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Modern War Studies
The Hundred Day Winter War: Finland's Gallant Stand against the Soviet Army
When the Red Army invaded Finland in November 1939 most observers expected a walkover. Instead, in a gallant stand that captured the world’s imagination, the tiny Finnish army was able to hold off Stalin’s mechanized echelons for 105 days.
Gordon F. Sander peels away the layers of myth surrounding this Nordic Thermopylae to reveal the conflict in its full military, political, and cultural contexts. A bestseller in Finland, the English-language version of Sander’s book draws on interviews with both Finnish and Russian veterans of the war, in addition to a bountiful archive of articles from both the Western and Finnish press, to create the most comprehensive and up-to-date single-volume history of the war.
Written in “real time” to give the reader a you-are-there feeling, the book describes the Finns’ stunning defeat of the Soviets’ initial massive offensive, including the destruction of several Red divisions by Finnish ski troops; the deceptively calm January interregnum, when the two sides engaged in a complicated diplomatic minuet; and the final, titanic Red assault itself, which finally drove the Finns to the peace table—though not before they had forged one of the great legends of modern military history.
Using his intimate knowledge of Finland and Finnish history, the author explains how the Finns’ winter skills, their innate sisu, or toughness, and their devotion to both their young republic and their brilliant and inspiring commander-in-chief, Gustav Mannerheim, together enabled them to make their historic stand.
Sander explores such oft-ignored aspects of the conflict as Finnish press censorship; the abortive Allied “rescue mission” across Scandinavia that was a factor in Stalin’s surprising decision to bring the war to a halt; the Kremlin’s novel use of paratroopers in the war; and the pivotal role played by the Lotta Svard, the Finnish all-purpose women’s auxiliary.
Illustrating Sander’s fast-paced text are nearly 50 photographs, including numerous never-seen-before images of both the battlefront and the home front.
Hailed by Helsingin Sanomat, Finland’s leading daily, as “a bittersweet morality play” that “opens up this quintessentially Finnish tale to a much wider and admiring readership” and by STT, Finland’s leading news agency, as “an outstanding book that combines brilliant writing with a rock-solid factual foundation,” Sander’s compelling book fills a key gap in the record of the Second World War.
Gordon F. Sander peels away the layers of myth surrounding this Nordic Thermopylae to reveal the conflict in its full military, political, and cultural contexts. A bestseller in Finland, the English-language version of Sander’s book draws on interviews with both Finnish and Russian veterans of the war, in addition to a bountiful archive of articles from both the Western and Finnish press, to create the most comprehensive and up-to-date single-volume history of the war.
Written in “real time” to give the reader a you-are-there feeling, the book describes the Finns’ stunning defeat of the Soviets’ initial massive offensive, including the destruction of several Red divisions by Finnish ski troops; the deceptively calm January interregnum, when the two sides engaged in a complicated diplomatic minuet; and the final, titanic Red assault itself, which finally drove the Finns to the peace table—though not before they had forged one of the great legends of modern military history.
Using his intimate knowledge of Finland and Finnish history, the author explains how the Finns’ winter skills, their innate sisu, or toughness, and their devotion to both their young republic and their brilliant and inspiring commander-in-chief, Gustav Mannerheim, together enabled them to make their historic stand.
Sander explores such oft-ignored aspects of the conflict as Finnish press censorship; the abortive Allied “rescue mission” across Scandinavia that was a factor in Stalin’s surprising decision to bring the war to a halt; the Kremlin’s novel use of paratroopers in the war; and the pivotal role played by the Lotta Svard, the Finnish all-purpose women’s auxiliary.
Illustrating Sander’s fast-paced text are nearly 50 photographs, including numerous never-seen-before images of both the battlefront and the home front.
Hailed by Helsingin Sanomat, Finland’s leading daily, as “a bittersweet morality play” that “opens up this quintessentially Finnish tale to a much wider and admiring readership” and by STT, Finland’s leading news agency, as “an outstanding book that combines brilliant writing with a rock-solid factual foundation,” Sander’s compelling book fills a key gap in the record of the Second World War.
402 pages, Hardcover
First published February 12, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 22, 2013
I have just finished Gordon Sander’s book on the 1939 war between Finland and Russian know as the Hundred Day War or the Winter War (Talvisota). Although I have two to three books on this subject in my library this is the first title I have actually read on this conflict. Therefore I cannot compare it to the many books currently available however I can say that it does provide a nice and easy to read overview or general history of this war.
The author takes us from the sudden commencement of this unprovoked conflict to the signing of the peace treaty over 100 days later. The story ranges from the diplomatic, political and home fronts to the severe fighting along the Mannerheim line and other points of conflict. There are six maps provided in the book, which allow the reader to follow the fighting, and a number of black & white pictures.
