Non-Fiction
1 Best Non-Fiction Book About the Winter War
Histories, biographies and reference works are listed separately from the historical novels above.
War
Winter War, 1939–1940
1939–1940
The Winter War began when the Soviet Union invaded Finland on 30 November 1939 after failed negotiations over territory and security near Leningrad. Finland’s smaller army used terrain, mobility and dispersed tactics to resist a much larger force.
Early Soviet attacks suffered heavy losses, but reorganised offensives eventually broke the Mannerheim Line. The Moscow Peace Treaty ended the war in March 1940, forcing Finland to cede territory while preserving its independence.
The conflict influenced international perceptions of the Red Army and shaped Finland’s later decision to fight alongside Germany against the Soviet Union in the Continuation War.
