If the British and French sent troops to Norway early enough why did thy never came to Finland to fight the Red Army during Winter War? Politics, Schmolitics?
The meeting of the SWC held in Paris on 5 February 1940 was the first to be attended by Winston Churchill, who, as First Lord of the Admiralty, had been invited to participate by Neville Chamberlain.[10] Here, the British rejected France's proposal for an expedition to Petsamo in Finland to help the Finns in the Winter War for fear that this would provoke the Soviet Union. Sir Alexander Cadogan, the Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, described it as a "silly scheme". However, a French plan to send forces to Narvik was approved, dependent on agreement from Norway and Sweden. The meeting was described by General Ironside as having been harmonious with "everyone purring with pleasure. Wondered if we should all be in the state if we had a little adversity to touch us up." In the event, Norway and Sweden, fearful of compromising their neutrality, did not consent to the Narvik plan. The Scandinavian view was interpreted differently by Britain and France. Britain took the view that the operation should be cancelled, but France maintained that it had been agreed that the operation should proceed regardless of opposition. However, events overtook the impasse, when, on 13 March, the Finns agreed an armistice with the Soviet Union.[11] Anglo-French Supreme War Council - Wikipedia
They tried. They hatched all sorts of plans to seize (in diplomatic language "secure") Iron mines in Sweden on their way to the far north of Finland. Because of the large population centers there, in Northern Finland, you understand.... It's just that Sweden did not trust Britain or France to be operating in the best interest of Sweden, nor in their ability to actually help Sweden hold out against a potential German response (A German invasion of Sweden). The Winter War was nearly over, anyway.
Anyway, interesting invasion area instead: Finland proposed a naval operation against Russian-occupied Petsamo to the Western Allies. In order to obscure the visible role of the Allies, the operation would have been conducted mainly with vessels of the Polish Navy that had made it to the west. France was enthusiastic about the plan. A landing operation to Petsamo was kept a part of the French plans throughout January. Also bombing Baku from the south would have created some sorta worry for Stalin. Not the best helping plans for Finland and perhaps even quite overoptimistic but could cause a war between France/EEngland vs the USSR and change the war as Germany would have lesser enemies to fight if Barbarossa should take place.
