Is Finland an Ally of Nazi Germany? - Carl Gustaf Mannerheim - WW2 Biography Special

[@WorldWarTwo]

The story surrounding that secret recording of Hitler's speech really is a fascinating piece of history that we unfortunately didn't really have the space to get into in this episode. It is thanks to Thor Damen that we have them. Apparently when the SS guards realized what he was doing they silently signaled a cutthroat gesture to him. The rest of the story you'll have to look up yourself. The recording itself is very easy to find on KZbin so go check it out if you haven't heard it already, the softness of Hitler's voice really will surprise you. Something else may surprise you, but it really shouldn't by now. We have rules of conduct. Please keep to them when commenting: community.timeghost.tv/t/rules-of-conduct/4518

[@luxembourgishempire2826]

8:34 YES YOU MENTIONED US!

[@WorldWarTwo]

@@luxembourgishempire2826 we were hoping you'd share the heat with us on this one?

[@KatrinaLeFaye]

While listening to a recording is informational, your programs have become more educational, at least to me. Please do a special report on this secret recordings...

[@percamihai-marco7157]

If you haven't already read it, I recommend you to read Marshall Mannerheim's Memoires. Yes, they are subjective, of course, but they also give you a good picture of one of the most important period in Finland's history: the period from 1917 until 1945.

[@demrandom]

It also shows the complete lack of intelligence the germans had of soviet matters. "If a general had come to me and said "the soviets have 35000 tanks", i would've declared him insane. Yet here were are, 35000 confirmed tank kills later, _and they still have tanks_" For reference, that's more then half of what the entire axis would produce during the war, this early in the war- the total would rise to triple that for the USSR alone.

[@somebody754]

You've just summoned all of Finland. Congrats

[@gunman47]

Säkkijärven Polkka and Mika's BT-42 intensifies...

[@FinDan07]

TORILLE

[@AatiNiiranen]

Ny mennään!

[@Pelaaja20]

TORILLE PERKELE

[@AlreadyTakenTag]

@@gunman47 tämä kommenttikenttä kuuluu suur suomelle! :D (finnish)

[@thanos_6.0]

Fun fact: 325 jews were fighting in the Finnish army during the Continuation War while they were fighting side by side with german troops. There were even field synagogs in the presence of german troops.

[@AatiNiiranen]

*Very confused ideoligical warfare*

[@McSlobo]

Four of them were offered iron cross, which they did not accept.

[@mjc8281]

@Fabian Kirchgessner although ironically Jews in Palestine worked with the Nazis to kill Walter Guinness during the war

[@thanos_6.0]

@@McSlobo Wow, interesting. Do you have the name or the source so that I can read more about this

[@thanos_6.0]

@Fabian Kirchgessner Es ist schon echt creepy, dass wir uns immer treffen 😄

[@Artur_M.]

This "all of them" at 2:11 was powerful.

[@TheNismo777]

We are very loyal to our own, that clearly shows it :)

[@camrongray3406]

This is the way

[@Superlegend56]

Imagine wanting to join the reds

[@Itsmyface]

@@Superlegend56 After they have invaded youre homes and killed people you know.

[@SaberusTerras]

Yeah, it's like Soviets: "Hey, we totally took over this place, you're welcome to join us! If you wanna remain Finns, you can leave." Finns: "Thanks, bye!" Soviets: "... well crap."

[@sakarisaikku790]

As a Finn I have to say that this was an exceptionally good, objective summary of how Finland managed the situation after the Winter War up to 1942. Great work guys!

[@trukomf1nn162]

I totally agree with you; a cool analysis without excessive cynicism - I enjoyed watching it.

[@l.a.raustadt518]

As a American with Finnish heritage it is a lesson on survival real world!

[@mattwest1732]

@@l.a.raustadt518 Agreed.

[@GreatPolishWingedHussars]

Wrong! The winter war was already over. This was a new war and Finns were the friends and allies of the Nazi Nation! Finnish President Carl Gustaf Mannerheim named the Nazi soldiers in a letter to Adolf Hitler: "Our German brothers-in-arms..." Obvious, Finland was an ally of the criminal Nazi nation and also took part in the raid on the Soviet Union in 1941. The Finns fought side by side with these criminal mass murderers. Finland did this to conquer territory. Apparently Finland not only wanted the lost territories of the Winter War of 1940, but also wanted to take other territories away from the Soviets. The Finnish parliament declared that the aim of the war was to restore the areas lost during the winter war and to gain more areas in the east in order to create a Greater Finland. President Ryti said this to the Finnish Parliament in 1941. By September 1941, the Finns recaptured the territories lost in the Winter War. However, the Finnish Army continued the offensive past the pre-1939 border with the conquest of Soviet territories, as well as halting only around 30-32 km (19-20 mi) from the center of Leningrad, where they participated in besieging the city by cutting its northern supply routes and digging in until 1944. The Finnish fleet also participated in the sea blockade of the city. It would have been terrible if the Nazi Nation had won together with the Finns the 2nd world war. This victory would have meant the destruction of the Soviet Union and various genocides against the Slavic peoples of the Soviet Union. But also elsewhere they would have exterminated the Slavs, for example in Poland, whereby they would also have exterminated certain nonslavic nations. It's a fact that the attack of 1941 served to support the Germans in completely destroying the Soviet Union. The Finns also knew what the Germans were doing, because they were there at the siege of Leningrad. In addition, the Finns also supported the German attack on the Soviet city of Murmansk and tried to besiege this city together with the Germans. The Finns wanted more than just to retake the lost territories. The Finns wanted to benefit from the expected German victory over the Soviet Union and additionally conquer more Soviet territory. To win, the Finns supported the Nazi nation in the criminal siege of Leningrad, which was part of the racist war of annihilation against the Slavic population of the Soviet Union. Because the siege was intended to exterminate the population of Leningrad. That's why 1 million people died in Leningrad largely by starvation. Mostly civilians. Which shows that the Finns didn't care that millions of civilians died in this war. The Finns also attacked and besieged Murmansk together with the Germans, which was definitely not a Finnish city either. That is why Great Britain declared war on the Finns and attacked Finnish troops with bombers too. Finland was so the enemy of liberators of Europe because Finland has allied itself with absolute evil.

[@Sebastian-ot6cp]

"East Karelia has never been a part of Finland" 😂 Of course it has.. Karjala have been there before swedish and russians even...

[@steenkigerrider5340]

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend" That certainly goes for Finland and Mannerheim.

[@steenkigerrider5340]

@lati long Indeed, and they paid a price for that in the "Winter War". And, during the "Cold War", there was something called "Finlandization" were, on a regular basis, the Soviet ambassador in Finland would pop by to "friendly" instruct.

[@fuggoff5277]

this may explain why the swedes delivered the wrong caliber of artillery shells to Finland

[@11DNA11]

@@steenkigerrider5340 And got his ass slapped most of the time. We called them "Laukkuryssä" in Finland. Raw translation would be "Suitcase Ruskie", because they carried a suitcase filled with communist propaganda.

[@mikitz]

@@11DNA11 They predate communism and they were (generally Eastern-Karelian) traveling merchants, nothing to do with politics.

[@PartikleVT]

@@mikitz You are talking about a different thing. They are talking about cold war, you know when that was right...

[@DisgruntledHippo]

"But they decline, all of them". Damn.

[@anaccountmusthaveaname9110]

Wonder why.

[@FakeAssHandsomeMcGee_]

Who wants to be a Soviet citizen anyways?

[@nihalbhandary162]

@@FakeAssHandsomeMcGee_ Mongolians ? lol

[@apilolomi]

@@FakeAssHandsomeMcGee_ Some people would be

[@MrTurpasauna]

Well, they would've faced similar treatment as the baltic people. Persecution, mass deportations, executions & living in horrible conditions at collective farms as 2nd class citizens.

[@heh9392]

It's crazy how my dads old elementary school in Mikkeli, was actually Mannerheims HQ just 40 years prior him going to school there, now it's a museum building explaining many of the same things as in this video.

[@alkiskie8044]

Is it even crazier to think that I as a millenial still went to that same school?. My 3rd grade classroom was right next to Mannerheim's office and after every recess I ran the same steps the officers had walked on. This wasn't that long ago.. Well maybe it was.

[@heh9392]

@@alkiskie8044 hmm, crazier would be if you even knew my dad, he is turning 50 this next monday btw.

[@RottaOnRotta]

i live in mikkeli and my dad has been in the mannerheims office so he has sat and ate at the same table as mannerheim and hitler

[@heh9392]

@@RottaOnRotta Hitler ei koskaan käyny Mikkelissä, ja oon mäkin siellä käyny...

[@heh9392]

@@RottaOnRotta Se vaunu joka on siin rautatieasemalla just sen pitkän alamäen tien päässä, niin se on replika siitä kyseisestä tapaamisvaunusta, jossa ne kaks tapas sit.

[@CptMustamursu]

In case someone is wondering what's up with the swastikas hanging from Mannerheim's neck in this video's thumbnail picture, that is the "Grand Cross of the White Rose of Finland with Collar" which was designed in 1919 by one of the greatest painters in Finland, Akseli Gallen-Kallela. The swastikas were replaced in 1963 after some feedback from foreign recipients of the chain :)

[@thedreadtyger]

that swastika is the Sampo, the Mill of Heaven, from the Kalevala

[@XtreeM_FaiL]

De Gaulle was the first offender.

[@Oxtocoatl13]

@@XtreeM_FaiL And to be fair, I kind of do understand why Charles de Gaulle might have some qualms about wearing a swastika, no matter all the "ours is older than the German one"-talk.

[@XtreeM_FaiL]

@@Oxtocoatl13 He would have shat his pants if he ever visited India.

[@martijn9568]

@@XtreeM_FaiL Well when most Europeans would have gone to India just after the war they would have shat their pants too. Nowadays they'd probably notice it, joke about it and then move on.

