(Wiki) Continuation War

Continuation War
The Continuation War (Finnish: jatkosota; Swedish:

fortsttningskriget; 25 June 1941 19 September 1944)
refers to the hostilities between Finland and the Soviet
Union during the Second World War, from 1941 to 1944.
At the time of the war, the Finns adopted this name to
clarify how they viewed it in relation to the preceding
Winter War.[11] The Soviet Union saw the war as part
of its struggle against Nazi Germany and its allies, on the
Eastern Front of World War II. The war was known in
the Soviet Union as the Great Patriotic War.[12] Germany
regarded its operations in the region as part of its overall
war eorts on the Eastern Front, and it provided Finland
with critical material support and military cooperation.
Finnish ski troops in Northern Finland on 12 January 1940
Acts of war between the Soviet Union and Finland

started on 22 June 1941, the day Germany launched its
invasion of the Soviet Union, with covert Finnish operations. Open warfare began with a Soviet air oensive on 25 June. Subsequent Finnish operations undid its
post-Winter War concessions to the Soviet Union on the
Karelian Isthmus and Ladoga Karelia, and captured East
Karelia by September 1941. On the Karelian Isthmus, the
Finns halted their oensive 30 km from Leningrad, at the
pre-World War II border between the Soviet Union and
Finland. Finnish forces did not participate in the siege of
Leningrad directly, holding their pre-World War II territory on the Karelian Isthmus for two and a half years
instead.[13][14][15] In 1944, Soviet air forces conducted air
raids on Helsinki and other major Finnish cities. Eventually, in summer 1944, the Soviet strategic oensive
drove the Finns from most of the territories they had
gained during the war, but the Finnish Army later brought
the oensive to a standstill in July 1944. A ceasere
ended hostilities on 5 September and was followed by
the Moscow Armistice on 19 September. The 1947 Paris
peace treaty concluded the war formally. Finland ceded
Petsamo Province to the Soviets, leased Porkkala peninsula to them, and paid reparations, while ultimately retaining its independence.
1
1.1
Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Romania into spheres

of interest, with Finland falling to the Soviet sphere of
interest.[16] Shortly afterward, Germany invaded Poland
and as a result the United Kingdom and France declared
war against Germany. The Soviet Union invaded eastern
Poland on 17 September.[17] Next, Moscow demanded
that the Baltic states allow the establishment of Soviet
military bases and the stationing of troops on their soil.
The Baltic governments accepted these ultimatums, signing corresponding agreements in September and October
1939.[18]
In October 1939, the Soviet Union attempted to negotiate with Finland for the transfer of Finnish territories on
the Karelian Isthmus and the islands of the Gulf of Finland to the Soviet Union and for the establishment of a
Soviet military base near the Finnish capital Helsinki.[19]
The Finnish government refused, and the Red Army attacked Finland on 30 November 1939.[20] Condemnation
of the Soviets by the League of Nations and by countries all over the world had no eect on Soviet policy.[21]
International help for Finland was planned, but very little actual help materialized, except from Sweden.[22] The
Moscow Peace Treaty, which was signed on 12 March
1940, ended the Winter War.[23] By the terms of the
treaty, Finland lost one eleventh of its national territory
and about 13% of its economic capacity.[24] However,
Finland had avoided having the Soviet Union annex the
whole country.[25]
Background
Winter War
Main articles: Background of the Winter War and Winter

1.2 Interim peace
War
On 23 August 1939, the Soviet Union and Germany
signed the MolotovRibbentrop Pact whereby the parties Main article: Interim Peace
divided the independent countries of Finland, Estonia,
1
BACKGROUND
1.3 German and Soviet expansion in Europe

After the Winter War, Germany was not popular in
Finland as it was considered an ally of the Soviet
Union. However, the Finnish government began to restore diplomatic relations with Germany. Finland continued its Western-oriented policy and negotiated a war
trade agreement with the United Kingdom,[29] but the
agreement was renounced after the German invasion of
Denmark and Norway on 9 April, when Britain cut all
trade and trac communications with Scandinavia. With
the fall of France, a policy of Western orientation was no
longer considered an option in Finnish foreign policy.[31]
On 15 and 16 June, the Soviet Union occupied the Baltic
states without resistance. Soviet Puppet regimes were
installed; and within two months Estonia, Latvia, and
Lithuania were incorporated as Soviet Republics within
the Soviet Union.[32] By mid-1940, the two remaining
northern democracies, Finland and Sweden, were encircled by the totalitarian states of Germany and the Soviet
Union.
Finnish ags are at half-mast after the publication of the peace

terms
Finlands foreign policy had been based on multilateral

guarantees for support from the League of Nations and
Nordic countries and was considered a failure.[26] Finnish
public opinion favored the reconquest of Finnish Karelia.
Finlands government declared the countrys defense to be
its rst priority, and military expenditures rose to nearly
half of government spending. Finland purchased and received donations of war material during and immediately
after the Winter War. On Finlands southern frontier the
Soviet Union had acquired a military base in Hanko near
the capital Helsinki, which employed over 30,000 Soviet
military personnel.[27]
Finland also had to resettle some 420,000 evacuees from
the lost territories. To ensure the supply of food, it
was necessary to clear new land for the evacuees to
cultivate.[27] This was facilitated by the Rapid Settlement Act. The Finnish leadership wanted to preserve
the spirit of unanimity that was commonly felt throughout
the country during the Winter War. The divisive White
Guard tradition of the Civil War 16 May victory day celebration was therefore discontinued.[28] Relations between
Finland and the Soviet Union remained strained despite
the signing of the one-sided peace treaty, and there were
disputes regarding the implementation of the conditions
of the treaty. Finland sought security against further territorial depredations by the Soviet Union and proposed
mutual defence agreements with Norway and Sweden,
but these initiatives were quashed by Moscow.[29][30]
On 23 June, a short time after the Soviet occupations

of the Baltic states began, the Soviet foreign minister
Vyacheslav Molotov contacted the Finns and demanded a
mining licence for the Soviet Union at the nickel mines in
Petsamo or alternately the establishing of a joint SovietFinnish company to operate there. The licence to mine
the deposit had earlier been granted to a British-Canadian
company, and the proposition was rejected. The next
month, the Soviets demanded that Finland destroy the
fortications built in the land islands and give the Soviets the right to use Finnish railways to transport Soviet
troops to the newly acquired Soviet base at Hanko. The
Finns very reluctantly agreed to these demands.[33] On 24
July, Molotov accused the Finnish government of persecuting the so-called Society for Peace and Friendship between Finland and USSR, a pro-communist group; and
soon afterwards, he publicly supported this group. The
society organized demonstrations, some of which turned
into riots.[34][35]
1.4 Finnish relations with Germany and

the USSR
On 31 July 1940, the German leader Adolf Hitler gave
the order to start planning an assault on the Soviet Union.
This meant that Germany had to reassess its positions
regarding both Finland and Romania. Until then, Germany had rejected Finnish appeals to purchase arms, but
in August the Germans allowed the secret sale of weapons
to Finland. German and Finnish military authorities
made an agreement on 12 September, and an ocial exchange of diplomatic notes was sent on 22 September.
At the same time, German troops were allowed to transit
through Sweden and Finland.[36] In practice, this meant
Germany had redrawn the border of German and Soviet
2 Path to war
2.1 FinnishGerman agreement
On 20 May 1941 the Germans invited some Finnish ofcers to Germany to discuss the coordination of Operation Barbarossa. The participants met on 2528 May
in Salzburg and Berlin, and continued their meeting in
Helsinki from 3 to 6 June. They agreed upon the arrival
of German troops, Finnish mobilization, and general division of operations.[43] They also agreed that the Finnish
Army would start mobilization on 15 June, but the Germans did not reveal the nal date for the assault. The
German Joachim von Ribbentrop bidding farewell to Soviet
Finnish decisions were made by a small group of politiVyacheslav Molotov in Berlin on 14 November 1940.
cal and military leaders, and the rest of the government
was largely kept in the dark. The government was not
informed until 9 June that the country would start mobilization of reservists due to tensions between Germany
spheres of inuence.[37]
and the Soviet Union.[41]
Due to the changed situation, Molotov made a visit to
Berlin on 1213 November.[38] He wanted Germany
to withdraw its troops from Finland and stop enabling 2.2 Deployments and pre-assaults
Finnish anti-Soviet sentiments. He also reminded the
Germans of the 1939 SovietGerman non-aggression
pact. Hitler asked how the Soviet Union planned to settle
the Finnish question. Molotov answered that it would
happen in the same manner as in Bessarabia and the Baltic
states. Hitler rejected this.[39] The following December,
the Soviet Union, Germany, and the United Kingdom all
voiced opinions concerning suitable Finnish presidential
candidates. Risto Ryti was the only candidate none of
these three powers objected to. He was elected on 19
December.[40]
In January 1941, the Soviet Union demanded to take control of the Petsamo mining area. Finland rejected this, as
it by then had a rebuilt defense force and was encouraged
by Germany to reject the Soviet demand.[40] On 18 December 1940, Hitler had ocially approved Operation
Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union.[41]
He expected both Finland and Romania to join the German campaign.[42] Two days earlier, Finnish Major General Paavo Talvela had met German Colonel General
Franz Halder and, a couple days later, Reichsmarschall
Hermann Gring, in Berlin. This was the rst time the
Germans advised the Finns, in carefully couched diplomatic terms, that they were preparing for a war with the
Soviet Union. Outlines of the actual plan were revealed in
January 1941 and regular contacts between Finnish and
German military leaders started from February.[42]
In late spring 1941, the Soviet Union made a number
of goodwill gestures in order to prevent Finland from
completely falling under German inuence. Soviet ambassador Ivan Zotov was replaced with the more exible Pavel Orlov. Furthermore, the Soviet government announced that it no longer opposed a rapprochement between Finland and Sweden. However, these conciliatory
measures did not have any eect on Finnish policy.[43]
Finnish, German, and Soviet troops at the start of the Continuation War in June/July 1941. The Germans began their assault
on 29 June from Petsamo area, and the Finns attacked on 1 July
from Suomussalmi and Kuusamo area.
The Germans took responsibility for the 500 km (310

mi) stretch of the front in northern Finland consisting
of Finnish Lapland. The Finnish army was now much
stronger than it had been during the Winter War, now
1941: FINNISH OFFENSIVE
boasting 475,000 men. The artillery, too, was relatively 3 Soviet air attack
strong. However, there was only one tank battalion and a
lack of motorized transportation.[44]
On the morning of 25 June, the Soviet Union launched
At the beginning of the war, the Soviet Union had eigh- an air oensive of 460 ghters and bombers targeting 19
teen divisions in the region, against fteen Finnish and airelds in Finland; however, inaccurate intelligence and
four German divisions. The Finns enjoyed air supremacy. poor bombing accuracy caused several raids to hit Finnish
[51]
There was considerable deFurthermore, the Soviet Union needed its best units and cities or municipalities.
[45]
struction in the cities. Twenty-three Soviet bombers were
most up-to-date materiel on its western front.
lost,[51] while the Finns lost no aircraft.[52]
The German troops assaulted the Soviet Union on 22
June elsewhere but not from Finland. However, German The Soviet Union stated that the air attack was directed
[53]
minelayers hiding in the Archipelago Sea laid two large against German targets, especially airelds, in Finland.
mineelds across the Gulf of Finland in the late hours of At the same time, Soviet artillery stationed at the Hanko
21 June.[46][47] Later the same night, German bombers base began to shell Finnish targets, and a minor Soviet
ew along the Gulf of Finland to Leningrad and mined infantry attack was launched over the Finnish side of the
the harbour and the river Neva. On the return trip, these border in Parikkala.
bombers landed for refueling on an aireld in Utti. In the The bombings oered the Finnish government a ground
early hours of 22 June, Finnish forces launched Operation for claiming that the country had become the target of a
Kilpapurjehdus, which aimed to man the demilitarized new assault, and the Finnish parliament approved the deland Islands. An international treaty on the status of fensive war as a fait accompli.[54] According to historian
the islands called for Finland to defend them in case of David Kirby, the message was intended more for public
the threat of an attack.[48] However, the operation was opinion in Finland than abroad, where it was seen that the
coordinated with the Nazi invasion, and the Soviet con- country was in the German camp.[55]
sulate there was arrested. According to Finnish historian
Mauno Jokipii, Finland knew that it had violated international norms.[49]
4 1941: Finnish oensive
On 21 June, Finnish units began to concentrate at the

Finnish-Soviet border, where they were arranged into defensive formations. Finland mobilised 16 infantry divisions, one cavalry brigade, and two jger brigades, which
were all standard infantry brigades, except for an armoured battalion in the 1st Jger Brigade. Separate battalions were mostly formed from border guard units and
were used mainly for reconnaissance. Soviet military
plans estimated that Finland would be able to mobilise
only ten infantry divisions, as it had done in the Winter
War, but they failed to take into account the materiel Finland had purchased between the wars and its training of
all available men. Two German mountain divisions were
stationed at Petsamo and two infantry divisions at Salla.
On the morning of 22 June, the German Mountain Corps
Norway began its advance from northern Norway to Petsamo. Finland did not allow direct German attacks from
its soil into the Soviet Union. On the same day, another
German infantry division was moved from Oslo to face
Ladoga Karelia.
On the Soviet side, the Karelian Isthmus was covered by
the 23rd Army. Ladoga Karelia was defended by the 7th
Army. In the MurmanskSalla region, there was the 14th
Army with the 42nd Corps. The Red Army also had
around 40 battalions of separate regiments and fortication units present. Leningrad was garrisoned by three infantry divisions and one mechanized corps. As the initial
devastating German strike against the Soviet Air Force The front in December 1941
had not aected air units located near Finland, the Soviets deployed 700 planes as well as some aircraft from the In July the Finnish military began its planned oensive.
According to Finnish historian Olli Vehvilinen, in 1941
Navy against 300 Finnish planes.[50]
most Finns thought that the scope of the new oensive
4.3
Conquest of East Karelia
was only to regain what had been wrongly taken in the the northwestern coast of the lake, from where the SoWinter War.[56]
viet divisions were evacuated across the lake. On 22
The Soviet Union struggled to contain the German inva- August the Finnish IV AK Corps started its oensive
Finland and
sion, and soon the Soviet High Command had to call all from the 1940 border between the Gulf of
[62]
the
II
AK,
and
advanced
towards
Viborg.
By 23 Auavailable units stationed along the Finnish border to the
gust,
the
Finnish
II
Corps
had
reached
the
Vuoksi
water[57]
rapidly deteriorating front line.
According to Finnish
way
from
the
east
and
continued
to
surround
the
Soviet
historian Ohto Manninen, because of this, the initial air
[62]
The
Soviet
withdrawal
orforces
defending
Viborg.
oensive against Finland could not be followed by a supder came too late, and the Soviet divisions lost much of
[58]
porting land oensive as allegedly planned.
Moreover, 237th Infantry Division and, excluding the 198th their equipment, although a sizable portion of their manpower was later evacuated via the Koivisto islands. The
Motorized Division, the Soviet 10th Mechanized Corps
were withdrawn from Ladoga Karelia, thus stripping most badly mauled defending Soviet army was unable to halt
the Finnish oensive, and by 2 September the Finns had
of the reserves from the remaining defending Soviet
reached the 1939 border along its whole length. On 31
[59]
units.
August, Finnish headquarters ordered the 2nd and 4th
Army Corps, which had advanced the furthest, to halt
their oensive after reaching a line just past the former
4.1 Reconquest of Ladoga Karelia
border that ran from the mouth of the River Sestra via ReMain article: Finnish reconquest of Ladoga Karelia tukyl, Aleksandrovka, and the eastern edge of the village
of S. Beloostrov (Russian: ) to Ohta
(1941)
and form for defense.[64][65]
The Finnish plans for the oensive in Ladoga Karelia were completed on 28 June.[60] The oensive was
launched on 10 July,[15][60][61] and already by 16 July the
Finns reached the shore of Lake Ladoga and cut the defending Soviet army in two, hindering the Soviets defense of the area.[60] Finnish headquarters halted the offensive in Ladoga Karelia on 25 July after reconquering
the area of Ladoga Karelia lost to the Soviet Union in
1940 and after advancing as far as Vitele. The Finnish
oensive then moved on to other sections of the front.
4.2
Reconquest of the Karelian Isthmus
Finnish military parade in Viborg on 31 August 1941, after its

recapture
According to Soviet sources, the Finns advanced and took

the settlement of Novyi Beloostrov with its train station
on 4 September, but a Soviet counter-attack threw them
out the next day.[66][67][68] The war diary of the Finnish
12th Division facing this settlement[64][69] notes that it
was quiet at the time[69] while the neighboring 18th Division had orders on the morning of 4 September 1941
to form a line of defense north of N. Beloostrov,[70] and
the Finnish 6th Regiment responsible for the Finnish
18th Divisions front line facing N. Beloostrov[64] formed
for defense along the small stream (Serebryanyy ruchey)
north of N. Belootrov on 4 September 1941.[71][72] According to Finnish sources, Soviet forces advanced north
from N. Beloostrov and attacked the Finnish positions
along the small stream on the morning of 5 September 1941, but the Finns managed to repel them.[71][72]
Staryi Beloostrov (Valkeasaari) was taken by the Finns
on September 4 and the Soviet counterattacks failed to
retake the settlement.[64] Finnish forces captured N. Beloostrov again on 10 or 11 September 1941.[64][67][68][73]
According to the war diary of the Finnish 12th Division, this was done to strengthen their lines.[73] The Soviet war correspondent Luknitsky noted that this created a
dangerous bulge in the Soviet defensive line.[67] According to Russian historian Nazarenko, the Finns were not
able to advance further due to stronger Soviet defensive
positions.[68] Fighting for the settlement continued until
20 September, when the Soviets managed to force the
Finns out.[74] After that the front stabilized.[75][76]
Main article: Finnish reconquest of the Karelian Isthmus

(1941)
4.3
Conquest of East Karelia
The Finnish II Corps (II AK) started its oensive in the Main article: Finnish conquest of East Karelia (1941)
region of the Karelian Isthmus on 31 July.[62][63] Finnish
troops reached the shores of Lake Ladoga on 9 August, The Finnish oensive in East Karelia started in early July
surrounding most of three defending Soviet divisions on in the northern section of the front. In early Septem-
1941: FINNISH OFFENSIVE
ber, the attack in the northern section reached Rukajrvi

(, Rugozero) village and Finnish headquarters
halted the oensive there. On August 27, Finnish headquarters ordered the oensive in the south to reach the
Svir River. Finnish troops cut the Kirov railroad on
7 September, crossed the Svir on 15 September, and
then halted the oensive. Advance troops reached the
shores of Lake Onega on 24 September. The town of
Petrozavodsk was captured on 1 October after the Soviets withdrew to avoid encirclement. On 6 November,
the Finnish headquarters ordered their forces to capture
Karhumki and then move to defense. The Finnish forces
captured the area of Karhumki and Povenets, and halted Soviet troop transporter nearly sunk by German mines on 3 Dethe oensive in early December.
cember 1941 in the Finnish Gulf during the Hanko evacuation
Related to the Finnish advance to the Svir, the German
Army Group North advanced from the south towards the
Svir River and managed to capture Tikhvin before Soviet counterattacks forced the Germans to withdraw to the
Volkhov River. Soviet forces also made several attempts
to force the Finns out from their bridgehead south of the
Svir during October and December 1941; however, the
Soviet eorts to reduce the bridgehead were blocked by
the Finns. Soviet forces also attacked the German 163rd
Division, which was operating under Finnish command,
across the Svir in October 1941; but the Soviet forces that
had crossed the river were pushed back soon after.[77]
for them. As the Soviet Navy withdrew to the eastern

end of the Gulf of Finland, it left nearly the whole Baltic
Sea as well as many of the islands to the Germans and
Finns. Although Soviet submarines caused some threat
to German trac on the Baltic, the withdrawal of the Soviet Navy made the Baltic Sea a German lake until the
second half of 1944. Although the Soviet Navy left in a
hurry, the naval mines it had managed to lay before and
during the evacuations caused casualties both to the Germans and the Finns, including the loss of one of the two
Finnish coastal defence ships, the Ilmarinen.
4.4
4.6 Political development
Operation Silver Fox in the North
Main article: Operation Silver Fox

The German objective in northern Finland was to take
Murmansk and seize control of the Murman Railway.
Murmansk was the only year-round ice-free port in the
north, and it was a threat to the nickel mine at Petsamo.
Operation Silver Fox was run by the German AOK Norwegen and had two Finnish divisions under its command.
The German soldiers were from central Europe and they
had diculties moving over a roadless terrain of swamp
and forest. Troops managed to advance some distance
with heavy casualties, but the terrain oered good defensive positions for the Soviet resistance.[78]
The order for GermanFinnish troops to move to defensive operations was given on 17 November, when attempts to reach the Murmansk Railway had failed.
4.5
Naval campaign
Further information: Baltic Sea Campaigns (19391945)

Although the Soviet Red Banner Baltic eet started the
war in a strong position, German naval mine warfare and
aerial supremacy, and the rapid advance by the German
land forces forced the Soviet Navy to evacuate its bases to
Kronstadt and Leningrad. The Soviets evacuations from
Tallinn and Hanko proved to be very costly operations
Administrative map of Finland from 1942 to 1944
Germanys main forces advanced rapidly deep into Soviet territory during the rst weeks of the Operation
Barbarossa campaign. The Finns believed the Germans
would defeat the Soviet Union quickly. President Ryti
7
envisioned Greater Finland, where the country and other
Finnic people would live inside a natural defence borderline by incorporating the Kola Peninsula, East Karelia,
and perhaps even northern Ingria. In public the proposed
frontier was introduced by the slogan A short border
a long peace.[79] Some members of the Finnish parliament, such as the Social Democrats and the Swedish
Peoples Party, opposed the idea, arguing that maintaining the 1939 frontier would be enough.[79] On July 10,
Finnish Commander-in-Chief C. G. E. Mannerheim gave
an order of the day, the Sword Scabbard Declaration, in
which he pledged to liberate Karelia. The Finnish government assured the Americans that it was unaware of
the order.[80]
more complex; the American public was sympathetic

to the brave little democracy, and there were anticommunist feelings. At rst, the United States empathised with the Finnish cause; however, the situation became problematic after Finnish troops crossed the
1939 border. Finnish and German troops were a threat
to the Murmansk Railway and northern communication
supply line between the Western Allies and the Soviet
Union.[86] On 25 October 1941, the United States demanded that Finland cease all hostilities against the Soviet
Union and withdraw behind the 1939 border. In public,
President Ryti rejected the demands, but in private he
wrote to Mannerheim on 5 November 1941 asking him
to halt the oensive. Mannerheim agreed and secretly
instructed General Hjalmar Siilasvuo to break o the asFinland had prepared for a short war, but in late autumn it
[84]
was clear that there would be no decisive outcome in the sault against the Murmansk Railway.
short term. Finnish troops suered losses during their advance; and, overall, German victory became uncertain as
German troops were halted near Moscow. The Finnish 5 194243: Trench warfare
economy suered from a lack of labour, food shortages,
and increased prices. The Finnish government had to demobilize part of the army so that industrial and agricultural production would not collapse.[81] In October, Finland informed Germany that it would need 175,000 short
tons (159,000 t) of grains to manage until next years harvest. The German authorities would have rejected the request, but Hitler himself agreed. Annual grain deliveries
200,000 short tons (180,000 t) amounted to almost onehalf of the Finnish domestic crop. In November, Finland
decided to join the Anti-Comintern Pact.[82] The advance
in East Karelia was halted on 6 December. The Finns had
suered 75,000 casualties, of whom 25,000 were Finnish
deaths during the advance.[81]
4.7
Finland and Western allies
Finland worked to maintain good relations with the Western powers. The Finnish government stressed that Finland was ghting as a co-belligerent with Germany against
the Soviet Union only to protect itself.[81] Furthermore,
Finland stressed that it was still the same democratic
country as it had been in the Winter War. However, on
12 July 1941, the United Kingdom had signed an agreement of joint action with the Soviet Union. Furthermore,
under German pressure, Finland had to close the British
legation in Helsinki. As a result, diplomatic relations between Finland and the United Kingdom were broken on 1
August.[83] On 28 November, Britain presented Finland
an ultimatum, in which it demanded that Finland cease
military operations by 3 December.[84] Unocially, Finland informed the Western powers that troops would halt
their advance in the next few days. The reply did not
satisfy the United Kingdom, which declared war on Finland on 6 December 1941. The Commonwealth member states of Canada, Australia, India, and New Zealand
followed.[85][Note 7]
Trench warfare of the Continuation War in 1942; the Soviets

made four major assaults, which all were repelled.
5.1 Military operations

See also: Baltic Sea Campaigns (19391945) and Siege
of Leningrad
Although military operations during 1942 and 1943

