"Continuation War" is called in Finland the participation of this country on the side of Nazi Germany in the war against the USSR in 1941-1944. It is a continuation of the Winter War of 1939-1940, during which the USSR captured the southeastern regions of Finland, which accounted for a tenth of the pre-war territory of this country. It was inhabited by 400 thousand people (one ninth of the population of Finland), almost all of them left their places of usual residence and settled in the rest of Finland. The ruling circles of this country set themselves the goal of returning the regions conquered by the Soviet Union. At that time, this task could only be accomplished with the help of Germany.
In turn, Hitler and his strategists considered Finland a convenient springboard for waging war against the USSR, primarily for encircling and capturing Leningrad from the north, as well as for capturing Murmansk. The Nazi leader promised support for Finland and the return of lost territories to it (in the future, all of Karelia and the Karelian Isthmus to the Neva would be annexed to Finland), but only on condition that it would take an active part in the war against the Soviet Union, and also provide its territory for the deployment of German troops. The close rapprochement between Germany and Finland was facilitated by the fact that Stalin did not abandon his previous plans for the complete annexation of Finland to the USSR.
Already in September 1940, the first German units appeared in Finland. Their presence in this country became one of the topics of the negotiations of the People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs V.M. Molotov with Hitler during the visit of the first to Berlin on November 12-14, 1940. Hitler replied that the German troops were in Finland in transit, and they were sent to Norway occupied by the Germans. Molotov tried to enlist Hitler's support in the further capture of Finland by the Soviet Union, but Hitler refused. After that, Soviet-Finnish relations worsened again, and in January 1941 the USSR recalled its ambassador from Finland, leaving only a temporary chargé d'affaires.
Meanwhile, the Finnish General Staff was already closely cooperating with the German, agreeing on joint military operations. In early June 1941, Finland carried out a covert mobilization of its armed forces. However, Finnish President R. Ryti and Commander-in-Chief Field Marshal K. Mannerheim set Hitler the condition that Finland would enter the war only if the USSR attacked it. However, given the actions of the German army carried out against the Union from the territory of Finland, there were plenty of reasons to provoke the USSR into hostile actions against Finland.
Already on the evening of June 21, 1941, German ships based in the ports of Finland laid minefields in the Gulf of Finland. German planes also laid mines in front of the Kronstadt raid, and on the way back they refueled at Finnish airfields. On June 22, Finnish troops occupied the Aland Islands, which had been a demilitarized zone since 1920, in accordance with international treaties. On the same day, Soviet aircraft bombarded the Finnish military on the Åland Islands. Skirmishes with the Finns began on the border.
On the morning of June 25, Soviet aviation launched the first bombing strike on the territory of mainland Finland. This happened in response to the actions of the Luftwaffe, whose planes took off from Finnish airfields. According to the Finnish side, the main targets of the Soviet bombing were civilian targets in the capital and major cities. On the evening of June 25, the Finnish Parliament stated that the country was in a state of defensive war with the USSR. The Finns blocked the Soviet naval base on the Hanko Peninsula.
June 29 - July 1, German units and one Finnish division set out from the territory of Northern Finland in the direction of Murmansk and Kandalaksha. During July, parts of the main Finnish troops gradually began offensive operations. Against the backdrop of German victories, the Finns expected a quick defeat of the Soviet Union, but met with stubborn resistance from the Soviet army. It was especially strong in the Leningrad direction, where the Red Army relied on the fortifications of the former Finnish Mannerheim Line. Only at the end of August did the Finns manage to take Vyborg. The offensive between the Ladoga and Onega lakes was more successful. Already at the end of July, Finnish troops approached Petrozavodsk, but they were able to take it only at the beginning of October after fierce battles. Earlier, in early September, the Finns reached the Svir River and the old Soviet-Finnish border on the Karelian Isthmus, where they were forced to stop the offensive.
There is an opinion that Finland only intended to return the territories lost in the war of 1939-1940. But the real advance of the Finnish troops shows that her goal was more significant. The rejection by Mannerheim of the German proposals to go together to Leningrad and advance south of the Svir River is simply explained: the Finns did not have the strength left for this. In the country, 17.5% of the total population was mobilized, which led to a sharp drop in the level of production, only partially offset by supplies from Germany. In the 1941 campaign, the Finnish army lost 21,000 men alone, two thousand more than in the Winter War. After the capture of the city of Povenets, the extreme point of the White Sea-Baltic Canal, in December 1941, the Finnish army was forced to go on the defensive everywhere and carry out partial demobilization, otherwise the country would have collapsed.
The crossing by the Finns of the old border with the USSR provoked protests from Great Britain. On November 28, 1941, Churchill sent an ultimatum to Finland demanding that the troops be withdrawn. However, the Finns refused, and on December 6, England declared war on Finland. The United States did not follow the example of the British.
The defeat of the German troops near Leningrad in January 1944 forced the leadership of Finland to probe the ground for a separate peace with the USSR. However, the Soviet conditions - in addition to returning to the new border to give away some territories in the north - seemed excessive to the Finns. Only after the Red Army launched an offensive in Karelia and the Karelian Isthmus in the summer of 1944 did Finland agree to the demands put forward to it. President Ryti resigned, and Mannerheim negotiated with the USSR, whom the parliament elected as the new head of state. In addition to the cession of the Pechenga region, Finland had to internee or expel by force the German troops stationed on its lands, pay reparations in industrial goods in the amount of 300 million dollars (in 1948 the USSR reduced the amount of reparations to 226.5 million; the last payment took place in 1952) and execute judgment on the rulers who dragged her into the war against the Soviet Union.
About 60 thousand Finns died in the Great Patriotic War. The irretrievable losses of the Soviet troops of the Karelian Front, the 7th and 23rd armies amounted to more than 90 thousand people.
After the end of the Winter War in March 1940 ( Talvisota) in Finland, revanchist sentiments spread in all sectors of society - not only to return the lost territories, but to annex a number of regions of the USSR with the peoples of the Finnish group traditionally living in them (Karels, Veps, Izhors, Komi). Already in April 1940, the Finnish Armed Forces began preparations for a new war with the USSR. If in 1939 - the first half of 1940 Finland staked on Great Britain and France, then after their defeat in the military campaign of May - June 1940, Germany becomes its main foreign policy partner.
On September 12, 1940, Finland and Germany agreed on the possibility of transit flights of the German Air Force through Finnish territory.
On October 1, 1940, an agreement was concluded between Finland and Germany on the supply of German weapons to the Finnish army. Up to January 1, 1941, 327 artillery pieces, 53 fighters, 500 anti-tank rifles and 150,000 anti-personnel mines were delivered.
Also, deliveries came from the USA - 232 artillery pieces.
From January 1941, 90% of Finland's foreign trade was oriented towards Germany.
In the same month, Germany brought to the attention of the leadership of Finland its intention to attack the USSR.
Review of the Finnish troops. Spring 1941
On January 24, 1941, the Finnish parliament passed a law on conscription, which increased the term of service in the regular troops from 1 year to 2 years, and the draft age was lowered from 21 to 20 years. Thus, in active military service in 1941, there were 3 draft ages at once.
On March 10, 1941, Finland received an official offer to send its volunteers to the formed SS units and in April gave its positive answer. From the Finnish volunteers, an SS battalion (1200 people) was formed, which in 1942 - 1943. participated in battles against units of the Red Army on the Don and in the North Caucasus.
On May 30, 1941, the Finnish leadership developed a plan for the annexation of the territory of the so-called. "Eastern Karelia", which was part of the USSR (Karelian-Finnish SSR). Professor Hjalmari Jaakkole ( Kaarle Jalmari Jaakkola) commissioned by the Finnish government, wrote a memo book "The Eastern Question of Finland", which substantiated Finland's claims to part of the territory of the USSR. The book was published on August 29, 1941.
Hjalmari Yaakkole
In June 1941, the Finnish army received 50 anti-tank guns from Germany.
On June 4, 1941, in Salzburg, an agreement was reached between the Finnish and German commands that the Finnish troops would enter the war against the USSR 14 days after the start of the Soviet-German military campaign.
On June 6, at the German-Finnish negotiations in Helsinki, the Finnish side confirmed its decision to participate in the upcoming war against the USSR.
On the same day, German troops (40,600 people) entered Finnish Lapland from Norway and settled in the area Rovaniemi.
On the same day, in Finnish Lapland, German troops (the 36th mountain corps) began to move towards the border of the USSR, in the Salla region.
On the same day, a flight of 3 German reconnaissance aircraft began to be based in Rovaniemi, which over the next few days made a number of flights over Soviet territory.
On June 20, a flight of 3 German reconnaissance aircraft began to be based at the Loutenjärvi airfield (central Finland).
On June 21, Finnish troops (5,000 men with 69 guns and 24 mortars) landed on the demilitarized Åland Islands (Operation Regatta). The staff (31 people) of the USSR consulate on these islands was arrested.
On the same day, the Finnish command received information about Germany's intention on June 22 to begin military operations against the USSR.
On June 22, the German Air Force bombed the territory of the USSR, moving through Finnish airspace using radio beacons installed earlier and having the opportunity to refuel at the airfield in Utti. On the same day, Finnish submarines, together with German submarines, took part in mining the western part of the Gulf of Finland.
On June 25, Soviet aviation attacked the territory of Finland, including the capital of the country, Helsinki. On the same day, Finland declared war on the USSR, acting as an ally of Germany in World War II. 41 Finnish aircraft were destroyed at the airfields. Finnish air defense shot down 23 Soviet aircraft.
The new war against the USSR was called "continuation war" in Finland ( Jatkosota).
By the beginning of hostilities, 2 Finnish armies were concentrated on the borders with the Soviet Union - on the Karelian Isthmus, the Southeastern Army under the command of General Axel Eric Heinrichs ( Axel Erik Heinrichs) and in East Karelia the Karelian army under the command of General Lenart Esch ( Lennart Karl Oesch). There were 470,000 soldiers and officers in the active army. The armored forces included 86 tanks (mostly Soviet captured) and 22 armored vehicles. Artillery was represented by 3500 guns and mortars. The Finnish Air Force included 307 combat aircraft, of which 230 were fighters. The navy consisted of 80 ships and boats of various types. The coastal defense had 336 guns, and the air defense had 761 anti-aircraft guns.
General Lenart Ash. 1941
The Supreme Commander of the Finnish Armed Forces was Marshal Carl Gustav Emil Mannerheim ( Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim).
In Finnish Lapland, the left flank of the Finnish troops was covered by the German 26th Army Corps.
On the Karelian Isthmus, the Finnish South-Eastern Army (6 divisions and 1 brigade) opposed 8 divisions of the Red Army.
In Eastern Karelia, the Finnish Karelian Army (5 divisions and 3 brigades) was opposed by 7 divisions of the Red Army.
In the Arctic, the German-Finnish troops (1 German and 1 Finnish divisions, 1 German brigade and 2 separate battalions) were opposed by 5 divisions of the Red Army.
Finnish soldiers on their way to the front. July 1941
In addition to the Finnish units themselves, the Swedish volunteer battalion (1500 people) led by Hans Berggren ( Hans Berggren). After the Swedish volunteer battalion returned to Sweden on December 18, 400 Swedish citizens remained in the Finnish army until September 25, 1944 as part of a separate volunteer company.
Estonian volunteers (2500 people) also served in the Finnish Armed Forces, of which on February 8, 1944, the 200th regiment (1700 people) was formed as part of the 10th Infantry Division under the command of Colonel Eino Kuusela ( Eino Kuusela). The regiment until mid-August 1944 fought on the Karelian Isthmus and near Vyborg. In addition, 250 Estonians served in the Finnish Navy.
On July 1, 1941, the 17th Finnish division (including the Swedish volunteer battalion) launched attacks on the Soviet military base (25,300 people) on the Hanko Peninsula, which were successfully repelled by the Soviet garrison until December 1941.
July 3 Finnish submarine Vesikko east of the island of Suursaari, she sank the Soviet transport Vyborg (4100 brt) with a torpedo. Almost the entire crew escaped (one person died).
Finnish submarine Vesikko. 1941
On July 8, German troops (36th mountain corps), advancing from the territory of Finnish Lapland, occupied the deserted mountainous region of Salla. At this, active hostilities on the northern section of the Soviet-Finnish border, controlled by German troops, stopped until the autumn of 1944.
On July 31, British aircraft bombed Petsamo. Finland protested and withdrew its embassy in London. In turn, the British Embassy left Helsinki.
On July 1, 1941, fighting began in the Kandalaksha direction. The Finnish 6th Infantry and the German 169th Infantry Divisions advanced 75 km deep into Soviet territory, but were stopped, went over to the defensive, which they occupied until the end of the war.
On August 15, 1941, a Finnish patrol boat sank a Soviet submarine M-97.
Captured Red Army soldiers surrounded by Finnish soldiers. September 1941
By September 2, the Finnish army everywhere reached the borders of Finland in 1939 and continued the offensive on Soviet territory. During the fighting, the Finns captured more than a hundred Soviet light, floating, flamethrower, medium (including T-34) and heavy (KV) tanks, which they included in their tank units.
The Finnish army, crossing the Soviet-Finnish border in 1939 and advancing further 20 km, stopped 30 km from Leningrad (along the Sestra River) and blockaded the city from the north, carrying out the blockade of Leningrad together with the German troops until January 1944.
