Foreign Minister Tanner speaks over the radio at 12 noon to explain the terms of the peace treaty and the factors leading to its agreement. He praises the stamina and endurance of the army and the home front in carrying through a struggle in which Finland was left to stand or fall alone.
Photo: SA-KUVA
Peace treaty signed in Moscow
- The Treaty of Moscow ending the Winter War is signed in the Kremlin at 1 o'clock in the morning Finnish time.
- In Lapland, Soviet aircraft bomb Rovaniemi and Kemijärvi an hour or two before noon.
- The last trainload of children being evacuated to Sweden leaves Helsinki just a couple of hours before news of the peace treaty reaches the city.
- The peace treaty takes effect on all fronts at 11 o'clock in the morning.
- In the Taipale and Vuosalmi sectors of the front the Finnish artillery, which has played a major role in the successful defence of these sectors, finally falls silent as the fierce fighting is broken off at 11 o'clock.
- The coming of peace interrupts the Finnish 12th Division's counteroffensive in Kollaa.
- In the north, the fighting in Juntusranta in the Suomussalmi sector, which had become bogged down in trench warfare, ends at 11 o'clock with a ferocious enemy artillery bombardment of the Finnish positions on the River Kellojoki.
- In Ladoga Karelia fighting continues throughout the day in the wilds on Group Talvela's southern flank.
- Neither side manages to get word of the peace treaty to their troops in time to stop the fighting.
- In the Salla sector in the far north, an enemy battalion in Saija attempts to get round behind Detachment Roininen. In the event, the Finnish troops manage to surround the entire Soviet battalion.
- Foreign Minister Tanner speaks over the radio at 12 noon to explain the terms of the peace treaty and the factors leading to its agreement. He praises the stamina and endurance of the army and the home front in carrying through a struggle in which Finland was left to stand or fall alone.
- The Foreign Minister also criticizes Finland's Scandinavian neighbours, who have hidden behind their declared neutrality in turning down all requests for help and even preventing Finland taking up the help proffered by the Western Allies.
- Without assistance Finland could no longer continue the unequal struggle, and the Government was left with no alternative but to attempt a negotiated peace.
- Despite the severity of the terms and the painful matter of having to cede territory, Finland has in Foreign Minister Tanner's opinion succeeded in its central aim: "Our right to self-determination has been preserved intact."
- Even after the onset of the ceasefire, the exchange of fire in Saija continues until 2 p.m.
- At 3.40 p.m. the Finnish flag is lowered from the flagpole on Viipuri Castle. The Winter War is over.
- Despite the fact that the Red Army attacked Finland without so much as a formal declaration of war, the harsh terms of the peace treaty mean Finland is forced to cede to the Soviet Union the Karelian Isthmus and areas to the north of Lake Ladoga.
- The towns of Viipuri, Sortavala and Käkisalmi are incorporated into the Soviet Union.
- Most of Salla in Lapland is also lost, while the south coast port of Hanko is to be leased to the Soviet Union as a naval base for 30 years.
- The total surface area of the ceded territories amounts to some 35,000 square kilometres.
- This represents one tenth of Finland's total surface area.
- Almost 430,000 Karelians, or 12 per cent of the country's population, lose their homes.
- According to the New York Herald Tribune the Treaty of Moscow demonstrates the inability of democratic countries to help a small freedom-loving people. The paper reserves its main ire for the United States' Congress, whose inertia and hesitation hampered the sending of aid to Finland.
- Finland's total losses in the war are 21,396 dead, 1,434 missing and 43,557 wounded.
- During the course of the war a total of 84,000 women took part in the work of the defence organization Lotta Svärd. Most worked in the catering corps, while some served at the front. 64 members of the Lotta Svärd gave their lives in carrying out their duties.
- Enemy losses total around 200,000 dead and 600,000 wounded.