Soviet-Finnish War (Allied Defeat)

Soviet-Finnish War
Part of Second Coalition War Against the Soviet Union
Date December 1, 1937 – January 30, 1938 (1st phase) February 2 – 17, 1938 (2nd phase) Location Finland and the Soviet Union Result Stalemate (first phase) Start of the second coalition war Coalition victory (second phase) Coalition Invasion of Leningrad
Belligerents
Finland White émigré Foreign volunteers: Poland United Kingdom Nazi Germany France Italy Sweden Denmark China in-exile Second Coalition	Soviet Union Satellite States: Romania China Mongolia Japan
Commanders and leaders
Kyösti Kallio Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim	Joseph Stalin Kirill Meretskov Kliment Voroshilov Semyon Timoshenko

The Soviet-Finnish War (Russian: Советско-финская война), also known as the Winter War (Finnish: Talvisota) was the military conflict between the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the Republic of Finland from December 1, 1937 to January 30, 1938 as the first phase and February 2 to 17, 1938 as the second phase. Finland was forced to surrender by the USSR in the end of the first phase, which led to the Second Coalition War Against the Soviet Union.

Background

After the first coalition war, Eastern Poland was ceded to the Soviet Union and Romania became a Soviet-controlled satellited state, Communism was significantly spreading in Eastern Europe. Stalin requested Finland to exchange Karelia for minor Soviet lands to have a buffer zone for the inevitable second coalition war. Finland refused the offer and the first phase of the Soviet-Finnish War broke out.

Foreign Volunteers

Members of the First Coalition

• United Kingdom – Britain has been an important partner of Finland since their independence after the Russian Civil War.
• Nazi Germany – After the burning of the Reichstag and other Communist movements in the Third Reich, Hitler joined the alliance with Britain and France despite their losses from the Treaty of Versailles to eliminate the USSR. During the Soviet-Finnish War, a German volunteer division of over 9,000 men was sent to the Finnish front.

Nordic Defense Alliance

The Nordic Defense Alliance was formed during the first coalition war to prevent any Nordic states to be attacked by foreign powers, especially the Soviet Union. The alliance included Sweden, Denmark and Finland, while Norway stayed neutral.

Finland forced to surrender

In late January 1938, Finland and its allies continued to hold against the Soviet offensives, Joseph Stalin forced the Finnish government to surrender immediately and threatened to destroy Poland. The War of the Second Coalition against the Soviet Union started in early February after the Soviet ultimatum.

Aftermath of the first phase

• Over 400,000 Red Army troops died in the stalemate war, The USSR lacked troops on the Polish borders.
• Start of the Second Coalition War.