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The White Death: The Epic of the Soviet-Finnish Winter War
The 105-day war between Finland and the Soviet Union in the winter of 1939-1940 has been overshadowed by the larger conflicts of the Second World War which followed closely after it. The courageous resistence of the only neighbor of Stalin's Russia which fought the Red Army and survived as a free and independent nation merits this closer look. Although the diplomatic background of the Winter War has been covered before, this is the first substantial English-language study of its dramatic military encounters.
- GenresWorld War IIWarHistory
313 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1971
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 15, 2022
This took me forever to read. This is a blow-by-blow account of the when Russia invaded Finland in 1939. It is amazing how many similarities there are between that attack then and the attack of Ukraine in 2022. I'm glad I read this but, if you are wanting an overview/interpretation, this is not the book for that. This has which troops led by whom did what and precisely when. If you wanted to reconstruct the battles, this is your book. That said, the book is invaluable to understanding the history of Russia and the nations on its border and why there are bunkers in Finland. I think I enjoyed the epilogue the most. I was really lost when he was referring to specific troops and, not being familiar with the cities in 1939 Finland, I struggled quite a bit.
February 18, 2020
Lying between the monumental destruction of the First World War and the unspeakable horrors of the Second World War sits the little-known conflict between the USSR and Finland, popularly known as the Winter War of 1939-40. In the snow-studded Karelian Isthmus separating Leningrad (modern-day St. Petersburg) from the Finnish cities of Viipuri and Helsinki and the tundras of the border regions of the north, Finnish troops were able to deliver a sever blow to the prestige of the Red Army and a signal to the world that technology and might does indeed have limits.
When Finland rejected Soviet proposals in 1939 to give back to the Communist country much valuable land in the vicinity of St. Petersburg, war became inevitable. Stalin and the Soviet military elite, believing that conquest of the Finnish lands would only require mere weeks, set the tanks and troops rolling in late 1939. All of a sudden, though, the Red troops halted under fire; tanks were reduced to smoldering wrecks at the hands of Molotov cocktails hurled by heroic Finnish soldiers; and Finland's tiny army scored significant victories at Torajalvi and Suomussalmi. Marshal Mannerheim, a George Washington-like figure in Finland, continued to inspire the outgunned and outmanned country with stoical resilience under fire, using the cries of nationalism and protection of the homeland to beat back a jealous and mighty foe.
Chew's narrative is minute in its details of battles and formations, but performs well in relaying the key facts and battles of the Winter War. The maps supplied in the book are vital to understanding the contours of the war, and are appreciated by this reader unfamiliar with the terrain of Finland, or even the major urban areas and provinces outside of Helsinki.
Like the Melos of Thucydides, though, might may not make right, but it does make victory. Upon reorganizing its military effort and unleashing the full might of the Soviet army and materiel (at that point allied with Hitler's Germany), the Soviets conclude a victorious peace treaty, though one that falls short of the lofty goals of the pre-war planning. Finland manages not only to retain its independence, but also serve as a threatening break to Soviet power in the region.
The consequences of the Winter War extend far beyond the individual heroics of one nation. In halting Soviet domination, Finland served notice to the world that the USSR was not almighty, and in fact could be beaten upon favorable ground and inspiring circumstances. One wonders whether Hitler learned this lesson too well in deciding to launch Operation Barbarossa the following year (note that Chew highlights some evidence that Hitler did not overemphasize the Finnish effort in is planning of the invasion of Russia).
Like Vietnam, Finland's Winter War stands as a monument to the notion that war is not simply a fight between machine guns and battalions, but between men and women believing in (or who may not wholly believe in) a cause greater than their own preservation.
When Finland rejected Soviet proposals in 1939 to give back to the Communist country much valuable land in the vicinity of St. Petersburg, war became inevitable. Stalin and the Soviet military elite, believing that conquest of the Finnish lands would only require mere weeks, set the tanks and troops rolling in late 1939. All of a sudden, though, the Red troops halted under fire; tanks were reduced to smoldering wrecks at the hands of Molotov cocktails hurled by heroic Finnish soldiers; and Finland's tiny army scored significant victories at Torajalvi and Suomussalmi. Marshal Mannerheim, a George Washington-like figure in Finland, continued to inspire the outgunned and outmanned country with stoical resilience under fire, using the cries of nationalism and protection of the homeland to beat back a jealous and mighty foe.
Chew's narrative is minute in its details of battles and formations, but performs well in relaying the key facts and battles of the Winter War. The maps supplied in the book are vital to understanding the contours of the war, and are appreciated by this reader unfamiliar with the terrain of Finland, or even the major urban areas and provinces outside of Helsinki.
Like the Melos of Thucydides, though, might may not make right, but it does make victory. Upon reorganizing its military effort and unleashing the full might of the Soviet army and materiel (at that point allied with Hitler's Germany), the Soviets conclude a victorious peace treaty, though one that falls short of the lofty goals of the pre-war planning. Finland manages not only to retain its independence, but also serve as a threatening break to Soviet power in the region.
The consequences of the Winter War extend far beyond the individual heroics of one nation. In halting Soviet domination, Finland served notice to the world that the USSR was not almighty, and in fact could be beaten upon favorable ground and inspiring circumstances. One wonders whether Hitler learned this lesson too well in deciding to launch Operation Barbarossa the following year (note that Chew highlights some evidence that Hitler did not overemphasize the Finnish effort in is planning of the invasion of Russia).
Like Vietnam, Finland's Winter War stands as a monument to the notion that war is not simply a fight between machine guns and battalions, but between men and women believing in (or who may not wholly believe in) a cause greater than their own preservation.
July 10, 2015
Written in 1971, the book relies heavily on Finnish sources, but nonetheless is an informative and inspiring telling of the brief war between the Soviet Union and Finland that took place during Winter 1940.
Chew includes a good number of maps so following the action is not difficult even if one is, like me, fairly ignorant of Finland's geography.
Chew includes a good number of maps so following the action is not difficult even if one is, like me, fairly ignorant of Finland's geography.
January 8, 2014
Well done if not a bit biased retelling of the 1939 war between the Fins and Soviets. If you aren't into military history down to division level tactics then it might bog you down a bit but the story of fighting against overwhelming odds is a good read.
April 30, 2012
This book complimented the other book I read about the Russo-Finnish Winter War of 1939 (A Frozen Hell). Both gave a good overview of the war.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews