Among other things, the Red Army’s lackluster performance is often cited as a key factor in Adolf Hitler’s mistaken belief that his June 1941 invasion of the Soviet Union would be a success. The Winter War may have also carried important consequences for World War II. During just three months of fighting, their forces suffered over 300,000 casualties compared to around 65,000 for the Finns. For the Soviets, meanwhile, victory came at a heavy cost.
The treaty ending the Winter War forced Finland to cede 11 percent of its territory to the Soviet Union, yet the country maintained its independence and later squared off against Russia a second time during World War II. With its forces low on ammunition and nearing the brink of exhaustion, Finland agreed to peace terms the following month. (West Berliners called it the Air Bridge.) The Berlin airlift was supposed. The period between 19 was called the Cold War and the two opposing sides were the United States of America and the West, against the USSR (the Soviet Union). In February 1940, following one of the largest artillery bombardments since World War I, the Soviets renewed their onslaught and overran the Finnish defenses on the Karelian Isthmus. This project, code-named Operation VITTLES by the American military, was known as the Berlin airlift. But an even greater war, without the use of battles and guns, was to start between two former allies. While the Finns put up a spirited resistance during the winter of 1939-1940, their troops were ultimately no match for the sheer immensity of the Red Army. The Surprising Religious Diversity of America's 13 Colonies One Finnish sniper, a farmer named Simo Häyhä, was eventually credited with over 500 kills. Their guerilla tactics were only aided by the freezing Finnish winter, which bogged the Soviets down and made their soldiers easy to spot against snowy terrain. Elsewhere on the frontier, Finnish ski troops used the rugged landscape to conduct hit-and-run attacks on isolated Soviet units. John builds on his 3D Printing VLOG from last week by showing off how to paint the 32mm Steampunk Adventurer. Led by Marshal Carl Gustaf Mannerheim, they hunkered down behind a network of trenches, concrete bunkers and field fortifications on the Karelian Isthmus and beat back repeated Soviet tank assaults. John shows you how to paint one of the 15mm Jagdtiger miniatures from Battlefront Miniatures for use with their World War II Historical wargame, Flames Of War. The Cold War to Civil Rights by Sarah Brannan and Madison Craft. Though vastly outnumbered and outgunned in what became known as the “Winter War,” the Finns had the advantage of fighting on home turf. Cold War Timeline By: Millen Chowrusmeekul. On November 30, 1939, following a series of ultimatums and failed negotiations, the Soviet Red Army launched an invasion of Finland with half a million troops.
The Soviets offered a large swath of Russian territory as part of the deal, but the Finns were suspicious of their motives and turned them down.