The author has used a number of articles and reports taken from foreign reporters and war correspondents along with numerous first-hand accounts from participants, civilian and military. These accounts blend in well with the story and provide a good idea of what the Finnish people and the Western world thought of this conflict.
Many believed that the result was a forgone conclusion, small isolated Finland against the Russian steamroller with unlimited resources and manpower. How could Finland ever win this fight? As the author states; Mannerheim's strategy was: " ...not based on the absurd hope of outright victory, but, as veteran correspondent John Langdon-Davies put it, on 'the most honourable annihilation, with the faint hope that the conscience of mankind would find an alternative solution as a reward for bravery and singleness of purpose'."
Gustaf Mannerheim declared that the Finnish forces were fighting “a Thermopylae every day”, and reading of the Russian assaults against the smaller Finnish forces you would almost have to agree. The book is not a detailed military history of this war but it does provide enough information on the many battles, famous ones like the battles of Suomussalmi and Raate Road and the lesser-known ones like the “Sausage War”.
The many reports from the war correspondents provide a “real time” element to the story and cover a range of incidents during the war. The famous American female war reporter and later author, Virginia Cowles, filed this story for her readers covering aspects of the Russian bombing campaign:
"It is difficult to describe indiscriminate aerial warfare against a civilian population in a country with a temperature thirty degrees Fahrenheit below zero. But if you can visualize farm girls stumbling through snow for the uncertain safety of their cellars; bombs falling on frozen villages unprotected by a single anti-aircraft gun; men standing helplessly in front of blazing buildings with no apparatus to fight the fires, and others desperately trying to salvage their belongings from burning wreckage - if you can visualize these things and picture even the children in remote hamlets wearing white covers over their coats as camouflage against low-flying Russian machine gunners - you can get some idea of what this war was like."
Overall this is a great story and one that I think would be suitable for a first read on the Winter War.
The author takes us from the sudden commencement of this unprovoked conflict to the signing of the peace treaty over 100 days later. The story ranges from the diplomatic, political and home fronts to the severe fighting along the Mannerheim line and other points of conflict. There are six maps provided in the book, which allow the reader to follow the fighting, and a number of black & white pictures.
The author has used a number of articles and reports taken from foreign reporters and war correspondents along with numerous first-hand accounts from participants, civilian and military. These accounts blend in well with the story and provide a good idea of what the Finnish people and the Western world thought of this conflict.
Many believed that the result was a forgone conclusion, small isolated Finland against the Russian steamroller with unlimited resources and manpower. How could Finland ever win this fight? As the author states; Mannerheim's strategy was: " ...not based on the absurd hope of outright victory, but, as veteran correspondent John Langdon-Davies put it, on 'the most honourable annihilation, with the faint hope that the conscience of mankind would find an alternative solution as a reward for bravery and singleness of purpose'."
Gustaf Mannerheim declared that the Finnish forces were fighting “a Thermopylae every day”, and reading of the Russian assaults against the smaller Finnish forces you would almost have to agree. The book is not a detailed military history of this war but it does provide enough information on the many battles, famous ones like the battles of Suomussalmi and Raate Road and the lesser-known ones like the “Sausage War”.
The many reports from the war correspondents provide a “real time” element to the story and cover a range of incidents during the war. The famous American female war reporter and later author, Virginia Cowles, filed this story for her readers covering aspects of the Russian bombing campaign:
"It is difficult to describe indiscriminate aerial warfare against a civilian population in a country with a temperature thirty degrees Fahrenheit below zero. But if you can visualize farm girls stumbling through snow for the uncertain safety of their cellars; bombs falling on frozen villages unprotected by a single anti-aircraft gun; men standing helplessly in front of blazing buildings with no apparatus to fight the fires, and others desperately trying to salvage their belongings from burning wreckage - if you can visualize these things and picture even the children in remote hamlets wearing white covers over their coats as camouflage against low-flying Russian machine gunners - you can get some idea of what this war was like."
Overall this is a great story and one that I think would be suitable for a first read on the Winter War.
August 21, 2020
Despite the thickness of the book, I found this to be an enjoyable and easy read. There's a cast of people the author writes about, so each chapter is broken up into easy to digest vignettes usually just a page or two long as he describes the events and bounces around from person to person and event to event. It's not as disruptive as it sounds. Basically, what it meant to me was that I could read a few pages here and there without breaking up the train of thought or the flow of the book, because it's like it was written to be read that way.
