Finnish Ski Troops of the Winter War (1939) (Part 1 of 2)
Added 2023-10-19 18:59:52 +0000 UTCIn this history documentary we turn our attention to Winter War of 1939 which saw the Red Army invade Finland. While the conflict appeared one sided at the outset, the Finnish defenders stunned their world by holding the Soviet juggernaut at bay. In this Units of History series, we will explore the soldiers who made this feat of arms possible in the face of the Russian Invasion of Finland.
It is November 1939, and Europe is consumed by war. Poland has fallen to the invading armies of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. As the first snows begin to fall in the continent’s northeast, a sparsely populated, newly independent country stands isolated, at risk of being crushed in the titanic struggle. Caught in a deadly strategic dilemma, Finland faces invasion by the USSR. The Baltic nation of just 4 million people can never hope to defeat the Soviet Juggernaut. Yet, when the Winter War begins on November 30th, the world watches in awe as the Finnish military halts and severely bloodies the invading Soviet armies in a heroic act of resistance.
To understand how this extraordinary feat of arms was possible, we will explore the equipment… the organisation… and the tactics of the Finnish army on the eve of World War II.
