During Stalin's 1930's purges, genocide of at least 20,000 people of Finnish origin was carried out.

Historian Anni Reuter thinks that the actual number of Finnish victims was even higher.

Of the Finns living in the Soviet Karelia at the time, 90% received a death sentence. A new period of oppression against Finns is considered to have started in the early 1930s, when suspicion of everything foreign grew in the Soviet Union.

West and capitalist countries were seen as a growing threat, and anything foreign began to be viewed with suspicion.

THE BATTLE FOR THE LIGHTHOUSE

In July 1941, a Soviet force attacked Bengtskär with the mission of capturing the island & blowing up the lighthouse.

Island's 38 Finnish defenders fought furiously against the Russians.

In this thread I will tell you more about this famous battle BACKGROUNDS:

After the Winter War, Soviet Union had established a base in the Hanko's occupied area, from which it controlled maritime traffic in the Gulf of Finland.

However, Finn's controlled the island of Bengtskär, 25km from Hanko & were able observe Russians from there.

Five bloody minutes started the winter war in November 1939 -

Soviet bombers hit Helsinki without a declaration of war and killed 91 civilians.

The first bombings of Helsinki were a clear war crime against civilians 🧵 As the border region became a battleground early in the morning, the citizens of Helsinki started their day oblivious to that war had started.

The first indication they had that anything was amiss was the wail of the siren at 09:20, followed shortly by rumbling of engines.

On June 14, 1940, the Finnish airliner Aero's Kaleva plane was on its normal scheduled flight from Tallinn to Helsinki, when two Soviet DB-3T bombers appeared next to it shortly after takeoff.

Planes opened fire, causing an tragedy which was kept silent for decades 🧵 In the summer of 1940, days of fear were lived in Estonia.

The presence of the Soviet forces, who had already taken over the bases, was turning into a full occupation, which would be carried out without mercy.

There was an interim peace between Finland and the Soviet Union.

June 20, 1944 was a particularly dark day in Finnish history. Soviet bombers bombed Kurkijoki's Elisenvaara station.

A tragedy happened, about which both Finnish and Soviet authorities kept silent for decades.🧵 The most destructive aerial bombardment in Finland took place at the Elisenvaara crossing station on June 20, 1944.

USSR bombed a massively crowded station with 80 planes.

Betrayed Battalion - The sad story of Tribal Battalion 3 (Heimopataljoona 3)

In fall 1942, Marshal Mannerheim approved the creation of the ”Tribal Battalion". POW's who understood the Finnish language, but did not serve in the Red Army in officer positions, were selected to it. Tribal Battalion 3 consisted mainly of prisoners of war who served in the Red Army, soldiers from Aunus, Tver and Vienna Karelia, as well as soldiers from Inger and Veps.

Battalion was assigned to the Finnish core crew, 119 officers, non-commissioned officers & regular soldiers.

Attack by Russian partisans on the Finnish village of Seitajärvi in Savukoski in the summer of 1944 was one of the worst attacks against civilians of the entire war & an example of Russian brutality they are capable of.

❗WARNING contains very sensitive pictures of the victims❗ Destruction in the remote village of Seitajärvi was total on the morning of July 7, 1944. A Soviet partisan unit had carried out an attack hundreds of kilometers from the front line.

A village inhabited by civilians had been surprised in a perfectly bright summer night.

Imagine how differently things would be today if Finland actually got the Western help it wished & asked for in Winter War against the Soviet Union.

Let's play with this alternative line of history in this short thread 🧵 Was there a real threat during the Winter War that the Soviet Union would be attacked from Finland?

Everyone knows that there wasn't.

The goal was to annex Finland back to the Soviet Union. There was a literal deal about it between Nazi-Germany & USSR.

One good example of Soviet/Russian treachery & cunningness was the Soviet made puppet state called "Finnish Democratic Republic" in 1939.

It was established by Stalin upon outbreak of the Winter War & headed by Otto Wille Kuusinen to govern Finland after Soviet conquest. 🧵 The "Finnish Democratic Republic" was only recognised by the Soviet Union and nominally operated in Soviet-occupied areas of Finnish Karelia from the de facto capital of Terijoki.

The puppet state was also far from democratic, because its "leader" Kuusinen was communist.

When you stop & think about it...What is Russia without it's nuclear weapons?

Literally just a giant 3rd world country trying desperately to remain relevant after the collapse of USSR.

Let's dive in the reality of Russian state & mentality 🧵 Russia is a sick country that lives in three-phase cycles. Rise, Decline & Collapse.

This cycle repeats itself every century or so. Todays Russia is in a state of decline

Russia falls every time to the same diseases that torment it: Imperialism, megalomania & totalitarianism.

Finland has successfully tested its ability to run a war economy and has begun storing military equipment outside its national borders.