As for the content, it provided a deeper understanding of the war that is often glossed over in other history books. The behind the scenes political maneuverings of Great Britain and France were also illuminating. It was quite a surprise to see how they actually considered intervening as a means to secure Sweden's iron ore while on their way to "rescue" Finland from the USSR. Recall that this war occurred during the "phony war" lull in WW2 where Germany and USSR were still at peace and France had not been invaded yet. So many what-ifs to contemplate. And the USSR truly feared such an intervention, so that led them to end the war on less harsh terms then expected. And it helps explain why Finland embarked on "The Continuation War" (as they called it) when they decided to side w/ Germany later in WW2 in an attempt to recover some of their lost territory from the Winter War.
As a sidenote, there's also a Finnish movie called The Winter War (Talvisota) that's worth viewing. Available on DVD for some time now w/ English subtitles, not sure if it's available for streaming.
As for the content, it provided a deeper understanding of the war that is often glossed over in other history books. The behind the scenes political maneuverings of Great Britain and France were also illuminating. It was quite a surprise to see how they actually considered intervening as a means to secure Sweden's iron ore while on their way to "rescue" Finland from the USSR. Recall that this war occurred during the "phony war" lull in WW2 where Germany and USSR were still at peace and France had not been invaded yet. So many what-ifs to contemplate. And the USSR truly feared such an intervention, so that led them to end the war on less harsh terms then expected. And it helps explain why Finland embarked on "The Continuation War" (as they called it) when they decided to side w/ Germany later in WW2 in an attempt to recover some of their lost territory from the Winter War.
As a sidenote, there's also a Finnish movie called The Winter War (Talvisota) that's worth viewing. Available on DVD for some time now w/ English subtitles, not sure if it's available for streaming.
July 2, 2024
Considering that this version of the book originated from the University of Kansas Press, I was expecting more a revisiting of the tactical and operational aspects of the conflict. Instead, this is basically a general history of the "Winter War," with the author trying to give you the flavor of how the war was experienced, why Finland became the cause of the moment, and how this fight fit into the war that London & Paris really wanted to fight; one against Moscow. However, Field Marshall Mannerheim of Finland was canny enough to realize that his mission was to save the country, not win the war, and becoming a pawn of the Allies was a road to ruin. This is very good book for the general reader.
Originally written: December 19, 2019.
Originally written: December 19, 2019.
January 14, 2016
Teksti eteni jouhevasti ja sitä oli helppo lukea. Ei juututtu liikaa sotataktiikan selittämiseen, josta keskiverto sotakirjallisuuden lukija ei välttämättä saa kauheasti irti. Toisaalta kirjassa kyllä hypittiin ajoittain päivistä toiseen ja sitten vain todettiin, että kiirehdittiin asioiden edelle. Olettaisin, että kirjan rakenteen olisi saanut tehtyä myös kronologisesti päivä kerrallaan eteneväksi. Muutamia virheitäkin kirjassa oli, mm. puolustusministerin ja opetusministerin nimet menivät pariin kertaan sekaisin. Yllätyin miten hyvin ulkomaalainen oli saanut selvää suomalaisia sodassa ajaneesta sisäisestä palosta, sisusta ja isänmaallisuudesta.
March 20, 2022
Kirja, joka jokaisen suomalaisen tulisi lukea. Tältä talvisota näytti ulkomaailman silmin.
80 vuotta vanhat tapahtumat ovat taas ajankohtaisia, kun Venäjä käy Ukrainaa vastaan sotaa samalla tyylillä.
Ensin tulevat vaatimukset
Sitten tulee lavastettu isku, josta saadaan tekosyy hyökkäykseen
Talvisotakin oli erikoisoperaatio: puna-armeijan oli määrä marssia Helsinkiin viikossa Stalinin syntymäpäivän kunniaksi
Neuvostoliitolla oli käsitys, että suomalaiset toivottaisivat heidät tervetulleiksi (käsitys oli, että suomalaiset näkevät nälkää)
Neuvostoliitto halusi vaihtaa Suomen hallituksen
Sotilaat olivat huonosti varustautuneet (monilla oli 40 asteen pakkasessa vain ohuet nahkakengät ja piippa, sotilaat kulkivat lumessa kävellen, eivät osanneet hiihtää)
Neuvostoliitto pommitti siviilikohteita, mutta kiisti teot ja väitti pommitusten olevan ruokatoimituksia (suomalaiset alkoivat kutsua Venäjän pommeja Molotovin leipäkoreiksi)
Jotkut venäläiset sotilaat teeskentelivät olevansa Suomen sotilaita
Suomi sai kauhean määrän hylättyä tai vallattua neuvostokalustoa.
Vielä:
Neuvostoliiton miestappiot olivat melkein vähintään viisinkertaiset Suomeen nähden. Jopa kymmenkertaisista tappioista on puhuttu.
