The USSR and Finland: more on the circumstances and timing of the decision to start the “Winter War”

Abstract

Soviet-Finnish conflict of the late 1930’s developed gradually, and the “Winter War” arose from unresolved problems of mutual security. Perspective of peaceful development of Soviet-Finnish relations definitely remained up to October 29, 1939. Only then the plan of war against Finland was adopted in Moscow. But the haste with which the Soviet Army started its preparations to military operation and the fact that adopted military plan was not well thought-out prove that the Soviet-Finnish war could start only as the result of dramatic charges of European situation and the beginning of World War II. To sum up, the “Winter War” did not result from any exclusive character of Soviet-Finnish relations in 1930’s. The main circumstance that urged on the Soviet government’s decision to start preparations for the war will Finland was the breakdown of the second round of talks will Finland’s governmental delegation in Moscow at the end of October, 1939. Moreover, along with the general political situation that aggravated conditions of Soviet-Finnish relations, a definite subjective factor became very significant and stimulated the Soviet government’s decision that beginning of war with Finland became urgent necessity. Refs 48.