The return of Finnish refugees (180,000 people) to the southern regions of Finland formerly occupied by the USSR began.
On the same day, a Finnish torpedo boat south of Koivisto sank the Soviet steamship Meero (1866 brt). The crew escaped.
On September 4, Marshal Carl Gustav Emil Mannerheim told the German command that the Finnish army would not participate in the storming of Leningrad. 
On September 11, Finnish Foreign Minister Rolf Johan Witting ( Rolf Johan Witting) informed the US Ambassador to Helsinki Arthur Shenfield that the Finnish army would not participate in the storming of Leningrad.
On September 13, off the island of Ute (off the coast of Estonia), a Finnish flagship, a coastal defense battleship, blew up and sank on a mine. Ilmarinen. 271 people died, 132 people were saved.
On September 22, Great Britain declared a note to Finland about its readiness to return to friendly relations, subject to the cessation of hostilities against the USSR by Finland and the withdrawal of troops abroad in 1939.
Hjalmar Prokop
On the same day, Marshal Carl Gustav Emil Mannerheim, by his order, banned the Finnish Air Force from flying over Leningrad.
October 3, 1941 U.S. Secretary of State Cordell Hull ( CordellHull) congratulated Finnish Ambassador to Washington Hjalmar Prokop ( Hjalmar Johan Fredrik Procope) with the "liberation of Karelia", but warned that the United States was opposed to the Finnish army violating the Soviet-Finnish border in 1939.
On October 24, the first concentration camp for the Russian population of East Karelia was created in Petrozavodsk. Before 1944 9 concentration camps were created by the Finnish occupation authorities, through which about 24,000 people (27% of the population) passed. Over the years, about 4,000 people died in concentration camps.
Russian children in a Finnish concentration camp.
On November 28, Great Britain presented an ultimatum to Finland demanding that hostilities against the USSR be stopped until December 5, 1941.
On the same day, a Finnish minesweeper struck a mine in the Koivisto-Sund Strait and sank. Porkkala. 31 people died.
On the same day, the Finnish government announced the inclusion of the territory of the USSR occupied by Finnish troops into Finland.
On December 6, Great Britain (as well as the Union of South Africa, Canada, Australia and New Zealand) declared war on Finland after refusing to cease hostilities against the USSR.
On the same day, Finnish troops captured the village of Povenets and cut the White Sea-Baltic Canal.
In 1941 - 1944 Germany delivered aircraft of new designs to the Finnish Air Force - 48 fighters Messerschmitt Bf 109G-2, 132 fighters Bf 109G-6, 15 bombers Dornier Do 17Z-2 and 15 bombers Ju 88A-4 who took part in the battles against the Red Army.
From January 3 to January 10, 1942, in the Medvezhyegorsk region, Soviet troops (5 rifle divisions and 3 brigades) carried out unsuccessful attacks by Finnish troops (5 infantry divisions).
Finnish infantry on the Svir River. April 1942
During the spring of 1942 - the beginning of the summer of 1944, local battles were fought on the Soviet-Finnish front.
By the spring of 1942, 180,000 older people had been demobilized from the Finnish army.
From the summer of 1942, Soviet partisans began to carry out their raids into the hinterland of Finland.
Soviet partisans in East Karelia. 1942
July 14, 1942 Finnish minelayer Ruotsinsalmi sank the Soviet submarine Shch-213.
On September 1, 1942, Finnish aviation sank the Soviet patrol ship Purga on Lake Ladoga.
Finnish fighter aircraft made in Italy FA-19
October 13, 1942 2 Finnish patrol boats south of Tiiskeri sank the Soviet submarine Shch-311 ("Kumzha").
On October 21, in the area of the Aland Islands, a Finnish submarine Vesehiisi sank a Soviet submarine S-7 with a torpedo, from which her commander and 3 sailors were taken prisoner.
On October 27, in the area of the Aland Islands, a Finnish submarine Iku Turso sank a Soviet submarine Shch-320 with a torpedo.
November 5, 1942 in the area of the Aland Islands, a Finnish submarine Vetehinen sank the Soviet submarine Shch-305 ("Lin") with a ramming blow.
On November 12, the 3rd Infantry Battalion (1115 people) was formed from the prisoners of war of the Red Army, who belonged to the Finnish peoples (Karelians, Vepsians, Komi, Mordovians). Since May 1943, this battalion took part in the battles against the Red Army units on the Karelian Isthmus.
On November 18, 3 Finnish torpedo boats in the Lavensaari roadstead sank the standing Soviet gunboat Red Banner.
By the end of 1942, there were 18 partisan detachments and 6 sabotage groups (1698 people) on the territory of the USSR occupied by Finnish troops.
In the spring of 1943, the Finnish command formed the 6th infantry battalion, which consisted of Finnish-speaking residents of the Leningrad region - Ingrians. The battalion was used for construction work on the Karelian Isthmus.
In March 1943, Germany demanded that Finland sign a formal commitment to a military alliance with Germany. The Finnish leadership refused. The German ambassador was recalled from Helsinki.
On March 20, the United States officially offered Finland its assistance in withdrawing from the war against the USSR and the British Empire, but the Finnish side refused.
May 25, 1943 Finnish minelayer Ruotsinsalmi sank the Soviet submarine Shch-408.
26 May Finnish minelayer Ruotsinsalmi sank the Soviet submarine Shch-406.
In the summer of 1943, 14 partisan detachments made several deep raids into the hinterland of Finland. The partisans were given 2 interrelated strategic tasks: the destruction of military communications in the frontline zone and the disorganization of the economic life of the Finnish population. The partisans sought to cause as much damage as possible to the Finnish economy, to sow panic among the civilian population. During partisan raids, 160 Finnish peasants were killed and 75 seriously wounded. The authorities issued an order for the urgent evacuation of the population from central Finland. Local residents abandoned livestock, agricultural implements, property. Haymaking and harvesting in these areas in 1943 were disrupted. For the protection of settlements, the Finnish authorities were forced to allocate military units.
On August 23, 1943, Soviet torpedo boats south of Tiiskeri sank a Finnish mine layer Ruotsinsalmi. Of the 60 crew members, 35 survived.
In August 1943, out of 2 tank brigades with a total of 150 tanks (mainly captured T-26s), an assault gun brigade equipped with Finnish Bt-42s and German Sturmgeschütz IIIs, jaeger brigade and support units, a tank division was formed ( Panssaridivisoona), which was headed by Major General Ernst Lagus ( Ernst Ruben Lagus).
On September 6, 1943, Finnish torpedo boats sank a Soviet transport barge between Leningrad and Lavensaari. 21 people died.
On February 6, 1944, Soviet aviation bombed Helsinki (910 tons of bombs). 434 buildings destroyed. 103 people were killed and 322 people were injured. 5 Soviet bombers shot down.
On the same day, a Finnish patrol boat was sunk by Soviet aircraft in the Helsinki roadstead.
Fires in Helsinki caused by the bombing. February 1944
On February 16, Soviet aviation bombed Helsinki (440 tons of bombs). 25 residents of the city died. 4 Soviet bombers shot down.
On February 26, Soviet aviation bombed Helsinki (1067 tons of bombs). 18 residents of the city died. 18 Soviet bombers shot down.
On the same day, a Finnish patrol boat was sunk by Soviet aircraft in the Helsinki roadstead.
Women from the organization Lotta Svard at the air observation post. 1944
Evacuation of children from the frontline zone. Spring 1944
On March 20, the United States offered Finland its mediation in peace negotiations. The Finnish government refused.
On March 21, the evacuation of the Finnish population from Eastern Karelia began. From here, about 3,000 former Soviet citizens were evacuated to the hinterland of Finland.
In total, up to 200,000 people were evacuated from the frontline zone to the north.
On March 25, former Finnish Ambassador to Stockholm Juho Kusti Paasikivi ( Juho Kusti Paasikivi) and Marshal Mannerheim's Special Representative Oskar Karlovich Enkel ( Oscar Paul Enckell) went to Moscow to negotiate peace with the USSR.
On April 1, 1944, the Finnish delegation returned from Moscow and informed the government of the Soviet conditions for concluding a bilateral peace: the 1940 border, the internment of German units, reparations in the amount of 600 million US dollars for 5 years. During the discussions, the last 2 points were recognized by the Finnish side as technically unfeasible.
On April 18, 1944, the Finnish government gave a negative answer to the Soviet conditions for concluding a peace treaty.
On May 1, 1944, Germany protested in connection with the search by the Finnish side for a separate peace with the USSR.
At the beginning of June 1944, Germany stopped deliveries of grain to Finland.
In June 1944, Germany delivered 15 tanks to the Finnish army PzIVJ and 25,000 anti-tank grenade launchers Panzerfaust and Panzerschreck. Also, the 122nd Wehrmacht Infantry Division was transferred from Estonia near Vyborg.
On June 10, 1944, troops of the Leningrad Front (41 rifle divisions, 5 brigades - 450,000 people, 10,000 guns, 800 tanks and self-propelled guns, 1,547 aircraft (not counting naval aviation), a grouping of the Baltic Fleet (3 brigades of marines, 175 guns, 64 ships, 350 boats, 530 aircraft) and the ships of the Ladoga and Onega flotillas (27 ships and 62 boats) launched an offensive on the Karelian Isthmus. The Finnish army had 15 divisions and 6 brigades (268,000 people, 1930 guns and mortars, 110 tanks and 248 aircraft).
On June 16, Germany handed over 23 dive bombers to Finland. Ju-87 and 23 fighters FW-190.
On the same day, Soviet aviation (80 aircraft) attacked the Elisenvaara railway station, killing more than 100 civilians (mostly refugees) and more than 300 wounded.
From June 20 to June 30, Soviet troops launched unsuccessful attacks on the defense line of Vyborg - Kuparsaari - Taipele.
On the same day, Soviet troops (3 rifle divisions) unsuccessfully attacked Medvezhyegorsk.
On the same day, Soviet aircraft sank a Finnish torpedo boat Tarmo.
On the same day, the 122nd Infantry Division of the Wehrmacht stopped the offensive of the Soviet 59th Army along the Vyborg Bay.
On the same day in Helsinki, German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop ( Ulrich Friedrich Wilhelm Joachim von Ribbentrop) concluded an agreement with President Risti Heikko Ryti that Finland would not conduct separate peace negotiations.
On the same day, 42 self-propelled artillery mounts arrived from Germany to Finland Stug-40/42.
From June 25 to July 9, 1944, there were fierce battles in the Tali-Ihantala region on the Karelian Isthmus, as a result of which the Red Army was unable to break through the defenses of the Finnish troops. The Red Aria lost 5,500 men killed and 14,500 wounded. The Finnish army lost 1,100 killed, 6,300 wounded and 1,100 missing.
Finnish infantryman with a German Panzerschreck anti-tank rifle. Summer 1944
By the end of June 1944, the Red Army reached the Soviet-Finnish border 1941
From July 1 to July 10, 1944, the Soviet landing force captured 16 islands of the Bjerki archipelago in the Vyborg Bay. The Red Army lost 1800 people killed, 31 ships were sunk during the fighting. The Finnish army lost 1253 people killed, wounded and captured, 30 ships were sunk during the fighting.
On July 2, in the area of Medvezhyegorsk, Soviet troops surrounded the 21st Finnish brigade, but the Finns managed to break through.
On July 9 - 20, Soviet troops unsuccessfully tried to break through the defenses of the Finnish troops on the Vouksa River - the bridgehead was captured only in the northern sector.
On the same day, the USSR notifies Sweden of its readiness to discuss the terms of a truce with Finland.
On August 2, in the Ilomantsi area, the Finnish cavalry and 21st rifle brigades surrounded the 176th and 289th Soviet rifle divisions.
On August 4, 1944, Finnish President Risti Heikko Ryti resigned. Marshal Carl Gustav Emil Mannerheim was elected as the new president.
On August 5, in the Ilomantsi area, the remnants of the 289th Soviet Rifle Division broke through from the encirclement.
On August 9, the troops of the Karelian Front, during the offensive, reached the Kudamguba-Kuolisma-Pitkyaranta line.
On August 25, Finland announced the severance of relations with Germany and turned to the SSR with a request to resume negotiations.
Finnish delegation for the conclusion of a truce. September 1944
By the end of August 1944, during the fighting on the Karelian Isthmus and in South Karelia, Soviet troops lost 23,674 people killed and 72,701 wounded, 294 tanks and 311 aircraft. Finnish troops lost 18,000 killed and 45,000 wounded.
On September 4, 1944, the Government of Finland made a radio announcement that it accepted the Soviet preconditions and ceased hostilities on the entire front.
On September 5, the Red Army stopped shelling Finnish positions. 
Soviet and Finnish officers after the armistice. September 1944
During the fighting against the USSR from June 28, 1941 to September 4, 1944, the Finnish army lost 58,715 people killed and missing. 3114 people were captured, of which 997 people died. In total, in 1941 - 1944. about 70,000 Finnish citizens died.
Accurate data on the losses of Soviet troops on the Soviet-Finnish front in 1941 - 1944. no, but in the battles in Karelia in 1941 - 1944. and during the summer offensive of 1944, 90,939 people died on the Karelian Isthmus. 64,000 people fell into Finnish captivity, of which 18,700 people died.
