"Jowett has amassed an impressive amount of detail, yet the writing never bogs down. He leads the reader through this war with precision and employs images to great effect." — New York Journal of Books
When the Soviet Union invaded Finland in late 1939, what transpired was a true “David and Goliath” conflict. When Finland refused a number of Soviet demands, including the ceding of substantial border territories ostensibly to enable the Soviets to protect Leningrad, the Soviets responded by launching an invasion. The invasion involved a large Soviet army, with several thousand tanks, and a large air force.
But to the world's surprise the Finnish Army—many of them reservists without proper uniforms and limited ammunition—and Air Force battled overwhelming odds, and managed to resist Russian attacks for over two months, inflicting serious losses. Geography played its part as much of the Finnish-Soviet border was impassable, meaning that Soviet numerical superiority was of less import. Operating in the winter, with temperatures ranging as low as -43F, the Finns’ determined resistance won them international reputation. Although hostilities finally ended in a peace treaty that saw Finland cede 9% of its territory, Soviet losses had been heavy, and Finland retained its sovereignty.
This fully illustrated text will cover the forces involved and all stages of the Winter War.
Introduction
Timeline of Events
Finland Under Soviet Threat, 1939
The Soviet Invasion, November 1939
Advance to the Mannerheim Line, December 1939
The Air War 1939–1940
Finnish Guerrilla Warfare, December 1939–March 1940
Battles Along the Mannerheim Line, December 1939
Battles in Lagoda, Kainuu and Lapland, December 1939
Finland’s Defeat, February–March 1940
Afterword
Index
Interested in military history from an early age, Philip Jowett has published many books over the last twenty-five years, specialising in the armies of Asia in the first half of the twentieth century, the Russo-Japanese War, and the armies of the Second World War. A rugby league enthusiast and amateur genealogist, he is married and lives in Lincolnshire.
