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Essay On Winter War

Satisfactory Essays

Nick Rakowski
12/5/15
History of the Modern World
9AM Session
The Winter War When World War II is mentioned, the images that are usually conjured up are those of soldiers storming the beaches of Normandy on D-Day, or island warfare on the volcanic ash of Iwo Jima. However, though these theaters of war may be well-known, they are not the only notable conflicts during the deadliest war the world has ever seen. The little-known Winter War, which lasted from November 30th, 1939 until March 13th, 1940, makes for an inspiring story that will likely never be topped.

The roots of the Winter War go back to the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact, which included a secret agreement between Nazi Germany and the USSR. The agreement divided multiple eastern …show more content…

This placed Leningrad within striking distance of several Finnish air bases, which Finland could allow Soviet enemies to use. To prevent this, the USSR requested that Finland cede islands located in the Gulf of Finland. Finland refused to cede any territory to the USSR due to Finnish distrust of Joseph Stalin, who had ordered the execution of numerous Finnish politicians during The Great Purge. On October 5th, 1939, the USSR invited Finnish delegates to Moscow to negotiate the matter further. The Soviet Union demanded that the Russo-Finnish border be moved within 19 miles of the Finnish city of Viipuri, and that all military fortifications within the ceded territory be destroyed. On top of that, Finland would cede all islands in the Gulf of Finland, plus the Hanko Peninsula. The Soviet Union would also be allowed to establish a military base on the Hanko Peninsula. In return, Finland would receive territory from the USSR that amounted to twice as much that the Fins would cede to the Soviets. Though the Finnish government was initially divided on the matter, they ultimately decided to reject the Soviet Union’s offer. Unbeknownst to Finland, the Soviets had viewed this as their final offer, and war was the only option past this point.

On November 26th, 1939, on the Soviet side

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