After the end of World War II, the Paris Peace Treaty of 1947 required Finland to significantly reduce its Armed Forces. Thus, the number of military personnel was to be determined at 34,000 people. Then the tank division was disbanded. Also, until now, the Finnish Navy should not include submarines, torpedo boats and specialized assault ships, and the total tonnage of ships was reduced to 10,000 tons. Military aviation was reduced to 60 aircraft.
In the USSR, Ingrians were greeted with an orchestra. Vyborg, December 1944
55,000 Ingrians voluntarily returned to the USSR, as well as forcibly - employees of the 3rd and 6th infantry battalions. The former were sent to settle in various regions of the RSFSR and Kazakhstan, while the latter were sentenced to long terms of imprisonment in camps.
Army of Finland 1939 - 1945 // Journal "Soldier at the Front", 2005, No. 7.
Verigin S.G., Laidinen E.P., Chumakov G.V. USSR and Finland in 1941 - 1944: unexplored aspects of military confrontation // Russian History Journal, 2009. No. 3. P. 90 - 103.
Jokipii M. Finland on the way to war. Petrozavodsk, 1999.
Meister Yu. War in Eastern European waters 1941 - 1943. M., 1995.
Abbott P., Thomas N., Chappel M. Germany's Allies on the Eastern Front 1941 - 1945. M., 2001
The USSR was the first to bomb Finland on June 25, 1941. On the evening of the same day, the country's parliament voted for war with the Soviets. The Germans from the territory of Finland began to advance on June 28. A little later, England bombed the Finns and demanded that they stop their attack on the USSR - which they did.
After the conclusion of peace in 1940, the USSR no longer planned an attack on Finland. This is confirmed by declassified Soviet documents. Stalin tried with all his might to delay the war with Germany, and any attack or even pressure on Finland could provoke a war with Hitler.
So, in August 1940, Stalin was given a note by People's Commissar of Defense Voroshilov on the basics of the strategic deployment of the armed forces for 1940 and 1941. It says:
“An armed clash between the USSR and Germany can involve in a military conflict with us - with the aim of revenge - Finland and Romania, and possibly Hungary. The entry into the war of Finland alone is unlikely, the most real case is the simultaneous participation in the war of Finland with Germany. Given the possible correlation of forces, our actions in the northwest should be reduced to the active defense of our borders.
As you can see, the Soviet armed forces were assigned exclusively defensive tasks in the event of a war with Finland. Forces and means for this were allocated more than modest. By the way, Finnish agents repeatedly, starting from May 1941, informed the USSR that Germany would attack on June 20-24. In this case, Finland was determined to wait for the outcome of the war between the two countries.
The maximum that the Finnish leader Mannerheim agreed to was to allow the Germans to come out from the north of the country and cut the Murmansk railway, as well as for the Finns themselves to occupy the Aland Islands, which were declared a demilitarized zone according to the Geneva Convention of 1921 and the agreement with the USSR of March 12, 1940. On June 21, at 16:15, the Finnish army and navy began Operation Regatta, the landing of troops on these islands. By the way, it is very strange that the USSR was not alerted by this sortie of the Finns, which clearly meant that the Germans would soon start a war (otherwise it would have been suicide for the Finns - to anger the USSR, which recently defeated their country). The staff of the Soviet consulate (31 people) in the Aland Islands (in Maraankhamin) was taken to Turku.
In the middle of the day on June 22, telephone messages were sent from the General Staff to the 14th Division, VI and II Army Corps, which ordered to ensure "the readiness of measures related to the start of the offensive by June 28." On June 23, 1941, 3 artillery batteries (105-mm, 150-mm and 210-mm guns) were given to the II Army Corps from the reserve; IV Corps - one battery of 150-mm guns; VII Corps - one battery of heavy guns and one battery of high power. As a result, the firepower of the units planned to conduct the offensive increased significantly. At the same time, Talvel's army corps, which was deployed in the strip of the northern Ladoga coast, received a third division. Another division from the reserve of the commander-in-chief was placed in the second echelon of the same section of the future front. Talvel's artillery also received significant reinforcements.
In Moscow on June 23, Molotov summoned the Finnish charge d'affaires Hünninen. Molotov demanded from Finland a clear definition of its position - whether it is on the side of Germany or adheres to neutrality. Does Finland want to have the Soviet Union among its enemies, as well as England? Molotov accused Finland of flying over Leningrad. Hünninen, for his part, accused the USSR of bombing Finnish ships and Alskari fortifications. In general, neither side came to an agreement in these negotiations.
On the morning of June 25, on the orders of the Headquarters of the Air Force of the Northern Front, together with the aviation of the Baltic Fleet, Soviet aircraft launched a massive attack on nineteen airfields in Finland. This raid involved 236 bombers and 224 fighters. According to Soviet data, 41 aircraft were destroyed during the first raid on the ground. The Finns claim to have shot down 23 Soviet aircraft. Over the next six days, Soviet aircraft continued to bomb airfields and ports in Finland.
“The air raids against our country, the bombing of undefended cities, the killing of civilians - all this has shown more clearly than any diplomatic assessments what is the attitude of the Soviet Union towards Finland. This is war. The Soviet Union repeated the attack with which it tried to break the resistance of the Finnish people in the Winter War of 1939-1940. As then, we will stand up for our country.”
Most of the Finnish deputies, as well as Mannerheim, said that day that they wanted to move the border of their country; Germany is their ally, but it has its own goals."
During the war of 1941-1944, two independent commands operated on the territory of Finland - the German one in the north of Finland, subordinate to the German General Staff, and the Finnish one in the rest of the country. Both commands coordinated their actions, but otherwise were completely independent of each other. The line of demarcation between them ran from Uleaborg (Oulu) on the coast of the Gulf of Bothnia to Belomorsk (White Sea).
The German offensive from Finnish territory began from the Petsamo region only on June 28. The main forces of the mountain corps fell upon one Soviet 95th regiment, which had not yet had time to organize defense. The regiment began to retreat to the village of Titovka. In a disorderly retreat, he dragged along the 325th regiment, which was approaching him to help.
On July 1, England entered the war against Finland - its baviation bombed Petsamo for the first time. The raid involved carrier-based attack aircraft from the aircraft carrier Furies. In this regard, the Finnish government protested to London and recalled its ambassador from there. The British Embassy, in turn, left Helsinki. However, the state of war between England and Finland has not yet been declared.
(School students greet Mannerheim in Petrozavodsk)
By the way, British aviation these days, instead of flying into Finland, could help the USSR by bombing German troops already marching across the Baltic. But London did not.
The war between Finland and the USSR began. The Finns quickly occupied a significant part of Karelia and its capital, Petrozavodsk. They had the strength to go further, in the first place - to organize a complete blockade of Leningrad and even take Arkhangelsk. But the Finns did not. Mannerheim was impressed by a note from the British government dated September 22, 1941, which contained a demand for the withdrawal of Finnish troops to the 1939 border and a warning that, with further advance deep into Russia, the British government would be forced to recognize Finland as an enemy both during the war and at the conclusion of peace. . On November 29, 1941, the US ambassador to Finland, Schoenefeld, gave Mannerheim a secret telegram from Winston Churchill. It proposed, without announcing this officially, to stop all hostilities against the USSR, for which the harsh winter is a sufficient justification, and thus de facto withdraw from the war.
Mannerheim actually fulfilled this requirement of England and the USA, without developing the further offensive of the Finns.
Explanations to the map: black line - front line by the end of 1941, yellow arrows - unfulfilled strike plans, circles - planned deployment of coastal artillery by the fall of 1941, blue line - plans for the maximum border planned by the Finns. It can be seen from the map that the Finns planned to cut off the new section of the Murmansk railway, but under pressure from the British, they did not do this. The Oulu-Rukajärvi line separates the areas of responsibility of the Finnish and German troops (which were to the north).
In 1952, Mannerheim claimed that he did not want a war with the USSR, and when the USSR forced him to join the war, he did not want to join the German troops advancing in the Tikhvin direction. After the end of the war, the USSR, apparently, appreciated the role of Finland in the war, and for this did not begin to besiege the occupational socialist regime there.
But it is still not clear why on June 25, 1941 the USSR unleashed a war against Finland? Neither tactically nor strategically, this brought any benefit to the Union.
More in the Interpreter's Blog about relations between Russia and Finland:
The meme "Why Russia is not ..." has long been known to the inhabitants of our country thanks to the border guard scientist Andrei Parshev. If it is difficult to compare the whole of Russia with Brazil or the United States, then the Interpreter's blog tried itself in another pseudo-scientific direction: to compare one region of our country with its border state. Today we took Karelia and Finland.
The comparison, of course, is groundless, since Finland is formally a sovereign state of the Finns and can pursue a policy to protect their interests, and Karelia is just a region of Russia with no rights and completely dependent on the distant Kremlin with very, very conditional self-government. On the other hand, the comparison simplifies the fact that the climatic and natural conditions in Karelia are generally comparable to those in Eastern Finland, and part of the population of Karelia is ethnically close to the Finns (despite the fact that Karelians also live in Eastern Finland).
During World War II, Finland was an ally of Germany. On September 22, 1940, a technical agreement was signed between Germany and Finland, it provided for the transportation of German equipment, sick people and vacationers from German troops in Norway through Finnish territory. Berlin started shipping to Finland. Gradually, Germany took the main place in the foreign economic sphere of Finland, the German share began to account for 70% of the country's foreign trade turnover. In October 1940, the Finnish government allowed the recruitment of volunteers for the SS troops.
In January 1941, the Finnish parliament passed a law on conscription, which increased the length of service in the regular forces from one year to two years. On June 9, 1941, the commander-in-chief of the Finnish armed forces, Marshal Carl Gustav Emil Mannerheim, issued an order for partial mobilization, it concerned the reservists of the cover troops. On June 17, general mobilization began in Finland. On June 21, Finnish units landed on the Aland Islands, which were a demilitarized zone. On June 25, the Soviet Air Force attacked airfields, enterprises owned by the Germans in Finland. The Finnish government declared war on the USSR. On June 28, Finnish troops went on the offensive.
German poster addressed to the Finns during the Lapland War. The ironic inscription on the poster: "Als dank bewiesene für nicht Waffenbrüderschaft!" (“Thank you for the proven lack of camaraderie!”)
At the beginning of 1942, the Soviet ambassador to Sweden, A. M. Kollontai, through the Swedish Foreign Minister Günther, made an attempt to establish contacts with the Finnish government. At the end of January, President Risto Heikki Ryti and Marshal Mannerheim discussed the possibility of conducting preliminary negotiations with the Soviet Union and concluded that any contact with Moscow was unacceptable.
On March 20, 1943, the American government approached Finland with an offer to act as an intermediary in the negotiations for a peace agreement (the United States was not at war with Finland). The Finnish government, having reported the proposal to Berlin, refused. However, the mood of the Finnish military-political elite began to change as the German troops failed on the eastern front. In the summer of 1943 Finnish representatives began negotiations with the Americans in Portugal. Finnish Foreign Minister Karl Henrik Wolter Ramsay sent a letter to the US Department of State assuring that Finnish troops would not fight American soldiers if they entered Finnish territory after landing in Northern Norway.
Gradually, the military frenzy subsided and was replaced by defeatist moods, the plans for the construction of "Great Finland" had to be forgotten. At the beginning of November 1943, the Social Democratic Party issued a statement in which it not only emphasized the right of Helsinki to withdraw from the war at will, but also advised that this step should be taken without delay. In mid-November 1943, Buheman, secretary of the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, informed Ambassador Kollontai that the Finnish government wanted to conclude peace with the USSR. November 20 A.M. Kollontai asked Buheman to inform the Finnish authorities that Helsinki could send a delegation to Moscow for negotiations. The Finnish government began to study the Soviet proposal. At the same time, the Swedish government announced that it was ready to provide Finland with food aid in the event that attempts to start negotiations with the Soviet Union with a view to concluding a peace agreement would lead to the cessation of German supplies. The Finnish government's response to Moscow's proposal said that Helsinki was ready to negotiate peace, but could not give up territories and cities vital to Finland. Thus, Mannerheim and Ryti agreed to negotiate peace with the Soviet Union, but from the position of the winners. The Finns demanded the transfer to Finland of the territories lost as a result of the Winter War and which were part of the USSR on June 22, 1941. In response, Kollontai said that only the Soviet-Finnish border of 1940 could be the starting point for starting negotiations. At the end of January 1944, State Councilor Juho Kusti Paasikivi left for Stockholm for informal talks with the Soviet side. The Finnish government again raised the issue of the 1939 borders. The arguments of Soviet diplomacy were not successful.
The arguments of the Soviet long-range aviation turned out to be more significant. On the night of February 6-7, 1944, the Soviet Air Force attacked the Finnish capital. 728 Soviet bombers participated in the operation, they dropped 910 tons of bombs on the city (among them were four FAB-1000 bombs, six FAB-2000 and two FAB-5000 - high-explosive bombs weighing 1000, 2000, 5000 kg). More than 30 major fires have broken out in Helsinki. Various military facilities, a gas storage facility, the Strelberg electromechanical plant and much more were on fire. A total of 434 buildings were destroyed or seriously damaged. The Finnish authorities managed to notify the population of the city 5 minutes before the start of the strike, so the losses of the civilian population were insignificant: 83 killed and 322 wounded. On February 17, a second powerful air strike was delivered to Helsinki. It wasn't as strong as the first one. The Soviet Air Force dropped 440 tons of bombs on the city. On the night of February 26-27, 1944, another powerful raid on the Finnish capital took place: 880 aircraft took part in it, 1067 tons of bombs were dropped (including twenty FAB-2000). The Finnish air defense system could not cope with such a force and acted ineffectively. The aces transferred from Germany - the Me-109G squadron - could not help either. During three raids, the Soviet Air Force lost 20 vehicles, including losses due to technical malfunctions.
