Download or read book Finland in World War II written by Tiina Kinnunen and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2011-11-25 with total page 597 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Drawing on innovative scholarship on Finland in World War II, this volume offers a comprehensive narrative of politics and combat, well-argued analyses of the ideological, social and cultural aspects of a society at war, and novel interpretations of the memory of war.
Download or read book Finland at War 1939 45 written by Philip Jowett and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2012-07-20 with total page 161 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the face of Soviet invasion in 1939–40, and once again in 1941–44, the armies raised by Finland – a tiny nation of only 4 million people astonished the world by their effective resistance. At the end of both these campaigns – the Winter War, and the Continuation War – the fiercely patriotic defiance of vastly stronger Soviet forces by Marshal Mannerheim's soldiers won their country a unique prize: although forced to accept harsh terms, Finland was never occupied by the Red Army, and retained its independence. This book explains and illustrates, for the first time in English, the organization, uniforms, equipment and tactics of Finland's defenders.
Download or read book Finland at War written by Vesa Nenye and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2016-03-24 with total page 697 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the aftermath of the Winter War, Finland found itself drawing ever closer to Nazi Germany and eventually took part in Operation Barbarossa in 1941. For the Finns this was a chance to right the wrongs of the Winter War, and having reached suitable defensive positions, the army was ordered to halt. Years of uneasy trench warfare followed, known as the Continuation War, during which Finland desperately sought a way out, German dreams of victory were dashed, and the Soviet Union built the strongest army in the world. In the summer of 1944, the whole might of the Red Army was launched against the Finnish defences on the narrow Karelian Isthmus. Over several weeks of fierce fighting, the Finns managed to halt the Soviet assault. With Stalin forced to divert his armies to the race to Berlin, an armistice agreement was reached, the harsh terms of which forced the Finns to take on their erstwhile German allies in Lapland. Featuring rare photographs and first-hand accounts, this second volume of a two-part study, publishing in paperback for the first time, details the high price Finland had to pay to retain its independence and freedom.
Download or read book Finland in the Second World War written by Leonard Lundin and published by . This book was released on 1957 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Finland s War of Choice written by Henrik O. Lunde and published by Casemate. This book was released on 2011-02-22 with total page 419 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A selection of the Military Book Club: “A solid operational analysis” from “an established scholar of the Scandinavian theater” (Publishers Weekly). This book describes the odd coalition between Germany and Finland in World War II and their joint military operations from 1941 to 1945. In stark contrast to the numerous books on the shorter and less bloody Winter War, which represented a gallant fight of a democratic “David” against a totalitarian “Goliath” and caught the imagination of the world, the story of Finland fighting alongside a Goliath of its own has not brought pride to that nation and was a period many Finns would rather forget. A prologue brings the reader up to speed by briefly examining the difficult history of Finland, from its separation from the Soviet Union in 1917 to its isolation after being bludgeoned in 1939–40. It then examines both Finnish and German motives for forming a coalition against the USSR, and how—as logical as a common enemy would seem—the lack of true planning and preparation would doom the alliance. In this book, Henrik Lunde, a former US Special Operations colonel and author of Hitler’s Pre-emptive War: The Battle for Norway, 1940, once again fills a profound gap in our understanding of World War II.
Download or read book To the Bomb and Back written by Sue Saffle and published by Berghahn Books. This book was released on 2015-06-01 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Between 1939 and 1945, some 80,000 Finnish children were sent to Sweden, Denmark, and elsewhere, ostensibly to protect them from danger while their nation’s soldiers fought superior Soviet and German forces. This was the largest of all of World War II children’s transports, and although acknowledged today as “a great social-historical mistake,” it has received surprisingly little attention. This is the first English-language account of Finland’s war children and their experiences, told through the survivors’ own words. Supported by an extensive introduction, a bibliography of secondary sources, and over two dozen photographs, this book testifies to the often-lifelong traumas endured by youthful survivors of war.
Download or read book Finnish Aces of World War 2 written by Kari Stenman and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2012-10-20 with total page 161 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Always outnumbered by their Soviet counterparts, the small band of Finnish fighter pilots who defended their Scandinavian homeland from the 'communist hordes' in three separate wars between 1939 and 1945 amassed scores only bettered by the Luftwaffe's Jagdflieger. Initially equipped with a motley collection of biplane and monoplane fighters garnered from sources across the globe, the Finnish Air Force was thrust into combat in November 1939. Given little chance against the massive Soviet force, the Finnish fighter pilots confounded the sceptics and decimated the attacking fighter and bomber formations, prompting the Russians to call a halt in March 1940. This scenario was repeated in 1941, and by 1943 the Finns had become uneasy allies with the Germans. Complete with first-hand accounts and detailed colour illustrations, this book profiles aces like Juutilainen and Wind, who proved unbeatable in the final months of conflict.
