392 Chapter 3
MID#258
Started in March 1939. See the narrative in the 255 Germany/290 Poland dyad dispute
list.
MID#179
Dispute Number: 179
Date(s): October 8, 1939 to March 12, 1940
Participants: 365 Russia/375 Finland
Outcome (and Settlement): Victory for side A (Imposed)
Fatalities: >999 deaths
Narrative: The Winter War between Russia and Finland took its name from when
it was fought in late 1939 and early 1940. Russia was very deliberate in reacquiring
territories lost following the revolutions in 1917. An important step was signing the
nonaggression pact with a German state that Stalin deeply distrusted. With nonaggres-
sion seemingly guaranteed between the two states, a sphere of influence was given that
allowed Russia leeway in reacquiring territories in the Baltic (see the contemporane-
ous the disputes with Lithuania MID#504, Latvia MID#22, and Estonia MID#23 for
a timeline).
Russia had previously acquired Finland from Sweden as a result of the Finnish War
in 1809 but lost the territory to independence in the wake of World War I. Beyond
satisfying whatever irredentist claims it had in readjusting its border to resemble the
pre-1917 arrangement, Finland would be an important buffer between Moscow and
Germany. The nonaggression pact was still in effect, but Stalin still did not trust
Hitler. When overtures for alliance were rejected by the Finnish, the Soviets invaded
on November 30, 1939. The Finnish military fought the best they could and were able
to prolong the conflict longer than the Soviets had anticipated. However, ultimately,
the numbers caught up with the Finns; the Soviet personnel committed to the fight
dwarfed anything the Finns could mobilize.
The Finns relented to the terms given by the Soviets in a treaty on March 12, 1940.
Finland maintained independence, but lost the Karelian Isthmus that the Soviets
strongly desired. The Hanko Peninsula was leased to the Soviets for a period of 30
years, though was reclaimed by the joint forces of the Finns and Nazi Germans as part
of World War II. The territory of Salla was ceded to Russia, along with the Rybachy
Peninsula in the Barents Sea. Most of Salla was returned to Finland as part of World
War II. The losses of Rybachy and the Karelian Isthmus remain for Finland.
MID#3210
Dispute Number: 3210
Date(s): September 10, 1954
Participants: 365 Russia/375 Finland
Outcome (and Settlement): Unclear (None)
Fatalities: None
Narrative: Three Soviet jet fighters violated Finnish airspace around Helsinki.