At the end of February, Paasikivi returned from Stockholm. However, the Finnish leadership was still trying to argue over territorial issues. Then the Swedish government intervened. The head of the Swedish Foreign Ministry, Gunther, the head of the government, Linkomies, and then the king himself turned to the Finns with a proposal to accept the proposals of the USSR, since Moscow's demands were minimal. Sweden demanded that the Finnish government determine its position by March 18.
On March 17, 1944, the Finnish government turned to the USSR through Sweden and asked for more detailed information about the minimum terms of the peace agreement. On March 25, Paasikivi's adviser and Foreign Minister Oskar Karlovich Enkel flew over the front line on the Karelian Isthmus in a Swedish plane and arrived in the Soviet capital. A little earlier, Mannerheim ordered the evacuation of the population, property and equipment from Karelia and the occupied Karelian Isthmus.
Finnish infantrymen in the city of Tornio (Tornio), Finland, in battle with German units during the Lapland War. The city of Tornio was the center of fierce street fighting at the start of the Lapland War between Finland and Germany. In the photograph, the nearest soldier is armed with a Mosin-Nagant 1891/30 rifle, and the distant one is armed with a Suomi M / 3 submachine gun
On April 1, Paasikivi and Enkel returned to the Finnish capital. They informed the government that the main condition for peace was the adoption of the borders of the Moscow Treaty of March 12, 1940 as a basis. The German troops that were stationed in Finland were to be expelled or interned. In addition, Finland had to pay 600 million US dollars in reparations over a 5-year period (the amount was proposed to be repaid in goods). On April 18, Helsinki refused to accept Moscow's conditions. Shortly thereafter, Deputy Foreign Minister Vyshinsky made a statement on the radio saying that Helsinki had rejected the peace proposals of the USSR and that now the Finnish leadership was fully responsible for the consequences.
Meanwhile, by the end of April 1944, the situation of the Finnish armed forces was critical. Behind Vyborg, the Finnish troops did not have serious fortifications. All healthy men under the age of 45 inclusive were already mobilized for war. On June 10, 1944, the Red Army launched an offensive on the Karelian Isthmus and captured Vyborg on June 20. On June 28, Soviet troops liberated Petrozavodsk. Finland faced the threat of complete military defeat and occupation.
The Finnish government asked Germany for help. Ribbentrop arrived in the Finnish capital on June 22. President Ryti gave a written commitment not to conclude a peace treaty without the consent of Berlin. But on August 1, Risti Haikko Ryti resigned, his place was taken by Mannerheim. On August 8, the government of Edwin Linkomies was dissolved, and Andres Werner Hackzel was elected as the new prime minister. On August 25, Helsinki asked Moscow to resume peace talks. On August 29, the Soviet embassy in Sweden transmitted Moscow's reply: Finland had to sever relations with Germany; withdraw German troops before September 15; send a delegation for negotiations in the USSR.
On September 3, the head of the Finnish government addressed the people on the radio and announced the decision to start negotiations with the USSR. On the night of September 4, the Finnish leadership made a statement over the radio and announced that they accepted the preconditions of the Soviet Union, broke off relations with Nazi Germany and agreed to the withdrawal of German troops. The Finnish military command announced that it was ceasing hostilities from 8 am on September 4.
During the Lapland War, German troops under the command of General Lothar Rendulich used the scorched earth tactics. In Lapland, 30% of the buildings were destroyed, and the city of Rovaniemi, the birthplace of the Finnish Santa Claus - Joulupukki, was destroyed to the ground. About 100,00 civilians became refugees
On September 8, 1944, a Finnish delegation arrived in the Soviet capital. It included Prime Minister Andreas Hackzel, Defense Minister Karl Walden, Chief of Staff Axel Heinrichs and Lieutenant General Oskar Enckel. The USSR was represented by People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs V. M. Molotov, member of the GKO K. E. Voroshilov, member of the Military Council of the Leningrad Front A. A. Zhdanov, representatives of the NKID M. M. Litvinov, V. G. Dekanozov, head of the Operations Department of the General Staff S M. Shtemenko, commander of the Leningrad naval base A. P. Alexandrov. Britain was represented by Ambassador Archibald Kerr and Councilor John Balfour. On September 9, Hackzel fell seriously ill, so negotiations did not begin until September 14. Subsequently, the Finnish delegation was headed by Foreign Minister Karl Enkel. On September 19, an armistice agreement was signed in Moscow between the Soviet Union and Great Britain on the one hand and Finland on the other.
Main terms of the agreement:
Helsinki pledged to disarm the German troops that would remain on Finnish territory after September 15 and to transfer their personnel to the Soviet command as prisoners of war;
- The Finnish government undertook to intern all German and Hungarian subjects;
- Finland provided its airfields for the Soviet Air Force to conduct combat operations against the Germans in the North and the Baltic;
- The Finnish army was supposed to move to a peaceful position in two months;
- The provisions of the peace treaty of March 12, 1940 were restored;
- Finland undertook to return to the Soviet Union the region of Petsamo (Pechenga), which the Soviet government twice (in 1920 and 1940) ceded to the Finns;
- The USSR received the right to lease the Porkkala-Udd peninsula for a 50-year period in order to create a naval base there. For rent, the Soviet government had to pay 5 million Finnish marks annually;
- The agreement between the USSR and Finland on the Åland Islands of 1940 was restored. According to the agreement, the Finnish side undertook to demilitarize the Åland Islands, not to provide them to the armed forces of other states.
- Finland pledged to immediately return all Soviet and allied prisoners of war and internees. The Soviet Union returned all Finnish prisoners;
- Finland was obliged to compensate the damage caused to the USSR. The Finns had to repay the amount of 300 million US dollars in goods within six years;
- Finland undertook to restore all legal rights, including property rights, of citizens and states of the United Nations;
- Finland undertook to return to Russia all the exported valuables, property, both private individuals and the state;
- The Finnish government was to transfer the military property of Germany and its allies, including military and merchant ships;
- Finland provided in the interests of the allies its merchant fleet and the required materials and products;
- In Finland, all fascist, pro-German and paramilitary structures, organizations and societies were dissolved.
Finnish infantry is loaded onto transport in the port of Oulu for landing in Tornio
Lapland War (September 1944 – April 1945)
It should be noted that the German command was ready for a negative scenario in Finland. In 1943, the Germans began to make plans for a separate agreement between Finland and the USSR. It was decided to concentrate the military grouping in Northern Finland in order to retain the nickel mines in the Petsamo region (they were located near the modern village of Nikel in the Murmansk region). In the winter of 1943-1944 the Germans carried out large-scale work in the north of Finland and Norway, building and improving roads, creating warehouses.
There were few German troops in inner Finland. Aviation units were present at the front, and the main German forces were stationed in the Arctic. The fulfillment by the Finnish government of the terms of the armistice agreement with the USSR and Great Britain led to a number of conflicts with the German troops (they were called the "Lapland War"). So, on September 15, the Germans demanded the surrender of the Finnish garrison on the island of Gogland (an island in the Gulf of Finland). Having been refused, the German troops tried to capture the island. The Finnish garrison received strong support from the Soviet Air Force, Soviet pilots sank four German self-propelled landing barges, a minesweeper and four boats. Deprived of reinforcements and support from the sea, the German forces, numbering about a battalion, surrendered to the Finns.
In northern Finland, the German command was slow to withdraw its troops to Norway (the 20th Army of Lothar Rendulich began Operation Northern Lights to send troops to Norway only on October 4), and there were several clashes with the Finns. On September 30, the Finnish 3rd Infantry Division under the command of Major General Payari landed in the port of Ryutya near the city of Torneo. At the same time, the Shutskorites (militias, members of the Security Corps) and vacation soldiers attacked the Germans in the city of Torneo. After a stubborn clash, the German troops left the city. On October 8, Finnish troops occupied the city of Kemi. On October 16, the Finnish units occupied the village of Rovaniemi, and on October 30, the village of Muonio. German troops, leaving Finland, used the scorched earth tactics. Vast territories were devastated, Rovaniemi was completely destroyed. The last German formations left Finnish territory in April 1945.
On October 7, the Petsamo-Kirkenes operation began, during which the forces of the Karelian Front and the Northern Fleet attacked German troops in northern Finland in the Petsamo region and in Northern Norway. This accelerated the evacuation of German troops from Finland.
The insignificance of the military operations of the Finnish troops against the Wehrmacht is evidenced by a comparison of the scale of losses of the armed forces of Finland and the USSR during the hostilities in the North. The Finns lost from mid-September 1944 to April 1945 about 1 thousand people killed and missing, about 3 thousand wounded. German troops during the Lapland "war" lost about 1 thousand dead and more than 3 thousand wounded and captured. The Soviet army during the Petsamo-Kirkenes operation lost about 6 thousand people dead, the German army - about 30 thousand soldiers.
Finnish soldiers plant the national flag on the border with Norway after the last detachments of German troops left Finnish territory. April 27, 1945
Plan
Introduction
1 Title
2 Prerequisites
2.1 Foreign policy and alliances
2.2 Choosing an ally
3 Balance of power
3.1 Finland
3.2 USSR
4 War
4.1 Start of hostilities
4.1.1 Actions by German troops
4.1.2 Actions of the Finnish troops
4.2 Finnish offensive of 1941
4.3 Political developments in 1941-1943
4.4 Political events of January-May 1944
4.5 Soviet offensive in the summer of 1944
4.6 Finnish withdrawal from the war
4.6.1 Lapland War
5 Results of the war
5.1 Treatment of the civilian population
5.2 Treatment of prisoners of war
5.3 Other outcomes
6 Coverage of the war in Finnish historiography
7 Coverage of the war in Soviet historiography
8 War memory
9 Photo documents
Bibliography
Soviet-Finnish war (1941-1944)
Introduction
Defense in the Arctic and Karelia: Irretrievably - 67,265
Sanitary - 68 448
Vyborg-Petrozavodsk strategic offensive operation:
Irrevocably - 23 674
Sanitary - 72 701
58,715 dead or missing
158,000 wounded
Great Patriotic WarInvasion of the USSR Karelia Arctic Leningrad Rostov Moscow Sevastopol Barvenkovo-Lozovaya Kharkov Voronezh-Voroshilovgrad Rzhev Stalingrad Caucasus Velikie Luki Ostrogozhsk-Rossosh Voronezh-Kastornoye Kursk Smolensk Donbass Dnieper Right-bank Ukraine Leningrad-Novgorod Crimea (1944) Belarus Lvov-Sandomierz Iasi-Kishinev East Carpathians Baltic Courland Bucharest-Arad Bulgaria Debrecen Belgrade Budapest Poland (1944) Western Carpathians East Prussia Lower Silesia East Pomerania Moravska-Ostrava Upper Silesia Balaton Vienna Berlin PragueSoviet-Finnish War (1941-1944)Karelia Hanko Karelian Isthmus Petrazovodsk-Olonets Vyborg-PetrozavodskWars of independence FinlandCivil War First Soviet-Finnish War Second Soviet-Finnish War Soviet-Finnish War of 1939-1940 Soviet-Finnish War of 1941-1944 Lapland War
The Soviet-Finnish war (1941-1944), or the Karelian campaign was fought between Finland and the USSR from June 25, 1941 to September 19, 1944. The ceasefire came into force on September 4, 1944 at 7.00 from the Finnish side, the Soviet Union stopped hostilities a day later, 5 September. During the day, Soviet troops captured parliamentarians and those who laid down their arms. The incident was explained by a bureaucratic delay. The armistice agreement was signed on September 19, 1944 in Moscow. The final peace treaty February 10, 1947 in Paris.
In addition to the USSR, Finland was at war with Great Britain, Australia, Canada, Czechoslovakia, India, New Zealand and the Union of South Africa.
1. Name
Finnish historiography predominantly uses the term "Continuation War"(Finnish jatkosota), which emphasizes its attitude to the Soviet-Finnish War (1939-1940) that ended shortly before, or winter war. In Russian and Soviet historiography, the conflict is viewed as one of the theaters of the Great Patriotic War, similarly, Germany viewed its operations in the region as an integral part of the Second World War.
2. Background
2.1. Foreign policy and alliances
The Moscow peace treaty of March 13, 1940, which ended the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-1940, was perceived by the Finns as extremely unfair: Finland lost a significant part of the Vyborg province (Fin. Viipurin lääni, unofficially called "Old Finland" in the Russian Empire). With its loss, Finland lost a fifth of its industry and 11% of its agricultural land. 12% of the population, or about 400 thousand people, had to be resettled from the territories ceded to the USSR. The Hanko peninsula was leased to the USSR for a naval base. The territories join the USSR and on March 31, 1940, the Karelian-Finnish Soviet Socialist Republic is formed with Otto Kuusinen at the head.
