Despite being heavily outgunned and outmanned by the Soviet Army, the Finns were able to largely fight the Russians to a standstill in what they call the Winter War. The scenario was eerily similar to the situation unfolding today in Ukraine, where President Vladimir Putin’s Russia is facing ferocious resistance from the scrappy Ukrainians.
Over a decade ago, when I visited Helsinki as the supreme allied commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the first place the Finns took me was to their Winter War Museum. We spent two hours there, and I was fascinated by the courage portrayed in the dioramas, exhibits, maps and photographs from the war. I treasure a gift the Finns gave me of a map showing the troop locations, and the names and faces of the Finnish generals around the border.
The Finns were outnumbered roughly two to one in terms of trained soldiers, but the more staggering differences were in tank and combat aircraft inventories. The Finns had just a few dozen of each, while the Soviets had around 5,000 tanks and 4,000 aircraft. Yet by the end of the conflict, the Finns had inflicted five times as many killed in action on the Soviet army as among their own.
While the Soviet advantages in the air and with mechanized operations eventually overcame much of the Finnish resistance, the determined nature of the defenders and the threat of an ongoing insurgency did much to shape the peace. Despite the pre-war goals of conquering the entire country and installing a puppet regime, the Soviets finally settled for a small slice of Finland’s territory (around 10%) and a pledge of Finnish neutrality.
What can we learn from the Russo-Finnish War that informs our approach to events in Ukraine today?
First and most importantly, we should appreciate that a determined military force, fighting on home terrain, can face down daunting odds to achieve success on the battlefield. The Finns have a long and fierce sense of independence, as do the Ukrainians, despite Russian protestations in both wars. I know firsthand the high quality of both nation’s militaries, which deployed under my command in Afghanistan and on other NATO missions.
When soldiers are fighting to protect their children, parents and spouses — and the independence of their nation — they have a significant morale advantage over conscripts and reservists. This was true for the Finns and remains a significant factor in the Ukraine war.
A second issue that applies in both instances is the importance of outside assistance. Volunteers from around the free world made their way to Finland to fight in the Winter War, notably from neighboring Sweden. The Finns received combat equipment and diplomatic assistance as well from many nations. The League of Nations condemned the Soviet invasion of Finland, much as the United Nations has censured Russia’s actions.