Ural Wall (Mannerheim's Finland)

The Ural Wall was a guarded line of fortifications, obstacles and weapons installations that physically divided to  along the ; particularly in the Central region. The fortifications were constructed in 1933 by the Government of Siberia to deter invasion from Soviet Russia and force them to redirect any planned invasion north to the Arctic Sea or south.

As most likely the source of direct attack from Russia, the wall was constructed in the central Ural region to slow Soviet Advance allowing for Siberian forces to mobilise to either counterattack or strengthen the defense. This was particularly important given Siberia's vast land mass. Furthermore, the Trans-Siberian Railway connecting Perm, controlled by the Soviet Union and Yekaterinburg, the most western city in Siberia, was severed and the wall was constructed directly over it's path, separating the link between the two nations.

Initially the construction was nothing more than wooden anchors holding metal mesh fencing with a small trench to make approaching the fence difficult. The first walls were proved futile and were improved on, increasing their height and adding barbed wiring at the base and top of the fence.

Although mainly primitive in it's construction, the most fortified areas had concrete pillboxes, mortar placements and large anti-vehicle trenches with no-mans-land regions coated in barbed wire. The wall was guarded quite extensively due to Soviet defectors crossing the border and trying to enter Siberia. This was met with extreme caution. Guards would usually warn trespassers twice and if they did not comply then they were shot or captured. There was wide spread fear that many Soviet defectors were actually Soviet spies sent to obtain intelligence. Furthermore, the public opinion for Soviets was generally one of resentment and betrayal. They had committed to the Bolshevik revolution and had chosen their side and were no longer welcome in Siberia.The construction of the Ural wall was a large contributor to bringing Siberia out of the the Great Depression. It provided thousands of jobs for a task that was predicted to take a minimum of five years reducing unemployment and providing a generation of construction skills that would provide fundamental to the industralisation of Siberia.