Winter war: in 1939, the Finns received exactly what they deserved from the USSR

Speaking at a meeting of the Pobeda organizing committee, Russian President Vladimir Putin once again sharply spoke out about Western attempts to “distort the historical truth.” In particular, the resolution “On the Importance of European Memory for the Future of Europe” adopted by the European Parliament a couple of months ago, was directly called by the head of our state as “shameless lies” and “information war”.

In the mentioned document, which caused such a great indignation of our leader, the Soviet Union is accused, in particular, of “unleashing an aggressive war against Finland” in 1939. Well, the battles and battles of the Winter War rumbled in the North exactly 80 years ago. It’s time to remember them and try to figure out how it really was with the “Soviet aggression” and many other things. Well, let's get started ...

Clean, peaceful, innocent ...

Starting to talk about the “aggressive machinations” of the USSR on the eve of the Great Patriotic War, both Western “historians” and the liberal public living in the shadow of our native aspens manage to completely “forget” some, let's say, characteristic details of those events of that time. In truth, it’s a hell of a breakthrough of these very details, without which a true exposition and realistic perception of the conflicts under discussion is simply impossible. It’s worth starting with the fact that the greatest number of problems for the young Country of Soviets arose precisely with the former "neighbors" in the Russian Empire. The very ones who, seizing the moment, quickly declared their own “independence” and remembered its “deep historical roots”. The Poles, the Balts, the Finns ... All of them settled into "solitary voyage" with the filing of the mediocre and spineless Provisional Government, which was unable to cope even with the events in St. Petersburg and Moscow. Where could the Empire have been saved from collapse ... The Bolsheviks, who until death needed to stay in power for the period necessary in order to create at least some semblance of a viable state capable of effectively defending themselves from the “temporary” debris left by it , were forced one by one to sign "obscene" peace treaties. They finally consolidated the sovereignty of the barely hatched “powers”. However, as I have already written many times, for a significant part of those who came to power in October 1917, all these agreements concluded with the "imperialist predators" did not mean anything. They believed that the World Revolution was coming, which would sweep away all the borders that still exist in the world. Why not give in to the most disadvantageous contractor with those about whom there will be no memory tomorrow ?!

Life, however, introduced its own tough corrections into these enthusiastic dreams. There was no ensuing uprising of the “world proletariat” at the beginning of the twentieth century, and the USSR had to deal with extremely squabble, scandalous, and scummy neighbors that had pretty much spawned on its borders. And if they sat quietly, rejoicing that seizing the opportunity, they escaped from the “prison of nations”! No, the whole gop company, without exception, almost on the second day after independence, began to recall the “old grievances” and, most importantly, immediately rushed to get hold of new territories. Sometimes - at the expense of each other (as was the case with the Poles and the Balts), but more often than not, these “young and early” people sought to “cut their fellow countrymen” at the expense of the original Russian open spaces. So the barely created Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army had to cool their ardor, spilling blood - as if there were few of their White Guards. Yes, in addition, behind the feeble backs of the newly-conquered "conquerors" who stubbornly tried to spoil more from the Country of Soviets, there were much more serious gentlemen. From London, Berlin, Paris and other European capitals. I repeated many times, but I will do it again: in any military conflict that our country was forced to enter into in the first half of the 1939th century, it alone did not confront a particular state, but, in fact, everything (or almost everything ) To the “collective West”, or, as it was customary to say then, to the “world of capital”. The history of the Soviet-Finnish wars is the clearest example of this. Yes, yes, there were already four of them, but you did not know? Well, this is the time to clarify this issue - before proceeding to the consideration, in fact, of the events of XNUMX.

“Sword of Oath” and dreams of “Great Finland”

First of all, it should be remembered that the existence of Finland in its historical form of the capitalist state hostile to the USSR in the first half of the 1918th century was not at all predetermined unambiguously and inevitably. In 1918, the Finnish Socialist Workers Republic was proclaimed there and the Red Guard was created. The continuation of all this was quite natural - a civil war. “Red Finns”, alas, were not lucky. Karl Gustav Mannerheim returned, the lieutenant general ceased to exist by the time of the Russian Imperial Army. In addition to a passion for passion for thoroughbred trotters and no less thoroughbred ladies, this character was also truly an excellent warrior. By 23, his chest was decorated with every single military order of the Russian Empire, according to contemporaries - well deserved. Mannerheim set to work more than seriously. February 1918, XNUMX, on the day considered to be the moment of the birth of the Red Army, he proclaims the pompous Sword of Sword at the tiny railway station Antrea, in which he promises his compatriots not to lay down their arms until the warriors and hooligans are expelled from Finnish land Lenin. " But the misfortune is that the “Finnish land” Karl Gustav somehow suddenly at the same time declares Karelia, which has never been part of the lands of the Grand Duchy of Finland. Yes, however, that there Karelia! Helsinki at that time was embracing the fervor of “pan-Philanism”: you give Great Finland, uniting all Finno-Ugric peoples! Give Ingria (territories around Petrograd) and the land of Estonia! Did you think that the crazy people from Warsaw with the “Great Poland one may one” were the only ones? In vain ...

