Winter War. During the Soviet-Finnish war, the West was preparing a "crusade" against the USSR. England and France were preparing to strike at Russia from the north, from Scandinavia, and south from the Caucasus. The war could take on a completely different character. But these plans were thwarted by the Red Army, which defeated the Finnish troops before the West began its operation.
A vital necessity
By the beginning of World War II, a clearly hostile state was located on the northwestern borders of the Soviet Union, claiming our lands and ready to enter into an alliance with any enemy of the USSR. Those who believe that it was Stalin who pushed Finland into the Hitlerite camp by his actions prefer to keep silent about this. They have invented and support the myth of a "peaceful" Finland, which was attacked by the Stalinist "evil empire".
Although, as noted earlier, Finland was in an alliance with Estonia and Sweden to block the Gulf of Finland for the red Baltic Fleet, cooperated with Japan and Germany, waiting for an attack of any great power on the USSR from the East or from the West to join it and To "liberate" Karelia, the Kola Peninsula, Ingermanlandia and other lands from the Russians. The Finns were actively preparing for war. In particular, with the help of the Germans, by the beginning of 1939, a network of military airfields was built in Finland, capable of accepting 10 times more vehicles than they were in the Finnish Air Force. At the same time, Helsinki was ready to fight against us both in alliance with Japan and Germany, and with England and France.
Attempts to find a peaceful solution
By the beginning of World War II, the desire of the Soviet leadership to strengthen the defenses of its northwestern borders had increased. It was necessary to protect the second largest and most important city of the USSR, to prevent the fleet of a potential enemy (Germany or Western democracies) from breaking through to Kronstadt and Leningrad. Move the Finnish border away from Leningrad. The border passed only 32 km from the city, which allowed long-range enemy artillery to hit the second Soviet capital. Also, the Finns could deliver artillery strikes against Kronstadt, the only base of the Baltic Fleet, and our ships. It was necessary to decide to get free access to the sea for the Baltic Fleet. Back in March 1939, Moscow probed the issue of transferring or leasing the islands in the Gulf of Finland. But the Finnish leadership responded with a categorical refusal.
First, Moscow managed to restore its defenses on the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland. On September 28, 1939, a mutual assistance agreement was concluded between the USSR and Estonia. Soviet troops entered the territory of Estonia. Moscow received the right to deploy garrisons and build naval bases in Paldiski and Haapsalu, on the islands of Ezel and Dago.
On October 12, 1939, Soviet-Finnish negotiations began in Moscow. The Soviet government offered the Finns to conclude a local agreement on mutual assistance in the joint defense of the Gulf of Finland. Also, Finland had to allocate a place for the creation of a military base on the coast. Hanko Peninsula was proposed. In addition, Finland had to cede its part of the Rybachiy Peninsula, a number of islands in the Gulf of Finland and move the border on the Karelian Isthmus. As compensation, Moscow offered much larger territories in Eastern Karelia. However, the Finns categorically rejected the mutual assistance agreement and mutual territorial concessions.
On October 14, negotiations were continued. The Soviet position has not changed. Stalin said that it was necessary to move the border from Leningrad at least 70 km. The Soviet side presented its proposals in the form of a memorandum. Helsinki was to lease the Hanko Peninsula for the construction of a naval base and an artillery position capable, together with coastal artillery on the other side of the Gulf of Finland, to block the passage to the Gulf of Finland with artillery fire. The Finns had to move the border on the Karelian Isthmus, hand over to the USSR a number of islands in the Gulf of Finland and the western part of the Rybachy Peninsula. The total area of the territories passing from Finland to the USSR would be 2,761 square meters. km. As compensation, the USSR would transfer land to Finland with a total area of 5529 sq. km in Karelia near Rebola and Porosozero. Also, Moscow, in addition to territorial compensation, offered to reimburse the cost of the property left by the Finns. According to the Finns, even in the case of the cession of a small territory, which Helsinki was ready to give up, it was about 800 million marks. If it came to a more ambitious concession, then the bill would go into the billions.
In Helsinki, the line of the Minister of Foreign Affairs E. Erkko prevailed, who believed that Moscow was bluffing, therefore it was impossible to concede. In Finland, a general mobilization was announced, and the evacuation of the civilian population from large cities. Censorship was also increased, and the arrests of leftist leaders began. Marshal Mannerheim was appointed commander-in-chief. Finance Minister V. Tanner, who was supposed to control a more flexible politician, the head of the Finnish delegation J. Paasikivi, was included in the Finnish negotiators at the negotiations.