[@korbell1089]

Mannerheim: "I'm just a soldier!" Also Mannerheim: "Which world leader do I talk to today?"

[@craiga2002]

Mannerheim - "May the hand that signs this paper (The Russian peace treaty) wither away!" He had a stroke a while later, which paralyzed that hand.

[@bige1106]

@@craiga2002 One of the few men Stalin actually respected!

[@ristusnotta1653]

@@craiga2002 wasnt that Kyösti Kallio, the president of Finland during Winter War that said that?

[@timoterava7108]

@@ristusnotta1653 Indeed it was Kyösti Kallio.

[@JutiMayranen]

@@craiga2002 Kyösti Kallio after he signed the peace treaty with the Soviets after the Winter war

[@valentinstoyanov304]

"The Unknown Soldier" is a great movie about the Continuation War.

[@turtle2720]

Aka "Tuntematon Sotilas" and is a short TV-series (5 episodes) on Netflix in Scandinavia. Great movie/series!

[@mikkovaittinen3835]

Read the book, it is Finnish national treasure and best one.

[@yourstruly4817]

I like Jim Morrison's 1968 version

[@saulgoodmansentme1992]

@@yourstruly4817 K

[@turtle2720]

@@suissais4732 Thanks for correcting me. I will edit my previous comment :)

[@peltimies2469]

This Mannerheim guy sounds like a nice fellow. Don't see how i could be biased.

[@aahpuuh]

69 likes is too good to break.

[@peltimies2469]

@@aahpuuh understandable, have a nice day.

[@aahpuuh]

@@peltimies2469 thank you, sir.

[@christinesmyth7785]

I see now how one could not want to side with Germany, although knowing now what the Soviet Government was doing previously to WWII to it's own citizens. ( The Gulag) being neutral between two monsters would be a very tough situation.

[@emilv.3693]

Don't see how a guy who is also named Emil could possibly be bad

[@washubrain]

Mannerheim did an incredible job of fighting and diplomacy at almost impossible odds. Finland, unlike Poland, Hungary and the Baltic states never fell under power of Stalin and USSR. I bet he is one of the national heroes much respected in Finland.

[@axelpatrickb.pingol3228]

But still become a sockpuppet to the Soviets that gave rise to the term "Finlandization" to refer to their inability to say "no" to Soviet demands...

[@RaGzQ]

@@axelpatrickb.pingol3228 Still much better than the alternative of becoming a communist state which most likely would have happend if there was no "Finlandization".

[@nordicfella8004]

@@axelpatrickb.pingol3228 Are you familiar with Vito Corleone's guide of "How to say no". Basically you have to say no so that it sounds like yes. That's Finnish foreign policy in a nutshell.

[@calbackk]

@@axelpatrickb.pingol3228 Your comment shows typical lack of lack of knowledge and understanding of Finland. Just as the co-fighting with Germany was the only possible way during the war 41-44, "Finlandization" was in fact a wise strategy during the cold war, that once again saved Finland, and is an important rooth cause to Finlands standing today. Finlands cooperation with the Soviet Union, although it may have appeared submissive on the surface, actually also brought many benefits in terms of economic and industrial development.

[@eemelianttonen8641]

@@axelpatrickb.pingol3228 Sockpuppet that is ranked the happiest country in the world atm and is in fact the only country ever to pay war reparations in full. Without marshall aid. Better to go along than say fuck you to a country 30times larger than you maybe?

[@OdesThundagod]

"When picking between the devil and 'perkele', you tend to make mistakes" -Some unknown finnish man, as told to his neighbour after asking why he aided the germans

[@rockCity777]

To ruin the joke by explaining it: It's actually a choice between "Saatana" and "Perkele", with the former obviously being a finnification of "Satan", and the latter being both a word for a pre-christian pagan god, and another synonym for the devil. And of course, both are commonly used curse-words. So the joke is that the choice was between two barely different kinds of devil, and neither of them is pleasant.

[@OdesThundagod]

@@rockCity777 Close, the actual 1st word was "Piru", but same difference. This was something my great-grandfather said, and has been retold to me by my grandmother. He seems to have been quite quick-witted with his words, which is very much a Central finnish mannerism

[@aritakalo8011]

Then again I wonder how siding with the other devil aka Stalin would have ended up. Like would the other allies have guaranteed Finlands independence and security in exchange of siding against Hitler with them and Stalin. Could they have. * Finland: Hey Stalin... we forget you invaded us and fight with you against Germany and you leave us alone? * Stalin: I promise on Comrade Trotsky's grave, that I will leave you alone. * Finland: hehehe.... This is going to end up so well * Stalin: hey how about I send 15 divisions in Finland to help in the fight against Germany... purely temporarily * Finland: so welll............ * UK and USA: So so Uncle Joe you werent supposed to conquer Finland. * Stalin: What you gonna do about it now dear war allies? * UK and USA: Nothing our dear ally, just wanted it to be noted that we think that was naughty for historical record. Do or don't, you are in the shit. Atleast the German option had the glimmer of hope of victory and Greater Finland at the beginning instead of certain destruction on the other hand. The honourable option of course would have fought all of Japan, USA, USSR, , Australia, China, UK and Germany to stay completely neutral... all of them at once..... without anyone providing us grain or war supplies..... Like that was going to be a glorious fight to last breath. Since that was pretty much the only actually "honorable" way to act without having to be allying with any mass murderers. If we Finns get called Nazis for being war allies with Hitler, I call dips on getting to call Americans, Brits, Canadians and Australians Stalinists for siding with USSR during WWII. Everybody had nasty bed fellows, since two of the major war machines in the globe at the time were run by mass murdering maniacs.

[@lynnpayne9519]

Perkele was originally the pre christian God of love. Being in love leads to hell, death and madness!

[@RobTzu]

@@aritakalo8011 Agreed. Some times there is no good option.

[@hokkikokki]

Quite often is referred Finns got military support from Germany, but almost every time is forgotten that Finland relied hugely on German food supplies. Germany was almost only country selling us desperately needed grain, lard and such supplies. Germany even threatened to cut food supplies at the end of the war, to make Finland continue fighting.

[@XtreeM_FaiL]

And what is always forgotten is that Germany was an allie of USSR untill 1941 and stoppend Italy's help to Finland in 1939.

[@GreatPolishWingedHussars]

Ridiculous claim! The Finns certainly did not have to be forced into an alliance with the Germans. By the way, if Finland had been neutral, Finland, like Sweden, would not have problems with food supplies. The Finns had problems with food supply because they took part in the raid of the Soviet Union. By the way, Finns were the friends of the Nazi Nation! Finnish President Carl Gustaf Mannerheim named the Nazi soldiers in a letter to Adolf Hitler: "Our German brothers-in-arms..." Obvious, Finland was an ally of the criminal Nazi nation and also took part in the raid on the Soviet Union in 1941. The Finns fought side by side with these criminal mass murderers. Finland did this to conquer territory. Apparently Finland not only wanted the lost territories of the Winter War of 1940, but also wanted to take other territories away from the Soviets. The Finnish parliament declared that the aim of the war was to restore the areas lost during the winter war and to gain more areas in the east in order to create a Greater Finland. President Ryti said this to the Finnish Parliament in 1941. By September 1941, the Finns recaptured the territories lost in the Winter War. However, the Finnish Army continued the offensive past the pre-1939 border with the conquest of Soviet territories, as well as halting only around 30-32 km (19-20 mi) from the center of Leningrad, where they participated in besieging the city by cutting its northern supply routes and digging in until 1944. The Finnish fleet also participated in the sea blockade of the city. To win, the Finns supported the Nazi nation in the criminal siege of Leningrad, which was part of the racist war of annihilation against the Slavic population of the Soviet Union. Because the siege was intended to wipe out the population of Leningrad. That's why 1 million people died in Leningrad largely by starvation. Mostly civilians. Which shows that the Finns didn't care that millions of civilians died in this war. The Finns also attacked and besieged Murmansk together with the Germans, which was definitely not a Finnish city either. It would have been terrible if the Nazi Nation had won together with the Finns the 2nd world war. This victory would have meant the destruction of the Soviet Union and various genocides against the Slavic peoples of the Soviet Union. But also elsewhere they would have exterminated the Slavs, for example in Poland, whereby they would also have exterminated certain nonslavic nations. It's a fact that the attack of 1941 served to support the Germans in completely destroying the Soviet Union. The Finns also knew what the Germans were doing, because they were there at the siege of Leningrad. In addition, the Finns also supported the German attack on the Soviet city of Murmansk and tried to besiege this city together with the Germans. The Finns wanted more than just to retake the lost territories. The Finns wanted to benefit from the expected German victory over the Soviet Union and additionally conquer more Soviet territory. To win, the Finns supported the Nazi nation in the criminal siege of Leningrad, which was part of the racist war of annihilation against the Slavic population of the Soviet Union. Because the siege was intended to exterminate the population of Leningrad. That's why 1 million people died in Leningrad largely by starvation. Mostly civilians. Which shows that the Finns didn't care that millions of civilians died in this war. The Finns also attacked and besieged Murmansk together with the Germans, which was definitely not a Finnish city either. That is why Great Britain declared war on the Finns and attacked Finnish troops with bombers too. Finland was so the enemy of liberators of Europe because Finland has allied itself with absolute evil.

[@wederMaxim]

@@XtreeM_FaiL Forgets? No, everyone remembers it. Unlike the Munich conspiracy and phrases like "Germany is the anti-Bolshevik shield of Europe!"

[@benismann]

​@@XtreeM_FaiL allies in question: invaded poland after it was already destroyhed, basically stealing german gains trading (wtf countries can trade with each other??? no way) ... oh it looks like that's all. hmm

[@RoyalMela]

@@XtreeM_FaiL Not only Italy, but French and British aid too.

