The Winter War was fought between the Soviet Union and Finland, beginning with a Soviet invasion on 30 November 1939. It followed Finland's refusal of Soviet demands for territory near Leningrad, made in the shadow of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. Although outnumbered by far, the Finnish army under Marshal Mannerheim used forest warfare, skis and defensive lines such as the Mannerheim Line to halt and inflict heavy losses on the Red Army. The Soviet Union was expelled from the League of Nations for its aggression. In the end, massed Soviet forces wore down the defenders, and the Moscow Peace Treaty of March 1940 forced Finland to give up parts of Karelia and other territory, though the country kept its independence.
Before and after
- from October 1939 to April 1940Nisko Plan
- 15 October 1939Construction of LaGuardia Airport
- 18 November 1939Birth of Margaret Atwood
- 26 November 1939Birth of Tina Turner
- from 30 November 1939 to 13 March 1940Winter War
- from 7 December 1939 to 17 July 1941Palmiry massacre
- 1940Discovery of neptunium
- 1940Establishment of Serengeti National Park
- 1940Katyn massacre
More in Wars, politics & history
- from 8 March 1917 to 16 March 1917February Revolution
- from 7 July 1937 to 9 September 1945Second Sino-Japanese War
- 23 August 1939Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact
- from 22 June 1941 to 7 May 1945Eastern Front
- from 22 June 1941 to 5 December 1941Operation Barbarossa
- 7 December 1941Attack on Pearl Harbor
The era
This moment belongs to the Modern era (1914 CE to 1945 CE), world wars and a changing world. You can also browse everything in the 20th century.