Finland recently checked on more than 1,000 agreements it has with private companies to produce equipment or provide services for times of war.

Fortifications are being built in strategic locations

https://twitter.com/TallbarFIN/status/1707616916620144674?t=iwKNNh2pOjOE6ynzpHi-vg&s=19

SOVIET OCCUPATION OF PORKKALA PENINSULA AFTER CONTINUATION WAR

For 12 years, Porkkala was a Soviet Naval Base Just 30 Kilometres West of the Finnish capital, Helsinki.

In this thread, we'll dive into this strange, surreal period in Finnish history 🧵 According to the Moscow Armistance signed in 1944 Finland was enforced to lease the Porkkala peninsula and its archipelago for the Soviet purposes.

The pact included a Soviet exclusive rental right at Porkkala for 50 years during 1944-1994.

Finland has a network of secret bunkers ready for war.

There are hundreds of such fortresses in Finland. They have been built over the decades, and more are being built every year.

#Finland #nato

Finnish Defence Forces do not build fortresses only in a chain along the eastern border, they are also being built inland in strategic locations that could be targeted by the enemy's long range capabilites.

Biggest battle in the history of Nordic countries took place in terrain between the villages of Tali & Ihantala on Karelian Isthmus, June 25 - July 9, 1944.

The major Finnish defensive victory was the key event that convinced USSR to abandon their plans ton annex Finland. 🧵 Few days before the start of the battle in Ihantala-area, the city of Vyborg fell faster than expected on June 20, 1944.

The Finns were able to stop the enemy's advance to the west side of the city at Tienhaara after blowing up the bridges crossing the waterway.

In November 1943, commanders of the Finnish 1st Division decided to form a strike force that could be used in toughest & most difficult situations on short notice.

Jaeger company of about 150 to 160 men was formed.

Lieutenant Lauri Törni was appointed as the company leader. 🧵 Unit consisted of soldiers with front-line experience & had plenty of light automatic weapons.

Core of the company were familiar men from Törni's old units.

Törni hand picked every member into his group of elite soldiers, which became a "operational fist" of the 1st Division.

Finnish companion in arms with Germans during World War II has become today's political pawn when Russia tries to paint Finland as an enemy.

Topic is undeniably controversial, to understand it you have to dive deeper into the causes and consequences. 🧵

#Finland #WW2 Finland entered the Continuation War from completely different starting points than Winter War.

Winter War was the result of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact between the Soviet Union and Germany (23 August 1939.

Continuation War (1941-45) was a continuation of the Winter War.

Today, 26.11.23, 84 years have passed from Mainila shots that led to the Winter War

The Soviets staged an incident on the Finnish border, which the country used as an excuse to unilaterally dissolve the non-aggression pact between Finland and the Soviet Union

#Russia #Finland Four days later, the Soviet Union invaded Finland.

The Soviet Union claimed that in the border village of Mainila in Valkeasaari, four soldiers of the border forces who were training had been killed by artillery and mortar fire fired from the Finnish side.

What would happen if 🇷🇺 invaded 🇫🇮 today?

Interesting scenario.

I have made some research on this topic for some time & collected info to write a thread about it.

Im not a professional, if there are some experts reading this, feel free to correct.

Lets leave NATO out of it. Let's begin with statistics.

Invading 🇷🇺 force would have to be about 4 times stronger to be able to challenge 🇫🇮

🇫🇮 has a wartime strenght of 280k troops & 900k strong reserve. It means that 🇷🇺 would have to mobilize around million men to get the upper hand in numbers.

If Russia attempted a full scale invasion in Finland today, they would face even tougher conditions than they are currently facing in Ukraine today.

I'll tell you why in this short thread 🧵

#Finland #Russia #NATO As we have seen in Ukraine, russian military doctrine relies on massed armor, heavy artillery & sheer numbers. Troops are poorly led & strategies are almost non existent.

This would work even worse in Finland than it currently works in Ukraine for many reasons.

In Finnish media MTV's interview, President Niinistö commented on the heated discussion considering Hornet-jets.

Ukraine has been in contact with Finland regarding the fighter jets after the possible Hornet discussion came up.

#Hornets #Finland #Ukraine " I find it quite natural that Ukrainians are interested.

After all, there were reactions in the media where the situation was a bit exaggerated.

But if the title "fighter jet" is on display at all, then of course they will follow what is happening in Finland or elsewhere "

According to the information obtained by Finnish media Helsingin Sanomat (HS), Ukraine has submitted a request to Finland for trilateral discussions on fighter jets between Finland, Ukraine and the United States.

#Finland #Ukraine #Hornets The request came after Marin discussed with Zelensky the possibility of handing over the outgoing Hornet fighters.

Prime Minister Sanna Marin (sd) met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv earlier in March.