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How did Finland “poke the bear” in 1939?

From Russia’s point of view, Finland poked the bear by its very existence as an independent nation. At the end of WWI Finland, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, and Eastern Poland all became independent nations out of territory once part of Russia. The Soviets tried to take back Poland in the early 20s but were beaten. They tried the same with the Finns and were beaten the first time. The second Soviet invasion forced the Finns to give up territory. Stalin and Hitler signed an agreement giving the Baltic Republics and eastern Poland back to the USSR.

And that’s how things stood until the breakup of the USSR. The Baltics declared independence, but Poland never got its lost territory back, neither did Finland.

Other nations that have the bad fortune to border Russia/USSR have also found them to be a less than great neighbor.

“From Russia’s point of view, Finland poked the bear by its very existence as an independent nation.”

Ah, a “passive” poking, was it? Simply because Finland existed, and Russia wanted it? Finland posed NO threat to Russia until Russia invaded it!

Russia has historically been a bully.

“The second Soviet invasion forced the Finns to give up territory. Stalin and Hitler signed an agreement giving the Baltic Republics and eastern Poland back to the USSR.”

And Finland got back their lost territory when it joined Germany in Operation Barbarossa in 1941. Once Finland got that back, they withdrew from any further cooperation with Germany. Later, in 1944, Russia occupied the Karelian Isthmus at the extreme southeast of Finland, and a very narrow strip at Petsamo in the extreme northeast, and has controlled them since.