Winter War

The 1939–1940 war between Finland and the Soviet Union began with a Soviet invasion and ended with Finland ceding territory under the Moscow Peace Treaty.

Mannerheim Line: A Finnish defensive system of fortifications and natural obstacles on the Karelian Isthmus. Its positions shaped the Soviet assault and the Finnish defense on the main southern front.
Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact: A 1939 non-aggression treaty between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, with secret protocols dividing spheres of influence. Its secret protocol placed Finland in the Soviet sphere before the invasion.
Moscow Peace Treaty: The March 1940 treaty that ended the Winter War and required Finland to cede territory to the Soviet Union. Its terms ended the fighting and fixed Finland’s immediate territorial losses.
Talvisota: The Finnish name for the Winter War, literally meaning “Winter War.” The Finnish name highlights the conflict’s place in national memory and differs only linguistically from its English title.
Battle of Suomussalmi: A Finnish victory over Soviet forces in northeastern Finland in December 1939 and January 1940. Finnish ski troops used mobility and encirclement to defeat Soviet columns in forest terrain.
Soviet–Finnish negotiations of 1939: Talks in 1939 in which the Soviet Union sought border changes and military arrangements from Finland. The talks collapsed over Soviet demands that Finland considered a threat to its sovereignty.
Continuation War: The 1941–1944 conflict in which Finland fought the Soviet Union alongside Germany. Finland’s losses and unresolved security concerns helped shape its later decision to resume war against the Soviet Union.
Battle of France: The 1940 German campaign that defeated France and its allies in western Europe. Its rapid conclusion in 1940 contrasted with the Soviet Union’s costly campaign against Finland.
Battle of Raate Road: A January 1940 Finnish victory over Soviet forces retreating along the Raate Road. The battle illustrates how Finnish forces split and isolated Soviet units on narrow winter roads.
Shelling of Mainila: A November 1939 artillery incident near the Soviet-Finnish border that the Soviet Union blamed on Finland. The Soviet government used the disputed incident to justify ending its non-aggression pact with Finland.

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