[@AlreadyTakenTag]

12:53 In this part of the video you mentioned the private train where Hitler and Mannerheim met and I would like to add something to that. The train where they met still exists (as a sort of a museum/attraction). It's not in a very well known location and it's currently next to a Shell gas station in Sastamala. I visited the train some time ago myself.

[@Raccoon_A]

mitä hittoa? Laita tarkempi osoite? Streetview:llä en junanvaunua nähny

[@AlreadyTakenTag]

@@Raccoon_A tässä: Pirkanmaantie 1057, 38220 Sastamala Tuolla sen pitäisi olla Nykyään se valitettavasti on paikoillaan oleva museokalu.

[@spufsn]

@@Raccoon_A www.kiskokabinetti.net/marskin-salonkivaunu/

[@CeeCeeOy]

Meeting took place in Imatra, small side railtrack to Tainionkoski paperfactory. Hitlers airplane almost hit the factory chimney.

[@64ankka]

The train car where Mannerheim and Hitler dined is indeed in Sastamala. However, the train car where they later discussed and where the unique recording was made is in Mikkeli, right at the railway station. That one is only open for public once a year, on 4th June (Mannerheim's birthday and anniversary of the visit). Can recommend! Wikipedia page of the two train cars (in Finnish): fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marsalkka_Mannerheimin_salonkivaunut

[@mieoonj]

As Hitler was about to visit Finland, Mannerheim was planning a dinner menu with his aide-de-camp for the visit: - I will take a cigar between these courses. - But Sir, Hitler doesn't like smoking. - But I do and I am the host.

[@HighAdmiral]

Mannerheim was a smoker? Ew. That certainly makes me think less of him.

[@Aalju]

@@HighAdmiral Can't tell if you're kidding, but it was the 40's...

[@jounisuninen]

@@HighAdmiral Mannerheim did not smoke cigarettes, only cigars specially hand-made for him.

[@franciscopuig212]

@@HighAdmiral 9

[@jimi1943]

@@HighAdmiral high quality cigars not just any smokes

[@dzejrid]

"Tell all your friends about us." Damn, since Indy insists, I guess now I will have to make some friends...

[@hscollier]

🤣😂😅😂!! That’s what I thought too.

[@viceroy1980]

ROFL

[@jaysalisbury193]

I’ll be your friend, I’ll consider myself told by you. Well done, mission accomplished!

[@joule400]

Finland: *has trouble with the soviet unions aggression* Allies: *thoughts and prayers* Germany: "heres some planes, guns, ammo and such" No wonder finland ended up working with germany on some level

[@l.a.raustadt518]

Yes they had zero offers of help when needed. Look at Russia right now, they do not give a "F".

[@liammoy5911]

To be fair, the French and British attempted to send aid in material and troops to Finland. However, Norway and Sweden denied transit through their lands for fear the countries would be drawn into the war.

[@swedishstyle9778]

@@liammoy5911 well the troops was not meant to be going to Finland, but insteed to take Swedish Iron mines.

[@Putput-se5ew]

yeah and lets not forget the 200 000 men the germans send to help us which is more than anyone has ever done to us

[@liammoy5911]

@@swedishstyle9778 that's not true. Where is your source?

[@fireiron369]

Calling Finland Fascist for allying the Nazis is like calling the USSR Capitalist for allying with the U.K. and USA. Allies of convenience does not mean ideological allies, just look at Bulgaria for an example.

[@Davey-Boyd]

Very well put

[@Soundbrigade]

“Our enemy’s enemy ....”.

[@aritakalo8011]

or UK and USA being Stalinists. To put it more on same frame of "you allied with a mass murderer". Yeah we Finns did. So did freaking everybody. Since one major player on both main sides was a mad mass murdering dictator. Only about clean people in this conflict were the neutrals so far away everyone left them alone. So say South Americans and some Africans as far as I understand. Oh and those neutrals who just got run over immediately. They also didn't ally with mass murderer, instead they got conquered by a mass murderers. Everyone else was allied to mass murdering Germans and/or mass murdering Japanese or allied with Mass murdering Soviets.

[@stevekaczynski3793]

@Fabian Kirchgessner After a failed Communist coup attempt in the 1920s in Bulgaria, there were persistent rumours that the police fed some of the participants alive into a furnace in headquarters. I don't think it was proved but certainly some of the arrested were never seen alive later. Later an arrested Communist leader, Traicho Kostov, was tortured, then taken back to his cell. The police took him out for another session and he managed to break away and flung himself down two or three storeys in a suicide attempt. He survived but the spinal injuries left him hunchbacked. Fascist - I would say so.

[@Birkarl_]

@@aritakalo8011 FDR was a legit complete socialist though

[@frederickoftheartic2209]

Mapping Channels: Here are the main alliances. The Axis, allies and *Finland*

[@GarioTheRock]

**silence of Swiss restraint**

[@kaiserwilhelmii1827]

All equally powerful

[@GarioTheRock]

@@kaiserwilhelmii1827 Finnish shpionin spotted ~.~ radioing back to Moskva

[@bige1106]

@@GarioTheRock well the Finns did have to go to war to defend themselves, and remained a free nation, so three is that! Also of note, most Finns enjoy silence!

[@vantuz8264]

Starving citisens of Leningrad and civilians on land occupied by finns would disagree.

[@michaelsinger4638]

Finland had long standing issues with Russia. And they had just been attacked by the Soviets during the Winter War. I’m pretty sure it was a case of “the enemy of my enemy is my friend, for now.”

[@DPRK_Best_Korea]

Yeah, the Soviet Union was basically begging for payback.

[@goldbullet50]

Nah, Germans were involved in the Finnish civil war, trained Finnish Jäegers in Germany and when Finland was about to become a monarchy, their king would've been German. Ties between Germany and Finland were strong already without the Soviet invasion, and during the continuation war, all Finnish political and military leaders had sympathies towards Germany.

[@taekatanahu635]

@@goldbullet50 Ironically Germans were also involved in the Russian Civil War by aiding the Bolsheviks. Divide and conquer, I guess...

[@taekatanahu635]

@@goldbullet50 All Finnish political and military leaders had sympathies towards Germany? That could not be further from the truth. If you are Finnish, go read some books and first hand accounts. If you're not, then keep your mouth shut if you don't know what you are talking about.

[@stephenwood6663]

@@taekatanahu635 Kinda-sorta. The Whites sought to maintain Allied support by persisting in their resolution to oppose Germany. The Bolsheviks, for their part, were keen to bring an end to the fighting, per their promises of "Peace, Land, Bread", ultimately resulting in the treaty of Brest-Litovsk in March 1918 - something which the Allies interpreted as a betrayal, causing them to offer their support to the Whites. Ironically, the first British landings came at the request of the Murmansk Soviet, who feared a German attack on the town. The British troops arrived on the 4th of March, the day after the signing of the treaty of Brest-Litovsk. Basically, the Russian Civil War was a confused clusterfrag of a conflict, but I can hardly blame the Germans for being interested in its outcome: as long as the Whites don't win, their eastern front is secure, and they can concentrate their forces in the west to face the British and French.

[@kariluukas2030]

My father was a Finnish soldier during the Continuation War. The reds from the civil war who were on the Finnish side used to say that "now the butcher is on our side."

[@finnishboo4192]

Wha?

[@finnishboo4192]

@@jjjjjaakko oh good

[@finnishboo4192]

@Finnic Patriot fuck the commies

[@finnishboo4192]

@Finnic Patriot oli kyllå surullista mitä heille tehtiin mutta niih

[@suissais4732]

@@jjjjjaakko the reds executed many whites to they are hypocrites

[@fireline4765]

My bestfriend (whom I consider a brother) is half Finnish half American. I got the chance to visit Helsinki and Jyväskylä around two years ago, and have another chance to visit in late September. To this day I consider Finland to be a second home, and a culture that is close to my heart. Hyvää Päivänjakoa!😁

[@GreatPolishWingedHussars]

What a stupid question! They were the friends of the Nazi Nation! Finnish President Carl Gustaf Mannerheim named the Nazi soldiers in a letter to Adolf Hitler: "Our German brothers-in-arms..." Obvious, Finland was an ally of the criminal Nazi nation and also took part in the raid on the Soviet Union in 1941. The Finns fought side by side with these criminal mass murderers. Finland did this to conquer territory. Apparently Finland not only wanted the lost territories of the Winter War of 1940, but also wanted to take other territories away from the Soviets. The Finnish parliament declared that the aim of the war was to restore the areas lost during the winter war and to gain more areas in the east in order to create a Greater Finland. President Ryti said this to the Finnish Parliament in 1941. By September 1941, the Finns recaptured the territories lost in the Winter War. However, the Finnish Army continued the offensive past the pre-1939 border with the conquest of Soviet territories, as well as halting only around 30-32 km (19-20 mi) from the center of Leningrad, where they participated in besieging the city by cutting its northern supply routes and digging in until 1944. The Finnish fleet also participated in the sea blockade of the city. To win, the Finns supported the Nazi nation in the criminal siege of Leningrad, which was part of the racist war of annihilation against the Slavic population of the Soviet Union. Because the siege was intended to wipe out the population of Leningrad. That's why 1 million people died in Leningrad largely by starvation. Mostly civilians. Which shows that the Finns didn't care that millions of civilians died in this war. The Finns also attacked and besieged Murmansk together with the Germans, which was definitely not a Finnish city either. It would have been terrible if the Nazi Nation had won together with the Finns the 2nd world war. This victory would have meant the destruction of the Soviet Union and various genocides against the Slavic peoples of the Soviet Union. But also elsewhere they would have exterminated the Slavs, for example in Poland, whereby they would also have exterminated certain nonslavic nations. It's a fact that the attack of 1941 served to support the Germans in completely destroying the Soviet Union. The Finns also knew what the Germans were doing, because they were there at the siege of Leningrad. In addition, the Finns also supported the German attack on the Soviet city of Murmansk and tried to besiege this city together with the Germans. The Finns wanted more than just to retake the lost territories. The Finns wanted to benefit from the expected German victory over the Soviet Union and additionally conquer more Soviet territory. To win, the Finns supported the Nazi nation in the criminal siege of Leningrad, which was part of the racist war of annihilation against the Slavic population of the Soviet Union. Because the siege was intended to exterminate the population of Leningrad. That's why 1 million people died in Leningrad largely by starvation. Mostly civilians. Which shows that the Finns didn't care that millions of civilians died in this war. The Finns also attacked and besieged Murmansk together with the Germans, which was definitely not a Finnish city either. That is why Great Britain declared war on the Finns and attacked Finnish troops with bombers too. Finland was so the enemy of liberators of Europe because Finland has allied itself with absolute evil. In addition this Wiki link titled East Karelian concentration camps. In the link one can then read the following. Quote: "East Karelian concentration camps were a set of concentration camps operated by the Finnish government in the areas of the Soviet Union occupied by the Finnish military administration during... These camps were organized by the armed forces supreme commander Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim. The mortality rate of civilians in the camps was high due to famine and disease...Significant numbers of Soviets died in this concentration camps. These were many women, children, and the elderly..." Quote end!

