Continuation War

The Continuation War was fought between Finland and the Soviet Union during World War II, from the Soviet bombing attacks on June 25, 1941, to cease-fire September 4, 1944 (on the Finnish side) and September 5 (on the Soviet side). The United Kingdom declared war on Finland on December 6, 1941, but did not participate actively. Material support from, and military cooperation with, Nazi Germany was critical for Finland's struggle with its larger neighbour. The war was formally concluded by the Paris peace treaty of 1947.

Introduction

Although the Continuation War was fought on the periphery of World War II and the troops engaged were relatively few, its history is intriguing as it challenges both conventional wisdom about the moral clarity of the Allied effort and the popular and academic theory that democratic countries do not wage war against each other. Technically, the democratic Allied powers declared war against Finland. But there were no engagements with troops of the chief democratic powers, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia.

Related Topics:
World War II - Finland - United States - United Kingdom - Canada - Australia

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During the conflict, Finland acted in concert with Nazi Germany against the Soviet Union, which in turn was allied with Britain and, for most of the period, the United States. The decision of democratic Finland to work with Nazi Germany was, and remains, controversial in the European democracies threatened and occupied by the Nazis, and is defended only as a last resort in the face of Soviet aggression. Memories of the 1939 Winter War with the Soviet Union, and the inability of the Allies to support the Finns in it, were key motivators for the alliance with Nazi Germany.

Related Topics:
Nazi Germany - Soviet Union - Britain - United States - Winter War

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The issue was less controversial in Finland, and in hindsight a relatively broad Finnish consensus asserts that the Finns as a people would most likely not have survived the war without cooperating with Nazi Germany. Conventional wisdom among Finns who grew up in the 1960s–70s depicted the Continuation War as a Finnish mistake. Nowadays, some tend to assert that there was really nothing Finland could have done to avoid the Winter War and the Continuation War — at least not in the last years before the wars.

Related Topics:
1960s - 70s

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Major events of World War II, and the tides of war in general, had significant impact on the course of the Continuation War:

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• Nazi Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union (Operation Barbarossa) is closely connected to the Continuation War's beginning.
• The Allied invasion of France (Battle of Normandy) was coordinated with the Soviet major offensive against Finland (June 9–July 15, 1944), leading to a five week long alliance between democratic Finland and Nazi Germany (June 26 to August 4, 1944).
• The subsequent US/Soviet race to Berlin brought about the end of the Continuation War by rendering Northern Europe irrelevant.