assumed the Finns would perform as directed. The Finnish government continued the negotiations and meetings, but without any formal agreement of co-belligerency and on the understanding that Finland would not fight without being attacked first.

Thus it was that when Germany attacked on 22 June, the Finnish troops did not move, even though Hitler's announcement of the attack on the USSR contained the phrase "in league with Finnish divisions." Finland had been advised of Barbarossa's start date only the week before, and had ordered full mobilization on 17 June.

There was no direct conflict between Finnish and Russian forces during 22-24 June, but when German aircraft bombed Leningrad and Kronstadt and refueled in Finland for the trip back to East Prussia Stalin ordered a series of air raids on towns and airfields across southern Finland on 25 June. The following day President Ryti declared that Finland was fighting Russia in self-defence. The conflict the Finns called "Jatkosota" -the Continuation War, because to them this was simply Act II of the Winter War - had begun.

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