5.56X45mm
Milforum Mac Daddy
Finland's role in WWII is often overlooked and misunderstood. A Liberal Democracy tucked up in the Nordic countries. With Russia to her East and Germany to her South and West. She had a small population and a under strength armed forces.
Germany sold her and the Baltic states to the USSR with the famous Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. In 1939 the USSR waged war against her after conquering Estonia (which had a very close relationship to Finland) and the other Baltic States along with half of Poland. The Finns fought a hard and brutal war for survival against the Soviet beast and held out.
Finland was hoping that Sweden, Norway, and Denmark would join in the fight and help push back the Soviets. But only Sweden supported Finland (along with Estonia in the form of troops that fled Soviet rule) with men and material.
Then Germany does a 180 and asks Finland's help for the invasion of the USSR. Finland at this point with a dicey choice. Sit out the war and have the Soviets hit them anyways or throw their lot in with the Germans and take back what was taken away from them in the Winter War. They do the logic choice with a interesting twist.
Finland at this point was surrounded by despotic regimes. The USSR to the East and Germany to her South and West. Germany was ruling Norway and Denmark at this point in time. Finland simply wanted to stay as a free nation.
So she joins in the fight and marches eastward.... to a point and then says no more. Finland operated a Jewish Synagogue in the eastern front.... remember at this point in time they were working with the Germans. They also had Jewish soldiers serve alongside German troops and even had Jewish doctors treat wounded Germans. Germany awarded Iron Crosses to Jewish Finn Soldiers... though the Jewish Finns turned down the awards.
The tide of the eastern front changes and the USSR pushes west. Finland sues for peace with the USSR. Part of that peace is that they have to disband their armed forces and kick out the Germans from Finnish lands ASAP. They do.... and the Finnish Army fights the Germans pushing them to the Norwegian Border.
Finland is treated as a member of the Axis and the Soviets screw Finland over until 1991 when the USSR falls.
So was Finland good, bad, or simply screwed over by being in a bad spot on the map?
I respect the Finns for what they went through. They simply wanted to be alone at first and Germany throws her to the Soviets under the table. The Soviets invade and she fights back and looses but by hold the high ground. She is then put in another crappy spot and knows that if she says know to the Germans it will not be good. So she tries to keep her distance by saying she's not an ally but simply they have the same crappy neighbor. Looses that fight and then has to fight the Germans at the same time while disbanding their armed forces and bending over for the Soviet foot that will be shoved up their rear end.
She tried with all of her might to stay out of crap and walk away but she couldn't. So she did the best thing possible.
Germany sold her and the Baltic states to the USSR with the famous Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. In 1939 the USSR waged war against her after conquering Estonia (which had a very close relationship to Finland) and the other Baltic States along with half of Poland. The Finns fought a hard and brutal war for survival against the Soviet beast and held out.
Finland was hoping that Sweden, Norway, and Denmark would join in the fight and help push back the Soviets. But only Sweden supported Finland (along with Estonia in the form of troops that fled Soviet rule) with men and material.
Then Germany does a 180 and asks Finland's help for the invasion of the USSR. Finland at this point with a dicey choice. Sit out the war and have the Soviets hit them anyways or throw their lot in with the Germans and take back what was taken away from them in the Winter War. They do the logic choice with a interesting twist.
Finland at this point was surrounded by despotic regimes. The USSR to the East and Germany to her South and West. Germany was ruling Norway and Denmark at this point in time. Finland simply wanted to stay as a free nation.
So she joins in the fight and marches eastward.... to a point and then says no more. Finland operated a Jewish Synagogue in the eastern front.... remember at this point in time they were working with the Germans. They also had Jewish soldiers serve alongside German troops and even had Jewish doctors treat wounded Germans. Germany awarded Iron Crosses to Jewish Finn Soldiers... though the Jewish Finns turned down the awards.
The tide of the eastern front changes and the USSR pushes west. Finland sues for peace with the USSR. Part of that peace is that they have to disband their armed forces and kick out the Germans from Finnish lands ASAP. They do.... and the Finnish Army fights the Germans pushing them to the Norwegian Border.
Finland is treated as a member of the Axis and the Soviets screw Finland over until 1991 when the USSR falls.
So was Finland good, bad, or simply screwed over by being in a bad spot on the map?
I respect the Finns for what they went through. They simply wanted to be alone at first and Germany throws her to the Soviets under the table. The Soviets invade and she fights back and looses but by hold the high ground. She is then put in another crappy spot and knows that if she says know to the Germans it will not be good. So she tries to keep her distance by saying she's not an ally but simply they have the same crappy neighbor. Looses that fight and then has to fight the Germans at the same time while disbanding their armed forces and bending over for the Soviet foot that will be shoved up their rear end.
She tried with all of her might to stay out of crap and walk away but she couldn't. So she did the best thing possible.