Despite the conclusion of peace with the USSR, martial law remained in effect in Finland due to the expanding World War II in Europe, the difficult food situation and the weakened state of the Finnish army. Preparing for a possible new war, Finland stepped up the rearmament of the army and the strengthening of new, post-war borders (the Salpa Line). The share of military spending in the 1940 budget rose to 45%.
In April-June 1940, Germany occupied Norway. As a result, Finland lost its sources of fertilizer supplies, which, along with the reduction in acreage due to the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-1940, led to a sharp drop in food production. The shortage was compensated by purchases in Sweden and the USSR, which used delays in food supplies to put pressure on Finland.
2.2. Choosing an ally
The occupation of Norway by Germany, which cut off Finland from direct ties with Great Britain and France, led to the fact that from May 1940 Finland took a course towards strengthening relations with Nazi Germany.
On June 14, the USSR sent an ultimatum to Lithuania demanding the formation of a pro-Soviet government and the introduction of an additional contingent of Soviet troops. The deadline for the ultimatum was set to 10 am on June 15. On the morning of June 15, the Lithuanian government accepted the ultimatum. On June 16, similar ultimatums were accepted by the governments of Latvia and Estonia. At the end of July 1940, all three Baltic countries were included in the USSR.
The events in the Baltics caused a negative reaction in Finland. As the Finnish historian Mauno Jokipii points out,
... It was clear that events similar to the Baltic could expect Finland. Juho Paasikivi (Finnish Ambassador to the USSR) wrote about this to the Minister of Foreign Affairs on 22 July 1940: “The fate of the Baltic countries and the way in which Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania were turned into Soviet states and subject to the Soviet empire make me think about it all night long serious matter"
After some time, the USSR demanded from Finland a concession for nickel mines in Petsamo (which actually meant the nationalization of the British company developing them) and the restoration of the demilitarized status of the Aland Islands.
On July 8, after Sweden signed an agreement with Germany on the transit of troops, the USSR demanded similar rights from Finland for transit to the Soviet base on the Hanko Peninsula. Transit rights were granted on September 6, the demilitarization of the Åland Islands was agreed on October 11, but negotiations on Petsamo dragged on.
The USSR also demanded changes in Finland's domestic policy - in particular, the resignation of Väinö Tanner, the leader of the Finnish Social Democrats. August 16, 1940 Tanner left the government.
At this time, in Germany, at the direction of Adolf Hitler, the development of a plan of attack on the USSR began, and Finland acquired interest for Germany as a base for deploying troops and a springboard for military operations, as well as a possible ally in the war against the USSR. On August 19, 1940, the German government ended the arms embargo on Finland in exchange for permission to use Finnish territory for the transit of German troops to Norway. Although Finland still remained suspicious of Germany due to its policies during the Winter War, it was seen who? the only savior out of the situation.
The first German troops began to be transported through Finnish territory to Norway on September 22, 1940. The haste of the schedule is due to the fact that the passage of Soviet troops to Hanko began two days later.
In September 1940, Finnish General Paavo Talvela was sent to Germany, authorized by Mannerheim to negotiate with the German General Staff. As V. N. Baryshnikov writes, during the negotiations an agreement was reached between the German and Finnish General Staffs on the joint preparation of an attack on the Soviet Union and waging war against it, which on the part of Finland was a direct violation of Article 3 of the Moscow Peace Treaty.
On November 12 and 13, 1940, negotiations were held in Berlin between the Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR V. M. Molotov and Adolf Hitler, during which both sides noted that the transit of German troops led to a surge of pro-German, revanchist and anti-Soviet sentiments in Finland, and this “Finnish question between the two countries may require settlement. However, the parties agreed that a military solution does not meet the interests of both countries. Germany was interested in Finland as a supplier of nickel and timber. In addition, a military conflict, according to Hitler, would lead to military intervention by Sweden, Great Britain or even the United States, which would prompt Germany to intervene. Molotov said that it is enough for Germany to stop the transit of its troops, which contributes to anti-Soviet sentiments, then this issue can be settled peacefully between Finland and the USSR. Moreover, according to Molotov, new agreements with Germany are not needed for this settlement, since, according to the existing German-Russian agreement, Finland is included in the sphere of interests of the USSR. Answering a question from Hitler, Molotov stated that he envisions a settlement within the same framework as in Bessarabia and neighboring countries.
The Finnish leadership was informed by Germany that Hitler rejected Molotov's demand in November 1940 for a final solution to the "Finnish question", which influenced as? for his future decisions.
“While in Berlin on a special assignment in December 1940, General Paavo Talvela shared with me in a conversation that he was acting in accordance with Mannerheim’s instructions and that he began to present to General Halder the views on the possibilities that Germany could provide military support for Finland in her difficult situation"- writes Finnish envoy to Germany T. Kivimäki.
In January 1941, the Chief of Staff of the German Land Forces F. Halder negotiated with the Chief of the General Staff of Finland A. E. Heinrichs, and General Paavo Talvela, which is reflected in Halder's diaries: Talvela “asked for information on the timing of bringing the Finnish army into a state of covert combat readiness for an offensive in the southeast direction”. General Talvela in his memoirs indicates that on the eve of the war, Mannerheim was determined to attack directly on Leningrad. The American historian Lundin wrote that in 1940-1941 “For the political and military leaders of Finland, it was the most difficult thing to cover up their preparations for a war of revenge and, as we will see, for a war of conquest ».
Negotiations between the USSR and Finland on Petsamo had already been going on for over 6 months, when in January 1941 the Soviet Foreign Ministry announced that a solution should be reached as soon as possible. On the same day, the USSR stopped deliveries of grain to Finland. On January 18, the USSR ambassador to Finland was recalled home, and negative information about Finland began to appear in Soviet radio broadcasts. At the same time, Hitler ordered the German troops in Norway, in the event of an attack by the USSR on Finland, to immediately occupy Petsamo.
In the spring of 1941, Finland agreed with Germany on plans for joint military operations against the USSR. Finland expressed its readiness to join Germany in its war against the USSR, subject to several conditions:
Guarantees of Finland's independence;
return of the border with the USSR to the pre-war (or better) state;
· continuation of food supplies;
· Finland is not an aggressor, that is, it enters the war only after being attacked by the USSR.
Mannerheim assessed the situation by the summer of 1941 as follows: ... The concluded agreement on the through transportation of goods prevented the attack from Russia. To denounce it meant, on the one hand, to rise up against the Germans, on relations with which the existence of Finland as an independent state depended. On the other hand - to transfer fate into the hands of the Russians. Stopping the importation of goods from any direction would lead to a severe crisis, which would immediately be exploited by both Germans and Russians. We were pressed against the wall: choose one of the alternatives - Germany (which already betrayed us in 1939) or the USSR .... Only a miracle could help us get out of the situation. The first prerequisite for such a miracle would be the refusal of the USSR to attack us, even if Germany passes through the territory of Finland, and the second - the absence of any kind of pressure from Germany.
On May 25, 1941, at a meeting with a Finnish delegation, General Ferdinand Jodl stated that during the past winter and spring, the Russians had brought 118 infantry, 20 cavalry, 5 tank divisions and 25 tank brigades to the western border and significantly strengthened their garrisons. He stated that Germany was striving for peace, but the concentration of such a large number of troops obliges Germany to prepare for a possible war. He expressed the opinion that it would lead to the collapse of the Bolshevik regime, since a state with such a rotten moral core is unlikely to stand the test of war. He suggested that Finland would be able to tie up a significant number of Red Army troops. The hope was also expressed that the Finns would take part in the operation against Leningrad.
To all this, the head of the delegation, Heinrichs, replied that Finland intended to remain neutral if the Russians did not force her to change her position with their attack. According to Mannerheim's memoirs, at the same time he responsibly declared:
I assumed the duties of commander-in-chief on the condition that we would not launch an attack on Leningrad.
President Risto Ryti writes about the conditions for Finland's entry into the war in September 1941 in his diary:
By this time, Mannerheim already enjoyed great prestige in all sectors of Finnish society, in parliament and government:
« Baron Mannerheim is a true military leader. This is a man of great courage, great courage, exceptional inner honesty and deep inner aristocracy, such a person who, more than anyone else, befits to command people and lead them, when necessary, to death. . Eristov G.N., guard general, colleague.
Mannerheim believed that Finland, even with general mobilization, could put up no more than 16 divisions, while on its border there were at least 17 Soviet infantry divisions, not including border guards, with a practically inexhaustible replenishment resource. June 9, 1941 Mannerheim announced a general mobilization.
On June 7, 1941, the first German troops arrived in Petsamo, involved in the implementation of the Barbarossa plan. On June 18, covert mobilization began in Finland. On June 20, the advance of Finnish troops to the Soviet-Finnish border was completed, and the Finnish government ordered the evacuation of 45 thousand people living in the border areas. On June 21, the head of the Finnish General Staff, Heinrichs, received a formal notification from a German colleague about an impending attack on the USSR.
“... So, the die is cast: we are an “axis” power, and even mobilized for an attack”, wrote MP V. Voyonmaa on June 13, 1941.
Finland pursued a wrong policy in the eyes of Germany until 1939. In Finland, they did not realize the danger of a huge Russia, and that the only help was only in Germany. To avoid the Russian threat, Finland could of course sacrifice goods and ships in England. Relations with England are now secondary.
3. Alignment of forces
3.1. Finland
· The South-Eastern Army, consisting of 6 divisions and 1 brigade (commander Eric Heinrichs), was deployed on the Karelian Isthmus.
· The Karelian army consisting of 5 divisions and 3 brigades (commander Karl Lennart Esch) was to capture Eastern Karelia, advancing in the direction of Petrozavodsk and Olonets.
The Finnish Air Force had about 300 aircraft.
On June 24, 1941, the Northern Front was created; on August 23, it was divided into the Karelian and Leningrad Fronts.
· The 23rd Army of the Leningrad Front was deployed on the Karelian Isthmus. It consisted of 7 divisions, of which 3 were armored and motorized.
· The 7th Army of the Karelian Front was deployed in Eastern Karelia. It included 4 divisions.
· Air Force of the Northern Front consisted of about 700 aircraft.
4.1. Start of hostilities
The actions of the German troops
The implementation of the Barbarossa plan began in the northern Baltic on the evening of June 21, when 7 German minelayers based in Finnish ports set up two minefields in the Gulf of Finland. These minefields were eventually able to lock the Soviet Baltic Fleet in the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland. Later that evening, German bombers, flying along the Gulf of Finland, mined the harbor of Leningrad (Kronstadt raid) and the Neva. On the way back, the planes refueled at the Finnish airfield in Utti.
The location of the Finnish, German and Soviet troops at the beginning of the war.
That same morning, German troops stationed in Norway occupied Petsamo. The concentration of German troops on the border with the USSR began.
On June 23, 16 Finnish volunteer saboteurs recruited by the German major Scheller were landed from two German Heinkel He 115 seaplanes (English), which started from Oulujärvi, not far from the locks of the White Sea-Baltic Canal. Under the condition of the Finns, the volunteers were dressed in German uniforms and had German weapons, since the Finnish General Staff did not want to be involved in sabotage. The saboteurs were supposed to blow up the locks, however, due to the increased security, they failed to do this.
Actions of the Finnish troops
Finland did not allow the German troops to strike directly from its territory, and the German units in Petsamo and Salla were forced to refrain from crossing the border. There were episodic skirmishes between Soviet and Finnish border guards, but in general, a calm situation remained on the Soviet-Finnish border.
On the morning of June 22, at about 6 a.m., Soviet bombers appeared in the Aland Islands and tried to bombard the Finnish battleships Väinämöinen and Ilmarinen, the Alskari fortifications and the gunboat. The prepared Finnish army was introduced to the Åland Islands (see Operation "Regatta" (English)).
On the same day, three Finnish submarines laid mines off the Estonian coast, and their commanders had permission to attack Soviet ships "in case of favorable conditions for an attack."
On June 23, People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the USSR V. M. Molotov summoned the Finnish Chargé d'Affaires Hünninen and asked him what Hitler's speech of June 22, which spoke of German troops, who "in alliance with the Finnish comrades ... protect Finnish land. Hünninen could not give an answer. Then Molotov demanded from Finland a clear definition of its position - whether it is on the side of Germany or adheres to neutrality.
On June 24, the Commander-in-Chief of the German Ground Forces sent an instruction to the representative of the German command at the headquarters of the Finnish army, which stated that Finland should prepare for the start of the operation east of Lake Ladoga.
Burnt Soviet aircraft and its pilot. Utti, Lake Haukkajärvi, 21.7.1941
In the early morning of June 25, Soviet aviation forces, under the leadership of A. A. Novikov, commander of the Air Force of the Leningrad Military District, launched a massive air strike on 18 airfields in Finland using about 300 aircraft. During the reflection of the raids that day, 26 Soviet bombers were shot down, and on the Finnish side "losses in people, not to mention material damage, were great." Novikov's memoirs indicate that on the first day of the operation, 41 enemy aircraft were destroyed by Soviet aircraft. The operation lasted six days, during which 39 airfields in Finland were hit. According to the Soviet command, 130 aircraft were destroyed in air battles and on the ground, which forced the Finnish and German aviation to be pulled to distant rear bases and limited their maneuver. According to Finnish archival data, the June 25-30 raid did not cause significant military damage - only 12-15 aircraft of the Finnish Air Force received various damage. At the same time, civilian facilities suffered significant losses and destruction - the cities of Southern and Central Finland, including Turku and Helsinki, were bombarded, Pori, one of the oldest architectural monuments of Finland, Abo Castle, was seriously damaged, in connection with which Finnish politicians and historians considered that the targets of Soviet bombing were cities, not airfields. The raid had an impact on public opinion in Finland and predetermined the further actions of the Finnish leadership.