It is worth noting that there were intelligent heads in Finland. The same Mannerheim, in the spring of 1939, offered to make a compromise with Moscow. As a military man, he understood well the strategic interests of Russia. In addition, he understood that the Finnish army alone cannot fight the Red Army. It was proposed to move the border away from Leningrad and get good compensation. In October, the marshal also proposed to move the border 70 km on the Karelian Isthmus. Mannerheim was against the lease of Hanko, but offered an alternative - the island of Yussarö, the location of which allowed the Russians to establish artillery cooperation with the fortifications near Tallinn. Mannerheim urged Paasikivi to come to an agreement with the Russians. However, the Finnish President K. Kallio was against concessions, which ruled out the possibility of diplomatic maneuver.
On October 23, negotiations resumed. The Finns agreed to transfer 5 islands in the Gulf of Finland and move the border 10 km away from Leningrad. A categorical refusal followed on the issue of the Hanko Peninsula. The Soviet side continued to insist on the lease of Hanko, but agreed to reduce the garrison of the base. They also expressed their readiness to make some concessions on the border issue on the Karelian Isthmus.
The last round of negotiations began on November 3. The Soviet side has shown great flexibility. The Hanko Peninsula was offered to rent, buy or exchange. Finally, Moscow also agreed to the islands off its coast. On November 4, the Finnish delegation sent a telegram to Helsinki in which it asked the government for consent to the transfer of the island of Yussarö to the USSR by a military base and the cession of Fort Ino on the Karelian Isthmus. However, in the Finnish leadership, the hardliners who lost touch with reality won. On November 8, a telegram arrived in which Finland refused any options for placing a Russian base on Hanko or the islands in its vicinity. The concession on Ino could only have been caused by Moscow's concession on the Hanko issue. On November 9, the last meeting of the Soviet and Finnish delegations took place. The negotiations are finally deadlocked. On November 13, the Finnish delegation left Moscow.
Winter war
On November 26, 1939, an incident occurred near the village of Mainila. According to the Soviet version, Finnish artillery fired at Soviet territory, as a result 4 were killed and 9 Soviet soldiers were wounded. After the collapse of the USSR and the "exposure of the criminal Stalinist regime", it became generally accepted that the provocation was the work of the NKVD. However, whoever organized the shelling at Mainila was used by Moscow as a pretext for war. On November 28, the Soviet government denounced the Soviet-Finnish non-aggression pact and withdrew its diplomats from Helsinki.
On November 30, 1939, Soviet troops launched an offensive. The first stage of the war lasted until the end of December 1939, and was unsuccessful for the Red Army. On the Karelian Isthmus, Soviet troops, having overcome the forefront of the Mannerheim Line, reached its main strip on December 4-10. But attempts to break it through were unsuccessful. After stubborn battles, both sides went over to trench warfare.
The reasons for the failure of the Red Army are known: it is primarily an underestimation of the enemy. Finland was ready for war, had powerful fortifications on the border. The Finns mobilized in a timely manner, increasing the size of the armed forces from 37 thousand to 337 thousand people. Finnish troops were deployed in the border zone, the main forces defended on a fortified line on the Karelian Isthmus. Soviet intelligence did a poor job, which did not have complete information about the enemy's defense. The Soviet political leadership harbored unfounded hopes for the class solidarity of the Finnish workers, which should have caused the upset of the rear of the Finnish army. These hopes did not come true. There were also problems in the management, organization and combat training of troops, who had to fight in difficult conditions of wooded-swampy, lake terrain, often without roads.
As a result, from the very beginning, a strong enemy was underestimated, and the necessary number of troops and means were not allocated to break into a strong enemy defense. So, on the Karelian Isthmus, the main, decisive sector of the front, the Finns in December had 6 infantry divisions, 4 infantry and 1 cavalry brigades, 10 separate battalions. A total of 80 settlement battalions, 130 thousand people. On the Soviet side, 9 rifle divisions, 1 rifle and machine gun brigade, 6 tank brigades fought. A total of 84 estimated rifle battalions, 169 thousand people. In general, along the entire front, against 265 thousand Finnish soldiers, there were 425 thousand soldiers of the Red Army. That is, to defeat the enemy, who relied on powerful defensive structures, there were not enough forces and means.