Relations between Finland and the United States were were limited, the front did see some action. In early
194243: TRENCH WARFARE
1942, Soviet Karelian Front forces attempted to retake

Medvezhyegorsk, which had been lost to the Finns in late
1941. As spring came, the Soviet forces also went on
the oensive on the Svir front as well as in Kiestinki region. All Soviet oensives started promisingly, but due
either to the Soviets overextending their lines or stubborn
defensive resistance, the Soviet oensives were stopped
and repulsed. After Finnish and German counterattacks
in Kiestinki, the eventual front lines had moved very little. In September 1942, the Soviets tried again at Kriv
near Medvezhyegorsk, but despite ve days of ghting,
the Soviets managed to push the Finnish lines back only
500 m (550 yd) on a roughly 1 km (0.62 mi)-long stretch Hitler, Marshal Mannerheim (Finnish Army chief) and Finnish
of the front.[87]
President Ryti meet, Imatra June 1942
Unconventional warfare was fought in both the Finnish
and Soviet wilderness. Finnish LRRPs organized both by
Finnish HQ4th Separate Battalion (Er.P 4)and by local units patrolled beyond Soviet lines. In summer 1942,
the Soviet Union had formed the 1st Partisan Brigade.
The unit was only 'partisan' in name, as it was essentially
more than 600 men and women on long range patrol. The
1st Partisan Brigade was able to inltrate beyond Finnish
patrol lines but was found out and largely destroyed.[88]
On the naval front, the Soviet Baltic Fleet still operated
from the besieged city of Leningrad. In early 1942, Soviet forces recaptured the island of Gogland but lost both
Gogland and Bolshoy Tyuters to the Finns later in spring
1942. During the winter of 1941/1942, the Soviet Baltic
Fleet made the decision to use the large Soviet submarine eet to carry the ght to the enemy. Though initial submarine operations in the summer of 1942 were
successful, the German Kriegsmarine and Finnish Navy
soon stepped up their anti-submarine eorts, making the
Soviet submarine operations later in 1942 very costly.
The underwater oensive carried out by the Soviets convinced the Germans to lay anti-submarine nets as well
as supporting mineelds between Porkkala and Naissaar
which proved to be an insurmountable obstacle for the
Soviet submarines.[89]
5.2
the Wehrmacht and the Red Army would wear each other
down enough for negotiations to begin, or to at least get
them out of the way of Finlands independent decisions.
Nationalist elements, including the IKL, may also have
continued to hope for an eventual victory by Germany.
Finlands participation in the war brought major benets
to Germany. The Soviet eet was blockaded in the Gulf
of Finland, so that the Baltic was freed for the training
of German submarine crews as well as for German shipping, especially for the transport of vital iron ore from
northern Sweden and nickel and rare metals (needed in
steel processing) from the Petsamo area. The Finnish
front secured the northern ank of the German Army
Group North in the Baltic states. The sixteen Finnish divisions tied down numerous Soviet troops, put pressure on
Leningrad (although Mannerheim refused to attack it directly), and threatened the Murmansk railway. Additionally, Sweden was further isolated and was increasingly
pressured to comply with German and Finnish wishes,
though with limited success.
Diplomatic manoeuvers
Operation Barbarossa was planned as a blitzkrieg intended

to last a few weeks. British and U.S. observers believed
that the invasion would be concluded before August. In
the autumn of 1941, this turned out to be wrong, and leading Finnish military ocers started to doubt Germanys
capability to nish the war quickly. German troops in
northern Finland faced circumstances they were not properly prepared for, and failed to reach their targets, most
importantly Murmansk. As the lines stabilized, Finland sent out peace feelers to the Soviet Union several
times.[90] Germany was alarmed by this, and reacted by
drawing down shipments of desperately needed materials each time. The idea that Finland had to continue the
war while putting its own forces in the least possible danger gained increasing support, perhaps in the hope that
Finnish Waen-SS volunteers in Gross Born Truppenlager in

1941
Despite Finlands contributions to the German cause, the

Western Allies had ambivalent feelings, torn between
residual goodwill for Finland and the need to accommodate their vital ally, the Soviet Union. As a result, Britain
declared war against Finland, but the United States did
not. With few exceptions, there was no combat between
5.4
Finnish occupation policy
these countries and Finland, but Finnish sailors were interned overseas. In the United States, Finland was denounced for naval attacks made on American Lend-Lease
shipments, but received approval for continuing to make
payments on its World War I debt throughout the interwar period.
Because Finland joined the Anti-Comintern Pact and
signed other agreements with Germany, Italy, and Japan,
the Allies characterized Finland as one of the Axis Powers, although the term used in Finland is "co-belligerence
with Germany, emphasizing the lack of a formal military
alliance.
5.3
International volunteers and support
Estonian volunteers in Finland during the Continuation War
Foreigners to Finland from Sweden and Estonia were

among international personnel who fought during the
Continuation war.[91]
9
quested members of the Kinship Battalion to be handed
over. Some managed to escape before or during transport, but most of them were either sent to the labor camps
or executed.
5.4 Finnish occupation policy

Main articles: Finnish military administration in Eastern
Karelia and East Karelian concentration camps
On 19 July 1941, the Finns set up the military administration in occupied East Karelia. The goal of the administration was to prepare the region for eventual incorporation into Finland. In the early stage, the Finns aimed at
ethnic cleansing where the Russian population would be
expelled from the area once the war was over.[92] They
would be replaced with Finnic peoples such as Karelians,
Finns, Estonians, Ingrians, and Vepsians. The Russian
population was deemed non-national.[93] Most of the
East Karelian population had been evacuated before the
Finnish forces arrived. About 85,000 peoplemostly the
elderly, women, and childrenwere left behind, and less
than half of them were Karelians. A signicant number
of civiliansalmost 30% of the remaining Russians
were interned in concentration camps.[93]
The winter of 194142 was an ordeal for the Finnish urban population, due to poor harvests and a shortage of
agricultural laborers.[93] However, for the interned it was
disastrous; more than 3,500 people died, mostly from
starvation. This gure amounted to 13.8% of the inmates,
while the corresponding gure for the free population of
the occupied territories was 2.6% and for Finland proper
1.4%.[94] Conditions gradually improved, ethnic discrimination in wage levels and food rations were terminated
the following year, and new schools were established for
the Russian-speaking population.[95] By the end of the occupation, mortality rates dropped to the same levels as in
Finland proper.[94]
As in the Winter War, Swedish volunteers were recruited.

Until December 1941, these formed the Swedish Volunteer Battalion, which was tasked with guarding the Soviet naval base at Hanko. When it was evacuated by sea
in December 1941, the Swedish unit was ocially disbanded. During the Continuation War, the volunteers
signed up for three to six months of service. In all, over
1,600 Swedish volunteers fought for Finland, although
only about 60 remained by the summer of 1944. About a 5.5 Soviet partisans
third of the volunteers had previously participated in the
Winter War. Another signicant groupabout a quarter Main article: Soviet partisans Finland and Karelia
Soviet partisans conducted a number of operations in
of the menwere Swedish ocers on leave.
Finland
and in Eastern Karelia from 1941 to 1944.
From 1942 to 1944 there was also a Schutzstael (SS)
The
major
one failed when the 1st Partisan Brigade
battalion of volunteers on the northern Finnish front rewas
destroyed
in the beginning of August 1942 at Lake
cruited from Norway, then under German occupation,
Seesjrvi.
Partisans
distributed propaganda newspapers,
and similarly, some Danes. About 3,400 Estonian volPravda
in
Finnish
and
Lenins Banner in Russian. One
unteers took part. On other occasions, the Finns reof
the
leaders
of
the
partisan
movement in Finland and
ceived a total of about 2,100 Soviet prisoners of war
[96]
Yuri
Andropov.
Karelia
was
in return for those Soviet POWs they turned over to
the Germans. These POWs were mainly Estonians and
Karelians who were willing to join the Finnish army.
These, as well as some volunteers from occupied Eastern
Karelia, formed the Kinship Battalion (Finnish language:
Heimopataljoona). At the end of the war, the USSR re-
Finnish sources state that partisan activity in East Karelia focused mainly on Finnish military supply and communication targets, but almost two thirds of the attacks
on the Finnish side of the border targeted civilians,[97]
killing 200 and injuring 50, including children and the
10
6 1944: SOVIET OFFENSIVE
Two Finnish boys executed by Soviet partisans at Seitajrvi, July

1942
elderly.[98][99][100]
5.6
Jews in Finland
Main article: Jews in Finland

Finland had a small (approx. 2,300) Jewish population.
They had full civil rights and fought with other Finns in
the ranks of the Finnish Army. The Germans had mentioned the Finnish Jews at the Wannsee Conference in
January 1942, wishing to transport them to Majdanek in
General Government. SS leader Heinrich Himmler mentioned the Finnish Jews during his visit in Finland in the
summer of 1942. Finnish Prime Minister Jukka Rangell
replied that Finland had no "Jewish question".[101] However, there were dierences for Jewish refugees in Finland. In November 1942, the Finns handed eight Jewish refugees over to the Gestapo. This raised protests
among the Finnish Social Democrat ministers, and after
this event no more refugees were handed over.[102] Over
500 Jewish refugees were granted asylum.[103]
The eld synagogue in Eastern Karelia was one of the
very few functioning synagogues on the Axis side during
the war. There were even several cases of Jewish ocers
of Finlands army being awarded the German Iron Cross,
which they declined. German soldiers were treated by
Jewish medical ocers who sometimes saved the soldiers
lives.[104][105][106][107]
5.7
Finland and the Western allies
The Continuation War represents the only case of a genuinely democratic state participating in World War II on
the side of the Axis powers, albeit without being a signatory of the Tripartite Pact. The United Kingdom declared war on Finland on 6 December 1941 (Finnish Independence Day), with Canada and New Zealand declaring war on Finland on 7 December and Australia and
South Africa declaring war the next day. U.S. Secretary of State Cordell Hull congratulated the Finnish en-
voy on 3 October 1941 for the liberation of Karelia but

warned Finland not to enter Soviet territory; furthermore,
the United States did not declare war on Finland when it
went to war with the Axis countries and, together with
the UK, approached Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin at the
Tehran Conference about acknowledging Finnish independence. However, the U.S. government seized Finnish
merchant ships in American ports, and in the summer of
1944 shut down Finnish diplomatic and commercial ofces in the United States as a result of President Rytis
treaty with Germany. The U.S. government later warned
Finland about the consequences of continued adherence
to the Axis.[108]
The best-known British action on Finnish soil was an aircraft carrier strike on German and Finnish ships in the
Finnish harbour of Petsamo on 31 July 1941.[10] This attack achieved little except the loss of three British aircraft, but it was intended as a demonstration of British
support for its Soviet ally. Later in 1941, Hurricanes of
No. 151 Wing RAF, based at Murmansk, provided local
air cover for Soviet troops and ghter escorts for Soviet
bombers.[109] The British contribution to the war was occasional but signicant.
Finnish radio intelligence is said to have participated effectively in German actions against British convoys to
Murmansk.[110] Throughout the war, German aircraft operating from airelds in northern Finland attacked British
air and naval units based in Murmansk and Archangelsk.
6 1944: Soviet oensive

