Finnish during the winter war book

Why was finland so successful during the winter war. Firstly, i have the uk edition, titled the winter war. The finnish people feel that sisu constitutes the heart of their national culture. War between finland and the soviet union started on november 30th 1939 with. Finnish military effectiveness in the winter war, 19391940, is an outstanding study, providing an insightful, wellresearched, and nuanced understanding of the reasons why the finns were able to adapt to the realities of combat and translate the lessons of combat into lessons learned. Even though we know the historical outcome of the conflict, the books lively take on historical events. T uun ainen, finnish military effectiveness in the winter war. As any avid winter sport practitioner knows, strenuous physical activity in extreme cold requires a high protein diet. Severe winter conditions hampered naval activity during the winter war, although some finnish submarines operated in the approaches to the gulf of bothnia. Sep 25, 2019 severe winter conditions hampered naval activity during the winter war, although some finnish submarines operated in the approaches to the gulf of bothnia. Koivunen was assigned to a ski patrol on 20 april 1944, along with several other men.

Three hundred jewish officers and soldiers served in the finnish army during the continuation war eight were killed in battle. He used a finnishproduced m2830 rifle, a variant of the mosinnagant rifle, and a suomi kp31 submachine gun. Finnish military effectiveness in the winter war, 1939. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that. Aug 16, 2017 the amazing story of finland in world war ii, 19391945 a soldier with a pack reindeer, on slippery ice, near the tiny village of nautsi, in northern lapland, finland, on october 26, 1941. But this war, like all wars, was not fought in a ledger book. Winter war broke out november 30th 1939 when soviet troops invaded finland. After the first year or two of production when older styles were updated and material was standardized, the model 1936 uniform remained unchanged through the winter war. During the war, the lives of the finnish jews continued as before. This book describes the operations of the soviet air force along the finnishsoviet front during the winter war of 19391940. Fascinating history of finnish jews during ww2 the jewish. Fascinating history of finnish jews during ww2 the. Many of the stories and facts of the winter war have been gleamed from movies as well as internet sites dealing with the subject, but printed reference works are few and far between. World unimpressed with winter war heroics yle uutiset yle.

Veterans of our wars fought for finlands independence and freedom during. The timeline of the winter war is a chronology of events leading up to, culminating in, and resulting from the winter war. Plus the book downplayed the finnish alliance with the germans, but i gained respect for the tough fortitute of the finnish winter fighter. Unlike other wars, the war between russia and finland was fought in a winter. Instead, the winter war became one of the ussrs most shocking defeats. Finnish armed forces in the winter war 193940 ww2 weapons.

How finland lost world war ii to the soviets, but won peace. For many years this area of finnish defense had been under funded or ignored. During the continuation war, more than 1,000 war children left to stay at the same places where they had stayed at during the winter war. Angela serves during the socalled finnish winter war 19391940 as a nurse at a war hospital. Since your name sounds finnish, i take it that you have studied history at school.

The winter war is always topical when speaking about finnish selfconsciousness says antero holmila, a researcher at the university of jyvaskyla with a background in british academia, and the editor of a book entitled talvisota muiden silmin the winter war through the eyes of others. The defender had no options, only survive or let the kossacks in. How finland lost world war ii to the soviets, but won. It takes place in the late 1930s and the 1940s during the winter war against the soviet union and finland. Sisu is what allowed finnish soldiers to creep close to soviet tanks to throw grenades, plant charges, and. The most prolific tank of all time was not available before the end of the winter war.

There have been numerous reasons proposed for the finnish decision to invade, with regaining territory lost during the winter war being regarded as the most common. For most of finlands history, the country had lived on the periphery of world events, but for a few weeks during the winter of 193940, finland stood at. During the war very little had changed regarding the organization, equipment or tactics of finnish forces, according to the book finland at war. At the time these swedishmade guns were considered state of the art, but armor.

Aimo allan koivunen 17 october 1917 12 august 1989 was a finnish soldier in world war ii and the first documented case of a soldier overdosing on methamphetamine during combat overdose. There are not that many books available to the english reader on the winter war and this has always been a problem for the finnishcollector and researcher. Jan 20, 2018 the war between russia and finland, generally referred to as the winter war, lasted from november 30th1939 to march th, 1940. X was a dutch twoseat reconnaissance aircraft and dive bomber.