Suomi todella sympattiin Yhdysvalloissa, mutta aseapua ei tullut
Rauhanehdot olivat Suomelle ankarat, eikä Stalin itse neuvotellut tai saapunut rauhansopimuksen allekirjoitustilanteeseen
Neuvostoliiton huono suoritus talvisodassa oli Hitlerille kannustin hyökätä Neuvostoliittoon. Neuvostoliitto paransi armeijansa toimintaa talvisodan aikana ja sen jälkeen. Myöhemmin Hitler epäili, että talvisota oli Neuvostoliitolta esitys ja ansa, jolla tahallaan haluttiin antaa heikko kuva Neuvostoliiton armeijasta.
80 vuotta vanhat tapahtumat ovat taas ajankohtaisia, kun Venäjä käy Ukrainaa vastaan sotaa samalla tyylillä.
Ensin tulevat vaatimukset
Sitten tulee lavastettu isku, josta saadaan tekosyy hyökkäykseen
Talvisotakin oli erikoisoperaatio: puna-armeijan oli määrä marssia Helsinkiin viikossa Stalinin syntymäpäivän kunniaksi
Neuvostoliitolla oli käsitys, että suomalaiset toivottaisivat heidät tervetulleiksi (käsitys oli, että suomalaiset näkevät nälkää)
Neuvostoliitto halusi vaihtaa Suomen hallituksen
Sotilaat olivat huonosti varustautuneet (monilla oli 40 asteen pakkasessa vain ohuet nahkakengät ja piippa, sotilaat kulkivat lumessa kävellen, eivät osanneet hiihtää)
Neuvostoliitto pommitti siviilikohteita, mutta kiisti teot ja väitti pommitusten olevan ruokatoimituksia (suomalaiset alkoivat kutsua Venäjän pommeja Molotovin leipäkoreiksi)
Jotkut venäläiset sotilaat teeskentelivät olevansa Suomen sotilaita
Suomi sai kauhean määrän hylättyä tai vallattua neuvostokalustoa.
Vielä:
Neuvostoliiton miestappiot olivat melkein vähintään viisinkertaiset Suomeen nähden. Jopa kymmenkertaisista tappioista on puhuttu.
Suomi todella sympattiin Yhdysvalloissa, mutta aseapua ei tullut
Rauhanehdot olivat Suomelle ankarat, eikä Stalin itse neuvotellut tai saapunut rauhansopimuksen allekirjoitustilanteeseen
Neuvostoliiton huono suoritus talvisodassa oli Hitlerille kannustin hyökätä Neuvostoliittoon. Neuvostoliitto paransi armeijansa toimintaa talvisodan aikana ja sen jälkeen. Myöhemmin Hitler epäili, että talvisota oli Neuvostoliitolta esitys ja ansa, jolla tahallaan haluttiin antaa heikko kuva Neuvostoliiton armeijasta.
March 2, 2018
A very good book about all the aspects of this forgotten part of the Second World War. Sander uses a lot of the views of the media coverage and shows how Finland was all the rage in the west for their stand against the Soviet Union The author goes from western capitals to Helsinki and then to the front and then again showing the overall show that was the war. It was the only war with actual fighting which is forgotten about today as we focus on the battles after forgetting that for a while the war looked very different.
A great book to get to know the war and the main Finnish players in the fight. I do wish he briefly discussed the Continuation War to show how vengeance lead to more fighting and how World War II ended for Finland.
A great book to get to know the war and the main Finnish players in the fight. I do wish he briefly discussed the Continuation War to show how vengeance lead to more fighting and how World War II ended for Finland.
February 17, 2021
Perusjuoni ja lopputulos toki tiedossa, mutta kyllä tämä Gordon Sanderin teos toi paljon lisää - sekä strategioiden ja skenaarioiden mutta ehkä ennen kaikkea tunnelmien ja ihmisten tasolla. Kirjassa oli aika paljon tarinoita kansainvälisiltä sotareporttereilta Kämpistä. Kannatti lukea.
December 31, 2019
Excellent account of the Winter War. A must read for those who want a better understanding of what happened in those eventful days when Russia was our enemy and not an ally.
January 19, 2022
Excellent.
April 18, 2023
Gordon F. Sander yhdistää kauniisti politiikan, diplomaattiset keskustelut sekä mottitaistelut rintamalla, ilman että mikään jää toisen varjoon.
January 4, 2013
Äärmiselt huvitav ja hästi loetav pilguheit Talvesõjale. Fennofiilist ameeriklane Gordon F. Sander kombineerib Eestis tuntud (nt Max Jakobson "Talvesõja dplomaatia"; C.G.Mannerheimi mälestused) ja tundmata vaadet Talvesõjale (hulga inglise ja ameerika ajakirjanike memuaarid Talvesõjaaegsest Soomest ja kirjeldused lääneriikide meediast, rahva ja poliitikute seas levinud meelsustest) teksti rikastavad katked intervjuudest veteranidega mõlemalt poolt.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews