On 30.11.1939 Russian forces attacked Finland by false reasons. It´s Winter wars 70th anniversary. For those who are interested about the winter war and furthermore daily actions, please see included link. The Winter War 1939-1940
another link that asks the same question... “Why would big USSR want tiny Finland?†The Winter War remembered - RT Top Stories
People often wonder, why our (the Finnish) way to celebrate independence is relatively emotional, maybe even gloom. No fireworks, no BBQ (for obvious reasons, of course) or no happy, smiling faces holding hands and singing... Well, you get the idea. You have to remember, that our nation is still very young, 92 years yesterday, and somewhere deep in our collective consciousness are still the horrors and fears of the "105 Days of Glory" as we call the Winter War here. About 70 years ago our whole nation was on the brink of destruction. Losing the war against the superior enemy was more than certain, but somehow Finland was able to, not win the war, but win the peace and stay independent. I think that's why we take our celebration of independence so seriously. We will not take our freedom granted, but want to honour those, who gave evrything for this country. Maybe in the future, when the Winter War is just another chapter in the history books, things will be different... Until then, I'm happy with the way things are.
This is so true. But, have you guys ever wondered why we talk about the Winter War on every independence day and not the Civil War? Civil War was straight outcome from our declaration of independence even if the independence itself wasn´t the actual reason for war. In my opinion this is because the Civil War is still even today so painfull and horrible war to remember. There were no heroes and our nation split into pieces. The hatred and disrespect to fellow people was so huge. Our working class people paid a horrible price for the war. But Winter War binded our nation back together again. Even in divided nation there were this incredible common will to fight against the invader. Maintaining independence and surviving the Winter War created united nation again.
I read a about a week ago an article, that claimed that "the miracle of winter war" was just an aftermath of the civil war. Those disadvantaged soldiers, often from the red families, just wanted to show "the capitalists" and that's why they fought so fiercely. Some theory... A bunch of BS if you ask me.
Yes, I agree. Finns were simple people back then, they just decided that the Ruskies are not going to take our land and that was it basically. It didn't matter if you're red or white.
The Terijoki government proved to the Finns whatever their political brackground was that Stalin was after the land area, nothing else. The final mistake in his plan to conquer Finland.
I wonder how much Finland has lost in income since the war in the Petsamo area alone? One of my subalterns (Niiranen) grandfather found his house to be in the USSR when the war was over. A terrible fate that befell many Finns. In many ways the Winter War is a clear cut example of what war really is : Robbery on a great scale. Heres a salute to your Sisu chaps.
Yes, Petsamo isn' really a gold mine, but it have been important money source to SU anyway. And I completely agree and salute with you those brave warriors and warrior is the right word to describe them.
I find the winter war rather ironic, as Finland was created by Russia out of territory taken from Sweden, to act as a buffer between Russia and Sweden. Basically the Finns turned out to be a bit more independent than the Russians anticipated.
You mean in the first place the 1809 war perhaps where the Russians beat the Swedes and the Tzar made Finland an autonomy later on? Must say towards the late 19th century there were terror phases when the autonomy was meant to be broken, and finally when Russia was in massive internal crises in 1917, the Finns decided to go for independence. Several other "wannabe nations" did that,too, the Baltic countries for example. However the communists expected that the revolution would come to Finland, too, and turn it into a new member of the USSR soon. Mannerheim and his "white" troops with additonal help by the German army stopped the "Reds".
Niiranen often say that the Winter War mended a lot of the scars from the Finnish civil war. Is that a predominant view in Finland, or are people divided on that statement?
I think this is true and very common view in Finland. Everybody agrees that Winter War healed the scars and made this nation united again.
The Winter War derived solely from the paranoia of Josef Stalin. Bolshevik Imperialism in action. No wonder the Finns sided with the awful Germans for Barbarossa. I always find it astounding that they managed to control their own airspace for the duration of the "Continuation War"! Viva Finlandia!