Download or read book Finland And World War II 1939 1944 written by Prof. John H. Wuorinen and published by Pickle Partners Publishing. This book was released on 2015-11-06 with total page 221 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Finland gained its independence from Russia in 1917 during the turmoil of the Russian Civil War, and ever since the communist leaders cast envious eyes toward their former domain; only waiting for a chance to invade. With the rise of Hitler’s Germany the face of Europe changed, agreements were reached between the Soviets and the Nazis in brutally dividing up a nigh-defenceless and the detente culminated in the Non-Aggression Pact of 1939. This gave Stalin and his cohorts a chance to expand their borders, whilst Hitler looked west at France and Britain, by launching an attack directed to recapture their former Grand Duchy. Thus started Finland’s participation in the Second World War. This book eloquently recounts the stubborn resistance of the Finns against the Soviet attack during the Winter War, the horrific siege of Leningrad and the Finns brave bid to retain its independence from Soviet dominance. The manuscript for the book was smuggled out of Soviet controlled Finland in late 1945, it was passed to Professor Wuorinen who skilfully edited and annotated the work into its present form. A fascinating sidelight on a little known corner of the brutal Second World War.
Download or read book Finland at War written by Vesa Nenye and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2015-09-20 with total page 665 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The story of the 'Winter War' between Finland and Soviet Russia is a dramatic David versus Goliath encounter. When close to half a million Soviet troops poured into Finland in 1939 it was expected that Finnish defences would collapse in a matter of weeks. But they held firm. The Finns not only survived the initial attacks but succeeded in inflicting devastating casualties before superior Russian numbers eventually forced a peace settlement. This is a rigorously detailed and utterly compelling guide to Finland's vital, but almost forgotten role in the cataclysmic World War II. It reveals the untold story of iron determination, unparalleled skill and utter mastery of winter warfare that characterised Finland's fight for survival on the hellish Eastern Front. Now publishing in paperback, Finland at War: the Winter War 1939–40 is the premiere English-language history of the fighting performance of the Finns, drawing on first-hand accounts and rare photographs to explain just how they were able to perform military feats that nearly defy belief.
Download or read book Strangers in a Stranger Land written by John B. Simon and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2019-08-27 with total page 489 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What did it feel like to be an openly Jewish soldier fighting alongside German troops in WWII? Could a Jewish nurse work safely in a field hospital operating theater under the supervision of German army doctors? Several hundred members of Finland’s tiny Jewish community found themselves in absurd situations like this, yet not a single one was harmed by the Germans or deported to concentration or extermination camps. In fact, Finland was the only European country fighting on either side in WWII that lost not a single Jewish citizen to the Nazi’s “Final Solution.” Strangers in a Stranger Land explores the unique dilemma of Finland’s Jews in the form of a meticulously researched novel. Where did these immigrant Jews—the last in Europe to achieve citizenship status—come from? What was life like from their arrival in Finland in the early nineteenth century to the time when their grandchildren perversely found themselves on “the wrong side” of WWII? And how could young lovers plan for the future when not only their enemies but also their country’s allies threatened their very existence? Seven years researching Finland’s National Archives plus numerous in-depth interviews with surviving Finnish Jewish war veterans provide the background for a narrative exploration of love, friendship, and commitment but also uncertainty and terror under circumstances that were unique in the annals of “The Good War.” The novel’s protagonists—Benjamin, David and Rachel—adopt varying survival strategies as they struggle with involvement in a brutal conflict and questions posed by their dual loyalty as Finnish citizens and Zionists committed to the creation of a Jewish homeland. Tensions mount as the three young adults painfully work through a relationship love triangle and try to fulfill their commitments as both Jews and Finns while their country desperately seeks to extricate itself from an unwinnable war.
Download or read book Finland in the Second World War written by Olli Vehviläinen and published by Springer. This book was released on 2002-05-10 with total page 199 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book describes the struggle for power between two totalitarian dictatorships in the north of Europe and the battle for survival of a small nation caught between them. In the Winter War of 1939-1940 Finland successfully fought off a Soviet invasion. Then, with none to turn to but Germany, it became the only democratic state on the Axis side. Ultimately, it succeeded in extricating itself from the war and, despite the shadow of Russia looming over it, averted a Communist takeover.
