Military history of Finland
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The military history of Finland consists of hundreds of years of armed actions in the territory encompassing modern Finland.
Prehistory
Finland was first settled around 8300 BC, immediately after the last ice age. Archaeological evidence of prehistoric warfare is largely incomplete, primarily because prehistoric skeletons, which might bear traces of violent traumas, rarely survive in the Finnish soil. From the Bronze Age (1500–500 BC) onwards, improved weapons, such as battle-axes and swords, are included in the archaeological record. There is also evidence of hill-forts from the same time period. Weapons are common finds from the Roman Iron Age (1 A.D. – 400 A.D.) onwards.
Middle Ages
Before the 14th century Finnish history is very poorly documented. However, archaeological evidence, for example
According to the Icelandic
According to some sources, the Karelians destroyed the Swedish town of Sigtuna in 1187.
In 1251 the Finnish Karelians again fought against the Norwegians, and in 1271 the two Finnish peoples, the Kvens and the Karelians, cooperated in wars and battles against the Norwegians in Hålogaland (Haalogaland).
Finland as a part of Sweden
During the several following centuries, a gradual and slow process of Swedish expansion in today's
During the initial centuries of Swedish expansion into the ancestral territories of the Finns, which lasted until the 16th century and beyond, the Swedish influence was primarily limited to the southwestern regions of what is now Finland. It's important to note that the lands inhabited by the Finns extended beyond the present-day borders of the Republic of Finland. These southwestern areas had been incorporated into the Swedish realm through this expansion.
From
Finnish soldiers fought in at least 38 known wars of Sweden, all of them having something to do with either power struggles within the Swedish royal family or struggles between Sweden and other nations.
Grand Duchy of Finland
As a result of the so-called
Republic of Finland
From 1917 on Finland has been an independent republic. This period started with the
World War II
The Soviet Union invaded Finland on 30 November 1939, starting the Winter War, with the goal of annexing Finland.[1] An expected easy Soviet victory instead saw the Red Army suffer severe losses in men and materiel, and the attempt to conquer Finland failed. The war ended on 13 March 1940 with the signing of the Moscow Peace Treaty in which Finland ceded 9% of its territory to the Soviet Union.
Finland invaded the Soviet Union in June of 1941, initiating the
As part of the Moscow Armistice, Finland was obliged to drive out the Germans from Finnish territory, in what became the Lapland War. The war ended in April of 1945.
The Finns successfully resisted Soviet attempts to conquer Finland, making Finland one of two combatant continental European countries in World War II not to have its capital occupied (the other being the Soviet Union).[2]
Post World War II
Soon after the birth of the United Nations, Finnish military troops—including various types of military personnel and advisers—started participating in many UN peacekeeping operations, beginning in 1956 with the United Nations Emergency Force at the Suez Crisis. Defense strategy in Finland after World War II required tact and diplomacy. In the event of major hostilities, The Finnish Defence Forces basically needed to hold off attackers and establish an evacuation corridor, most likely to the West, just long enough for the population center in the areas surrounding the capital to evacuate to safety. Because it was not clear from which direction troops might come during the Cold War, it was necessary to train for all possibilities without antagonizing NATO, the Soviet Union, or neighboring countries.[3]
In response to the
See also
- List of Finnish wars
- Finnish–Estonian defense cooperation
- Military history of Denmark
- Military history of Iceland
- Military history of Norway
- Military history of Sweden
References
- ISBN 978-951-37-5278-1.
- ISBN 978-1472815262.
- ISBN 9789512517930.
- ^ "Finland and Sweden confirm intention to join Nato". the Guardian. 2022-05-15. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
- ^ Ellyatt, Katrina Bishop,Holly (2022-05-15). "Finland, Sweden set to apply to join NATO, a historic move for the traditionally neutral countries". CNBC. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
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: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ John, Tara (April 4, 2023). "Finland joins NATO, doubling military alliance's border with Russia in a blow for Putin". CNN. Retrieved April 4, 2023.