Main article: VyborgPetrozavodsk Oensive
6.1 Overtures for peace

Main articles: Bombing of Helsinki in World War II and
Battle of Narva (1944)
Finland began to actively seek a way out of the war after
the disastrous German defeat at the Battle of Stalingrad
in February 1943. Edwin Linkomies formed a new cabinet with peace as the top priority. Negotiations were conducted intermittently in 194344 between Finland and its
representative, Juho Kusti Paasikivi, on one side, and the
Western Allies and the Soviet Union on the other, but no
agreement was reached. Stalin decided to force Finland
to surrender; a bombing campaign on Helsinki followed.
The air campaign in February 1944 included three major
air attacks involving a total of over 6,000 sorties. Finnish
anti-aircraft defences managed to repel the raids as only
ve percent of the dropped bombs hit their planned targets. Helsinkis air defense included the strategic placing of searchlights and res as decoys outside the city to
lure the Soviet bombers to drop their payloads in what
6.2
Soviet strategic oensive
11
Finnish troops passing by the remains of a destroyed Soviet T-34

at the battle of Tali-Ihantala
The front line on 4 September 1944, during the last days of the
war
Soviet forces broke through the Finnish front lines. The

Soviets penetrated the second line of defence by the sixth
day. The Soviet pressure on the Karelian Isthmus forced
the Finns to reinforce the area. This allowed the second
Soviet oensive in Eastern Karelia to meet less resistance
and to capture Petrozavodsk by 28 June 1944. According
to Erickson (1991), James Gebhardt (1989), and Glantz
(1998), the main objective of the Soviet oensives was
to force Finland from the war.[118][119][120]
were actually unpopulated areas. Major air attacks also

hit Oulu and Kotka, but because of radio intelligence and
eective anti-aircraft defences, the number of casualties 6.2.1 German help for Finland
was small.[111]
Meanwhile, the lengthy and ferocious German defence in Finland especially lacked modern antitank weaponry
Narva aided by the Estonians eliminated Soviet-occupied which could stop Soviet heavy tanks, and German ForEstonia as a favorable base for Soviet amphibious inva- eign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop oered these in
sions and air attacks against Helsinki and other Finnish exchange for a guarantee that Finland would not seek
cities. The tactical success of the army detachment a separate peace again. On 26 June, President Risto
Narwa from mid-February to April diminished the Ryti gave this guarantee as a personal undertaking, which
hopes of the Stavka to assault Finland and force it he intended to last only for the remainder of his presiinto capitulation from Estonia.[112][113][114] Finland ter- dency. In addition to delivering thousands of hand-held
minated the negotiations in mid-April 1944,[115] because Panzerfaust and Panzerschreck antitank weapons, Hitler
they considered the Soviet terms to be impossible to sent the 122nd Infantry Division, the half-strength 303rd
Assault Gun Brigade, and Luftwae Detachment Kuhlmey
fulll.[116]
to provide temporary support in the most threatened defense sectors.
6.2
Soviet strategic oensive
On 9 June 1944, the Soviet Union opened a major offensive against Finnish positions on the Karelian Isthmus
and in the area of Lake Ladoga (it was timed to accompany D-Day[117] ). On the 21.7 km (13.5 mi)-wide breakthrough segment the Red Army had concentrated 3,000
guns and mortars. In some places, the concentration of
artillery pieces exceeded 200 guns for every kilometer of
the front (one every 5 m (5.5 yd)). On that day, Soviet
artillery red over 80,000 rounds along the front on the
Karelian Isthmus. On the second day of the oensive, the
With new supplies from Germany, the Finnish army

halted the Soviet advance in early July 1944. At this
point, the Finnish forces had retreated about one hundred kilometres, which brought them to approximately
the same line of defence they had held at the end of
the Winter War. This line was known as the VKT-line
(short for "ViipuriKuparsaariTaipale"; it ran from Viborg to the River Vuoksi to Lake Ladoga at Taipale),
where the Finnish Army stopped the Soviet oensive in
the Battle of Tali-Ihantala in spite of Soviet numerical
and materiel superiority.[121][122][123] The front stabilized
once again.[121][122][123]
12
6.2.2
8 ARMISTICE AND AFTERMATH

Finlands exit from the war
A few battles were fought in the latter stages of the war.

The last of them was the Battle of Ilomantsi, a Finnish
victory, from 26 July to 13 August 1944.[116][124][125][126]
The struggle to contain the Soviet oensive was exhausting Finnish resources. The German support under the
Ryti-Ribbentrop Agreement had prevented a disaster, but
it was believed the country would not be able to hold another major attack.[127] The Soviet advances against German Army Groups Center and North further complicated
matters for Finland.[127]
the prisoners who survived to reach a prison camp.
8 Armistice and aftermath
With the front being stable so far, it was a good time for
Finland to seek a way out of the war.[127][128][129] At the
beginning of August President Ryti resigned to allow Finland to sue for peace again, which the new government did
in late August.[119][128][130] The Soviet peace terms were
harsh, but the $600,000,000 reparations demanded in the
spring were reduced to $300,000,000,[116] most likely due
to pressure from the United States and Britain.[131] However, after the ceasere the Soviets insisted that the payments should be based on 1938 prices, which doubled the
amount.[131] This sum constituted half of Finlands annual gross domestic product in 1939.
7
7.1
Prisoners of war
Soviet prisoners of war in Finland
Areas ceded by Finland to the Soviet Union following the Moscow

Armistice
Main article: Soviet prisoners of war in Finland

The number of Soviet prisoners of war was estimated to
be around 64,000 persons. Of these, 56,000 were captured in 1941.[132] About 2,600 to 2,800 Soviet prisoners of war were handed over to the Germans in exchange
for roughly 2,200 Finnic prisoners of war.[133] Food was
especially scarce in 1942 in Finland due to a bad harvest, and this was the primary reason for the number
of deaths. Out of 64,188 Soviet POWs, 18,318 died in
Finnish prisoner of war camps.[134]
7.2
Finnish prisoners of war in the Soviet

Union
Main article: Finnish prisoners of war in the Soviet Union

There are two views of the number of Finnish prisoners
of war. The Soviet and Russian view is that of 2,377
Finnish prisoners of war who reached the prison camps
1,954 were returned after the Moscow Armistice. The
Finnish view is that of the original approximately 3,500
Finnish prisoners of war, only about 2,000 were returned
(more than 40% perished). The dierence can be at least
partially explained by the Soviet practice of counting only
Memorial at Lappeenranta to the dead of the Winter and Continuation Wars. The wall in the background carries the names
of Finnish dead buried inside Karelia. The gures are cleaners
carrying out a daily cleaning and tidying of the memorial in May
2000.
Main articles: Moscow Armistice and Lapland War

Mannerheim had repeatedly reminded the Germans that
in case their troops in Estonia retreated, Finland would
be forced to make peace even on extremely unfavourable
terms.[135] The territory of Estonia would have provided
the Soviet army a favourable base for amphibious inva-
13
sions and air attacks against Finlands capital, Helsinki, 9 Analysis
and other strategic targets in Finland, and would have severed Finnish access to the sea. The initial German reac9.1 Finnish reasons for entering the war
tion to Finlands announcement of ambitions for a sepaand nature of FinnishGerman relarate peace was limited to only verbal opposition. Howtions
ever, the Germans then arrested hundreds of sailors on
Finnish merchant ships in Germany, Denmark, and NorFinland re-entered World War II mainly because of the
way.
Soviet invasion of Finland during the Winter War, which
Previously, in return for critically needed food and de- had taken place after Finnish intentions of relying on the
fense materiel from the Germans, President Ryti had per- League of Nations and Nordic neutrality to avoid consonally committed, in writing, that no separate peace with icts had failed from lack of outside support.[137] Durthe Soviets would be attempted. Accordingly, it became ing the Continuation War, Finland primarily aimed to reclear that he must resign, paving the way for a separate verse its territorial losses under the March 1940 Moscow
peace. Finlands military leader Mannerheim was ap- Peace Treaty and, depending on the success of the Gerpointed president in an extraordinary procedure by the man invasion of the Soviet Union, to possibly expand,
Finnish parliament. In agreeing to take oce, he ac- especially into East Karelia (Karelo-Finnish Soviet Socepted responsibility for ending the war.
cialist Republic).[138] Some right-wing groups also supOn 4 September 1944, the cease-re ended military ac- ported a Greater Finland ideology. Henrik Lunde notes
tions on the Finnish side. The Soviet Union ended hos- that, unlike many of Germanys allies, Finland survived
tilities exactly 24 hours after the Finns. An armistice World War II without losing its independence,[139] albetween the Soviet Union and Finland was signed in though the price for war was high in war casualties, repaMoscow on 19 September. Finland had to make many ration payments, territorial loss, a bruised international
concessions: the Soviet Union regained the borders reputation according to Olli Vehvilinen, and according
of 1940, with the addition of the Petsamo area (now to some, subsequent Soviet inuence on Finlands forPechengsky District, Russia); the Porkkala peninsula (ad- eign policy during the Cold War. According to Tuulikki
jacent to Helsinki) was leased to the USSR as a naval base Vuonokari, the FinnishGerman alliance was dierent
for fty years; and transit rights were granted. Finlands from most of the other Axis relationships, an example
army was to be demobilized with haste, but Finland was of which was the participation of Finnish Jews in the
rst required to expel all German troops from its terri- ght against the Soviet Union.[140] The Finnish governtory within 14 days. As the Germans did not leave Fin- ment did not take any anti-Jewish measures, despite reland by the given deadline, the Finns fought their former peated requests from Nazi Germany.[141] One remarkable
co-belligerents in the Lapland War. Finland was also re- aspect of the FinnishGerman relationship was that Finquired to clear the mineelds in Karelia (including East land never signed the Tripartite Pact, which was signed by
Karelia) and in the Gulf of Finland. Retreating Ger- all de jure Axis countries. The Finns, and Mannerheim in
man forces had also mined northern Finland heavily. The particular, clearly stated they would ght against the Sodemining was a long operation, especially in the sea areas, viets only to the extent necessary to redress the balance of
lasting until 1952. One-hundred Finnish army personnel the 1940 treaty (which would ultimately have dire consewere killed and over 200 wounded during this process, quences for Germany, when Finland refused to advance
beyond its 1939 borders to complete the German encirmost of them in Lapland.
clement of Leningrad.) However, for Hitler the matter
As sizable numbers of civilians who had been relocated
was irrelevant; and he saw Finland as an ally.[101]
into Finland from Karelia in 1939-40 had moved back
into Karelia during the war, they had to be evacuated Finland adopted the concept of a parallel war whereby
again; of the 260,000 civilians who had moved back into it sought to pursue its own objectives in concert with, but
the Karelia, only 19 chose to remain and become Soviet separate from, Nazi Germany, as co-belligerents.
citizens.[136]
Nevertheless, in contrast to the rest of the Eastern front
countries, where the war was fought to the end, a Soviet
occupation of Finland did not occur and the country retained sovereignty. Neither did the Communists rise to
power as they had in the Eastern Bloc countries. A policy called the PaasikiviKekkonen line formed the basis
of Finnish foreign policy towards the Soviet Union until
the Soviet Unions dissolution in 1991.
9.2 Tides of war