Sisu is what allowed finnish soldiers to creep close to soviet tanks to throw grenades, plant charges, and even attempt to crow bar off their treads. He says in his introduction that it is deeply indebted to halsti. In russian historiography, the war is called the sovietfinnish front of the great patriotic war. In 1939, tiny finland waged war the kind of war that spawns legend. This fast tank was the second most current soviet tank during the winter war and proved unable to. The continuation war began 15 months after the end of the winter war, also fought between finland and the ussr. Finns commemorate outbreak of winter war yle uutiset yle. The winter war was a direct result of the nazisoviet nonaggression pact of august 1939.

On war and the winter war florida state university. During the winter war, finns from the eastern region on the russian border known as karelia were forced to evacuate their homes and live with finnish families in other parts of the country. This book describes the operations of the soviet air force along the finnish soviet front during the winter war of 19391940. There are not that many books available to the english reader on the winter war and this has always been a problem for the finnish collector and researcher. The winter war reminded the world that it was better to go down fighting than to submit to injustice. List of wars involving finland timeline of the occupation of the baltic states timeline of the molotov ribbentrop pact. Both were strongly emphasizing the attack, aiming for the encirclement and destruction of enemy forces. Jul 30, 2012 during the war, the lives of the finnish jews continued as before. Jul 18, 2016 finnish armour in the winter war of wwii leave a reply i always have had great admiration for the finnish fighting spirit during world war ii, it has very much been a david versus goliath fight between finland and the soviet union.

The winter war goodreads meet your next favorite book. Soviet prisoners of war in finland during world war ii were captured in two sovietfinnish conflicts of that period. Finnish military effectiveness in the winter war, 19391940. The influence of the winter war in popular culture has been deep and wide, both in finnish culture and worldwide. It began with a soviet invasion of finland on 30 november 1939, three months after the outbreak of world war ii, and ended three and a half months later with the moscow peace treaty on march 1940. Finnish antitank capabilities were lacking leading up to the winter war.

When finland rejected the demand, the soviet union launched an attack on november 30, 1939, beginning. The bristol bulldog iva and iia were singleseat fighters of british origin. With finlands economy growing in the 1930s, it became a tempting target for soviet aggression. The biggest problem with the m36 uniform however was the lack of them. During the nazisoviet war german snipers used 198g fmjbt ss. Until a comprehesive military history of the war is written this book is the best avaiable. Last shots fired in finnish use in june of 1944, that was the last time they saw any use. Three days into their mission, on 18 march, the group was attacked and surrounded by soviet. How a small force of finnish ski troops fought off a. Winter war clip the writer, whose father had just joined the finnish army in the summer of 1939, believes that most people are tired of the propaganda films and history books that leave out uncle josephs genocide and simply magnify stalins defeat of hitler.

The story of the winter war between finland and soviet russia is a dramatic david versus goliath encounter. The continuation war was a conflict fought by finland and nazi germany, as cobelligerents, against the soviet union ussr from 1941 to 1944, during world war ii. The finns are a proud people, and the book is from the finnish view so i would not call it 100% objective. Pretty much everybody was aware of, that if stalins orchestra gets to perform with the red army at town square in hel. A finnish army just a third the size of the soviet force slowed and bloodied the invaders until a peace deal ended the war. Simo hayha was a finnish marksman of the highest order, and his weapon of choice was the finnish m2830 rifle, which he used in the winter war 1939. When close to half a million soviet troops poured into finland in 1939 it was expected that finnish defences would collapse in a matter of weeks. William trotter brings the nastiness of the winter war to life. Fire and ice the winter war of finland and russia youtube. The winter war began with the soviet invasion of finland on 30 november 1939, three months after the outbreak of world war ii, and ended three and a half months later with the moscow peace treaty on march 1940. Learn more about the russofinnish war in this article. The soviet attack on finland, 19391940 eloise engle, lauri.

Therefore like the kv1, almost all were captured in 194142. Finnish armour in the winter war of wwii playing with history. Jul 23, 2012 the winter war of finland and russia 1939 1940. It was, in a way, a classic case of being up against the wall.

Before the winter war, the finnish and soviet tactics had one thing in common. During winter war guns got issued to ladoga coastal defence. The book is mainly a factual but highly coloured description of the winter war which can probably be found much better elsewhere. It makes you think what it was like for the people who had to live in finland closeish to the boarder of russia. Antikainen, kirsti, suomalaiset sotalapset ruotsissa talvisodan aikana finnish war children in sweden during the winter war. It was certainly the heart of their resistance during the winter war. Red wings in the winter war 19391940 military aviation. Sep 22, 2015 the story of the winter war between finland and soviet russia is a dramatic david versus goliath encounter. There are some old books which are good viisi sodan vuotta from wsoy its from 1958 and has alot of good photos and info on both the winter war and 194144 war including photos and info on the lapland war but its only with finnish text and a good book on the lapland war is lapin sota by toivo t. While to many it seems to be an overkill, unbelievable, the reality behind it is a whole lot more badass. During the novel, and films, there is a scene where the strong willed winter war veteran corporal rokka ambushes a platoon of soviets trying to outflank the finnish line and single handledly kills all 50 of them. In continuation war used by fortification artillery and coastal artillery. Sep 21, 2018 since your name sounds finnish, i take it that you have studied history at school.

