Winter War

The Winter War begins when the Soviet Union led by Joseph Stalin attacks Finland on November 30, 1939, three months after the invasion of Poland by Germany that starts the Second World War.

Because the attack is judged as illegal, the Soviet Union is expelled from the League of Nations on December 14.

Finnish resistance frustrates the Soviet forces, who outnumbers the Finns 4 to 1 in men, 200 to 1 in tanks and 30 to 1 in aircraft.

The Soviet Union had just recently seen a drastic purge in 1937 that has crippled the Red Army, reducing its morale and efficiency just before the German invasion.

With up to 50% of army officers executed, including the vast majority of the highest ranking officers, the result is that the Red Army officer corps in 1939 has many inexperienced senior officers.

Finland holds out until March 1940, when the Moscow Peace Treaty is signed, ceding about 9% of Finland's territory and 20% of its industrial capacity to the Soviet Union.

Soviet losses on the front are tremendously large, and the country's international standing suffers.

Also, the fighting ability of the Red Army is put into question, a fact that contributes to Adolf Hitler's decision to launch Operation Barbarossa.

Finally, the Soviet forces do not accomplish their primary objective of conquest of Finland but gain only a slice of territory along Lake Ladoga.

The Finns retain their sovereignty and gain considerable international goodwill.The March 15 peace treaty thwarts a half-hearted Franco-British plan to send troops to Finland through northern Scandinavia (the Allied campaign in Norway).

One of the operation's major goals is to take control of northern Sweden's iron ore and cut deliveries to Germany.

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