"War between Finland and Russia, David and Golliath, good and evil, democracy and totalitarianism, freedom and slavery."
Large photo of German (1942) 6" Howitzer below
© Photo by Armas Valdemar Oras AKA Walter Oras.
- When Hitler attacked the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941, Finland knew
the Soviet Union would strike because Soviet diplomats had said on several
occasions that in the event of war with Germany, the Soviet Union would
immediately launch an offensive against Finland. The Finnish government
prepared a declaration of neutrality, but on June 22 and June 25, 1941 the
Soviet air force dropped bombs on a number of towns in southern Finland. On
June 25, the Finnish parliament declared that a state of war existed between
Finland and the Soviet Union. The new war was called "Continuation War" by
the Finns because Soviet Union broke the treaty of March, 1940, and
continued the Winter War. Finland found herself alone again, and on the
wrong side of the war. Hitler offered supplies, which Finland found hard to
refuse under the circumstances. But the alliance was informal and Finland
did not cooperate any more than necessary, and certainly not in turning over
Jews to him as requested. The Finns knew what genocide was from experience,
and wanted no part of it.
- Finland had a Social Democratic government since just after WWI with
no interest in fascism whatsoever. Of course there were fascists in Finland
as in other countries, but the Finns themselves and their leaders were not.
If Finland was a fascist sympathizer, (as were the Soviets in 1939) then
Churchill was a Communist sympathizer. After Poland was betrayed by Britain,
every meeting by the Allies with Stalin produced yet another betrayal of
Eastern Europe and Finland. Both Hitler and Stalin being just as bad, can
Churchill claim to be more holy than Mannerheim? Can Churchill say Finland
was fighting against the powers of freedom and justice? Absolutely not! But
that is what he said. Were not both men fighting evil regimes? Was Churchill
himself helping Stalin with his evil deeds? Did Churchill's support of
forced return of citizens of Soviet Union actually condemn them to death?
There is a lot of evidence to implicate the Allies in joint collaboration in
these activities and many excuses have been offered to justify them, or they
were unmentionable events. Investigative journalism by the press largely
ignored these evils, to their shame, as they did Stalin's murdering purges,
but there are a few journalists/writers like this one, who will not let
these facts die. So perhaps Stalin had converted his two friends to his way
of thinking. "Finland, Rumania, Hungary and others of the Nazi ridden or
Fascist ridden States."
- Finnish treatment of Russian POW's
Finland did what it could to let food supplies through to Leningrad. Most of the nuisance was caused by Hitler's submarines in the North Sea. General Mannerheim himself said he did not want the blood of the Leningrad people on his hands.
Unlike Russia, Finland would not sign a formal alliance with Hitler, but was only a co-belligerent fighting to regain Karelia, which has special significance to the Finnish people, their identity. By attacking Finland, Stalin gave Hitler the confidence he needed to bring Barbarossa onto the Russian people, and forced Finland and any other country fighting Communism to fight with the Germans.
- The Lend Lease Bill was introduced into Congress in January 1941
after Roosevelt's December 30 1940 speech calling for all out aid to Great
Britain and her allies, becoming law in March 1941. This was to empower the
president to sell, transfer, exchange, lease, or lend war supplies to any
nation whose defense was deemed by the President to be 'vital to the defense
of the United States.' "Rapid and united effort by all of the peoples of the
world who are determined to remain free will insure a world victory of the
forces of justice and of righteousness over the forces of savagery and of
barbarism." He was a brilliant persuader of the American people to get them
to agree to this plan. Initially the mandate was to supply Britain, but when
Hitler attacked the USSR, Roosevelt could freely give aid to that country
too. Many Americans did not agree with this policy because they did not
trust Stalin like their president did. The agreement that the Soviets signed
said that payment for the equipment would be made at mutually agreed terms
at the end of the war. Another bad deal, for no final agreement was ever
reached with the Soviet Union.
Roosevelt, loved by millions of Americans for his achievements at home, was actually a communist sympathizer, and campaigned the American people to trust Stalin. Dispite his glowing legecy at home, he left a shadow over Europe, one which contained the evil shape of a hammer and sickle. The truth must come out no matter who it is; the world cannot tolerate glossing over facts when those facts implicate people in genocide. Culture, Power, and Mission to Moscow: Film and Soviet-American Relations during World War II The American people had supported little Finland since Russia attacked in 1939, and most were not convinced by the propaganda film. Every country in Europe now became a victim of Stalin and Hitler, the evildoers, regardless of side, a fact that escaped both Roosevelt's and Churchill's understanding. Certainly, Finland can be accused of collaboration with Hitler, but the same applies to Stalin. Can anyone blame Finland for not wanting to end up like the rest of eastern Europe, a satellite of Russia? If not, then why did Finland deserve the harsh terms and the loss of Karelia?
Well, so much for Roosevelt as a good judge of character, for one of the most savage and barbaric of all was his friend and confidante Joseph Stalin. Roosevelt was the worst president in history of the United States if we consider the results of his leftist policies during the war. His contribution to Stalin's success is incalculable.
Mannerheim was against attacking Leningrad; nor did he allow Finnish troops to cut off food supplies bound for the besieged city. Finland was not interested in Hitler's plan of world domination, nor in any theories of a master race, or any such fascist nonsense. Her goals were self preservation and the return of Karelia, and maybe a little of the land they lost several hundred years previously.
© Photo by Armas Valdemar Oras AKA Walter Oras.
- And the Lord commanded all people to love their neighbors: "You
shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's
wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs
to your neighbor." - Holy Bible
Finnish War
of Independence. Birth of the Finnish Army.