Having broken our own “Reds,” which, frankly speaking, he was very helpful, the Germans, who left the ten thousand expeditionary corps to strangle the Soviet Republic in Finland, did not think to stop at the historical borders of the Grand Duchy of Mannerheim. Already in the spring of 1918 he approved the so-called "Wallenius Plan", which envisaged the capture of Pechenga, Onega and Ladoga Lakes with subsequent access to Petrograd. This leader saw him as a “free city” - under the Finnish protectorate, of course ... Nothing so big? At the same time, "partisan detachments" were sent to Karelia, in fact, Finnish sabotage groups, and a pocket "government" was created in Helsinki for the North Karelian "state", which, according to the Finns, was to be erected on the territory of five Russian volosts Arkhangelsk province. At first, the white Finns climbed onto Soviet territory solely under the pretext of “persecuting” their own “red” compatriots, but, having finished with them completely, on May 18, 1918, Finland declared war on Soviet Russia quite officially. In fact, the events of this first war between the two countries are for the Finns forever indelible disgrace. They should especially remember the Vyborg and Olonets events, which historians even quite loyal to Helsinki call the “massacre”. In 1918, about 5 thousand civilians were killed by Finnish rangers in Vyborg. Just because the Russians ... However, the tribesmen who supported the "Russian occupiers" then also plagued a lot. A year later, in Olonets, the same Finns “noted” by the massacre of wounded Red Army soldiers. Not to mention other atrocities.

So who violated the contract?

At the same time, in the question of choosing allies, the Finns behaved like the last ... Yes, those with reduced responsibility. While the Teutons were “on horseback”, they relied on them. The German Reich collapsed - immediately entangled the "best friends" of the Entente. Estonians and some others, not very fast thinking of the Baltic states, swore an eternal and indestructible fraternity, making plans for how to recoup them afterwards, having driven them into the Great Finland. One way or another, but in 1919, it was through the efforts of the Finns in the Russian North that hell reigned supreme. In addition to their detachments, Estonians and Russian White Guards, stubbornly rushing to Petrograd, an expeditionary force from the British, French and Canadians, who besieged Petrozavodsk for two months, also came upon our lands. Two whole puppet "governments" frolic in Karelia - the Olonets and Ukhta. Later, for the sake of fidelity, they would also make up the “Republic of North Ingria,” which the Finns would quickly occupy - with the goal of “supporting and protecting against the Bolsheviks,” of course. All this ends with the fact that the Red Army, which has grown stronger and has grown sober in bloody battles, begins to very sensitively beat all those who appeared uninvited to our lands. One after another, hot Estonian guys and white-haired men and their patrons from the Entente fly out from them one after another. Finally, it comes to the Finns. Here, I must say, a considerable role is played by those citizens of this country who were forced to flee from it after the defeat in the civil war there. They, at the suggestion of the Bolshevik government, again take up arms and fight quite well. In the end, the Red Army knock out Finnish invaders from almost the entire territory of Karelia, and in July 1920, Finland and the RSFSR sign a peace treaty. What is characteristic is in the same Tartu, where five months ago they put up with the Estonians.


Do you think that Helsinki was going to abide by this agreement, which was concluded, by the way, on conditions that were quite harmless to him (Pechenga with all the volost was given to these reptiles)? Yeah ... Keep your pocket wider! The decency and peacefulness of the Finns were not enough for a year. Already in December 1920, the next “United Karelian Government” was created in Vyborg with the filing of Helsinki. From the summer of next year, groups of scouts and saboteurs begin to flow into Soviet Karelia, full-scale preparations for a "popular uprising" begin, which should tear these territories in favor of Finland. This rebellion broke out on November 6, 1921. Only completely unscrupulous people can call it the “national liberation” performance of the Karelians. From the very beginning, the main force, which not only fought against the Red Army, but also waged terror against the civilian population, was Finnish troops, which totaled 2 and a half thousand personnel at the beginning of the conflict, and by the time it ended, had grown to 6 thousand. A full-fledged division, at least. In Ukhta, where the bastard “North Karelian state” arose again, there was a Finnish garrison. All this whistle, which cost a considerable number of human lives, lasted until the end of 1921. After the declaration of Karelia in a state of siege, the restoration of the Karelian front and the transfer of additional Red Army units to it, the Finns began to pound so that only feathers flew. By mid-February 1922, the invaders and their henchmen were kicked beyond the state borders of Soviet Russia, and the "North Karelian Government" was habitually and dejectedly trudging back to Helsinki. In March of the same year, a new ceasefire was signed in Moscow, according to which the parties pledged to respect each other's territorial integrity.

