The Finnish-Soviet Winter War 1939–40: Stalin's hollow victory (Campaign)

This informative study explores the Soviet invasion of Finland, detailing the events of the Winter War of November 1939 to March 1940. The invasion was expected to be swift and decisive, however, the fighting qualities of the Finnish Army blunted the Soviet advance and inflicted high numbers of casualties. A combination of difficulties caused by the weather, the terrain, the Mannerheim Line defenses and Finnish tactics resulted in a fascinating David vs Goliath type struggle. On 23 August 1939, a secret protocol was appended to the German–Soviet Non-Aggression Pact; as part of this, Finland was assigned to the Soviet sphere of influence. On 30 November that year, in an effort to protect against renewed German aggression in the East, the Soviet Union attacked Finland, beginning what became known as the Finnish-Soviet Winter War. This long-awaited addition to the Campaign series explores the events of the war of November 1939 to March 1940. Set against the background of the developing global conflict, the conflict saw the Finnish Army thwart the plans of the sizeable Soviet forces assembled against it, before finally being forced to concede. The major battles of the war, which took place in harsh winter conditions, are covered in detail, including the Mannerheim Line, the fighting in Ladoga Karelia and Kollaa, and the clashes in Finnish Lapland. The key points that led to success and failure for both sides, and how these influenced the campaigns that followed in this theatre, are also explored in depth in a superbly illustrated and easy to follow study. This informative study explores the Soviet invasion of Finland, detailing the events of the Winter War of November 1939 to March 1940. The invasion was expected to be swift and decisive, however, the fighting qualities of the Finnish Army blunted the Soviet advance and inflicted high numbers of casualties. A combination of difficulties caused by the weather, the terrain, the Mannerheim Line defences and Finnish tactics resulted in a fascinating David vs Goliath type struggle. On 23 August 1939, a secret protocol was appended to the German–Soviet Non-Aggression Pact; as part of this, Finland was assigned to the Soviet sphere of influence. On 30 November that year, in an effort to protect against renewed German aggression in the East, the Soviet Union attacked Finland, beginning what became known as the Finnish-Soviet Winter War. This long-awaited addition to the Campaign series explores the events of the war of November 1939 to March 1940. Set against the background of the developing global conflict, the conflict saw the Finnish Army thwart the plans of the sizeable Soviet forces assembled against it, before finally being forced to concede. The major battles of the war, which took place in harsh winter conditions, are covered in detail, including the Mannerheim Line, the fighting in Ladoga Karelia and Kollaa, and the clashes in Finnish Lapland. This informative study explores the Soviet invasion of Finland, detailing the events of the Winter War of November 1939 to March 1940. The invasion was expected to be swift and decisive, however, the fighting qualities of the Finnish Army blunted the Soviet advance and inflicted high numbers of casualties. A combination of difficulties caused by the weather, the terrain, the Mannerheim Line defenses and Finnish tactics resulted in a fascinating David vs Goliath type struggle. This book covers the events of the Winter War of November 1939 to March 1940. The Soviet Union had sought to obtain Finnish border territories, ostensibly to protect Leningrad. When Finland refused, Stalin ordered the invasion to begin. Set against the background of the developing global conflict, the Winter War saw the Finnish Army thwart the plans of the sizable Soviet forces assembled against them. The major battles of the war, which took place in bitter winter conditions, are covered in detail in this new volume, including the battles of the Mannerheim Line, the fighting in Ladoga Karelia and Kainuu, and the clashes in Finnish Lapland. This study also addresses the key points that led to success and failure for both sides, how these influenced the campaigns that followed in this theater, and the strategic sensitivity of the region today. An informative study exploring the Soviet invasion of Finland, a fascinating David vs Goliath type struggle.On 23 August 1939, a secret protocol was appended to the German–Soviet Non-Aggression Pact; as part of this, Finland was assigned to the Soviet sphere of influence. On 30 November that year, in an effort to protect against renewed German aggression in the East, the Soviet Union attacked Finland, beginning what became known as the Finnish-Soviet Winter War. This long-awaited addition to the Campaign series explores the events of the war of November 1939 to March 1940. Set against the background of the developing global conflict, the conflict saw the Finnish Army thwart the plans of the sizeable Soviet forces assembled against it, before finally being forced to concede. The major battles of the war, which took place in harsh winter conditions, are covered in detail, including the Mannerheim Line, the fighting in Ladoga Karelia and Kollaa, and the clashes in Finnish Lapland.The invasion was expected to be swift and decisive. However, as Dr David Murphy details, a combination of difficulties caused by the weather, the terrain, the Mannerheim Line defences and Finnish tactics blunted the Soviet advance and inflicted high numbers of casualties. Cover Contents Origins Of The Campaign Chronology Opposing Commanders Soviet Finnish Opposing Forces Soviet Finnish Order Of Battle, 30 November 1939 Opposing Plans Soviet Finnish The Winter War Opening Moves Suomussalmi and the Raate Road, 23 december 1939–8 January 1940 The Battle of Tolvajärvi, 12 December 1939 The Kollaa Sector, 7 December 1939–13 March 1940 The Development Of Finnish Tactics Petsamo and Lapland, 1939–40 Tank Battle At Honkaniemi, Karelian Isthmus, 26 February 1940 Breaking The Mannerheim Line, February 1940 The Air War The War At Sea Endgame, 15 February–13 March 1940 Aftermath The Battlefields Today Select Bibliography Index Imprint