[@KenMoss2986]

Isn't there a memorial in Pori today regarding this?

[@squatsnoats6503]

Fun fact: when Mannerheim got information that the Führer would be joining his birthday party he said: Vad I helvete gör han här? (What the hell is he doing here?). He wasn't really too fond of the German supreme leader.

[@somerandomdude409]

As a Swede, that makes me happy (:

[@MarilynFinland]

Lol

[@vilzupuupaa4680]

Now that's a nice piece of information.

[@Gokaes]

ubnderstandable

[@SSGTStryker]

Outstanding Sir! As a military historian, retired-USAF vet and Finn-American w/direct family who served in the Winter War, I found this awesome. Very informative!

[@themouthofsauron7550]

Did they really have a choice? I’m sure they had thought about the fate of Poland several times.

[@anton2192]

As the saying goes, choosing between Germany and Russia is like choosing between the Devil and Satan.

[@kemarisite]

Poland, Karelia, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia ...

[@jokuvaan5175]

@Fabian Kirchgessner I wouldn't say they liberated Finland. They helped the white forces a bit in defeating the reds in the Finnish civil war just like Soviet union aided the reds. Finland had already been independent for like a year before the civil war started. So there wasn't really anything to liberate them from

[@jokuvaan5175]

@@anton2192 In this case the choice was made easier by the fact that the one had invaded them earlier but the other hadn't

[@herrakaarme]

@Fabian Kirchgessner It should have been. However, Germany sold Finland to the Soviet Union in the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. During the Winter War, Germany was actually hampering Finland's fight against the USSR. That alone tells a story of what kind of people the Nazis were. Although, even as a Finn, I don't belong to those who adamantly claim Finland wasn't allied with Germany in any kind of imaginable way, it's still a case of having little choice. Finland had to seek help from one demon to fight another demon. History talks about Winter War and Continuation War, but in the bigger picture Finland was drawn into the 2nd World War when the Soviet Union attacked in 1939. Continuation War wouldn't have happened without the Winter War. Btw, Germany didn't liberate Finland. The Whites would have won even without direct German military help, the Germans just made the civil war end a bit sooner. In fact, Mannerheim didn't want the Germans to intervene in the Finnish civil war, but the decision was out of his hands.

[@lucienromano3493]

Finland was, like every country stuck between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, in a very vulnerable position. They had to make a deal with someone, and after the unprovoked Winter war, it wasn't going to be Stalin. Mannerheim and Finland did very well to negotiate the dangers of WW2 and remain an independent state. There's no shame in that.

[@wederMaxim]

Well, except for the blockade of Leningrad and concentration camps in the occupied territory. Yes....

[@viljanov]

@@wederMaxim You mean internment camps. They weren't for extermination, as the mortality rates would have been much higher

[@juhanivalimaki5418]

@@wederMaxim Russkij history education? 🤦‍♀ Never surprising, always as embarrassing. Only Russians and Nazis had death camps in WW2.

[@HelsinkiFINketeli_berlin_com]

1988 the 14th Dalai Lama visited Helsinki, and nevertheless H. H. had a very tight schedule he insisted on an impromptu visit to the Mannerheim Museum. Why? Well, these two were met before. Mannerheim had met Dalai Lama's earlier, the 13th, incarnation 26th of June 1908 in Wutai Shan and given him a quite unusual gift back then, Browning revolver. Explaining: "The times are such that a revolver may be of greater use, even to a holy man like yourself, than a prayer wheel".

[@jussilaine-bx5cm]

😮

[@Abcdefg-tf7cu]

Irrefutable proof that Mannerheim was just as much of a fascist as his Axis allies

[@taekatanahu635]

This is a recipe for drink they used to do in Mannerheim's family estate, Louhisaaren kartano. The drink is known as Louhisaaren juoma, Lehtimehu or sometimes Marskin sima, as the recipe is pretty similar to sima. 5 liters of water 4 liters of fresh blackcurrant leaves 2 citrons (alternatively 25 grams of citric acid) 500g sugar 1/4 teaspoons of yeast 1. Clean and slice the citrons. Separate the skin (needed) and remove the white parts (not needed). 2. Put citron slices, skin, blackcurrant leaves and sugar into a bucket. Add boiling water. 3. Wait until the liquid is around 37 Celsius (hand temperature). Pour the liquid through gauze to get rid of the leaves. 4. Dissolve yeast into a small amount of lukewarm water and pour them in. 5. Let the drink ferment until the next day. 6. Bottle it and preserve it for a few days somewhere below room temperature (fridge, for example) 7. Done. There are actually many different versions of the recipe. Some use citric acid instead of citrons and not everyone adds yeast. I'm not sure which one is the most authentic one.

[@taekatanahu635]

Forgot to mention, you can mix the drink with carbonated water or drink it as it is.

[@diegolopez276]

"Is Finland an ally of Nazi Germany?" "IS" Did I miss something for that past couple months? Edit: for those who don't understand the joke, he said "is Finland an ally of nazi Germany" and because he put an is he would be referring to the present

[@aleksisuuronen5969]

It was but I guess the question alludes more so into if Finn's really did it more so out of neccesity without any other choice and they did it also without any real respect for Germany. Playing a game with one huge monster to keep other huge monster at bay and maybe survive as a small country in the middle of it.

[@mikitz]

@@454FatJack I can't recall it being a formal war, despite the 10K+ casualties.

[@DonutOfNinja]

@@454FatJack Germany was never an ally to the USSR and they both hated each other. Stalin did say that the war with Germany was inevitable, he was just very wrong about when he thought it was gonna happen

[@patricklundh4738]

@@454FatJack Soviet was never an ally of Nazi-Germany. They had an non-aggression pact, that's all.

[@patricklundh4738]

@@454FatJack Do you also believe in Santa Clause since you are speaking abotu a good side in a war?

[@brianwilliams9706]

It is interesting that the USA never declared war on Finland. It is probably even more interesting that Finish Jewish units fought alongside of German forces.

[@MrHockeycrack]

Yeah and that underlines the "our private" war against USSR stance of Finland.

[@petteriheino9856]

Apparently Mannerheim's comment when hearing of Hitler's visit was "Vad i helvete gör han här?" - What the hell is he doing here?

[@bige1106]

sounds like a true Finnish response to such a predicament, even if it was in the Swedish language!

[@anttibjorklund1869]

@@bige1106 Mannerheim's mother tongue was Swedish.

[@bige1106]

@@anttibjorklund1869 and why I made this statement, even if it was in the Swedish language!

[@tanneristi]

Äärimmäisen mielenkiintoinen video suomalaisesta näkökulmasta! Ei se, että tässä olisi tullut jotain uutta ilmi, mutta se, että tämä oli tehty erittäin hyvillä tiedoilla ja kattavaksi kokonaispaketiksi saa kyllä kehut täältä!

[@WorldWarTwo]

Kiitos!

[@NexusBreeze99]

As a Finn and a fan of the channel, thank you for this. After having read extensively about the subject, I do agree, Finland and Germany were allies in all but name. Well done Indy and crew!

[@stevenbodum3405]

but at the end the finns switched the side as the italians did. the finns were not ready to sacrifice themselfs as the germans did.

[@JohQx3]

​@@stevenbodum3405 It's almost like the Continuation war and operation Barbarossa had different goals.

[@paulwalker5225]

Brothers-im-arms, not allies. Big difference.

[@vibingwithvinyl]

re: on the description I have never seen Mannerheim referred to as Carl Mannerheim. It's always been just Marshal Mannerheim or C.G.E. Mannerheim or by his full name Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim.

[@kevinramsey417]

Stinky to his friends.

[@sasropakis]

He preferred to use his middle name Gustaf. Carl was a very common name in Mannerheim's family and he disliked the name Emil. For example in the recording of his presidential oath he says Gustaf Mannerheim. I don't think that he used the full initials C.G.E. that much even though they are often used nowadays.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Changed the description to better reflect that. Perils of working in an international company where everyone has different assumptions on the primacy of names. Thanks for pointing it out.

[@Oxtocoatl13]

@@sasropakis Considering how Mannerheim's dad AND brother were also named Carl Mannerheim, I can see why he would favor Gustaf.

[@Blairoid]

@@Oxtocoatl13 Actually, there were TWO brothers both named Carl: one was Carl Erik Johan Mannerheim (Gustaf's older brother) and the other was Carl Fridolf Johan Mannerheim (Gustaf's younger brother). Of these, the first mentioned was called Carl and the latter was called Johan.