Major events across Europe and the tides of war in general
had a signicant impact on the course of World War II in
Finland:
Germanys invasion of the Soviet Union (Operation
Barbarossa) is closely connected to the Continuation
Wars beginning.
The Allied invasion of France (Battle of Normandy)
was coordinated with the Soviet major oensive
14
11 NOTES
against Finland (9 June15 July 1944).[90]
unconditional surrender.[150] Peter Provis (1999) concludes his essay on point, By following [self-censorship
The subsequent Soviet and Allied advances towards and limited appeasement] policies and fullling the SoGermany drew away the interest in military opera- viet Unions demands [for great reparations]...Finland
tions from Northern Europe, hastening the end of avoided the same fate as other nations that were 'liberated'
the Continuation War.
by the Red Army...Finland had once again defended her
independence in a global conict that engulfed and destroyed many other nations...The Finns had once again
demonstrated their determination to avoid defeat by the
9.3 Soviet buer zones across Europe
Soviet Union and maintained their independence.[151]
Soviet sources maintain that Soviet policies up to the Russian historian Nikolai Baryshnikov disputes the view
Continuation War were best explained as defensive mea- that the Soviet Union wanted to deprive Finland of its
sures by oensive means: The Soviet division of occu- independence, and that Finnish defensive victories prepied Poland with Germany, the Soviet occupations of vented this. He argues that there is no documentary eviLithuania, Latvia and Estonia, and the Soviet invasion of dence for such claims and that the Soviet government was
Finland in the Winter War are described as elements in always open for negotiations. Baryshnikov cites the forthe Soviets construction of a security zone or buer re- mer head of the Oce of Information of the Finnish Gengion between the perceived threat from the capitalist pow- eral Sta, Kalle Lehmus, and other Finnish sources to
ers of Western Europe and the Communist Soviet Union. show that the Finnish leaders already knew of the limited
These Soviet sources see the post-war establishment of Soviet plans for Finland in the rst half of July 1944, afSoviet satellite states in the Warsaw Pact countries and ter intelligence indicated that some Soviet divisions were
the Finnish-Soviet Agreement of Friendship, Coopera- to be transferred to reserve in Leningrad.[152][153]
tion, and Mutual Assistance as the conclusion of this Soviet defense plan.[142][143][144] Western historians such as
Norman Davies and John Lukacs dispute this view and
10 See also
describe the pre-war Soviet policy as an attempt to stay
out of the war and regaining land lost after the fall of the
List of Finnish corps in the Continuation War
Russian Empire.[145]
List of Finnish divisions in the Continuation War
9.4
Assessment of Soviet designs for Finland and their outcome
Several Western historians, while noting the Soviets assertion of their alleged need for a Soviet security buer,
contend the Soviet designs on Finland were no dierent from their designs on other Baltic countries. American Dan Reiter (1990) notes, [Finland recognized] that
the Soviet Union was unlikely to be satised with territorial concessions as a means to increase its security.
[T]he Soviets viewed the control of small buer states
as critical to their security...This was the motivation,
he asserts, behind the de facto 1940 Soviet annexation of the Baltic States, and Moscow saw the control of
Finland also as ultimately being necessary. Reiter and
British historian Victor Rothwell quote Soviet Foreign
Minister Molotov as telling his Lithuanian counterpart
at the time Lithuania was eectively absorbed into the
USSR, [S]mall states will disappear...Baltic states, including Finland, will be included within the honourable
family of Soviet peoples.[146][147] However, contends Reiter, "[T]he fear of rising costs of ghting pushed Stalin
to accept a limited war outcome with Finland, rather than
pursue absolute victory,[148] although a contemporary
Soviet document... called for the brutal military occupation of Finland at wars end.[149] The Finnish victory [at
Ilomantsi] ended the Soviet oensive in Finland and persuaded the Soviets to give up their demand for Finlands
Finnish prisoners of war in the Soviet Union

Co-belligerence
Einsatzkommando Finnland
Finlandization
Finnish Waen-SS volunteers
PaasikiviKekkonen line
Salpalinja
No. 151 Wing RAF
Karelian question in Finnish politics
Russo-Finnish wars
Siege of Leningrad
Army of Karelia
11 Notes
[1] Most of the Finns served during the Finnish oensive
in 1941 (approx. 500,000 men) and the Soviet oensive in August 1944 (528,000 men). Army strength varied from 260,000 to 360,000, Air Force 8,00022,000,
12.1
Citations
Navy 14,00040,000 and directly under the HQ command 15,00036,000. In addition some people were
obliged by law to provide supporting tasks, like 19,000
in labour groups and 25,000 men in air-raid defence (re
brigades, air-raid shelter maintenance, etc.), and 43,000
women volunteers in various non-military tasks (clercks,
radio-operators, air-observers, supply).
[2] Germans were located in Finnish Lapland executing the
Operation Silver Fox.
[3] Finnish detailed death casualties: Dead, buried 33,565;
Wounded, died of wounds 12,820; Dead, not buried later
declared as dead 4,251; Missing, declared as dead 3,552;
Died as prisoners of war 473; Other reasons (diseases, accidents, suicides) 7,932; Unknown 611
[4] The ocial Soviet number was 2,377 POWs. Finnish researchers have estimated 3,500 POWs.
[5] Italian participation was limited to four motor torpedo
boats and their crews which were used alongside already
obsolete Finnish motor torpedo boat Sisu and four German minelaying KM-boats to form international Naval
Detachment K which operated on Lake Ladoga during the
summer and autumn of 1942.
[6] Although the United Kingdom formally declared war on
Finland on 6 December 1941, there was only one British
attack on Finnish soil a carrier strike on Petsamo[10]
carried out on 31 July 1941 four months before the declaration of war. Additional British participation in the Continuation War was limited to supply aid, aerial support for
its Arctic operations and a British airwing (No. 151 Wing
RAF) under Soviet command, which supported Soviet air
raids in the Murmansk area and trained Soviet crews for
roughly a month in the autumn of 1941 a couple of
months before the declaration of war against Finland by
the United Kingdom.
[7] See also the Statute of Westminster 1931.
15
[5] , ed. (2001).

(in Russian). -. pp. 269271. ISBN
5-224-01515-4.
[6] Manninen (1994) pp. 277282
[7] Kurenmaa, Pekka; Lentil, Riitta (2005). Sodan tappiot. In Leskinen, Jari; Juutilainen, Antti. Jatkosodan
pikkujttilinen (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Werner Sderstrm
Osakeyhti. pp. 11501162. ISBN 951-0-28690-7.
[8] Malmi, Timo (2005). Jatkosodan suomalaiset sotavangit. In Leskinen, Jari; Juutilainen, Antti. Jatkosodan
pikkujttilinen (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Werner Sderstrm
Osakeyhti. pp. 10221032. ISBN 951-0-28690-7.
[9] Manninen (1994) pp. 306313
[10] FAA archive: Raid on Petsamo
[11] Lavery, Jason Edward. The history of Finland. Greenwood Press. p. 126.
[12] Great Soviet Encyclopedia, Finland, Moscow, 1974.
ISBN 0-02-880010-9
[13] Wykes, Alan (1972). The Siege of Leningrad, Ballantines
Illustrated History of WWII.
[14] Brinkley, Douglas (2004). Haskey, M., ed. The World
War II Desk Reference. Grand Central Press. p. 210.
[15] Baryshnikov (2002)
[16] Vehvilinen 2002, p. 30
12
References

12.1
Citations
[1] Mouritzen, Hans (1997). External Danger and Democracy: Old Nordic Lessons and New European Challenges.
Dartmouth. p. 35. ISBN 1-85521-885-2.
[2] Nordstrom, Byron (2000). Scandinavia Since 1500. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. p. 316. ISBN
978-0-8166-2098-2.
[24] Kirby 2006, p. 215

[3] Morgan, Kevin; Cohen, Gidon; Flinn, Andrew (2005).

Agents of the Revolution: New Biographical Approaches
to the History of International Communism in the Age of
Lenin and Stalin. Bern: Peter Lang. p. 246. ISBN 9783-03910-075-0.
[4] Maanpuolustuskorkeakoulun historian laitos, Jatkosodan
historia 16 (The History of the Continuation War, 1
6), 1994
[30] Kirby 2006, p. 216

16
[35] Kirby 2006, p. 218
12
REFERENCES
[36] Kirby 2006, p. 220
[59] Raunio, Ari; Kilin, Juri (2007). Jatkosodan hykkystaisteluja 1941. Keuruu: Otavan Kirjapaino Oy. pp. 34, 62.
ISBN 978-951-593-069-9.
[60] Lunde (2011) pp. 154159
[38] Kirby 2006, p. 219

[61]
(1970). (in Russian).
. p. 19.
[62] Lunde (2011) pp. 167172
[41] Kirby 2006, p. 221
[63] 1941: Germany attacks, Finland follows. 13 April

2005. Retrieved 28 October 2011.

[46] (Finnish) Nordberg, Erkki, Arvio ja ennuste Venjn sotilaspolitiikasta Suomen suunnalla, 2003, ISBN 951-884362-7
[47] Encyclopdia Britannica Premium, 2006, Finland
[48] Ahvenanmaansaarten linnoittamattomuutta ja puolueettomuutta koskeva sopimus.. Finlex Finnish legislation.
1922-01-28. Retrieved 3 August 2011. 7th Article, section II. If a surprise attack against land or against the
Finnish mainland via land could place the neutrality of
the zone in jeopardy, Finland must take necessary precautions in the zone to halt or ward o the attacker...
[49] Jokipii 1999, p. 282
[50] Jokipii 1999, p. 301
[51] , (2006).
Chapter
3:
". 1941.
. . [1941. The war in the air. Bitter lessons.] (in Russian). Moscow. ISBN 5-699-178465. Retrieved 10.08.2011. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
[52] Hyvnen, Jaakko (2001). Kohtalokkaat lennot 1939
1944 [Fateful ights 19391944] (in Finnish). Apali Oy.
ISBN 952-5026-21-3.
[53] Platonov, S. P., ed. (1964). [The
Battle for Leningrad]. Voenizdat Ministerstva oborony
SSSR.
[55] Kirby 2006, p. 222
[57] Lunde, Henrik O. (March 19, 2011). Finlands War of
Choice. Casemate Pub. p. 159. ISBN 978-1-935149-484.
[58] Manninen (2008), Miten Suomi valloitetaan: Punaarmeijan operaatiosuunnitelmat 19391944, Helsinki:
Edita, 2008. ISBN 978-951-37-5278-1
[64] Raunio, Ari; Kilin, Juri (2007). Jatkosodan hykkystaisteluja 1941. Keuruu: Otavan Kirjapaino Oy. pp. 151
155. ISBN 978-951-593-069-9.
[65] Jatkosodan historia. 2, Hykkys It-Karjalaan ja Karjalan kannakselle [History of the Continuation War, part
2: Oensive to East Karelia and to Karelian Isthmus].
Sotatieteen laitoksen julkaisuja (in Finnish). Written by
Department of Military History of the Maanpuolustuskorkeakoulu. Porvoo, Finland: WSOY. 1989. p. 261. ISBN
951-0-15328-1.
[66] Werth 1999, p. 294
[67] Luknitsky 1988, p. 58
[68] Nazarenko, Kirill (14 April 2005). : (1928-1995
.)[The Northern Shield of Leningrad: The Karelian
Fortied Region (1928-1995)] (in Russian).
(KaUR Karelian Fortied
Region). Retrieved 24 February 2013.
[69] Os.2/12.DE, sotapivkirja, 4.9.41 18.1.42 [War diary of 12th Divisions headquarters, section 2]. War diary
collection (in Finnish). National Archives Services of Finland. pp. 34. Retrieved 22 August 2011.
[70] 18.D:n Op.kskyt ajalla 28.7.41 6.9.41 [Operational
orders of 18th Division between 28.7.41 6.9.41]. War
diary collection (in Finnish). National Archives Services
of Finland. pp. 184185. Retrieved 23 October 2011.
[71] Hkkinen, Edvin, Ilmari (1986). Kannaksen kahlaajat JR 6 Jatkosodassa [Waders of the Isthmus - 6th Infantry
Regiment in the Continuation War] (in Finnish). Turku:
Koteva Oy. pp. 176179, 182183. ISBN 951-99787-98.
[72] E/JR6 Taistelukertomus v. 1941 [War Diary of the
headquarters of the 6th Infantry Regiment for 1941]. War
diary collection (in Finnish). National Archives Services
of Finland. pp. 206, 209, 324. Retrieved 25 February
2013.
[73] Os.2/12.DE, sotapivkirja, 4.9.41 18.1.42 [War diary of 12th Divisions headquarters, section 2]. War diary
collection (in Finnish). National Archives Services of Finland. p. 8. Retrieved 25 February 2013.
[74] Luknitsky 1988, p. 72
[75] Salisbury 2003, p. 246
12.1
Citations
[76] Werth 1999, pp. 360-1
17
[102] Vehvilinen 2002, p. 103
[77] Raunio, Ari; Kilin, Juri (2008). Jatkosodan torjuntatais- [103] Finland (PDF). Yad Vashem. Retrieved 2010-10-29.
teluja 194244 [Defensive battles of Continuation War
194244] (in Finnish). Keuruu: Otavan Kirjapaino Oy. [104] (Finnish) Rautkallio, Hannu, Suomen juutalaisten aseveljeys (Finnish Jews as German Brothers in Arms), Tammi,
pp. 1011. ISBN 978-951-593-070-5.
1989
[105] Tuulikki Vuonokari (2003), Jews in Finland During the
Second World War, Finnish Institutions Student Paper:
FAST Area Studies Program Department of Translation
[80] Kirby 2006, p. 224
Studies, University of Tampere, Autumn 2003 . Retrieved
2009-02-06.
[82] Vehvilinen 2002, p. 101
[85] Vehvilinen 2002, p. 100
[106] Poljako in Torvinen, Kadimah: Suomen juutalaisten historia 35 Smolar 15557

[107] Torvinen, Taimi, Kadimah: Suomen juutalaisten historia
Helsinki: Otava, 1989 pages 117167. Retrieved 200902-06.
[108] World War II: Finland
[109] The Royal Air Force in Russia :Hurricanes at Murmansk

[87] Raunio, Ari; Kilin, Juri (2008). Jatkosodan torjuntataisteluja 194244 [Defensive battles of Continuation War [110] Ahtokari, Reijo and Pale, Erkki: Suomen Radiotiedustelu
194244] (in Finnish). Keuruu: Otavan Kirjapaino Oy.
19271944 (Finnish radio intelligence 19271944),
pp. 7681. ISBN 978-951-593-070-5.
Helsinki, Hakapaino Oy, pp. 191198, ISBN 952-909437-X
[88] Tikkanen, Pentti, H. (1973). Sissiprikaatin tuho [Destruction of Partisan Brigade] (in Finnish). Arvi A. Karisto [111] Mkel, Jukka (1967). Helsinki liekeiss. Helsinki:
Osakeyhti. ISBN 951-23-0754-5.
Werner Sderstrm osakeyhti. p. 20.
[89] Kijanen, Kalervo (1968). Suomen Laivasto 19181968, II [112] Paulman, F. I. (1980). Nachalo osvobozhdeniya Sovet[Finnish Navy 19181967, Part II] (in Finnish). Helsinki:
skoy Estoniy. Ot Narvy do Syrve [From Narva to Srve]
Meriupseeriyhdistys/Otava. p. 123.
(in Russian). Tallinn: Eesti Raamat. pp. 7119.
[90] Jutikkala 1988, p. 248
[113] Laar, Mart (2005). Estonia in World War II. Tallinn:

Grenader. pp. 3259.
[91] Jowett, Philip; Snodgrass, Brent; Ruggeri, Raaele

(2006). Finland at War 1939-45. Oxford: Osprey Pub- [114] Jackson, Robert (2007). Battle of the Baltic: The Wars
lishing Ltd. pp. 2931. ISBN 978 1 84176 969 1.
19181945. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Maritime.
[92] Vehvilinen (2002), p. 105
[115] Gebhardt 1989, p. 1
[93] Kirby 2006, p. 225
[116] Moisala 1988
[94] Vehvilinen 2002, p. 107
[117] Declaration of the Three Powers, December 1, 1943,

Tehran Conference
[95] Kirby 2006, p. 226

[96] (Russian)Andropov Yuri Vladimirovich. Biography.
[118] Erickson 1993, p. 197
[119]
[97] (Finnish) Eino Viherivaara, Partisaanien jljet 1941
1944. Oulun Kirjateollisuus Oy, 1982. ISBN 951-99396- [120]
6-0
[121]
[98] Erkkil, Veikko, Vaiettu sota (The Silenced War). Ara[122]
tor Oy. ISBN 952-9619-18-9
Gebhardt 1989, p. 2
Glantz 1998, p. 202
500 Days: The War in Eastern Europe ... Google Books
Finland at War 193945 Google Books
[99] Lauri Hannikainen, (1992). Implementing Humanitarian [123] Dictionary of Battles and Sieges: F-O Google Books
Law Applicable in Armed Conicts: The Case of Finland,
Martinuss Nijo Publishers, Dordrecht. ISBN 0-7923- [124] Lunde 2011, p. 299
1611-8.
[125] Ilomantsin mottitaistelut 26.7.13.8.1944 (The mottibattle in Ilomantsi). Ilomantsi sodassa (Ilomantsi at war).
[100] (Finnish) Tyyne Martikainen, (2002). Partisaanisodan
In Finnish: Nykyisen Ilomantsin itosissa kytiin kesll
siviiliuhrit, PS-Paino Vrisuora Oy. ISBN 952-91-43271944 yli viikon mittainen kiivas torjuntataistelu, jossa kaksi
3.
viivyttmll kulutettua neuvostodivisioonaa pysytettiin,
[101] Vehvilinen 2002, p. 102
paloiteltiin motteihin ja lytiin lhes tydellisesti. Tm
18
12
suurtaistelu varmisti armeijamme puolustuksen pitvyyden

jatkosodan raskaina viimeisin pivin. A week-long vehement defensive battle was fought in the eastern parts of
what is now Ilomantsi, where two Soviet divisions were
stopped, cut up into mottis, and almost completely destroyed. This operation secured our armys defence in the
tough nal days of the Continuation war.
REFERENCES
against the USSR, German armed forces will use the territory of the Baltic states and Finland as staging areas for
invasionby either conquering or coercing these countries. None of the states of the Baltic region, excluding
Poland, had sucient military power to resist a German
invasion.
[144] (Russian) Stalins Missed Chance, by Mikhail Meltyukhov:

The EnglishFrench inuence in the Baltics, characteristic for the '20searly '30s was increasingly limited by the
Grier 2007, p. 31
growth of German inuence. Due to the strategic importance of the region, the Soviet leadership also aimed to
Erickson 1993, pp. 329-30
increase its inuence there, using both diplomatic means
as well as active social propaganda. By the end of the '30s,
Glantz 1998, p. 229
the main contenders for inuence in the Baltics were GerGlantz 1998, pp. 201-3
many and the Soviet Union. Being a buer zone between
Germany and the USSR, the Baltic states were bound to
Ziemke (2002), p. 390
them by a system of economic and non-aggression treaties
of 1926, 1932 and 1939.
Juutilainen & Leskinen (ed.); Kujansuu, Juha (2005), p.
1036
[145] Norman Davies, Europe at War 19391945: No Simple
Victory, 2007, ISBN 978-0-670-01832-1
Helsingin Sanomat: Wartime refugees made pawns in
cruel diplomatic game. 8 November 2003
[146] Dan Reiter, How Wars End, Princeton University Press,
Princeton, New Jersey USA (2009), p. 131.
(Finnish) Ylikangas, Heikki, Heikki Ylikankaan selvitys
Valtioneuvoston kanslialle, Government of Finland
[147] Rothwell, Victor. War Aims in the Second World War:
Howard D. Grier. Hitler, Dnitz, and the Baltic Sea, Naval
The War Aims of the Key Belligerents 1939-1945= 2006.
Institute Press, 2007, ISBN 1-59114-345-4. p. 121
Edinburgh University Press. pp. 143, 145. ISBN 978-07486-1503-2.
Hietanen, Silvo (1992). Evakkovuosi 1944 - jlleen
matkassa [Evacuation of year 1944 - again on the road]. [148] Dan Reiter, How Wars End, Princeton University Press,
Kansakunta sodassa. 3. osa. Kuilun yli (in Finnish).
Princeton, NJ (2009), pp. 138, 135.
Helsinki: Valtion Painatuskeskus. pp. 130139.
Lunde 2011, p. 9
Princeton, NJ (2009), p. 135.
[126] Juutilainen 1994

[127]
[128]
[129]
[130]
[131]
[132]
[133]
[134]
[135]
[136]
[137]
[138] Jokipii 1999, pp. 145-6

[139] Lunde 2011, p. 379

Princeton, NJ (2009), p. 136.
[140] Vuonokari, Tuulikki (2003-11-21). Jews in Finland [151] Provis, Peter (1999). Nordic Notes: Finnish achievement in the Continuation War and after JSSN 1442During the Second World War. University of Tampere.
5165. Celsius Centre for Scandinavian Studies.
Archived from the original on 2008-01-10. Retrieved
2010-10-29.
[152] Baryshnikov (2002), pp. 222-223 (Section heading
" , paragraph #48 et seq., after
[141] Letter to the New York Times by Mark Cohen, Executive
cit. 409)
Director of Holocaust Publications in New York, 28 April,
1987
[142] (Russian)The problem of ensuring the security of
Leningrad from the north in light of Soviet war planning
of 19321941 by V. N. Baryshnikov: The actual war
with Finland began rst of all due to unresolved issues in
Leningrads security from the north and Moscows concerns
for the perspective of Finlands politics. At the same time,
a desire to claim better strategic positions in case of a war
with Germany had surfaced within the Soviet leadership.
[143] (Russian) . " "
(The Finnish war. A look from the 'other side'") by A. I.
Kozlov: After the rise of National Socialism to power
in Germany, the geopolitical importance of the former
'buer states had drastically changed. Both the Soviet
Union and Germany vied for the inclusion of these states
into their spheres of inuence. Soviet politicians and military considered it likely, that in case of an aggression
[153] Baryshnikov (2006)
12.2 Bibliography
Baryshnikov, Nikolai I. (2002). 19411944[Finland and the
Siege of Leningrad, 19411944] (in Russian). St.
Petersburg: Johan Beckman Institute. ISBN 9525412-10-5.
Baryshnikov, Nikolai I. (2006). :
' '[The Phenomenon of
Lies: 'The Victory in the Confrontation']. St. Petersburg and the Countries of Northern Europe (in Russian). St. Petersburg: Russian Christian Humanitarian Academy. Retrieved November 1, 2013.
19
Erickson, John (1993). The Road to Berlin: Stalins
War with Germany. New Haven: Yale University
Press. ISBN 0-300-07813-7.
Moisala, U.E.; Alanen, Pertti (1988).

Kun
hykkjn tie pysytettiin (in Finnish). Keuruu:
Otava. ISBN 951-1-10386-5.
Gebhardt, James (1990). The Petsamo-Kirkenes

Operation: Soviet Breakthrough and Pursuit in the
Arctic, October 1944 (PDF). Leavenworth Papers
(Fort Leavenworth: Combat Studies Institute) (17).
ISSN 0195-3451. Retrieved 10 May 2010.
Raunio, Ari (ed.); Maanpuolustuskorkeakoulun

Historian laitos (1994). Jatkosodan historia 16 (in
Finnish) (1st ed.). WSOY.
Glantz, David; House, Jonathan (1998). When Titans Clashed: How the Red Army Stopped Hitler.
Lawrence: University Press of Kansas. ISBN 9780-7006-0899-7.
Grier, Howard (2007). Hitler, Dnitz, and the Baltic
Sea: the Third Reichs last hope, 19441945. Annapolis: US Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-159114-345-1.
Jokipii, Mauno (1999).
[The Launching of the Continuation War] (in
Russian). Petrozavodsk: Karelia. ISBN 5-75450735-6.
Jutikkala, Eino; Pirinen, Kauko (1988). A History
of Finland. Dorset Press. ISBN 0-88029-260-1.
Salisbury, Harrison E. (2003). The 900 Days: The

Siege of Leningrad (2 ed.). Cambridge: Da Capo
Press. ISBN 978-0-306-81298-9.
Vehvilinen, Olli (2002). Finland in the Second
World War: Between Germany and Russia. New
York: Palgrave. ISBN 0-333-80149-0.
Werth, Alexander (1999). Russia at War, 1941
1945 (2 ed.). New York: Basic Books. ISBN 9780-7867-0722-5.
Ziemke, Earl (2002). Stalingrad to Berlin. The German Defeat in the East. Washington DC: Government Printing Oce. ISBN 978-0-16-001962-3.
13 Further reading
Juutilainen, Antti (1994). Ilomantsi lopultakin

voitto (in Finnish). Rauma: Kirjapaino Oy West
Point. ISBN 951-95218-5-2.
Wuorinen, John H., ed. (1948). Finland and World

War II 19391944. The Ronald Press Company.
ISBN 0-313-24133-3.
Kirby, David (2006). A concise history of Finland.

Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 343.
ISBN 978-0-521-53989-0.
Schwartz, Andrew J. (1960). America and the

Russo-Finnish War. Washington, D.C.: Public Affairs Press. ISBN 0-8371-7964-5.
Krosby, H. Peter (1968). Finland, Germany, and

the Soviet Union, 1940-1941: The Petsamo Dispute.
13.1
University of Wisconsin Press.
Leskinen, Jari; Juutilainen, Antti (ed.) (2005).
Jatkosodan pikkujttilinen (in Finnish) (1st ed.).
WSOY. ISBN 951-0-28690-7.
Leskinen, Jari; Juutilainen, Antti, eds. (1999).
Talvisodan pikkujttilinen (in Finnish) (1st ed.).
Werner Sderstrm Osakeyhti. p. 976. ISBN 9510-23536-9.
Luknitsky, Pavel (1988).
[Through the Siege] (in Russian). Leningrad: Lenizdat.
Lunde, Henrik O. (2011). Finlands War of Choice:
The Troubled German-Finnish Alliance in World
War II. Newbury: Casemate Publishers. ISBN 9781-61200-037-4.
Manninen, Ohto (1994). Molotovin cocktail- Hitlerin sateenvarjo [Molotovs cocktail - Hitlers umbrella] (in Finnish). Helsinki: Painatuskeskus.
ISBN 951-37-1495-0.
Finnish
Finnish National Archive Luovutukset: Research

on prisoner-of-war deaths, extraditions and deportations from Finland between 193955, Research
project, See
Krosby, H. Peter (1966). Nikkelidiplomatiaa Petsamossa 1940-1941. Kirjayhtyma.
Krosby, H. Peter (1967). Suomen valinta 1941. Kirjayhtyma.
Polvinen, Tuomo I. (1979). Suomi kansainvlisess
politiikassa 19411947, osa 1: 19411943: Barbarossasta Teheraniin. WSOY.
politiikassa 19411947, osa 2: 1944: Teheranista
Jaltaan. WSOY.
politiikassa 19411947, osa 3: 19451947: Jaltasta
Pariisin rauhaan. WSOY.
20
14
EXTERNAL LINKS
Sana, Elina (1994). Luovutetut/ The Extradited: Finlands Extraditions to the Gestapo. WSOY. ISBN
951-0-27975-7.
Seppinen, Ilkka (1983). Suomen Ulkomaankaupan
ehdot 19391944. ISBN 951-9254-48-X.
13.2
Russian
Platonov, S.P., ed. (1964). .

Voenizdat Ministerstva oborony SSSR. ISBN 0-12558180-7.
.
19411944 "" ISSN 01316222, 1995.
14
External links
(Russian) Stavka directive of 24 June 1941 on measures to foil a possible enemy strike from the territory of Finland against Leningrad, authorising the
Soviet air oensive of 25 June 1941 (page 1, page
2)
The Mannerheim Cross is the most distinguished Finnish military

decoration and awarded to soldiers for extraordinary bravery;
the achievement of extraordinarily important objectives by combat, or for especially well conducted operations.
21
Finlands supreme commander Field Marshal Mannerheim at his

headquarters
22
15
15
15.1
TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES
Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

Text
Continuation War Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuation_War?oldid=671672018 Contributors: Derek Ross, Bryan Derksen,

Jeronimo, Eean, Guppie, Alex.tan, Ktsquare, Leandrod, Edward, JohnOwens, Michael Hardy, Paul Barlow, Llywrch, Fred Bauder, Aezram,
Bobby D. Bryant, Wapcaplet, Mic, 172, Paul A, Kosebamse, William M. Connolley, Jpatokal, Caid Raspa, Jniemenmaa, Angela, Ajk, Poor
Yorick, Andres, Tristanb, Kaihsu, Cema, Ruhrjung, Tobias Conradi, Johan Magnus, Vroman, Vanished user 5zariu3jisj0j4irj, Graculus,
Wik, Polaris999, Tpbradbury, Echoray, Morwen, Itai, VeryVerily, Tuomas, MiLo28, Raul654, Proteus, Jason Potter, Phil Boswell, Robbot,
Pigsonthewing, ChrisG, Kizor, PBS, Altenmann, Romanm, Modulatum, Dukeofomnium, Der Eberswalder, Mervyn, GreatWhiteNortherner, Lysy, Whiskey, DocWatson42, Oberiko, Sj, Fudoreaper, Orangemike, Wwoods, Joconnor, Home Row Keysplurge, Varlaam, Revth,
Ezhiki, Kowh, Bobblewik, RivGuySC, OldakQuill, Chowbok, Ruy Lopez, Marqoz, Latsgo, Quadell, Mikko Paananen, Balcer, Kahkonen,
Keresaspa, Neutrality, Irpen, Ukexpat, Mzabaluev, Lacrimosus, Bornintheguz, Rich Farmbrough, Guanabot, Martinl~enwiki, Thrawn,
Kostja, D-Notice, Pavel Vozenilek, MBisanz, El C, Vecrumba, Shanes, MonkeyCookie, Wwwillly, I9Q79oL78KiL0QTFHgyc, Azure
Haights, Darwinek, RussBlau, Pearle, Wempain, Orangemarlin, Lokakyy, Andershalden, Chino, Sherurcij, Joshbaumgartner, SlimVirgin,
Galdalf, Hohum, Mixer, Vuo, SteinbDJ, LordAmeth, Axeman89, YixilTesiphon, Killing Vector, Qaphsiel, Ekedolphin, Kmartin, Siafu,
Thryduulf, Joriki, Vashti, Mikko H., Woohookitty, Oliphaunt, Ardfern, -Ril-, Tabletop, Skybum, Teemu Leisti, Xrobertcmx, BD2412,
DannyF, Rjwilmsi, Ligulem, The wub, Valip, HJV, Kmorozov, Rune.welsh, Fisenko, Russavia, Joonasl, MoRsE, Chobot, Kresspahl,
Michael Denmark, DVdm, Gdrbot, Bgwhite, Scoo, Sus scrofa, YurikBot, Wavelength, Ecemaml, Hairy Dude, Dannycas, NMS, RussBot, Damacguy, Kurt Leyman, Gardar Rurak, Elrith, ML, Mark O'Sullivan, Manxruler, Benja, Leutha, Aeusoes1, Voyevoda, Tne80,
Mmccalpin, Yoninah, Irishguy, THB, Grakm fr, Gadget850, Bota47, 3 Lwi, CLW, Sandstein, Capt Jim, StuRat, Chase me ladies, I'm
the Cavalry, Abune, BorgQueen, Petri Krohn, CWenger, Kevin, Curpsbot-unicodify, Guinness man, Argan, Nick-D, Paul Pieniezny, That
Guy, From That Show!, Otheus, SmackBot, Psytron, Haymaker, Reedy, Stie, Prexcaz, Srnec, Xaosux, Gilliam, Hmains, Choalbaton, YMB29, Chris the speller, Kurykh, Thom2002, Hiphop2, GBE, Mensch, BScar23625, Ben-Velvel, LV, DHN-bot~enwiki, Colonies
Chris, Pekkaroponen, Can't sleep, clown will eat me, SuperDeng, Ajdz, Jaro.p~enwiki, Master Scott Hall, Valenciano, Andreas1968,
Vanigo, Writer23, Acdx, Stor stark7, Ged UK, Lambiam, Adagio Cantabile, Micropot, Jperrylsu, Dybeck, Rakovsky, Illythr, Volker89,
Beetstra, DjumboDjett~enwiki, Drieakko, Neddyseagoon, AdultSwim, Citicat, Hu12, Hetar, Clarityend, JoeBot, Ribbit~enwiki, Jatrius,
RookZERO, Pudeo, Filelakeshoe, Boeseschwarzefee, Slash 013, HDCase, JForget, CmdrObot, BeenAroundAWhile, Sirkeg, Ruslik0,
Harej bot, inn, ShelfSkewed, Cydebot, Eugene V. Packham, Future Perfect at Sunrise, Crossmr, Travelbird, R-41, Sdoradus, DumbBOT,
TheCheeseManCan, Karlovian, Biblbroks, Iss246, JohnInDC, Kennet.mattfolk, Biruitorul, Mercury~enwiki, HappyInGeneral, Staberinde,
MPorciusCato, Nezzadar, Nirvana77, EdJohnston, Team alfa~enwiki, Smith2006, Jj137, Vanjagenije, Mutt Lunker, J'onn J'onzz, Lklundin,
Skarkkai, DagosNavy, HanzoHattori, JAnDbot, Husond, Harryzilber, Ekabhishek, Turgidson, Wanderer602, Plm209, Jarmothenn, Duvin, Dodo19~enwiki, VoABot II, Askari Mark, Jaakko Sivonen, Josefmatula, Buckshot06, Craw-daddy, Objectivesea, ChoumX, Bleh999,
Cardamon, Eiskis~enwiki, Gomm, Markus451, Spespatriae, Semper-Fi 2006, EyeSerene, Cfrydj, Bkavanaugh, Sakuragi, AlexiusHoratius, Trusilver, PalestineRemembered, Lkatona, Hodja Nasreddin, Qghert, Lucano~enwiki, Bot-Schafter, , Masa62,
M-le-mot-dit, Colchicum, DadaNeem, Ko Soi IX, Henryborowitz, Gaussgauss, Boothferry, MisterBee1966, HenryLarsen, DH85868993,
Mooocow, Xyl 54, Suursaari, Eat your carrots, ... but a war broke out, Swedish Speaker, Ahven is a sh, Eat apple a day, Riksfrestndare, Known Wikipedians, Good heart, Matti84, Andropov Andrej, Hugo999, Anno Domino, Nietjrvi, VolkovBot, Pasixxxx, Thomas.W,
TheQuandry, Nug, Toddy1, EuTuga, Ormewood, Dojarca, Alex1709, Andrein, Bob103051, Eldaran~enwiki, Mkpumphrey, Robert1947,
JimBurd, One half 3544, Lucyhill, Falcon8765, Northern Sapniards, The Devils Advocate, Posse72, 613 The Evil, AlleborgoBot, SalJyDieBoereKomLei, Yaksar, HansHermans, TheXenocide, SieBot, ToePeu.bot, The Parsnip!, Smsarmad, Dimitri Harlamov, Wikinist, Digwuren, Henrik ., Trip Seventeen, Tripoli nights, JSpung, Henrik rhus., Lieutenant Dan Taylor, Ana ywn, KathrynLybarger, Murmansk 22, Finns practiced exactly the right survival moves, Jmj713, RJ CG, Recesende, Jaan, Mr. Stradivarius, Sinnedit, Peltimikko,
De728631, ClueBot, Bob1960evens, Jazzman831, Riisipuuro, Nnemo, Czarko, Maxthatkillz, Farolif, ELV7, P. S. Burton, Kelaine,
Alice, Nymf, Tomeasy, Joensuu 77, PixelBot, John Nevard, Muhandes, Ziko, Ozfacts, Coinmanj, Davydo, Mlas, Thewellman, DJ
Sturm, DumZiBoT, Stoljaro1987, Nikitn, Stickee, Mahmudss, Irtehprwn, Good Olfactory, Addbot, Ape89, Magus732, Jsg24, Repdetect117, Sarvagyana guru, Ginosbot, LemmeyBOT, LinkFA-Bot, Fireaxe888, Fred927, Numbo3-bot, F Notebook, WorldWars, Lightbot,
Yobot, Danvolodar, OtroQus~enwiki, TaBOT-zerem, Dimitri Karpov, Neptun88, Azylber, Paul Siebert, KamikazeBot, BeBoldInEdits,
AnomieBOT, FeelSunny, ThaddeusB, JackieBot, Dave94703, Materialscientist, 90 Auto, Citation bot, Xqbot, Janjko, K731, Srich32977,
Porttimies, GrouchoBot, A. Tihonov, Anotherclown, RibotBOT, SassoBot, Mvaldemar,
, Samwb123, StoneProphet, FrescoBot, Tobby72, Haeinous, Polyxeros, Trust Is All You Need, Citation bot 1, Diwas, Jiujitsuguy, Germash19, White Shadows, DocYako, Tim1357,
Mjs1991, NortyNort, Comnenus, Anti-Nationalist, War began with Soviet oensive, VJKonecni, Naiwatson, Jurryaany, Enabling others, Mikroblgeovn, FelixtheMagnicent, Boris Novikov, Kingroodney, RjwilmsiBot, Hoodatdat, Skamecrazy123, Makemeame, Worksetsufree, EmausBot, Paavo273, John of Reading, D2306, Koskenkorva, El gato verde, Esgorde, GoingBatty, Koivuhalko, Virginian123,
Ovidcaput, Sakuni, Josve05a, Xabier Armendaritz, Jonttu899~enwiki, H3llBot, Demiurge1000, La choue, Comrade Sniper93, Erikupoeg,
Donner60, Youseagangsta, Edmund from Cardi, Soviet agreession, Aikenware, EricClarion, BJ Crowning, MangYang, Whoop whoop
pull up, WorldWarTwoEditor, WMC, Josefhoracek, MelbourneStar, Vacation9, Lord Roem, Frietjes, Alphasinus, Widr, , Helpful
Pixie Bot, Postpiano, Andrew Gwilliam, Gob Lofa, Ymblanter, Emayv, Jaimyxxx, Portuguese Man o' War, Zedshort, Hamish59, CoolDrummerBoy, BattyBot, Qbli2mHd, Tuntematonsotilas, Maple leaf eh, Alexander Pastukh, Qbek16, Norsecanuck, Dexbot, Nor1980,
Ekaterina2012, Pyotr Isaev, Ibnrustah, 93, Tvoi Ded, Christinaxx, EyeTruth, Byuntaeng, Von Roon, RaBOTnik, XTrueGentlemanX,
Tiger 23, College studies, Monkbot, Gentlemanxxx, KasparBot, Sygaos and Anonymous: 437
15.2
Images
File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_101II-MN-2787-30,_Baltikum,_gesunkenes_russisches_Schiff.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/