Download or read book Warfare in the Far North written by Center of Military History and published by . This book was released on 1987 with total page 38 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "From June 1941 through September 1944, German forces fought the Soviets in the Arctic and sub-Arctic as allies of the Finns. This work compares German, Finnish, and Soviet tactics, equipment, and organization and discusses the unique terrain features"--Publisher's website
Download or read book The Hundred Day Winter War written by Gordon F. Sander and published by University Press of Kansas. This book was released on 2013-06-26 with total page 424 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When the Red Army invaded Finland in November 1939 most observers expected a walkover. Instead, in a gallant stand that captured the world's imagination, the tiny Finnish army was able to hold off Stalin's mechanized echelons for 105 days. Gordon F. Sander peels away the layers of myth surrounding this Nordic Thermopylae to reveal the conflict in its full military, political, and cultural contexts. A bestseller in Finland, the English-language version of Sander's book draws on interviews with both Finnish and Russian veterans of the war, in addition to a bountiful archive of articles from both the Western and Finnish press, to create the most comprehensive and up-to-date single-volume history of the war. Written in "real time" to give the reader a you-are-there feeling, the book describes the Finns' stunning defeat of the Soviets' initial massive offensive, including the destruction of several Red divisions by Finnish ski troops; the deceptively calm January interregnum, when the two sides engaged in a complicated diplomatic minuet; and the final, titanic Red assault itself, which finally drove the Finns to the peace table-though not before they had forged one of the great legends of modern military history. Using his intimate knowledge of Finland and Finnish history, the author explains how the Finns' winter skills, their innate sisu, or toughness, and their devotion to both their young republic and their brilliant and inspiring commander-in-chief, Gustaf Mannerheim, together enabled them to make their historic stand. Sander explores such oft-ignored aspects of the conflict as Finnish press censorship; the abortive Allied "rescue mission" across Scandinavia that was a factor in Stalin's surprising decision to bring the war to a halt; the Kremlin's novel use of paratroopers in the war; and the pivotal role played by the Lotta Svard, the Finnish all-purpose women's auxiliary. Illustrating Sander's fast-paced text are nearly 50 photographs, including numerous never-seen-before images of both the battlefront and the home front. Hailed by Helsingin Sanomat, Finland's leading daily, as "a bittersweet morality play" that "opens up this quintessentially Finnish tale to a much wider and admiring readership" and by STT, Finland's leading news agency, as "an outstanding book that combines brilliant writing with a rock-solid factual foundation," Sander's compelling book fills a key gap in the record of the Second World War.
Download or read book A Frozen Hell written by William R. Trotter and published by Algonquin Books. This book was released on 2013-06-13 with total page 474 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1939, tiny Finland waged war-the kind of war that spawns legends-against the mighty Soviet Union, and yet their epic struggle has been largely ignored. Guerrillas on skis, heroic single-handed attacks on tanks, unfathomable endurance, and the charismatic leadership of one of this century's true military geniuses-these are the elements of both the Finnish victory and a gripping tale of war.
Download or read book Nordic Narratives of the Second World War written by Mirja Österberg and published by Nordic Academic Press. This book was released on 2011-01-01 with total page 173 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How have the dramatic events of the Second World War been viewed in the Nordic countries? In this book leading Nordic historians analyse post-war memory and historiography. They explore the relationship between scholarly and public understandings of the war. How have national interpretations been shaped by official security-policy doctrines? And in what way has the end of the Cold War affected the Nordic narratives? The authors not only present the overarching themes that set the Nordic experience of the Second World War apart from other European narratives, but also describe the distinctive post-war characteristics of Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland, and Sweden. Key concepts such as national identity, memory culture, and the moral turn are placed in their Nordic context. Bringing new nuance to the post-war history of Europe, this is the first work to focus on Nordic narratives of the war, and is valuable reading for students, academics, and all who have an interest in the historiography of the Second World War or modern European history.
Download or read book Nordic War Stories written by Marianne Stecher-Hansen and published by Berghahn Books. This book was released on 2021-02-03 with total page 577 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Situated on Europe’s northern periphery, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden found themselves caught between warring powers during World War II. Ultimately, these nations survived the conflict as sovereign states whose wartime experiences have profoundly shaped their historiography, literature, cinema and memory cultures. Nordic War Stories explores the commonalities and divergences among the five Nordic countries, examining national historiographies alongside representations of the war years in canonical literary works, travel writing, and film media. Together, they comprise a valuable companion that challenges the myth of Scandinavian homogeneity while demonstrating the powerful influence that the war continues to exert on national identities.
Download or read book Searching for a Principle of Humanity in International Humanitarian Law written by Dr Kjetil Mujezinovic Larsen and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2013 with total page 379 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides an examination of whether there is a legally independent 'principle of humanity' in international humanitarian law.