A session of the Finnish parliament was scheduled for June 25, at which, according to Mannerheim's memoirs, Prime Minister Rangel was supposed to make a statement about Finland's neutrality in the Soviet-German conflict, but Soviet bombing forced him to declare that Finland was again in a state of defensive war with the USSR . However, the troops were forbidden to cross the border until 24:00 on 07/28/1941.
In 1987, the Finnish historian Mauno Jokipi (fin. fi: Mauno Jokipii) analyzed the Soviet-Finnish relations of 1939-1941 in his work “Finland on the Road to War”. and came to the conclusion that the initiative to draw Finland into the war against the USSR on the side of Germany belongs to a narrow circle of Finnish military and politicians who considered such a development of events the only acceptable one in the current difficult geopolitical situation.
4.2. Finnish offensive 1941
The border of the maximum advance of the Finnish army during the war 1941-1944. The map also shows the borders before and after the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-1940.
From the end of June to the end of September 1941, the Finnish army, in the course of a series of operations, occupied almost all the territories that had ceded to the USSR following the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-1940, which was considered by the Finnish leadership as fully justified actions to return the lost territories.
On July 10, Mannerheim wrote in his Order No. 3 that "... during the War of Independence in 1918, he promised that he would not sheathe his sword until "Lenin's last warrior and hooligan" was expelled from Finland and White Sea Karelia.
On August 28, 1941, Wilhelm Keitel sent Mannerheim an offer to take Leningrad by storm together with the Wehrmacht. At the same time, the Finns were asked to continue the offensive south of the Svir River in order to connect with the Germans advancing on Tikhvin. Mannerheim replied that the Svir crossing was not in the interests of Finland. On the German proposals, the President of Finland, Ryti, who arrived at the headquarters, after listening to Mannerheim's reminder that the latter made the refusal to storm the city a condition of his tenure as commander-in-chief, answered on August 28 with a categorical refusal to storm, which was repeated on August 31.
Finnish soldiers cross the border with the USSR, summer 1941.
On August 31, the Finns reached the old Soviet-Finnish border near Leningrad, thereby closing the half-ring blockade of the city from the north. The Soviet-Finnish border, which existed until 1939, was crossed by Finnish troops to a depth of 20 km, the Finns were stopped at the turn of the Karelian fortified area Mannerheim orders the troops on the Karelian Isthmus to go on the defensive.
On September 4, 1941, the Chief of the General Staff of the German Armed Forces, General Jodl, was sent to Mannerheim's headquarters in Mikkeli. But even then he received a refusal about the participation of the Finns in the attack on Leningrad. Instead, Mannerheim led a successful offensive in the north of Ladoga. On the same day, the Germans occupied Shlisselburg, closing the blockade of Leningrad from the south.
Also on September 4, the Finnish army launched an operation to occupy eastern Karelia, and by the morning of September 7, the advanced units of the Finnish army under the command of General Talvel reached the Svir River. On October 1, the Soviet units left Petrozavodsk. Mannerheim writes in his memoirs that he canceled the renaming of the city to Jaanislinna (“Onega Fortress”), as well as other settlements of Karelia that were not part of the Grand Duchy of Finland. He also issues an order forbidding Finnish planes from flying over Leningrad.
With the stabilization of the situation on the Karelian Isthmus, on September 5, 2 Soviet divisions were transferred from this sector to the defense of the southern approaches to Leningrad.
In Leningrad itself, work continued, in which about half a million inhabitants took part on the southern approaches to the city. Shelters for the command were built on the northern outskirts, including in Mount Parnassus in Shuvalovo ((No AI | 25 | 02 | 2011) and the Park of the Forestry Academy. The remains of these structures have survived to this day.
On September 6, Hitler, by his order (Weisung No. 35), stopped the advance of the Nord group of troops on Leningrad, which had already reached the suburbs of the city, calling Leningrad a "secondary theater of operations." Field Marshal Leeb was to limit himself to the blockade of the city and, no later than September 15, transfer to the Center group all the tanks of Gepner and a significant number of troops in order to launch an attack on Moscow “as soon as possible”.
On September 10, Zhukov appears in the city to repel his assault. Leeb continues to strengthen the blockade ring, pulling the Soviet troops away from the help of the 54th army that launched the offensive.
Mannerheim categorically rejected proposals to subordinate the German troops to himself, since in this case he would be responsible for their military operations. German troops in the Arctic tried to capture Murmansk and cut off the Kirov railway, but this attempt failed for a number of reasons.
On September 22, the British government announced that it was ready to return to friendly relations with Finland, provided that it ceases hostilities against the USSR and returns to the 1939 borders. To this, the answer was received that Finland was the defending side and therefore the initiative to end the war could not come from them.
On October 16, the Germans asked Mannerheim to support them in the attack on Tikhvin, and were refused. The German troops who took the city on November 9, without receiving support from the Finnish side, were forced to leave it on December 10.
On November 6, the Finns began building the defensive line Vyborg-Taipale (BT line) on the Karelian Isthmus.
On November 28, England presented an ultimatum to Finland, demanding a cessation of hostilities until December 5. Soon Mannerheim received a friendly message from Churchill with a recommendation to de facto withdraw from the war, explaining this by the onset of winter cold. However, the Finns refused.
By the end of the year, the strategic plan of the Finnish command became clear to the Soviet leadership: to gain control over the “three isthmuses”: Karelian, Olonets and the isthmus between Onega and Segozero and gain a foothold there. At the same time, the Finns managed to capture Medvezhyegorsk (Finn. Karhumäki) and Pindushi, thereby cutting off the railway to Murmansk.
On December 6, the Finns capture Povenets at a temperature of -37 ° C, thereby stopping communication along the White Sea-Baltic Canal.
On the same day, Great Britain declared war on Finland, Hungary and Romania. In the same month, the British dominions declared war on Finland - Canada, New Zealand, Australia and the Union of South Africa.
German failures near Moscow showed the Finns that the war would not end soon, which led to a drop in morale in the army. At the same time, it was not possible to withdraw from the war through a separate peace with the USSR, since such a step would lead to an aggravation of relations with Germany and the possible occupation of Finland.
Estimated whom? Finland mobilized about 16% of its population, setting a kind of record in world history. This had an extremely severe impact on all aspects of the life of the state. In the autumn of 1941, the demobilization of older soldiers began, and by the spring of 1942, 180,000 people had been demobilized.
By the end of 1941, the front line finally stabilized. Finland, having carried out a partial demobilization of the army, went on the defensive at the achieved lines. The Soviet-Finnish front line stabilized until the summer of 1944.
4.3. Political events in 1941-1943
German soldiers in Rovaniemi, 1942.
By the end of August 1941, Finnish troops reached the old Soviet-Finnish border along its entire length. A further offensive in September led to conflicts within the army itself, in government, parliament and society.
Foreign relations deteriorated, especially with Great Britain and Sweden, whose governments in May-June received assurances from Witting (head of the Finnish Foreign Ministry) that Finland had absolutely no plans for a joint military campaign with Germany, and Finnish preparations were purely defensive in nature.
In July 1941, the countries of the British Commonwealth of Nations declared a blockade of Finland. On July 31, the RAF launched an air strike on German troops in the Petsamo sector.
On September 11, Witting informed US Ambassador to Finland Arthur Schoenfield that the offensive operation on the Karelian Isthmus had been halted on the old (before the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-1940) border and that " under no circumstances» Finland will not take part in the offensive operation against Leningrad, but will maintain a static defense in anticipation of a political resolution of the conflict. Witting drew Schoenfield's attention, however, to the fact that Germany should not know about this conversation.
Postal and charity stamp of Karelia, issued during the occupation by Finland in 1943.
On September 22, 1941, the British government, under the threat of a declaration of war, demanded that the Finnish government clear Finnish territory of German troops and withdraw Finnish troops from eastern Karelia to the 1939 border. In connection with the failure to comply with this requirement, the war was declared by the mother country on December 6, 1941 on the Independence Day of Finland, by Canada and New Zealand on December 7, 1941, and on December 9, 1941 by Australia and South Africa.
Finland began an active search for ways to conclude peace in February 1943, after the German defeat in the battle of Stalingrad. On February 2, the remnants of the 6th German Army capitulated, and already on February 9, the top leadership of Finland held a closed meeting of parliament, at which, in particular, it was stated:
The forces of the Germans, no doubt, begin to dry up ... during the winter, Germany and its allies lost almost 60 divisions. It is unlikely that such losses will be replenished. Until now we have connected the fate of our country with the victory of German arms, but in connection with the development of the situation it is better to get used to the possibility that we will once again be forced to sign the Moscow Peace Treaty. Finland does not yet have the freedom to pursue its own foreign policy and thus must continue to fight against.440.
Further developments in Finland are schematically presented below:
· On February 15, 1943, the Social Democrats issued a statement stating that Finland had the right to withdraw from the war at the moment that it considered desirable and possible.
· On March 20, the US State Department officially offered its assistance in securing Finland's exit from the war. The proposal was rejected as premature.
· In March, Germany demanded that the Finns sign a formal commitment to a military alliance with Germany under the threat of cutting off the supply of arms and food. The Finns refused, after which the German ambassador to Finland was recalled.
· In early June, Germany stopped deliveries, but the Finns did not change their position. Deliveries resumed at the end of the month without any conditions.
· At the end of June, at the initiative of Mannerheim, the Finnish SS battalion, formed from volunteers in the spring of 1941, was disbanded (participated in hostilities against the USSR as part of the 5th SS Panzer Division "Viking").
In July, Finns began to contact the USSR through the Soviet embassy in Sweden (headed at that time by Alexandra Kollontai)
· In the autumn of 1943, 33 well-known citizens of Finland, including several members of parliament, sent a letter to the president with a wish that the government take steps to conclude peace. The letter, known as the Thirty-Three Appeal, was published in the Swedish press.
· In early November, the Social Democratic Party issued a new statement not only emphasizing Finland's right to withdraw from the war at will, but also noting that this step should be taken without delay.
4.4. Political events of January-May 1944
Marshal Mannerheim and President Ryti inspect troops in Enso (now Svetogorsk). 4 June 1944
In January-February, Soviet troops lifted the 900-day blockade of Leningrad by German troops from the south during the Leningrad-Novgorod operation. Finnish troops remained on the outskirts of the city from the northern direction.
In February, Soviet long-range aviation undertook three massive air raids on Helsinki: on the night of February 7, 17 and 27; in total over 6000 sorties. The damage was modest - 5% of the dropped bombs fell within the city.
Here is how the commander of long-range aviation (ADD) of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command Alexander Evgenievich Golovanov describes the events: “I received Stalin’s instructions that, simultaneously with supporting the offensive operations of the troops of the Leningrad Front, all necessary measures should be taken to prepare an attack on the military-industrial facilities of Finland in such a way that the implementation of this task began within a matter of hours after receiving the order. Strike at the port of Helsinki, the railway junction and military facilities located on the outskirts of the city. Refrain from a massive strike on the city itself. In the first raid, send several hundred aircraft, and if necessary, if any, increase the number of aircraft participating in the raids ... On the night of February 27, another blow was struck on the Helsinki area. If the mass of aircraft that took part in this raid had struck Helsinki proper, then we can say that the city would have ceased to exist. The raid was a formidable and final warning. Soon I received an order from Stalin - to stop the combat activities of the ADD in Finland. This was the beginning of negotiations on Finland's withdrawal from the war. .
On March 20, German troops occupied Hungary after it began to sound out to the Western powers about the possibility of making peace.
On April 1, with the return of the Finnish delegation from Moscow, the demands of the Soviet government became known:
· Border on the terms of the Moscow Peace Treaty of 1940;
· Internment, by the forces of the Finnish army, of German units in Finland until the end of April;
· $600 million reparations to be paid over 5 years.
The stumbling block was the question of reparations - after a hasty analysis of the possibilities of the Finnish economy, the size and timing of reparations were recognized as absolutely unrealistic. On April 18, Finland refused the Soviet proposals.
4.5. Soviet offensive in the summer of 1944
Finnish soldiers in the trenches near Ihantala. One of the soldiers is holding a German faustpatron
On June 10, 1944 (four days after the Allied landing in Normandy), the Vyborg-Petrozavodsk offensive operation began. The Finnish direction was secondary for the Soviet command p.472. The offensive in this direction pursued the goal of pushing the Finnish troops back from Leningradas.296, and withdrawing Finland from the war before the attack on Germany.p.473.
Soviet troops, due to the massive use of artillery, aircraft and tanks, as well as with the active support of the Baltic Fleet, broke one after another the Finnish defense lines on the Karelian Isthmus and stormed Vyborg on June 20.
Finnish troops withdrew to the third defensive line of Vyborg-Kuparsaari-Taipale (also known as the "VKT Line") and, due to the transfer of all available reserves from eastern Karelia, were able to take up a strong defense there. This, however, weakened the Finnish grouping in eastern Karelia, where on June 21, Soviet troops also went on the offensive and liberated Petrozavodsk on June 28.