When the winter war began, the soldiers were provided with a belt, a national cockade, and most of the time, an old french rifle. President sauli niinisto at the winter war memorial in central helsinki. Dec 23, 20 instead, the winter war became one of the ussrs most shocking defeats. After polands defeat in the autumn of 1939, the soviet union, wishing to safeguard leningrad, demanded from finland a minor part of the karelian isthmus, a naval base at hanko hango, and some islands in the gulf of finland. I would therefore recommend a more recent angle at the history of finland. He has been credited with a mindboggling 505 reported kills, which is actually the highest number of confirmed sniper kills in the history for any major war. What is the best book for learning finnish history. Feb 22, 2011 it is included in his book finlands folk i kamp the finnish people at war from 1941. Despite superior military strength the soviet union advance was halted by finland. A book about the winter war by vaino tanner, finlands foreign minister during the conflict, provides a different perspective, the author having been a leading social democrat, and principal on the finnish negotiating team.

The first true antitank gun in finland was the swedish bofors model 1937 which was designated the 37mm k36. The amazing story of finland in world war ii, 19391945 a soldier with a pack reindeer, on slippery ice, near the tiny village of nautsi, in northern lapland, finland, on october 26, 1941. The war began when the soviet union attacked finland on 30 november. The average soviet grunt during the winter war was often granted little more than a hunk of bread and some tea. Coastal batteries there were two regiments of coastal artillery did, however, play a significant role in the defense of finnish territory.

The public face of this treaty was a tenyear period of nonaggression between nazi germanyand stalins russia. I find this to be a more apt title than the more excitingly titled american edition. The finns took about 5,700 pows during the winter war, and due to the short length of the war they survived relatively well. He is believed to have killed over 500 men during the 193940 winter war, the highest number of sniper kills in any major war. The soviet tactics were, of course, much more demanding in this respect, as were their resources bigger for executing such attacks. However, during the continuation war the finns took 64,000 pows, of whom almost 30. Drawing on a wide array of primary and secondary sources, pasi tuunainen shows how by focusing on their own strengths and pitting these against the weaknesses of their adversary, the finns were able to inflict heavy casualties on the red army whilst minimizing. During the 1930s, when finnish prime minister cajander ruled the senate, there was a major cut in military funding. When finland rejected the demand, the soviet union launched an attack on november 30, 1939, beginning the russo. The amazing story of finland in world war ii, 19391945. One of finnish commanders most effective strategies, however, was the weaponization of their enemys hunger. This is a good book if you are looking for an introductory volume on the winter war. The winter war was a war between the soviet union ussr and finland.

Russofinnish war november 30, 1939march 12, 1940, also called the winter war, war waged by the soviet union against finland at the beginning of world war ii, following the conclusion of the germansoviet nonaggression pact august 23, 1939. This book is an amateurish military history of an oft overlooked conflict at the very beginning of wwii. Germany regarded its operations in the region as part of its overall war efforts on the eastern front and. The winter war was fought in the four months following the soviet unions invasion of finland on november 30, 1939. Aarne marokon kauhu juutilainen taped for radio broadcast during the war in finnish. There was a long history of tension and violence between finland and the ussr. Niemi teos, 2017 it won the finlandia prize for literature last y.

This book analyzes the multifaceted phenomenon of finnish military effectiveness in the winter war 193940. It was published as a partial answer to the debate provoked by his book kallan til rikets wanmagt. The sovietfinnish conflict began in that strange interlude during world war ii known as the phoney war. Unlike other wars, the war between russia and finland was fought in a winter landscape of endless forests, swamps, frozen lakes. This prevented the army from expanding and from getting new weapons and equipment. Jul 20, 2016 one of finnish commanders most effective strategies, however, was the weaponization of their enemys hunger. Apr 06, 2020 but this war, like all wars, was not fought in a ledger book. The winter war began three months after world war ii started, and the war had full media attention as other european fronts had a calm period. The authors cover enough of the geopolitical problems that led up to the winter war, along with the military operations and first person accounts, to give you a pretty broad overview of the war from the finnish perspective. Finnish air force aircraft of the winter war 19391940.