Reaction of the West. Preparation of a "crusade" against the USSR
The West was aware of the Soviet-Finnish negotiations and provoked both sides to war. So London told Helsinki that it is necessary to take a firm stand and not succumb to pressure from Moscow. On November 24, the British hinted to Moscow that they would not intervene in the event of a Soviet-Finnish conflict. Thus, the British used their traditional principle of foreign policy - "divide and rule". It is obvious that the West deliberately dragged the Finns into the war as its "cannon fodder" in order to make the most of this situation. Only the relatively quick victory of the Red Army destroyed the plans of the masters of London and Paris.
It is not surprising that as soon as the Soviet troops crossed the border of Finland, it caused hysteria in the "world community". The USSR was expelled from the League of Nations. The Western powers generously armed Finland. France and England supplied the Finns with dozens of combat aircraft, hundreds of guns, thousands of machine guns, hundreds of thousands of rifles, a huge amount of ammunition, uniforms and equipment. Thousands of volunteers have arrived in Finland. Most of the Swedes - over 8 thousand people.
Moreover, England and France, which were in a state of "strange war" with the Third Reich (), were also going to fight with the Russians. The Germans were allowed to seize Poland, here it was different. The West was not going to yield to Russia in the restoration of the Russian sphere of vital interests in the northwest. Given an excellent pretext, Western democracies enthusiastically set about preparing a plan of strikes against the Soviet Union. A French military mission headed by Lieutenant Colonel Ganeval was sent to Finland. General Clement-Grancourt was at the headquarters of the Finnish commander-in-chief Mannerheim. Western representatives did their best to keep Finland in a state of war with Russia.
At this time, the West was preparing a plan for a war with the USSR. The Anglo-French landing was planned to land in Pechenga. Allied aviation was supposed to strike at important targets of the USSR. The Westerners were preparing an attack not only in the north, but also in the south, in the Caucasus. Western troops in Syria and Lebanon were to prepare an attack on Baku, depriving the USSR of the oil produced there. From here, the allied forces were to begin a march to Moscow from the south, towards the Finnish and allied army, which would lead an offensive from Scandinavia and Finland. That is, the plans for a war with the USSR were grandiose. With the development of these plans, the Great Patriotic War could take an absolutely interesting turn: England and France (the United States behind them) against the USSR.
Defeat of Finland
However, all these far-reaching plans were thwarted by the Red Army. Having carried out the necessary work on the mistakes, and the appropriate preparation, the significantly reinforced Soviet troops began on February 11, 1940, a decisive offensive on the Karelian Isthmus. Actively using heavy weapons - artillery, aircraft and tanks, our troops broke through the Finnish defenses and by February 21 reached the second zone of the Mannerheim line. On March 7-9, Soviet soldiers broke through to Vyborg. Mannerheim told the government that the army was under threat of total annihilation.
Despite the persuasions of England and France, which assured that their troops were already on the way, on March 12, 1940, the Finnish delegation in Moscow signed a peace agreement on Soviet terms. The northern part of the Karelian Isthmus with the cities of Vyborg and Sortavala, a number of islands in the Gulf of Finland, part of the Finnish territory with the city of Kuolajärvi, part of the Rybachy and Sredny peninsulas went to the Soviet Union. As a result, Lake Ladoga was completely within the Soviet borders. The Union received a lease on a part of the Hanko (Gangut) Peninsula for a period of 30 years to create a naval base on it.
Thus, Stalin solved the most important tasks of ensuring the national security of Russia. Hostile Finland was "forced into peace." The USSR received a military base on the Hanko Peninsula and pushed the border away from Leningrad. After the start of the Great Patriotic War, the Finnish army was able to reach the line of the old state border only by September 1941. Finnish stupidity was obvious. At the negotiations in the fall of 1939, Moscow asked for less than 3 thousand square meters. km and even in exchange for twice the size of the territory, economic benefits. And the war only led to losses, and the USSR took about 40 thousand square meters. km without giving anything in return. As the ancients said - "Woe to the vanquished!" When the Finns, on the eve of the signing of the Moscow Treaty, hinted at compensation for the transferred territory (Peter the First paid Sweden 2 million thalers in the Nystadt Peace Treaty), Molotov replied:
“Write a letter to Peter the Great. If he orders, we will pay compensation."
The West was well aware of the significance of this event. Speaking in parliament on March 19, 1940, the head of the French government, Daladier, said that for France “the Moscow Peace Treaty is a tragic and shameful event. This is a great victory for Russia. Indeed, it was a victory for the USSR, but it was still far from the great victory of 1945.