On June 19, Marshal Mannerheim appealed to the troops with an appeal to hold the third line of defense at all costs. " Breaking through this position, he emphasized, can decisively weaken our defense capabilities.
Throughout the Soviet offensive, Finland was in dire need of effective anti-tank weapons. Such funds could be provided by Germany, which, however, demanded that Finland sign an obligation not to conclude a separate peace with the USSR. On June 22, German Foreign Minister Ribbentrop arrived in Helsinki on this mission.
On the evening of June 23, when Ribbentrop was still in Helsinki, the Finnish government received a note from the Soviet government via Stockholm with the following content:
Since the Finns have deceived us several times, we want the Government of Finland to convey a message signed by the President and the Minister of Foreign Affairs that Finland is ready to surrender and ask the Soviet Government for peace. If we receive this information from the Finnish government, Moscow is ready to receive the Finnish delegation.
Thus, the leadership of Finland faced a choice - it was necessary to choose either unconditional surrender to the USSR, or signing an agreement with Germany, which, in the opinion of Gustav Mannerheim, would increase the possibilities for an acceptable world without conditions. Finns did not want to commit themselves to non-conclusion of a separate peace with the USSR.
As a result, on June 26, Finnish President Ryti single-handedly signed a letter stating that neither he (the president) nor his government would act to conclude a peace that Germany would not approve of.
Soviet soldiers restore the border sign on the border with Finland. June 1944
At the front, from June 20 to June 24, Soviet troops unsuccessfully tried to break through the VKT line. During the fighting, a weak point of defense was revealed - near the settlement of Tali, where the area was suitable for the use of tanks. Since June 25, the Soviet command massively used armored vehicles in this area, which made it possible to penetrate deep into the Finnish defenses for 4-6 km. After four days of continuous fighting, the Finnish army pulled back the front line from both flanks of the breakthrough and took up positions on the convenient, but not fortified line of Ihantala (English).
On June 30, the decisive battle took place near Ihantala. The 6th division - the last Finnish unit transferred from East Karelia - managed to take up positions and stabilize the defense - the Finnish defense withstood, which seemed to the Finns themselves "a real miracle."
The Finnish army occupied the line, which 90 percent passed through water obstacles that had a width of 300 m to 3 km. This made it possible to create strong defenses in narrow passages and to have strong tactical and operational reserves. By mid-July, up to three-quarters of the entire Finnish army was operating on the Karelian Isthmus.
From July 1 to July 7, an attempt was made to land troops across the Vyborg Bay on the flank of the VKT line, during which several islands in the bay were captured.
On July 9, the last attempt to break through the VKT line was made - under the cover of a smoke screen, Soviet troops crossed the Vuoksa River and captured a bridgehead on the opposite bank. The Finns organized counterattacks, but could not liquidate the bridgehead, although they did not allow it to be expanded. Fighting in this area continued until July 20. Attempts to cross the river in other directions were repulsed by the Finns.
On July 12, 1944, the Headquarters ordered the Leningrad Front to go on the defensive on the Karelian Isthmus. The troops of the Karelian Front continued their offensive, and by August 9 they reached the line of Kudamguba, Kuolisma, Pitkyaranta ..
4.6. Finland's exit from the war
Signing of the Armistice Agreement of September 19, 1944. The photo shows the signing of the Agreement by A. A. Zhdanov. September 19, 1944
On August 1, President Ryti resigned. On August 4, Mannerheim was sworn in as President of Finland by the Finnish Parliament.
On August 25, the Finns requested from the USSR (through the Soviet ambassador in Stockholm) the conditions for cessation of hostilities. The Soviet government put forward two conditions (agreed with Great Britain and the USA):
1. immediate break in relations with Germany;
On September 2, Mannerheim sent a letter to Hitler with an official warning about Finland's withdrawal from the war.
On September 4, the order of the Finnish high command to cease hostilities along the entire front came into force. The fighting between the Soviet and Finnish troops ended.
On September 19, an armistice agreement was signed in Moscow with the USSR and Great Britain, acting on behalf of countries at war with Finland. Finland had to accept the following conditions:
· return to the borders of 1940 with an additional concession to the Soviet Union of the Petsamo sector;
· lease of the Porkkala peninsula (located near Helsinki) to the USSR for a period of 50 years (returned to the Finns in 1956);
· granting the USSR the right to transit troops through Finland;
· reparations in the amount of 300 million US dollars, which must be repaid by the supply of goods within 6 years cf.484-487.
The peace treaty between Finland and the countries with which it was at war was signed on February 10, 1947 in Paris.
Lapland War
During this period, according to Mannerheim's memoirs, the Germans, whose forces in the amount of 200,000 people were in the north of Finland under the command of General Rendulich, could not leave the country within the ultimatum set by the Finns (until September 15). As early as September 3, the Finns began the transfer of troops from the Soviet front to the north of the country (Kajaani and Oulu), where the German units are located, and on September 7, the Finns began the evacuation of the population from the north of Finland to the south and to Sweden. On September 15, the Germans demanded that the Finns surrender the island of Gogland, and after the refusal they tried to capture it by force. The Lapland War began.
5. Results of the war
5.1. Treatment of civilians
Photograph of a concentration camp (the so-called "resettlement" camp), located in Petrozavodsk in the area of the Transshipment Exchange on Olonetskaya Street. The picture was taken by war correspondent Galina Sanko after the liberation of Petrozavodsk in the summer of 1944, used by the Soviet side at the Nuremberg trials.
Both sides interned citizens during the war along ethnic lines. Finnish troops occupied eastern Karelia for almost three years. The non-Finnish-speaking population was interned in the occupied territories.
In total, about 24 thousand people of the local population from among ethnic Russians were placed in Finnish concentration camps, of which, according to Finnish data, about 4 thousand died of starvation. ( more...)
The war did not spare the Finnish population either. About 180,000 inhabitants returned to the territories conquered from the USSR starting in 1941, but after 1944 they and about 30,000 more people were again forced to evacuate to the hinterland of Finland. ( more...)
Finland received 65,000 Soviet citizens, Ingrians, who found themselves in the German zone of occupation. 55,000 of them, at the request of the USSR, returned in 1944 and were settled in the Pskov, Novgorod, Velikie Luki, Kalinin and Yaroslavl regions. The return to Ingermanland became possible only in the 1970s. Others ended up further away, for example, in Kazakhstan, where many unreliable, according to the authorities, Ingrian peasants were exiled back in the 30s.
Repeated evacuations of the local population carried out by the Finnish authorities, evictions and deportations carried out by the Soviet side, including the resettlement of residents from the central regions of Russia to the territory of the Karelian Isthmus, led to the complete destruction of the farm and the land use system traditional for these places, as well as the liquidation remnants of the material and spiritual culture of the Karelian ethnos on the Karelian Isthmus
5.2. Treatment of prisoners of war
Of the more than 64 thousand Soviet prisoners of war who passed through Finnish concentration camps, according to Finnish data, more than 18 thousand died. According to Mannerheim's memoirs, in a letter dated March 1, 1942, sent by him to the Chairman of the International Red Cross, it was noted that the Soviet to join the Geneva Convention and did not give guarantees that the lives of Finnish prisoners of war would be safe. Nevertheless, Finland will strive to strictly comply with the terms of the convention, although it does not have the ability to properly feed the Soviet prisoners, since the food rations of the Finnish population are reduced to a minimum. Mannerheim states that during the exchange of prisoners of war after the armistice, it turned out that, by his standards, a very large number of Finnish prisoners of war died in Soviet camps before 1944 due to violations of the conditions of existence.
The number of Finnish prisoners of war during the war, according to the NKVD, amounted to 2,476 people, of which 403 people died during their stay on the territory of the USSR in 1941-1944. Providing prisoners of war with food, medicines, medicines was equated with the standards for providing the wounded and sick of the Red Army. The main reasons for the death of Finnish prisoners of war were dystrophy (due to malnutrition), and the long stay of prisoners in freight wagons, which were practically not heated and not equipped to hold people in them.
5.3. Other totals
Finnish troops for three years ensured the blockade of Leningrad from the north. In his work, Baryshnikov N.I., with reference to “„Akten zur deutschen auswartigen Politik. 1918-1945 ", cites data that on September 11, 1941, Finnish President Ryti told the German envoy in Helsinki:
If Petersburg no longer exists as a large city, then the Neva would be the best border on the Karelian Isthmus ... Leningrad must be liquidated as a large city.
Baryshnikov N. I. Siege of Leningrad and Finland. 1941-1945. St. Petersburg-Helsinki, 2002, p. 20
As stated in a study on the results of the war for Finland, prepared by the Library of Congress:
Despite the significant damage caused by the war, Finland was able to maintain its independence; nevertheless, had the USSR been vitally interested in this, there is no doubt that Finnish independence would have been destroyed. Finland came out of the war with an understanding of this fact and the intention to create new and constructive relations with the USSR.
US Library of Congress Country Study "Finland, The Effects of the War"
6. Coverage of the war in Finnish historiography
Coverage of the war of 1941-1944 is inextricably linked with the history of the Soviet-Finnish War (1939-1940) (Winter War). There are different views on the events of history, with the exception of the views of the period of military censorship, from the opinion of the communists to the opinion of the right. Even during the war, censorship allowed the publication of materials relating to the extradition to Germany of 77 refugees (not Finnish citizens), including 8 Jews, the Social Democrats made a public scandal out of this. Post-war Finnish researchers believe that the press of those years retained, despite censorship, the role guard dog(Fin. vahtikoira), and followed the chain of events.
Many researchers, politicians, former presidents of Finland come to the conclusion that the policy of Finland could not prevent the German invasion of the USSR - the policy in Europe in 1940-1941. determined by Hitler. According to these studies, Finland was only a victim of the current situation. The chances of avoiding war with the USSR without the occupation of Finland by either Germany or the Soviet Union are assessed as impossible. This concept soon received a de facto official status in Finnish historiography (Fin. "ajopuuteoria"). In the 1960s, it expanded into a more detailed version (Fin. "koskiveneteoria") detailing all relations with Germany and the Soviet Union. Numerous memoirs of military leaders and memoirs of soldiers, works of historians have been published in Finland, feature films have been shot (“Tali-Ihantala.1944”).
Some Finns are demanding the return of pre-war territories. There are also counter territorial claims.
Along with the term "continuation war", the term "isolated war" was introduced. As the historian J. Seppenen wrote, the war "was an eastern campaign parallel to Germany." Explaining what was said, he said that Finland adhered to "a kind of neutrality", expressed in the desire to maintain a political course: "to support actions against the East, while maintaining neutrality in relation to the West."
7. Coverage of the war in Soviet historiography
The coverage of the war in the USSR changed over time. The beginning of the conflict with Finland in 1939-1940 was described in Soviet historiography as "helping the Finnish workers and peasants and overthrowing the White Guard government by force of arms." Further, this wording is not mentioned. The war of 1941-1944 was called the fight against the "imperialist plans of the Finnish fascist invaders." From the point of view of Finnish historians, Soviet historiography does not delve into the causes of events, and also is silent and does not analyze the facts of the failure of the defense and the formation of “cauldrons”, the bombing of Finnish cities, the circumstances of the capture of islands in the Gulf of Finland, the capture of parliamentarians after the ceasefire on September 5, 1944 Many battles are described in a couple of sentences (Somerin taistelu 8-11.07.1942, Kuuterselän taistelu 14.06.1944, Siiranmäki 16.06.1944, Battle of Tali-Ihantala 25.06-9.07.1944, Operaatio Tanne Ost 15.09.1944).
8. Memory of military actions
On the battlefields of 1941-1944. (except for Hanko, everything is on Russian territory) there are monuments to the fallen Finnish and Soviet soldiers, erected by tourists from Finland. On Russian territory near the village of Dyatlovo (Leningrad region), not far from Lake Zhelannoye, a monument was erected in the form of a cross to Finnish soldiers who died on the Karelian Isthmus during the Soviet-Finnish and World War II.
In addition, there is where? several mass graves of Finnish soldiers.
9. Photo documents
Photos from the Mannerheim Line website were taken by Finnish Sergeant Tauno Kähonen in 1942:
· The photo was taken near Medvezhyegorsk in the spring of 1942.
· The photo was taken in the spring and summer of 1942 on the Isthmus of Olonets.
· Russian soldiers in the winter of 1941/42.
Bibliography:
1. Vologda region during the Great Patriotic War (Russian). Official site of the Government of the Vologda region.
3. Manninen, Ohto, Molotovin cocktail- Hitlerin sateenvarjo 1994, Painatuskeskus, ISBN 951-37-1495-0
4. National Defense College (1994), Jatkosodan historia 6, Porvoo. ISBN 951-0-15332-X
5. (fin.) "Suomi sodassa" s.425
6. (fin.) "Kun Suomi taisteli" s.386 ISBN 951-8933-02-2
7. (fin.) Jussila, Hentilä, Nevakivi 2006, s. 208-209
8. Text of the Paris Peace Treaty with Finland in Wikisource.
9. (English) Peter Provis. "Finnish achievement in the Continuation War and after", Vol. 3 1999
10. N. Knipovich . Vyborg Governorate- an article from the Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron
11. Finns- article from the Great Soviet Encyclopedia
12. Baltic Language Union.
13. (fin.) J. K. Paasikivi, Toimintani Moskovassa ja Suomessa 1939-41, Osa II (My work in Moscow and Finland 1939-41, Part II)
14. Meltyukhov M. I. “Stalin's missed chance. The Soviet Union and the Struggle for Europe: 1939-1941", pp. 172-174
15. M. Jokipii Finland on the way to war: a study on the military cooperation between Germany and Finland in 1940-1941. - An excerpt from the book "Finland on the way to war: a study on the military cooperation of Germany and Finland in 1940-1941".