wikipedia/commons/1/13/Bundesarchiv_Bild_101II-MN-2787-30%2C_Baltikum%2C_gesunkenes_russisches_Schiff.jpg License: CC
BY-SA 3.0 de Contributors: This image was provided to Wikimedia Commons by the German Federal Archive (Deutsches Bundesarchiv)
as part of a cooperation project. The German Federal Archive guarantees an authentic representation only using the originals (negative
and/or positive), resp. the digitalization of the originals as provided by the Digital Image Archive. Original artist: Peter
File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-1984-1206-523,_Berlin,_Verabschiedung_Molotows.jpg Source:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/
wikipedia/commons/8/8d/Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-1984-1206-523%2C_Berlin%2C_Verabschiedung_Molotows.jpg License:
CC
15.2
Images
23
BY-SA 3.0 de Contributors: This image was provided to Wikimedia Commons by the German Federal Archive (Deutsches Bundesarchiv)
as part of a cooperation project. The German Federal Archive guarantees an authentic representation only using the originals (negative
and/or positive), resp. the digitalization of the originals as provided by the Digital Image Archive. Original artist: Unknown
File:Commons-logo.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg License: ? Contributors: ? Original
artist: ?
File:Continuation_War_1942_and_Soviet_assaults_English.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/31/
Continuation_War_1942_and_Soviet_assaults_English.jpg License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Peltimikko
File:Continuation_War_December_1941_English.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/Continuation_
War_December_1941_English.jpg License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Peltimikko
File:Continuation_War_July_1941_English.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f9/Continuation_War_
July_1941_English.jpg License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Peltimikko
File:Continuation_War_September_1944_English.jpg
Source:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/24/
Continuation_War_September_1944_English.jpg License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Peltimikko
File:DeadFinnishcivilians1942.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/91/DeadFinnishcivilians1942.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: Picture Archive of the Finnish Defence Forces. Published in 2006 in Helsingin Sanomat see [1]
and [2] Original artist: credited to 'PUOLUSTUSVOIMAT'
File:Estonian_volunteers_in_finland_in_the_continuation_war.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b0/
Estonian_volunteers_in_finland_in_the_continuation_war.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: Jari Leskinen, Antti Juutilainen (ed.)
Jatkosodan pikkujttilinen, Helsinki : WSOY, 2005, ISBN 951-0-28690-7, p. 305 Original artist: SA-kuva/O. Hedenstrm (Finnish Army
Pictures)
File:Finland_Administrative_map_1942_1944.png Source:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/40/Finland_
Administrative_map_1942_1944.png License: CC BY-SA 4.0 Contributors:
Statistical map of Finland in 1947: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Suomi,_tilastokartta_1947.jpg Original artist: Andrein
File:Finn_ski_troops.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/Finn_ski_troops.jpg License: Public domain
Contributors: This is photograph HU 55566 from the collections of the Imperial War Museums. Original artist: Ocial Finnish photograph
File:Finnish_SS_volunteers_in_Gross_Born.jpg Source:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/Finnish_SS_
volunteers_in_Gross_Born.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: ? Original artist: ?
File:Finnish_areas_ceded_in_1944.png Source:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/28/Finnish_areas_ceded_in_
1944.png License: CC-BY-SA-3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Jniemenmaa
File:Finnish_flag_at_half-mast_interim_pece_helsinki_1940.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/16/
Finnish_flag_at_half-mast_interim_pece_helsinki_1940.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: Talvisodan pikkujttilinen (1999) p.
847 Original artist: SA-kuva (Finnish Army Pictures)
File:Flag_of_Finland.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/Flag_of_Finland.svg License: Public domain
Contributors: http://www.finlex.fi/fi/laki/ajantasa/1978/19780380 Original artist: Drawn by User:SKopp
File:Flag_of_German_Reich_(19351945).svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/Flag_of_German_
Reich_%281935%E2%80%931945%29.svg License: Public domain Contributors: Own work Original artist: Fornax
File:Flag_of_Italy_(1861-1946).svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ad/Flag_of_Italy_%281861-1946%
29.svg License: CC BY-SA 2.5 Contributors: http://www.regiamarina.net/ref/flags/flags_it.htm Original artist: F l a n k e r
File:Flag_of_the_Soviet_Union_(1923-1955).svg Source:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/58/Flag_of_the_
Soviet_Union_%281923-1955%29.svg License: CC-BY-SA-3.0 Contributors: ? Original artist: created by rotemliss from Image:Flag of
the Soviet Union.svg.
File:Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/ae/Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg License: PD Contributors: ? Original artist: ?
File:Hitler_Mannerheim_Ryti.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/32/Hitler_Mannerheim_Ryti.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: Published in Suomen Kuvalehti 1942, republished 2006.
http://www.suomenkuvalehti.fi/?id=7048&pollaction=results&qid=710 Original artist: Unknown
File:Lapp1.JPG Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/Lapp1.JPG License: Public domain Contributors: Transferred from en.wikipedia; transferred to Commons by User:Drilnoth using CommonsHelper. Original artist: Original uploader was
BScar23625 at en.wikipedia
File:Mannerheim_studying_a_map.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/Mannerheim_studying_a_
map.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: ? Original artist: ?
File:Mannerheimkruis_der_Eerste_en_Tweede_Klasse.jpg Source:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/
Mannerheimkruis_der_Eerste_en_Tweede_Klasse.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: Drawing by Robert Prummel on the basis of
Finnish decree 550/1944 Original artist: No information, this image drawn by Robert Prummel
File:Paraati_viipurissa.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/88/Paraati_viipurissa.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: Suomi 75 Itsenisen suomewn historia 3 Original artist: SA-kuva
File:StuG_III_Ausf._G.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9a/StuG_III_Ausf._G.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: http://www.tincrossmilitaria.com/Finnish%20Tank.jpg Original artist: Unknown
File:Tali-Ihantala.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9b/Tali-Ihantala.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: Unknown Original artist: Unknown
File:Unbalanced_scales.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fe/Unbalanced_scales.svg License: Public domain Contributors: ? Original artist: ?
24
15
TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES
File:Wikibooks-logo.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/Wikibooks-logo.svg License: CC BY-SA 3.0

Contributors: Own work Original artist: User:Bastique, User:Ramac et al.
File:Wikinews-logo.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/24/Wikinews-logo.svg License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Contributors: This is a cropped version of Image:Wikinews-logo-en.png. Original artist: Vectorized by Simon 01:05, 2 August 2006 (UTC)
Updated by Time3000 17 April 2007 to use ocial Wikinews colours and appear correctly on dark backgrounds. Originally uploaded by
Simon.
File:Wikiquote-logo.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/Wikiquote-logo.svg License: Public domain
Contributors: ? Original artist: ?
File:Wikisource-logo.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Contributors: Rei-artur Original artist: Nicholas Moreau
File:Wiktionary-logo.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ec/Wiktionary-logo.svg License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Contributors: ? Original artist: ?
15.3
Content license
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0

(Wiki) Continuation War

Hochgeladen von

Dokumentinformationen

Originaltitel

Copyright

Verfügbare Formate

Dieses Dokument teilen

Dokument teilen oder einbetten

Freigabeoptionen

Stufen Sie dieses Dokument als nützlich ein?

Sind diese Inhalte unangemessen?

Copyright:

Verfügbare Formate

(Wiki) Continuation War

Hochgeladen von

Copyright:

Verfügbare Formate

Continuation War

The Continuation War (Finnish: jatkosota; Swedish:

Acts of war between the Soviet Union and Finland

Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Romania into spheres

Main articles: Background of the Winter War and Winter

1.3 German and Soviet expansion in Europe

Finnish ags are at half-mast after the publication of the peace

Finlands foreign policy had been based on multilateral

On 23 June, a short time after the Soviet occupations

1.4 Finnish relations with Germany and

The Germans took responsibility for the 500 km (310

1941: FINNISH OFFENSIVE

4 1941: Finnish oensive

On 21 June, Finnish units began to concentrate at the

Conquest of East Karelia

Reconquest of the Karelian Isthmus

Finnish military parade in Viborg on 31 August 1941, after its

According to Soviet sources, the Finns advanced and took

Main article: Finnish reconquest of the Karelian Isthmus

Conquest of East Karelia

1941: FINNISH OFFENSIVE

ber, the attack in the northern section reached Rukajrvi

for them. As the Soviet Navy withdrew to the eastern

4.6 Political development

Operation Silver Fox in the North

Main article: Operation Silver Fox

Further information: Baltic Sea Campaigns (19391945)

Administrative map of Finland from 1942 to 1944

more complex; the American public was sympathetic

Finland and Western allies

Trench warfare of the Continuation War in 1942; the Soviets

5.1 Military operations

Although military operations during 1942 and 1943

194243: TRENCH WARFARE

1942, Soviet Karelian Front forces attempted to retake

Operation Barbarossa was planned as a blitzkrieg intended

Finnish Waen-SS volunteers in Gross Born Truppenlager in

Despite Finlands contributions to the German cause, the

Finnish occupation policy

International volunteers and support

Estonian volunteers in Finland during the Continuation War

Foreigners to Finland from Sweden and Estonia were

5.4 Finnish occupation policy

As in the Winter War, Swedish volunteers were recruited.

6 1944: SOVIET OFFENSIVE

Two Finnish boys executed by Soviet partisans at Seitajrvi, July

Main article: Jews in Finland

Finland and the Western allies

voy on 3 October 1941 for the liberation of Karelia but

6 1944: Soviet oensive

6.1 Overtures for peace

Soviet strategic oensive

Finnish troops passing by the remains of a destroyed Soviet T-34

Soviet forces broke through the Finnish front lines. The

were actually unpopulated areas. Major air attacks also

Soviet strategic oensive

With new supplies from Germany, the Finnish army

8 ARMISTICE AND AFTERMATH

A few battles were fought in the latter stages of the war.

the prisoners who survived to reach a prison camp.

8 Armistice and aftermath

Areas ceded by Finland to the Soviet Union following the Moscow

Main article: Soviet prisoners of war in Finland