RUSSIANS START THEIR INVASION OF FINLAND (11/30/39)

Microfiche-New York Times archives, McHenry Library, U.C. Santa Cruz | 11/30/39 | G.E.R. Gedye, Pertinax, Bertram D. Hulen

[Homer_J_Simpson]

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[tcrlaf]

Molotov's "Bread Donation for the starving Finnish People" arrives in Helsinki Early Soviet Cluster Bomb dropped on Helsinki-30 November. The locals called these "Molotov's Breadbaskets".

[tcrlaf]

More photos of the Bombing of Helsinki

[tcrlaf]

Soviet Soldiers crossing the Finnish Border-30 November, 1939

[tcrlaf]

What am I missing?

Most of the Soviet Units involved in the opening stages of the War were motorized, and given the best equipment the Soviets had. They were forced to stick to the few roads available, while the Finns didn’t have to, and detachments were easily surrounded and destroyed.

Also, Stalin’s murderous purge of the Officer Corps will show it’s cost here, with leadership among the assault units “lacking”, to say the least.

[tcrlaf]

The Finns have a saying:

“1 Finn is as good as 10 Russians,
it only becomes problem when the 11th comes”

[beebuster2000]

showing that the war wasnt really going full blast yet, catch the exemption for the saxaphone makers as vital to the war effort.

[tcrlaf]

In regard to the Winter War, it is important to note Soviet Command sturucture in the days following the Officer purges.

In mid-1937 a so-called “dual-command,” or “collegiate control” arrangement was instituted in which political commissars were assigned to each unit with status equal to that of the tactical commanders.

Field commanders were obligated to submit their plans and decisions to political councils comprised of these commissars, which had veto powers.

The political councils could also recommend demotions, reprimands, etc., which, during this period of Stalin’s purges, were tantamount to death sentences. As can be imagined, such a system severely undermined command confidence, innovation, and effectiveness.

Sounds a lot like the Combat Lawyers we have today, doesn’t it?

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Thanks for the links. It is good to be kept up to date by the professionals in the broadcast medium.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Sounds a lot like the Combat Lawyers we have today, doesn’t it?

It does at that. It also sounds like the government supported segment of the "scientific" community.

[CougarGA7]

It is interesting to listen to these old reports. They don’t seem to be approaching the events from an entertainment value point of view like we see today but at the same time they still had their “panel of experts” that they would defer to from time to time.

Oh, just an update, I got my final grades back today. I’m now officially half way done with my masters with a 3.89 GPA.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

His 'confirmed kills' were listed at 542 with another two hundred unconfirmed.

Assuming he worked every day from 30 Nov 1939 through 6 Mar 1940 that is 98 days. That means he had from 5 1/2 to 7 1/2 kills per day. That's what I call productivity.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

They don’t seem to be approaching the events from an entertainment value point of view

But I smiled at the speculation about which neighbor of the Soviet Union would commit aggression against them next, the smart money being on Rumania.

Now stop fooling around on the internet and get back to the books.

[CougarGA7]

Now stop fooling around on the internet and get back to the books.

Hey, I'm off till the 7th of December when classes start up again. It should give me time to type the intro for the 1939 Year in Review that is coming up. I do already have one of my required books for next semester though that I'm reading and notating...casually.

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

Yes the Finns lost their port on the Arctic Ocean (Petsamo), and most of Karelia, which was sometimes considered the heart of Finland. They got it back during the attack on Leningrad, but lost it at the end of WWII. Since then Karelia has been successfully ‘Russified’, and ethnic Karelians and other Finnish peoples are a small minority there.

[CougarGA7]

I stumbled across this site while looking for something else and found this very fascinating and useful. The site is called "The Winter War 1939-1940: Telegrams from Each Day of the Winter War". It is based on Markku Onttonen's documentary series Talvisodan henki (The Spirit of the Winter War) according to the site. So with that said, here's the first installment with link of course.

Day 1 of the Winter War, November 30, 1939

Soviet aircraft bomb 16 Finnish localities during the course of the day.
Photo: SA-KUVA

• We shall fight to protect our homes, our religion and our country

• Karelian Isthmus: the Soviet artillery opens fire at 6.50.

• Soviet troops cross the border at several places without declaring war.Crossing points include Rajajoki, Joutselkä and Lipola.

• Karelian Isthmus: the invading Soviet 7th Army has 120,000 men on the Isthmus with some 900 field guns and trench mortars and 1,400 tanks.The Finnish covering force on the Isthmus has 21,600 men, 71 field guns and 29 anti-tank guns.

• Viipuri: first air-raid warning sounds at 9.00.

• Ladoga Karelia: the Russians also have an overwhelming numerical superiority to the north of Lake Ladoga.The Finnish covering force joins battle along the entire length of the eastern border.

• Soviet aircraft bomb 16 Finnish localities during the course of the day.

• Helsinki: an air-raid warning sounds at 9.20.

• Enso bombed at 9.35.

• Viipuri: 13 enemy aircraft bomb the city for the second time at 10.00, leaving 10 dead and 11 injured.

• Lahti: Lahti bombed at 12.05; five dead and one injured.

• President Kyösti Kallio relinquishes his authority as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces to Marshal Mannerheim and at 13.30 declares the country to be in a state of war.

• Marshal Mannerheim accepts the responsibilities of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and issues his first Order of the Day.

• Mannerheim in the Order of the Day: "We shall fight to protect our homes, our religion and our country."

• Seiskari: Soviet troops occupy the uninhabited island, where a red flag is sighted at 13.55.

• Hanko: eight aircraft attack the town at 14.00.

• Helsinki: the all-clear is given from the morning air-raid at 14.20.At 14.50, first six and then three more enemy aircraft appear out of the clouds and bomb the Hietalahti shipyard.91 people are killed and 236 injured, 36 seriously.

• Eastern Isthmus: Group Rautu comes into contact with the enemy for the first time in the evening.

• Rautu: intense fighting during the day at Palkeala. An enemy attempt to break through with the support of tanks is successfully repulsed.

• Suojärvi: over a thousand civilians are trapped at the Hyrsylä bend and other border villages in the parish.

• Smaller numbers of civilians have also been captured by the Russians on the islands in the Gulf of Finland, and at Salmi, Suomussalmi and Petsamo.

• Parliament assembles at 20.00.The Government of Prime Minister A.K. Cajander presents its resignation.Parliament moves overnight to Kauhajoki.

• Moscow radio broadcasts a speech during the night by Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov.Molotov announces that the Soviet Government has ordered the Red Army to secure the external security of the Soviet Union.

• Molotov renounces the Non-Aggression Treaty agreed with Finland in 1932.

[Cheburashka]

Note the road network behind the Finnish positions, and the lack of good roads behind the Soviets at the Mannerheim Line.

---

More likely the mapmaker didn't have access to any information about roads on the Soviet side of the border. The Soviets always regarded maps as state secrets.

Only after the U.S had used satellites for mapping the USSR did it have accurate maps of the Soviet Union.

[BroJoeK]

"Further proof that the Soviets bared much of the responsibility for the start of the war, right along with Germany."

In the mid-1930s both Mussolini and Stalin opposed Hitler's expansionism, and wanted to be part of the allies' efforts to contain him. But both were first discouraged by allied weakness and appeasement, and then won over to Hitler by promises of participation in Hitler's successes.

In the end, Stalin like Mussolini joined Hitler's gang of thugs, and by all reports remained loyal until, two years later, Hitler turned and invaded the Soviet Union.

Think of a gang of thugs in a bank heist: Mussolini is driving the car, Stalin is covering Hitler's back, Hitler is calling the shots, holding up the bank and shooting anyone resisting.