But they asked in a good way ...

However, the Finns would not be Finns if they honestly observed at least these obligations. Bandit-sabotage raids into Karelia from their territory took place before the end of the 20s, and in Helsinki more and more hot goals were worn with the renewed idea of ​​"Great Finland" - right up to ... the Polar Urals! Is it any wonder after that, despite the non-aggression pact signed by the countries in 1932, the USSR People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs Maxim Litvinov argued: “Not a single country has such an open and furious propaganda of an attack on our country and the seizure of its territories like this is being done in Finland! ” However, serious friction between Moscow and Helsinki began only in 1938, when the world smelled of a new world war. The Nazis ruled Germany for five years, the Wehrmacht was gaining strength before our eyes, and Stalin knew perfectly well where he would turn sooner or later. The Finns made it clear and clear that they would not tolerate the country's transformation into a bridgehead for the actions of German troops in the North. The USSR asked to lease to him (not forever!) A number of islands in the Baltic, first of all - Gogland to create fortifications and military bases there, as well as take a number of other joint measures against a possible German invasion. The Finns rested ... Then they were offered as a "carrot" a number of territories in East Karelia: "You really wanted to get them!" Did not help. Negotiations went on almost continuously. It should be noted that one of the main issues that extremely worried the Soviet leadership (as subsequent events showed - not in vain) was the moment of critical proximity of the Finnish border to Leningrad. The words of Stalin are known: “There is nothing to be done about geography. We cannot move Leningrad, we will move the border ... "

Ultimately, having shown unprecedented patience and a willingness to compromise, the Leader was ready to agree to the mildest conditions. Finland moves the border 90 kilometers from Leningrad, transfers the island of Hanko, as well as a number of other islands, for 30 years to the USSR. A Soviet military base is being built at Hanko, including for the Navy, and a powerful garrison is being deployed. Also, countries undertake not to join military alliances hostile to the opposite side. Well, what's so terrible or shameful ?! In exchange, Finland was supposed to receive more than 5 thousand square kilometers of territory in coveted Karelia (twice the area given to the barren islands) and the right to create its own military bases in the Åland Islands, which until then had been forbidden to it. But the Finns again rested ... What is most interesting, all Western countries have made clear about their neutrality in the impending conflict. Berlin, which at that time had signed the Nonaggression Pact with the USSR, extremely persistently advised Helsinki to accept the conditions put forward by Moscow. The Reichsmarschall Goering openly stated that the Germans would not fight with the Russians for the Finns. Moreover, the country's most notorious anti-Soviet, Karl Mannerheim, who insisted that Bolshevism was “a world-threatening plague,” shouted, trying to convince the arrogant morons from the Finnish parliament and government to agree to what they give. Did not help. It was then that, after the next failed negotiations in Moscow, Molotov’s historical phrase sounded: “Well, well, since we, civilians, haven’t agreed, now it’s up to the soldiers ...” No, well, they warned you ...


And, in my cynical view, the fact of where the shells actually arrived at the unfortunate village of Mainila, the shelling of which was a formal cause for the war, does not absolutely matter. Subsequently, speaking to the commanders of the Red Army, Stalin very clearly and unequivocally told the truth: “It was impossible to do without a war!” All the talk that the Leader wanted to “Sovietize” Finland, to return it to the USSR is, excuse me, bullshit. I would like - I did as with the Baltic. Fortunately, there was already a “Finnish socialist government” at the ready. Is it not good to do this? But this, do not blame me, it was simply a “mirror” response to the Finnish little things in Karelia, moreover, they turned them repeatedly. This is certainly right ... In fact, Stalin and other leaders of the USSR needed to secure Leningrad and the country's borders in the North. Should he trust the government of “democratic Finland”? What are you saying ?! After all of the above? No, Stalin was not an idiot. And by the way, his actions in 1939 completely break the stupid lie that he “trusted” Hitler by signing the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact. Iosif Vissarionovich perfectly understood that this treaty would be broken by Germany as soon as the time came - that is why it acted decisively and toughly when circumstances required it. The events of the Great Patriotic War hundredfold, thousandfold confirmed his innocence regarding Finland in 1939. The attack of her troops on the USSR, participation in the siege of Leningrad, did not leave the slightest room for doubts about “to beat or not to beat” it was necessary in 1939 ... But at the same time, by the way, are the answer to the question: “Do you consider the attempt to install "a memorial plaque to Mannerheim in Leningrad with historical schizophrenia with elements of masochism?" There was no "aggression" of the USSR against Finland in 1939 - there were normal actions by a great power to ensure its security in anticipation of a world military conflict. Yes, and the Red Army test "Winter War" benefited. However, this is a topic for a completely different article. Perhaps we will talk about this in the near future.