World War II in Finland

World War II in Finland
Part of the European theatre of World War II
Date 30 November 1939 – 27 April 1945 Location Finland Result Finnish and Soviet victory
Belligerents
1939–1940  Finland	1939–1940  Soviet Union
1941–1944  Finland  Germany	1941–1944  Soviet Union
1944–1945  Finland  Soviet Union	1944–1945  Germany

World War II in Finland began on 30 November 1939 when the Soviet Union invaded, starting the Winter War. Fighting between the two lasted for a few months until Finland gave away territory to the USSR. On 22 June 1941, Finland allied with Nazi Germany (but not officially an Axis member) in Operation Barbarossa (the German invasion of the USSR), starting the Continuation War. Finland participated in the Siege of Leningrad on the northern front of the Siege. In 1944 the Finnish forces were pushed back away from Leningrad. Finland signed a peace treaty with the USSR and left the war against the Soviet Union. But the German forces in Lapland refused to leave, starting the Lapland War. The Finish forces and the Red Army pushed the Germans back to Norway. Finland was fully liberated on 27 April 1945, ending Finland's participation in the war. In the end, Finland gave up 10% of its territory to the Soviet Union for its role in the Continuation War.

• Siege of Leningrad

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Finland in World War II.

• Kirby, D. G. (1979), Finland in the Twentieth Century: A History and an Interpretation, C. Hurst & Co. Publishers, ISBN 0-905838-15-7
• An essay about Jews in Finland during WWII
• Axis History Factbook — Finland
• The Battles of the Winter War
• Jaeger Platoon: Finnish Army 1918-1945 Web Site