16. (English) Eric Solsten and Sandra W. Meditz, editors. Finland: A Country Study, chapter "The Continuation War". Washington: GPO for the Library of Congress, 1988
17. Eric Solsten and Sandra W. Meditz, editors. Finland: A Country Study, chapter "The Establishment of Finnish Democracy". Washington: GPO for the Library of Congress, 1988
18. (fin.) Suomi kautta aikojen. - Helsinki: Otava, Oy Valitut Palat -Reader "s Digest Ab, 1992. - S. 438-439. - 576 p. - ISBN 951-8933-60-X
19. The Reich Foreign Minister to the German Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Schulenburg), Draft Telegram, RAM 37 g. Rs., Berlin, September 16, 1940.
20. Suomi kautta aikojen, p. 439
21. V. N. Baryshnikov, E. Salomaa."Involvement of Finland in World War II" from the collection of articles "Crusade against Russia". - M.: Yauza, 2005. - 480 p.
22. According to Article 3, the parties pledged "not to enter into alliances or participate in coalitions directed against one of the Contracting Parties"; see the text of the 3rd article
23. “Subject to disclosure: USSR - Germany. 1939-1941: Documents and materials” / Compiled by Doctor of History. Felshtinsky Yu. G. - M .: Mosk. worker, 1991.-- 367 p.
24. "Foreign Policy Documents". T.23. Book 2. M., Historical and documentary department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, 1995., p. 41-47, 63-71
25. (fin.) Kivimaki T. M. Suomalaisen poliitikon muistelmat. S. 205.
26. Halder F. Military diary. Daily notes of the Chief of the General Staff of the Ground Forces 1939-1942 - M .: Military Publishing, 1968-1971
27. Halder F. War diary. T. 2. S. 306.
28. (fin.) Talvela P. Sotilaan elama. Muistelmat. Osa 1. S. 271.
29. (English) Lundin C.L. Finland in the Second World War, 1957, S.112
30. Y. Deryabin. The old myth is finally busted. Independent Military Review, November 21, 2008.
31. (English) Kirby, D.G. Finland in the Twentieth Century: A History and an Interpretation. University of Minnesota Press. 2009. p. 135, ISBN 0-81-6658021.
32. Mannerheim, Carl Gustav Memoirs. M.: Publishing house Vagrius. 1999. ISBN 5-264-00049-2
33. (fin.) Ohto Manninen & Kauko Rumpunen, Risto Rytin päiväkirjat 1940-1944, 2006
34. Sokolov B.V. Secrets of the Finnish War.-M .: Veche, 2000.-416 pp. illustrations (16 pp.) (Military secrets of the twentieth century) ISBN 5-7838-0583-1
35. Voyonmaa V. Diplomatic mail. M., 1984. S. 32.
36. (English) Gunnar Aselius, "The rise and fall of the Soviet Navy in the Baltic, 1921-1941", page 224; Routledge, 2005; ISBN 0714655406, 9780714655406
37. M. Jokipii Brotherhood in Arms: From Barbarossa to Finland's Entry into the War. - A fragment from the book "Finland on the way to war: a study on military cooperation between Germany and Finland in 1940-1941."
38. Halder, Franz. June 1941. military diary
39. YLE: Suomen tie jatkosotaan, TV-ohjelma - Road to war. TV transmission 13.07.2010 22.05
40. Khazanov, Dmitry Borisovich Chapter 3. The first air operation of the Soviet Air Force in the Great Patriotic War // 1941. Bitter lessons: War in the air. - M.: Yauza, Eksmo, 2006. - 416 p. - P. 184-190. - (Great Patriotic War: Unknown War). - 6000 copies. - ISBN 5-699-17846-5
41. Novikov A. A. In the sky of Leningrad
42. (fin.) Arvi Korhonen, Viisi sodan vuotta, 1973, ISBN 9510057053
43. (English) "1941: Germany attacks, Finland follows"
44. Geust K.-F. Soviet bombardment of Finnish airfields in June 1941 at the initial stage of the "continuation war" // From war to peace: the USSR and Finland 1939-1944.
45. S. P. Senchik. Border troops of the NKVD in the battles on the Karelian Isthmus from June to September 1941
46. The text of the order from 1941 in the Finnish Wikisource
47. Text of the order from 1918 in the Finnish Wikisource
48. http://heninen.net/miekka/p3_f.htm Order of the Supreme Commander N 3
49. Text of the order dated 07/11/1941 with Mannerheim's own editing.
50. Vladimir Beshanov. Leningrad defense. ISBN 985-13-7439-3
51. According to Mannerheim's memoirs, there was no unity in the Finnish government at that time about crossing the old Soviet-Finnish border, which was especially opposed by the Social Democrats. The need to ensure the security of Leningrad at one time led to the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-1940, and crossing the old border would mean an indirect recognition of the validity of the fears of the USSR
52. Field Directorate of the Leningrad Front Map of the situation at the front of the 23rd Army by the end of 09/11/1941. - Archive of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. fund 217 inventory 1221 file 33, 1941.
53.Christian Centner.Chronik. Zweiter Weltkrieg. Otus Verlag AG, St. Gallen, 2007 ISBN 978-3-907200-56-8
54. Kemppainen. Mannerheim - Marshal and President. Zvezda Magazine. 1999, no. 10
55. Sokolov B. Unknown Zhukov: a portrait without retouching in the mirror of the era. Minsk: Radiola-plus. 2000.-608 p. ("World at Wars") ISBN 985-448-036-4
56. (English) Karhumäki - Poventsa offensive operation, December 1941: 23:00 6th of December 1941 Jaegers and Finnish tanks steamrolled to town of Poventsa. Tanks secured the town .
57. Beshanov V.V. Leningrad defense / V. V. Beshanov-M .: AST Publishing House LLC ISBN 5-17-013603-x and Mn .: Harvest, 2005.-480 p.- (Military Historical Library) ISBN 985-13-2678 -x
58. Refusals to cross the old border on the Karelian Isthmus in the Finnish infantry regiments in September 1941
59. (English) FAA attack on Petsamo to assist its ally the Soviet Union, July 1941
60. Mannerheim K.G. Memoirs. / Translated from Finnish by P. Kuyiala (part 1), B. Zlobin (part II). (Russian). M.: Vagrius, 1999. (Printed in abbreviated form).
61. (English) Soviet air raids on Helsinki in February 1944
62. There are several possible explanations:
· According to Finnish researchers, this happened because the air defense system of the Finnish capital worked effectively.
· According to the Soviet version, the main purpose of the planned raids was to demonstrate to Finland the possible negative consequences if the war dragged on, so the bombing did not affect residential areas, so as not to embitter the civilian population. (See Collection of documents of the Supreme High Command for the period of the Great Patriotic War. M., 1968. The stamp was removed in 2003; Reshetnikov V.V. “What was - it was”, p. 347)
63. Golovanov, Alexander Evgenievich Long range bomber. - M ..: "Delta NB", 2004.
64. Great Soviet encyclopedia 3rd edition
65. Reshetnikov V.V. What was, was. (Russian). Moscow: Eksmo, Yauza, 2004.
66. History of the Second World War 1939-1945 in (12 volumes), volume 9, p. 26 - 40 (Chapter 3.)
67. Newspaper of former prisoners of fascism "Fate", No. 107
68. See: Sulimin S. et al. Monstrous atrocities of the Finnish-fascist invaders on the territory of the Karelian-Finnish SSR. L., 1945; On both sides of the Karelian front, 1941-1944: Documents and materials / Institute of Language, Literature and History of the Karelian Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Scientific ed. V. G. Makurov. Petrozavodsk: Karelia, 1995; Shadrova L.V. The bitterness of childhood, the bitterness of death. Memory book. War, captivity, concentration camps // Karelia 1941-1944. Podporozhye: "Svir fires", 1998; Kostin I. A. Memories of life in the occupied Zaonezhie. // Karelia in the Great Patriotic War. 1941-1945. Conference materials. Petrozavodsk, 2001, pp. 47-56; Laine A. The civilian population of eastern Karelia under Finnish occupation in World War II. // Karelia, the Arctic and Finland during the Second World War. Petrozavodsk, 1994, pp. 41-43; Shlyakhtenkova T. V., Verigin S. G. Concentration camps in the occupation policy of Finland in Karelia in 1941-1944. // Karelia in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945: Materials of the republican scientific-practical conference. Petrozavodsk, 2001, pp. 37-46; Fate. Collection of memoirs of former juvenile prisoners of fascist concentration camps. / Ed.-stat. I. A. Kostin. Petrozavodsk, 1999; Lukyanov V. Tragic Zaonezhie. Documentary story. Petrozavodsk, 2004; Chumakov G.V. Finnish concentration camps for the civilian population of Petrozavodsk in 1941-1944. // Questions of the history of the European North. (People and power: problems of relationships. 80s of the XVIII-XX centuries). Collection scientific articles. Petrozavodsk: PetrGU Publishing House, 2005. P. 142-151; and etc.
69 Laine, Antti, Suur-Suomen kahdet kasvot, 1982, ISBN 951-1-06947-0, Otava
70. Maanpuolustuskorkeakoulun historian laitos, Jatkosodan historia 1-6 , 1994
71. Home in exile. Research on the repatriation of the Ingrian Finns to the Soviet Union in 1944-55. National Archives of Finland.
72. Karelian Isthmus - unexplored land. Parts 5 and 6. South-West sector: Koivisto-Johannes (Primorsk - Soviet) - St. Petersburg: IPK "Nova". 2006 -208 p. ISBN 5-86456-102-9
73. Ylikangas, Heikki, Heikki Ylikankaan selvitys Valtioneuvoston kanslialle, Government of Finland
74. Mannerheim. Memories
75. Konasov V. B. Finnish prisoners of war of the Second World War. Magazine "North" No. 11-12, 2002.
76. Baryshnikov N. I. [Siege of Leningrad and Finland. 1941-1945] St. Petersburg-Helsinki, 2002, p. 20
77. US Library of Congress Country Study: "Finland, The Effects of the War"
78. (Fin.) Suomi kautta aikojen. - Helsinki: Otava, Oy Valitut Palat -Reader "s Digest Ab, 1992. - S. 445. - 576 p. - ISBN 951-8933-60-X
79. (Fin.) Itsenäinen Suomi-Seitsemän vuosikymmentä kansakunnan elämästä. - Helsinki: Otava, Oy Valitut Palat -Reader "s Digest Ab, 1987. - S. 153. - 312 p. - ISBN 951-9079-77-7
80. (Fin.) Itsenäinen Suomi-Seitsemän vuosikymmentä kansakunnan elämästä. - Helsinki: Otava, Oy Valitut Palat -Reader "s Digest Ab, 1987. - S. 152. - 312 p. - ISBN 951-9079-77-7
81. Itsenäinen Suomi-Seitsemän vuosikymmentä kansakunnan elämästä. - Helsinki: Otava, Oy Valitut Palat -Reader "s Digest Ab, Helsinki, 1987. - S. 140. - 312 p. - ISBN 951-9079-77-7
82. Ajopuuväittely jatkunut pian 60 vuotta. Jatkosodan synty suomalaisen menneisyyden kipupisteenä (fin.) (pdf). University of Turku.
83. (Fin.) Itsenäinen Suomi-Seitsemän vuosikymmentä kansakunnan elämästä. - Helsinki: Otava, Oy Valitut Palat - Reader's Digest Ab, Helsinki, 1987. - S. 144. - 312 p. - ISBN 951-9079-77-7
84. "Exiled" Finns want to take away their pre-war lands from Russia
85. A.B.Shirokorad Lost lands of Russia. - Moscow: Veche, 2006. - S. 140. - 464 p. - ISBN 5-9533-1467-1
86. (fin.) Seppinen J. Suomen ulkomaankaupan ehdot 1939-1944. HDS, 1983, s. 118
87. (Fin.) Itsenäinen Suomi - Seitsemän vuosikymmentä kansakunnan elämästä. - Helsinki: Otava, Oy Valitut Palat - Reader's Digest Ab, 1987. - 312 p. - ISBN 951-9079-77-7
88 See: Sulimin S. and others. The monstrous atrocities of the Finnish-fascist invaders on the territory of the Karelian-Finnish SSR. L., 1945; On both sides of the Karelian front, 1941-1944: Documents and materials
89. (Fin.) Kun Suomi taisteli. - Helsinki: Otava, Oy Valitut Palat - Reader's Digest Ab, 1989. - S. 266. - 430 p. - ISBN 951-89-02-2
90. (Fin.) Kun Suomi taisteli. - Helsinki: Otava, Oy Valitut Palat - Reader's Digest Ab, 1989. - S. 386-388. - 430 p. - ISBN 951-89-02-2
91. hike along the Karelian Isthmus, photo
92. Book of Memory of the Soviet-Finnish War 1939-1940
