Please post anything you know about the Finnish Military under this topic. Feel free to repost anything that was posted in other topics that might help add to this one.
I had a Finnish friend that told me that Lappland was burned by the Germans when they were leaving do to the Russian advances in Finland. Does any one know if this is true? I also heard that after the Russian came to terms with the Finns that they agreed to fight with the Russians against Germany…does anyone know about this? And if so to what extent did they assist.
I sure you need found somehow memos of Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim, Finnish marshal. He’s life closely conected with all modern history of Finland.
Maybe it will help you: http://www.mannerheim.fi/
Wow good site…I heard that Mannerheim was a brilliant commander maybe he could have done more if he would have had more troops and resources at his disposel.
Yeah, sure - Mannerheim was one of kind. Great commander, great politician, great man as well.
Very interesting fact - in 1941-1943, when Leningrad (today’s St. Petersburg) was blocked by German army, when whole big old city was a nighmare by reason of great starvation (this story should taled separately, i thoght) - Mannerheim can hit Leningrad from Finnsh side, and, if he wold - no doubts, German’s would capture Leningrad.
But Mannerheim, who was before 1917 Russian officer and commander (till commys maked they’s red-assed rebellation), just moved he’s army at line of old Russian-Finland border (border line was moved inside Finlad as result of Winter War in 1939, all best land of Finland was captured by USSR). I guess it was matter of honestly - he just got land, what was really Finnish, not one yard of Russian land.
This Manneheim’s descision caused great conflict between Manerheim and Hitler, but Mannerheim never changed his mind.
I thankfull for Mannerheim for it - i live today in St. Petersburg, city, that overcomed great horror of mass starvation during Blockade but dont gived up.
I heard that Hitler’s idea for Leningrad was to flatten it to ground level and then give it to the Finns. Oh wow what a gift. Yea good thing Mannerheim did what he did. Would have been a great loss. Ive always heard great things about St. Petersberg and hope to go there someday.
You welcome in any time, just let me know when you’ll planing to visit St. Petersburg.
You welcome in any time, just let me know when you’ll planing to visit St. Petersburg.[/quote]
Cool thanks … will try and do that for sure
Mannerheim was the great person. I recommend to read his memoirs.
http://militera.lib.ru/memo/other/mannerheim/index.html (Russian language)
My great grandpa was killed fighting the Germans alongside the Russians. I don’t know to what extent the other finns help was but I know most of the men in his town went to help the Russians fight against the Germans.
Some pics about Finnish military
http://pobeda.rambler.ru/photo_popup.html?id=136&countryid=207&type=images&index=1
excuse my english :oops:
a question:
when Finland signed the peace with Soviets they had to capture german military equipment. Does anybody know something about it?
Your english is fine 
Dont know much about your question. I did hear that the Germans burned much of Finnish Lappland on their exit from Finland.
http://hkkk.fi/~yrjola/war/finland/
…
At the end of the summer the front was stabilized but Finland saw that peace with Soviet Union was the only possibility to avoid going down with the Germans. The truce (cease-fire) with the Soviet Union began officially 07:00 AM on September 4, 1944 although Soviet forces continued firing until the next morning 07:00 AM.
Agreement on armistice (interim peace) between Soviet Union and Finland was signed in Moscow on 19.9.1944 and the final peace agreement in Paris on 10.2.1948.
As a result Finland lost about the same areas as in Winter War (again) to the Soviet Union and was forced to pay huge payments (on “damages”)to the Soviet Union as well as to drive German forces out of Finnish soil.
Lapland War, 27.9.1944 - 27.4.1945
The third war is called the “Lapland War” and was fought against Germany after the armistice with the Soviet Union. Finland didn’t really want to fight the germans but the pressure from Allies (mainly Soviet Union) was so great that the “war” escalated into a real fighting between the former allies in the northern Finland (Lapland). Last german troops were out of Finnish borders on April 27, 1945.
Conclusions
Note that Finland didn’t surrender and wasn’t occupied (the sole country on the losing side that was not occupied by foreign troops). The front line at the time of the cease-fire was well in front of the current border.
As a result Finland saved its independence and could continue its development under a democratic government.
There was trouble before between the Germans and the Finnish, when the Nazis in return for their aid dfemanded from Finnland to arrest all Finnish Jews and hand them over to be transported to death camps. One sore spot in Finland is that due to preemptive obedience by some military and police commanders really a few thousand mostly Jewish refugees were handed over to the German for the “final solution”.
Jan
…a few thousand mostly Jewish refugees were handed over to the German for the “final solution”.
Please get your facts right! There were total of eight (that means 8 too many) Jewish refugees who were handed over to the Nazi concentration camps from Finland (secred police unofficial co-operation with Gestapo). Then you have to remember Soviet POWs Finland gave to Germany. There must have been some Jews who later died because of that, but nobody knows how many. You may also mention those 27 Jewish soldiers who died in the war defending Finland.
[/quote]
There is a huge new section on my website covering the politics leading up to the Winter War, and later the Continuation War. Is is a brand new section being written by a Finnish historian. Check it out at www.kevos4.com and click on the link to Finlands Wars 1939-1944.
As part of the peace negotiations between the Russians and Finns in 1944, The Russians demanded that the Finns force the Germans to leave Finland. The Germans used scorched earth policy as a form of retribution and revenge against their former comrades, the Finns.
There is also a large wartime photo section on the website. I have placed over 300 wartime pictures up there. There are hundreds of additional photos that will be added to the website over the next 6 months so keep checking back!
There is also a new documentary that has been released about the Finnish Winter War. You can read about it on the website.
Marshall
I am from Finland, just to mention…
Tervetuloa sivulle! Minä puhun vain vähän suomea. 
Tervetuloa sivulle! Minä puhun vain vähän suomea. [/quote]
Kiitos!
Iam very interested in everything related in the Second World War -
Germany, nazis, Usa, USSR, Red Army - anything.
Even the books I read are - Sven Hassel’s of course
If there is anything to ask about Finland - ask me.