[@kallekallenen4346]

I think the difficulty in saying that "this is how it is" just proves and emphasizes the multilayered ambiguity of the situation. No one who is honest can prove it black or white but that it seems more that the decisions are made more "on the go" with the goal in mind like Mannerheim states: to ensure the security of finland.

[@soderlund3610]

When your country's and family's existence is at stake, you take the help you get. Thats it.

[@Kagemusha08]

Given the fate every other country that was located between Nazi Germany and the USSR suffered I'd say Finland did what it had to do to ensure the survival of it's people. It was between a rock and a hard place and yet manage to come out the other side after quite a bit of struggle and suffering. Admirable folk.

[@axelpatrickb.pingol3228]

You mean becoming a not-Commie sockpuppet that gave rise to the term "Finlandization"...

[@ExecutiveSonda]

@@axelpatrickb.pingol3228 And? We didn't become a Soviet puppet state like all the eastern European countries.

[@anaccountmusthaveaname9110]

@@axelpatrickb.pingol3228 What feasible outcome you think would have been more preferable?

@@axelpatrickb.pingol3228 Have 1100km border with population of 4 million with Soviet Union and be belligerent, i'd be interested to hear that what dream world that sounds like a good idea during the cold war.

[@herrakaarme]

@Robert Kaevur "You could protest freely but not form parties” What does that mean? Pro-American parties? Countries don't have pro-some-other-nation-parties. Finland is full of political parties, some of them formed during the Cold War. The predecessor of the current big populistic party in Finland was estalished right in the 50's. It was from the beginning a party that blamed the older parties for being too Soviet-friendly, among other things. Your information about the treaty is also inaccurate. It was a non-aggression pact that stipulated that Finland must not allow Germany or its allies (in practice the UK/USA) to use the Finnish territory to attack the USSR. It also said that if Finland is attacked, Finland can ask the Soviet Union for help. However, any such aid is not automatic and must involve Finland asking for it. There was never any military cooperation between the Soviet Union and Finland during the Cold War. The biggest practical/visible effect of Finlandization was self-censorship. Negative news about the Soviet Union were few and far between in Finnish media during the Cold War.

[@muusi5708]

The bottom line is, that if Finland would've again fought the Soviet Union alone, it would've lost it's independence. Look at the state of the former finnish Karelia today and compare it to how it was under Finland. If Finland again became a part of the Soviet Union, the finnish would've been taken to Siberia and replaced with foreigners from the Soviet Union and the whole country would slowly turn into a similar shithole that the former finnish Karelia is now. Mannerheim saved Finland.

[@nicholashollis1522]

@A Y Though Baltic countries may be a bad point of comparison, as their regimes were largely collaborationist and thus were treated less oppressively by the Nazis.

[@Snoike]

@@АМЕРИКАНСКАЯМЕЧТА-я3в Major attractions don't make it the country that it is. Tie your tongue to your uvula and keep it there. Don't speak. Don't type. Keep your vodka & depression fueled thoughts to yourself. Thank you.

[@IdeaOfEvil]

@@АМЕРИКАНСКАЯМЕЧТА-я3в We make 5x your median salary per month ahahahah

[@АМЕРИКАНСКАЯМЕЧТА-я3в]

@@IdeaOfEvil my salary is 12000$ a month. So you make 60k??

[@IdeaOfEvil]

@@АМЕРИКАНСКАЯМЕЧТА-я3в cool, 2500€ is still 5x to 500€, no matter the individual

[@VompoVompatti]

I was hoping this would've been more about Mannerheim and his actions before and during the war.

[@Caldera01]

We need, nay, DEMAND a fuller documentary on Mannerheim! ...Please?

[@vantuz8264]

@@Caldera01 Yes. Full. Let's start from the invasion into Soviet Russia in 1918 to grab the land Finns never owned. Edit: or better: start with 1917 and "white terror" during the civil war in Finland

[@festerbester7801]

@@vantuz8264 The lands the grand duke of Finland, Nicholas II never owned? The lands that the Soviets stole from the rightful owner the Tsar? The Tsar whom the Soviets brutally murdered after they stole those lands? Those ones?

[@MrPek-fe9fp]

@UCN9zu3pept0zoEBe7MIp4dA never owned???? Fu

[@myfaceismyshield5963]

Well the things he did before are not as globally significant. You need to remember he makes this show about the entire world pretty much

[@calbackk]

I am very interested in Finnish history and have read all the books you refer to and more, and I must say this was an extremely good, informed and ballanced account of Finlands association with Germany during our so called continuation war. Thank you and much credit to you.

[@Vlad79500]

You'll like it: Hitlerin Saksa ja sen vapaaehtoisliikkeet: Waffen-SS and Karjalan ristiretki ja taistelu Nevan reitistä by Mauno Jokipii Suomi miehittäjänä 1941-1944 by Helge Seppälä The Winter War: Finland Against Russia, 1939-1940 by Vaino Tanner

[@GreatPolishWingedHussars]

"Continuation war" is a mendacious Propaganda term that contradicts historical reality. Because that was a completely new war in which the Finns together with the Germans raided the Soviet Union. Finns were the friends of the Nazi Nation! Finnish President Carl Gustaf Mannerheim named the Nazi soldiers in a letter to Adolf Hitler: "Our German brothers-in-arms..." Obvious, Finland was an ally of the criminal Nazi nation and also took part in the raid on the Soviet Union in 1941. The Finns fought side by side with these criminal mass murderers. Finland did this to conquer territory. Apparently Finland not only wanted the lost territories of the Winter War of 1940, but also wanted to take other territories away from the Soviets. The Finnish parliament declared that the aim of the war was to restore the areas lost during the winter war and to gain more areas in the east in order to create a Greater Finland. President Ryti said this to the Finnish Parliament in 1941. By September 1941, the Finns recaptured the territories lost in the Winter War. However, the Finnish Army continued the offensive past the pre-1939 border with the conquest of Soviet territories, as well as halting only around 30-32 km (19-20 mi) from the center of Leningrad, where they participated in besieging the city by cutting its northern supply routes and digging in until 1944. The Finnish fleet also participated in the sea blockade of the city. It would have been terrible if the Nazi Nation had won together with the Finns the 2nd world war. This victory would have meant the destruction of the Soviet Union and various genocides against the Slavic peoples of the Soviet Union. But also elsewhere they would have exterminated the Slavs, for example in Poland, whereby they would also have exterminated certain nonslavic nations. It's a fact that the attack of 1941 served to support the Germans in completely destroying the Soviet Union. The Finns also knew what the Germans were doing, because they were there at the siege of Leningrad. In addition, the Finns also supported the German attack on the Soviet city of Murmansk and tried to besiege this city together with the Germans. The Finns wanted more than just to retake the lost territories. The Finns wanted to benefit from the expected German victory over the Soviet Union and additionally conquer more Soviet territory. To win, the Finns supported the Nazi nation in the criminal siege of Leningrad, which was part of the racist war of annihilation against the Slavic population of the Soviet Union. Because the siege was intended to exterminate the population of Leningrad. That's why 1 million people died in Leningrad largely by starvation. Mostly civilians. Which shows that the Finns didn't care that millions of civilians died in this war. The Finns also attacked and besieged Murmansk together with the Germans, which was definitely not a Finnish city either. That is why Great Britain declared war on the Finns and attacked Finnish troops with bombers too. Finland was so the enemy of liberators of Europe because Finland has allied itself with absolute evil.

[@vedranbileta8346]

This was a very professionally done episode. Again, covering in a short time, both perspectives. Finnish involvement in WW2, from Barbarossa onwards (or if we want to count the Winter War), is something that remains (and it will remain) a controversial topic. But you covered it with respect. This is such a great channel. Hoping to see an episode on Ante Pavelic and Ustashe. No need for leniency in that a case...

[@fernandoreynaaguilar1438]

Finland was defending itself from communist aggression since the 20's ( just like the rest of eastern europe, germany and Spain). Unluckily for them, and for any democratic anti communists at that time, nazism entered the scene. They were caught between a rock and a hard place. Mannerhein manoeuvered intelligently and tactfully. The fact Is, had the USSR not try to invade their neighbours, Finland would have remained neutral, like sweden. Today, compare the famous Finn educational system to that of russia. I think Mannerhein was a hero and a gentleman. AND I'm not even a Finn!!

[@nevize6660]

Just näin, kiitoksia

[@paskahousu8884]

Unluckily? No matter what you think about A.H but truth is that he made germany the best nation in world, best army, best economy, happy people, low crime, no usury, germans felt proud of who they are cuz A.H, before A.H germany was in great depression, it was imbossible to rise from that, but A.H did it only in few years(miracle) and in one year he alreydy made jobs to 3 000 000! million unembloyed people. World has never seen such thing and many historians has said that if A.H would have died in 1939, he would now be considered as one of the greatest man ever who ever lived. Extrafunfact: Millions of volunteers around world fighted with A.H also

[@wederMaxim]

Anicommunism = fascism.

[@dantay8763]

Spain was resisting communism was it? Hmmmm i wonder who you support during the civil war?

[@mjbull5156]

Soviet Union; "Finland, where did you learn to side with the Germans in a war of agression?" Finland: "From you! I learned it by watching you!"

[@henrik3291]

United Kingdom: "Finland, why did you cooperate with a belligerent, totalitarian and genocidal dictatorship?" Finland: "Why did you do it yourself?"

[@federicomachado811]

When did the soviets fight alngside the nazis?

[@mjbull5156]

@@federicomachado811 Seriously? kzbin.info/www/bejne/bqfNc6Njpt6BjKc

[@kokko9507]

​@@federicomachado811 Molotov-Ribbentrop pact was an economical and military alliance that lasted for years, way longer than what Finnish and German pact lasted. Either they both are alliances, or neither are.

[@735337707]

@@federicomachado811 the Nazis and Soviets invaded Poland together.

[@ottovalkamo1]

Finnish fellows in the comment-section: I strongly recommend Henrik Meinander's "Mannerheim: Aristokraatti sarkatakissa" Otava, 2017. It is about 300 pages in Finnish, so honestly not hard or too long(since it has about 30 pages of notes and sources) and it is a great and modern biography of him detailing his life from Louhisaari to Hamina Academy to Petersburg to the Russian Japan war,Central Asian expeditions and beyond to a cavalryman in Galicia and so on! Great read!

[@GreatPolishWingedHussars]

Is there also a description of Finnish participation in the German raid on the Soviet Union? Because the Finns were the friends and allies of the Nazi Nation in 1939-44! Finnish President Carl Gustaf Mannerheim named the Nazi soldiers in a letter to Adolf Hitler: "Our German brothers-in-arms..." Obvious, Finland was an ally of the criminal Nazi nation and also took part in the raid on the Soviet Union in 1941. The Finns fought side by side with these criminal mass murderers. Finland did this to conquer territory. Apparently Finland not only wanted the lost territories of the Winter War of 1940, but also wanted to take other territories away from the Soviets. The Finnish parliament declared that the aim of the war was to restore the areas lost during the winter war and to gain more areas in the east in order to create a Greater Finland. President Ryti said this to the Finnish Parliament in 1941. By September 1941, the Finns recaptured the territories lost in the Winter War. However, the Finnish Army continued the offensive past the pre-1939 border with the conquest of Soviet territories, as well as halting only around 30-32 km (19-20 mi) from the center of Leningrad, where they participated in besieging the city by cutting its northern supply routes and digging in until 1944. The Finnish fleet also participated in the sea blockade of the city. It would have been terrible if the Nazi Nation had won together with the Finns the 2nd world war. This victory would have meant the destruction of the Soviet Union and various genocides against the Slavic peoples of the Soviet Union. But also elsewhere they would have exterminated the Slavs, for example in Poland, whereby they would also have exterminated certain nonslavic nations. It's a fact that the attack of 1941 served to support the Germans in completely destroying the Soviet Union. The Finns also knew what the Germans were doing, because they were there at the siege of Leningrad. The Finns wanted more than just to retake the lost territories. The Finns wanted to benefit from the expected German victory over the Soviet Union and additionally conquer more Soviet territory. To win, the Finns supported the Nazi nation in the criminal siege of Leningrad, which was part of the racist war of annihilation against the Slavic population of the Soviet Union. Because the siege was intended to exterminate the population of Leningrad. That's why 1 million people died in Leningrad largely by starvation. Mostly civilians. Which shows that the Finns didn't care that millions of civilians died in this war. The Finns also attacked and besieged Murmansk together with the Germans, which was definitely not a Finnish city either. That is why Great Britain declared war on the Finns and attacked Finnish troops with bombers too. Finland was so the enemy of liberators of Europe because Finland has allied itself with absolute evil. In addition, the Finns also supported the German attack on the Soviet city of Murmansk and tried to besiege this city together with the Germans.

[@arisarsenis3500]

Fortunately for Finland's people there was Mannerheim, who against all odds managed to maintain Finland -of less than 5 million people, after fighting a war against USSR with serious effects both in economy and infrastructure- to exist as an entity after the WWII, although being the closest neighbor to the two out of four biggest powers in those days. The Suomis straggle against uncertainty lasted another 40 years or so. Great designers, great drivers, great athletes and -most importantly- great readers, they used to make some great cellulars too.

[@anttibjorklund1869]

Apparently when he heard Hitler was there, Mannerheim exclaimed something along the lines of "vad i helvete gör han här?" No love lost there, apparently.

[@macky7482]

That is not necessarily suggesting disdain.

[@carrigadaashcroft]

Could you please translate that?

[@anttibjorklund1869]

@@carrigadaashcroft "What the hell is he doing here?"

[@anttibjorklund1869]

@@macky7482 Knowing Mannerheim, yes it is.

[@macky7482]

@@anttibjorklund1869 You knew mannerheim? doubt... Also doubt that you learned about his character well enough though your TV that you can say that

[@Jarod-vg9wq]

You got to admire how Finland successfully resisted the soviet invasion, a David and Goliath tale if I ever saw one.

[@s871-c1q]

Except they lost both wars so I am not sure why people get this idea. They did absolutely crush them in casualties but Soviet war aims were realized in both cases. The Karelian Isthmus, Petsamo, and Ladoga Karelia are in modern Russia for this reason. Obviously this is the best case scenario since Finland would almost certainly be Sovietized but it's a de jure defeat

[@paskahousu8884]

@@s871-c1q finns still humilated soviet union and 32 finns against 4000 soviets and they couldnt defeat finns. Like 300 sparta, true warrior race aka finns

[@benismann]

@@paskahousu8884 yea but if u scale it up to percentage of population, ussr lost basically nothing :>

[@paskahousu8884]

@@benismann they did lost something tho

[@benismann]

@@paskahousu8884 as does every side in every war unless they're not contributing

[@TrueChell]

Few years ago, here in Finland. A diary from a Finnish soldier and honor guard was found and released. There is a part about him and he's colleague being the personal honor guards of Mannerheim during Hitler's visit. They had talked about shooting Hitler with their pistols during the visit. But would come to the conclusion that they'd just be then killed themselves. They would later ponder how much evil might've been thwarted if they'd actually done it.

[@stevekaczynski3793]

They would probably have had to shoot Mannerheim as well. Anyway, you would expect honour guard members to come from selected backgrounds where such a temptation would not arise. Even if there were Jewish members of the guard, which I doubt, they would have been re-assigned so as not to have any crises of conscience during Hitler's visit.

[@goldbullet50]

Well, it was a war against an equally, if not worse, totalitarian state so I think it wasn't that bad in the end.

[@henrik3291]

@@stevekaczynski3793 Why would they have to sh5oot Mannerheim? What kind of backgrounds are you talking about?

[@deggis4]

Are those readable on somewhere? Any link? Not sure if I believe.

[@Mokkularock]

Well then it would have been just changing 1 lunatic to even worse lunatic. Stalin was 10 times more crazy than Hitler was.

[@franklinclinton4539]

This much is clear. The Finnish high command willingly went to war along side Germany, But co-operation was only in Finland's own interest. And Mannerheim was absolutely furious with the German progress in Lapland. During the whole offensive phase, Germans in Lapland made only 26km of progress towards Murmansk. While the Finns made closer to 300 in the South.

[@2Links]

I've been waiting for the biography on Mannerheim! Thank you!

[@professor.moriarty9803]

Mannerheim is a smooooth operator, he consistently declined Germany's Non-Aggression Pacts, refused to join Axis, and yet accepts German supports while passively supporting the invasion of USSR, in the name of "defending our nation and taking back lost land". He convinced Sweden, an all time neutral country to support Finland in the winter war and yet, not involving Sweden directly into the affairs with then Soviets. He's constantly observing and calculating, pulling strings with other superpower's momentum to aid in Finland's conquest, once he sees that Germany is incapable of finish what they've started, he jumps down the fence and turns over to the allies. He was highly respected by both Hitler and Stalin, if it wasn't for him, Finland would have been capitalized long ago by either one of these two powers

[@WorldWarTwo]

I have some regard for your expertise in this matter, Professor.

[@miikapaananen1363]

The mentioned speech of Mannerheim was given twenty years before, 1918. War of aggression was not in the hopes of Finns during WW2 but national survival and preventing genocide

[@abeedhal6519]

Yeah the Germans were fighting for their survival as well.

[@angusmacdonald7187]

My dad was US Navy in WWII. He talked to me a few times about the place of the USSR and the Finns in the war, strictly from his own boots-on-the-ground (waves?) point of view. He always held that the USSR was, at best, an untrustworthy ally, given that they had sided with Germany during the early part of the war. My dad wasn't a "Better Dead Than Red" kinda guy, but he was nervous about them. He also showed great respect for Finland for the Winter War. He always held the standard line -- Finland wasn't "a Nazi ally", but rather "an enemy of the USSR, and Germany just helped them with that". Still, he also got a little nervous about that, especially with so many Finns wearing German helmets. Overall, he thought the whole Eastern Front was a confused mess and the one main thing he wanted was for Germany to be spanked down hard. The politics of the situation, he freely admitted, confused the hell out of him.

[@DC-pk5np]

And why USSR was untrustworthy to your dad? Cause the USSR lost 27,000,000 people in this war? Your dad is a simple nazi collaborator. Just like Ford company. Search about this corp. You will be amazed. 👍

Mannerheim's memoirs are famously trying to show him in best light possible (retroactively). So it's pretty clear there were some agreements, even if they weren't on paper. The operation Barbarossa contained german orders that clearly showed finnish positions in places that would mean finns were part of the operation.

[@Lukeee91]

Memoirs are treacherous sources, unless what you are looking for is indeed how the person in question viewed something, or how they wanted themselves to be seen. And Mannerheim's memoirs are absolutely like that, they paint a very pretty and glamourous picture of the man.

[@romaliop]

When the agreements aren't on paper, it more or less gives Mannerheim the freedom to write whatever he wants in his memoirs too. Even as the president and the marshal of Finland, he did not have the official mandate to make such agreements on behalf of Finland. So it's basically all in the air even to this day. If the Germans won the war, maybe Mannerheim would have remembered it differently in his memoirs too.

[@stevekaczynski3793]

@@romaliop Given how events developed, reducing Finland's closeness to the Axis, especially Germany, was clearly at the back of Mannerheim's mind.

[@tonttu7979]

Also many many finnish war propaganda songs at the time depicted germany and japan as great partners who came to the aid of finland when no one else helped them, i recommend listening to "Uraliin", its on youtube and has english subtitles in the video

[@romaliop]

@@stevekaczynski3793 Of course. However, we have to question how valid can an agreement be, if you can just kinda forget it ever existed and with that alone there's no longer anything anyone can do to prove it did.

[@pvkk85]

Sweden had the luxury of being neutral only because Finland is between them and Russia. They also willingly provided iron to Germany, so there was no need for Germany to annex them, especially when they already had two fronts to fight on.

[@macmcminn4726]

I have the honor of having a lot of Finns as friends and in the course of life's conversations have noticed that these people whose grandparents fought this battle has almost to the man/woman have admitted that the core of the union was one thing, hatred of the russians, it far exceeded the distrust of the nazis.

[@GreatPolishWingedHussars]

This is a lie because there was no distrust of the Nazis from the Finns because they were friends and allies of the Nazi nation! By the way, honor and Finns in this context does not fit! For the allies and friends of the Nazi nation had no honor. Finnish President Carl Gustaf Mannerheim named the Nazi soldiers in a letter to Adolf Hitler: "Our German brothers-in-arms..." Obvious, Finland was an ally of the criminal Nazi nation and also took part in the raid on the Soviet Union in 1941. The Finns fought side by side with these criminal mass murderers. Finland did this to conquer territory. Apparently Finland not only wanted the lost territories of the Winter War of 1940, but also wanted to take other territories away from the Soviets. The Finnish parliament declared that the aim of the war was to restore the areas lost during the winter war and to gain more areas in the east in order to create a Greater Finland. President Ryti said this to the Finnish Parliament in 1941. By September 1941, the Finns recaptured the territories lost in the Winter War. However, the Finnish Army continued the offensive past the pre-1939 border with the conquest of Soviet territories, as well as halting only around 30-32 km (19-20 mi) from the center of Leningrad, where they participated in besieging the city by cutting its northern supply routes and digging in until 1944. The Finnish fleet also participated in the sea blockade of the city. It would have been terrible if the Nazi Nation had won together with the Finns the 2nd world war. This victory would have meant the destruction of the Soviet Union and various genocides against the Slavic peoples of the Soviet Union. But also elsewhere they would have exterminated the Slavs, for example in Poland, whereby they would also have exterminated certain nonslavic nations. It's a fact that the attack of 1941 served to support the Germans in completely destroying the Soviet Union. The Finns also knew what the Germans were doing, because they were there at the siege of Leningrad. In addition, the Finns also supported the German attack on the Soviet city of Murmansk and tried to besiege this city together with the Germans. The Finns wanted more than just to retake the lost territories. The Finns wanted to benefit from the expected German victory over the Soviet Union and additionally conquer more Soviet territory. To win, the Finns supported the Nazi nation in the criminal siege of Leningrad, which was part of the racist war of annihilation against the Slavic population of the Soviet Union. Because the siege was intended to exterminate the population of Leningrad. That's why 1 million people died in Leningrad largely by starvation. Mostly civilians. Which shows that the Finns didn't care that millions of civilians died in this war. The Finns also attacked and besieged Murmansk together with the Germans, which was definitely not a Finnish city either. That is why Great Britain declared war on the Finns and attacked Finnish troops with bombers too. Finland was so the enemy of liberators of Europe because Finland has allied itself with absolute evil. ------------------------- Yes and in 1938 Czechoslovak mobilized 1 250 000 soldiers. The information about the Polish army is also wrong in 1939. Because at that time Poland had a 1 million army and the 5th largest army in the world! The information about the French is also wrong! In 1939 the French Army had 900,000 regular soldiers. However, it another 5 million reservists who had been trained and could be called-up in time of war. And the British Army had a regular army of 227,000 men, who were supported by a reserve of 173,700 men. In fact, the majority of the German army was engaged in combat in Poland in 1939, including 90% of the German air force. So if the French and British had attacked massively in the west, as agreed with Poland, the Germans would have been defeated quickly. But these cowardly "allies" of the Poles betrayed Poland and instead of attacking massively in the west, they hid in the bunkers and thus gave away a victory. Through this cowardly behavior they made possible the unimaginable crimes of the Nazi nation. A total of 50 million died as a result of the fighting and various genocides committed by the Nazi nation.

[@terryroots5023]

Masterful exposition of a morally complex aspect of the Continuation War/ WW2

[@scanpolar]

Very good historical review ! I agree with your opinions . I am a Finn born after the WWII . My father survived the war. He spent 3 and half years in the trenches and later studied in Helsinki University . A true Finn!

[@WorldWarTwo]

Jouko Thank you for watching, and sharing a bit about your father's experiences. Cheers to Finland 🇫🇮

[@Oxtocoatl13]

Thor Damen, the bloke who recorded the June 4th meeting, had a brother, ironically named Bror Damen, who married into my family post-war. The brothers are family legends. Bror himself had a very interesting war, he was a sailor who was threatened with internment in America. He avoided this by joining the U.S Army, eventually landing on Omaha. After the war he married my great-grandmother and they settled in Florida. Thor Damen is said to be the first private person in Finland to have owned a television, though I can't verify this.

[@Aakkosti]

I was wondering why the June 4th recording wasn’t mentioned in last week’s regular episode. Well played.

[@scorpionWhite]

Nice video and pretty fair. But there are missing few quite essential events. First, Russian menaced Finland during the summer 1940 (shot down a finish passenger plane, demanded nickel mine in Petsamo, demanden a free passageway from Leningrad to headland of Hanko and the most important begged from Hitler a permission to finish off the case of Finland. Molotov did it 9 times during a two days meeting in Berlin 11 / 1940. Hitler denied it every time). So there were no doubt which side Finland should have to choose! And of course Finland was prepared (like in Winter War), otherwise Russians should have walked in!

[@Mrbynby]

That's an interesting part of history with some rare photos that I've never seen. That part of Russia and eastern Finland is beautiful and rarely seen. I did not realize that Britain had declared war against Finland. The Finns have one of the cleanest countries I've ever seen and some stunning women. Many rich Soviets used to vacation there I heard. Furniture made of Karelian wood was in the Hermitage museum and not only beautiful but very unique. Helsinki is an impressive city to visit.

[@richardcleveland8549]

A fascinating video - fair and thorough. From the first time I read about the Finnish-Russian wars years ago, I felt sympathy for the Finns - and still do after watching this. The nation was in an impossible position as a general European war neared, and Mannerheim and his government did the best they could, caught as they were between the devil they knew too well and the devil they knew less well. I give them credit for standing up to the Russians, who certainly would have been happy to gobble up the whole country if they could. All glory to the Finnish people!

[@GreatPolishWingedHussars]

It wasn't a Russian-Finnish war but a Soviet- Finnish war! Incidentally, it is a lie to claim that Finland was 1941 in a impossible position. Because Finland could have remained neutral in this war without any problems when the Germans raided the Soviet Union. Besides, how can one feel sympathy for a nation that was allied and friendly with the Nazi nation and also took part in the crimes of this nation. Finns were the friends of the Nazi Nation! Finnish President Carl Gustaf Mannerheim named the Nazi soldiers in a letter to Adolf Hitler: "Our German brothers-in-arms..." Obvious, Finland was an ally of the criminal Nazi nation and also took part in the raid on the Soviet Union in 1941. The Finns fought side by side with these criminal mass murderers. Finland did this to conquer territory. Apparently Finland not only wanted the lost territories of the Winter War of 1940, but also wanted to take other territories away from the Soviets. The Finnish parliament declared that the aim of the war was to restore the areas lost during the winter war and to gain more areas in the east in order to create a Greater Finland. President Ryti said this to the Finnish Parliament in 1941. By September 1941, the Finns recaptured the territories lost in the Winter War. However, the Finnish Army continued the offensive past the pre-1939 border with the conquest of Soviet territories, as well as halting only around 30-32 km (19-20 mi) from the center of Leningrad, where they participated in besieging the city by cutting its northern supply routes and digging in until 1944. The Finnish fleet also participated in the sea blockade of the city. To win, the Finns supported the Nazi nation in the criminal siege of Leningrad, which was part of the racist war of annihilation against the Slavic population of the Soviet Union. Because the siege was intended to wipe out the population of Leningrad. That's why 1 million people died in Leningrad largely by starvation. Mostly civilians. Which shows that the Finns didn't care that millions of civilians died in this war. The Finns also attacked and besieged Murmansk together with the Germans, which was definitely not a Finnish city either. It would have been terrible if the Nazi Nation had won together with the Finns the 2nd world war. This victory would have meant the destruction of the Soviet Union and various genocides against the Slavic peoples of the Soviet Union. But also elsewhere they would have exterminated the Slavs, for example in Poland, whereby they would also have exterminated certain nonslavic nations. It's a fact that the attack of 1941 served to support the Germans in completely destroying the Soviet Union. The Finns also knew what the Germans were doing, because they were there at the siege of Leningrad. In addition, the Finns also supported the German attack on the Soviet city of Murmansk and tried to besiege this city together with the Germans. The Finns wanted more than just to retake the lost territories. The Finns wanted to benefit from the expected German victory over the Soviet Union and additionally conquer more Soviet territory. To win, the Finns supported the Nazi nation in the criminal siege of Leningrad, which was part of the racist war of annihilation against the Slavic population of the Soviet Union. Because the siege was intended to exterminate the population of Leningrad. That's why 1 million people died in Leningrad largely by starvation. Mostly civilians. Which shows that the Finns didn't care that millions of civilians died in this war. The Finns also attacked and besieged Murmansk together with the Germans, which was definitely not a Finnish city either. That is why Great Britain declared war on the Finns and attacked Finnish troops with bombers too. Finland was so the enemy of liberators of Europe because Finland has allied itself with absolute evil.

[@paskahousu8884]

For finns, soviet union was the devil not germany who helped us very much.

[@GreatPolishWingedHussars]

@@paskahousu8884 The devil? That was the completely megalomaniac, mad, criminal, amoral and degenerated Nazi nation and their ally Finland which also participated in the crimes. The Germans actually helped the Finns to raid the Soviet Union!

[@GreatPolishWingedHussars]

@@paskahousu8884 Luckily both devils lost the war because if these criminals had won the war tens of millions more people would have been murdered.

[@paskahousu8884]

@@GreatPolishWingedHussars actually allies made far more war crimes and what comes to soviet union... Literally murdered over 20 million OWN folks in gulags. Proud finn here💪🏻💪🏻 and proud we fighted shoulder to shoulder with germans🇫🇮🤝🏻🇩🇪

[@Zardagbum]

I know that most, if not all of what you guys went through is way more important, especially considering that this is a WW2 biography and time is of course limited, but I wish you would've given a brief accounting of his life before the war; his intelligence gathering missions in the far east, teaching the Dalai Lama how to shoot a pistol, his experiences in the Imperial Russian court as a cavalry officer, and his time served under Brusilov. He was an interesting character all around. Also, I gotta say, this post gave me way more insight into the situation as a whole than I had. Finland was a full ally of Germany in the war, in all but ideology,

[@janelavie4115]

This is all very interesting, but there’s one big misunderstanding here. Mannerheim did not lead the country and make all those decisions. All decisions about joining or not joining the war as well as how far the offence would go and when trying to get out of the war were made by Finnish government and president Ryti. In cooperation with the marshal naturally. It is also interesting that all his life Mannerheim did not especially like Germans in general and had nothing personally against the Russian. He was also a personal friend of Churchill’s. And president Ryti was a known anglophile who had formed close connections to England during his time as the director of the Bank of Finland.

[@caryblack5985]

Mannerheim had much influence in the government personally and was listened to very carefully. He certainly had much against the Soviet Union . He fought against them and the previous government and was a conservative opposed to the Soviets. He was certainly not in tune with Nazi ideology but let us not completely whitewash him and his decisions.

[@janelavie4115]

Cary Black Why would there be a need to whitewash anything or anybody? It is a known fact that Mannerheim hated Soviet Union and the Russian communist regime. But not Russian people. And the main point was that they were not ’his decisions’ the way it is presented here. It was not in his hands to decide about war.

[@henrik3291]

@@janelavie4115 Mannerheim had a russian ex wife with whom he had 2 daughters :)

[@scorpionWhite]

@@caryblack5985 Whitewash? What is that what is whitewashed? Being on wrong side? Do think that it would have been better fight for communism like western allies did? If you say they did not, can you say Finland did not fight for nazis? I understand Finland fought for its independence but got assistance only from Germany (who of course had its own targets too). So for what is your whitewash?

[@henriikkak2091]

Mannerheim's career began in the Russian Empire. From his point of view -- and others fought for the Whites in Russia, Finland, and Estonia -- Russia died with the Romanovs.

[@sampohonkala4195]

Mannerheim was a strange man. If we look closer how he became the leader of the white army back in 1918 it went something like this: He was in Southern Russia during the Russian revolution and dressed as a Russian officer took a train through Russia to St. Petersburg and was never caught or questioned by the reds. Against all odds he managed to cross the border and get to Finland. In Finland, the reds had taken the south but further north, the Finnish speaking farmers were forming a white army. They hated Russians, they hated the Swedish speaking and they hated the nobility. Mannerheim, a Swedish speaking Russian officer and a nobleman went to negotiate, even though he hardly spoke any Finnish. "Ok, you are our commander!" This is how he started his career in Finland. There was something very convincing about him, even when in every possible way he was the wrong guy.

[@artsplus456]

Small correction to the photo of the Mannerheim children. Carl Gustav is standing to the right. Below him is my grandmother, Eva. This is a first-rate overview of his role in the 39-45 wars: 2 with Soviet Union and one with Germany. One of the great figures of the 20th century. The only White general to defeat the Reds in 1918 and then to fight them to a satisfactory conclusion 20+ years later. It should be noted that Stalin refused to make peace with the Finnish government in 1944 and would only agree to do that with a government under Mannerheim who then became President and agreed to terms. He was a very conservative figure, never a fascist, and, in spite of 2 visits by Himmler and one by Hitler, refused to turn over any Jews. Finnish Jews served honorably in the wars - 3 were awarded the Iron Cross by the Germans (but this honor was declined by all 3). Well done, Indy and associates.

[@kittymervine6115]

my first thought was, "The Nazi's trusted the Finns with their plans for invading the USSR." That means a very high level of trust, especially as it wasn't at the last moment. Also to put German soldiers under Finnish officers in the Southern attack, means they knew Finland could be trusted to do a good job and was an ally. You can write all you want, and until your videos, I had no clue Finland was so close to Germany and involved so much in the invasion and attacks on the USSR. The Finns show up time and again as very good soldiers and totally integrated with many German units. No need to shame them, but honesty is always better than a cover up!

[@Qwerty-ly8qk]

Russia had been causing pain for the nation for centuries (the great wrath for the most notable part), this was the one time that they saw fit to regain what had been lost. The discussion happens mostly because Finland was never authoritarian nor had any political parties in the parlament that were even close to fascism, yet they still ended up co-operating with Germany. It is easy to judge nowadays, but the winter war left the nation with a saying that is still relevant with the joining of NATO: "Never alone again". For a small nation of just 3 million people to fight against a super power, it causes much more than just physical damage since it´s not just the soldiers that have to play their part. Suicides, substance abuse, mental health issues etc. sky rocketed nationwide, remnants of which can still be seen today.

[@sluxi]

Great video. I've long wondered how you'd cover the relationship between Finland and Nazi Germany and got the answer here, spot on.

[@mikkolappalainen_]

8:30 Sweden managed to stay neutral but they had to agree providing Germans with resources. They are not border state of soviet union so that is expectable. The Truth is, there is No way that you could stay out if it. The soviets were already pushing their attacks sinne 1939, disagree with germany on everything and they would have just annexed Finland trough Norway and by sea and air, leaving Finland alone against both the Russians and the Germans. Its the route of minimal co operation and minimal damage.

[@Weak1987]

I am biased of course as a Finn. But why wasn't it mentioned that Soviets already had plans to "finish Finland off" after the truce of Winter war? In my opinion this is a big reason to go on the offensive as we knew Soviets would attack sooner or later after re-grouping.

[@caryblack5985]

I understand the desire to get back territory lost but Finland also occupied Soviet territory and planned to keep it if Germany won. They were warned by the US and UK to go no further.

[@amir-ng6jv]

I was just NOW looking up information about Mannerheim. Are you stalking me Indy?

[@El_Presidente_5337]

I was once asking myself something about WW2 and the same question came up in Out Of The Foxholes the same day.

[@amir-ng6jv]

@@El_Presidente_5337 haha that's weird :)

[@El_Presidente_5337]

@@amir-ng6jv The question was if the Germans and Japanese knew of each others victories and used them as propaganda

[@mjc8281]

Finland is very interesting WW2 wise, I would suggest if Germany had not lost WW2 history would paint their participation very differently, at least in part because of the mental gymnastics that the allies needed to do to paint the Soviet Union into a positive light

[@inoppi]

Finland would have probably tried to take everything west of White Sea-Lake Onega-Lake Ladoka axis if the Soviet Union capitulated hard and then tried to exit any further conflicts. Well that's at least the popular opinion, I'm not studied enough to make an informed claim.

[@Redmanticore]

@@inoppi maybe not seppo, even at the time, Finland knew karjala was a poor and mostly soviet population. we might have just given them kariela back for free, in trade.

[@henriikkak2091]

Exactly.

[@teemup9247]

Great episode. I wish you could have done more about his earlier life, his military career in Imperial Russian army. Starting by gettting kicked out from Hamina cadet school and ending up in the chevalier guard, standing guard before the steps to the throne in Tsar Nicholas' coronation and as cavarly officer in the guard uhlans and eventually becomeing general of the Tsars retinue. Starting ww1 commading guard cavarly brigade and ending his fight in Imperial russian army as general-liutenant and corps commander. He met the Tsar on many occasions one of which was when he reporting his intelligence gathering mission from China in 1906-1908. In Finnish civil war Finnish goverment promoted him to general of cavarly. He found it amusing as he said something like "In the Tsars army in the great war I had 30 000 cavarly men under my command. Now when I have 600 dragoons I have been made general of cavarly. He was promoted to field marshal in 1932 and to marshal of Finland in 1942 as said in the video. He had personal relationship with many western leaders before and after ww1. Churchill was one of them, Mannerheim even affected Chruchills memoirs. He helped with the part about Finnish civil war and to some degree with Russian civil war. He also met Kaiser Wilhelm when he visited german empire somewhere between 1890 and 1904 can't remember. He qas just junior officer, but in inspecting Imperial german horses a horse kicked him in the knee and he was treated by the Kaisers doctor. Bad side of this video in my opinion is that it focused too much on dealings with germany. They were quite right. He disliked germany, but Finland needed the co-operation. One thing why his memoirs might blatantly deny the before hand dealings with germani is that he finished the memoirs in time when things were quite sensitive still. If I recall correctly he was ordered by Finnish foreign(?)minister to modify some bits. Most of my knowledge is from Robert Brantbergs books: Mannerheim Tsars officer 1867-1914, Mannerheim White general 1914-1918, Mannerheim field marshal 1918-1940 and Mannerheim commander in chief and President of the Republic 1940-1951.

[@caryblack5985]

All memoirs attempt to make the writer look good. This is not only Mannerheim. You need to compare what is written to what actually happened and other historical evidence to see where the truth was shaded. Memoir are often very unreliable.

[@teemup9247]

@@caryblack5985 Indeed they are. They are only good for seeing whatvthe subject possibly felt or thought. They are alone not good for factual history.

[@hurri7720]

What would interest me if he had a personal agreement with say Roosevelt about not destroying the train tracks from Murmansk through the help to Russia from the west was transported. Soldiers have told me they were not allowed to do more harm than keeping Russian troops involved there. The father of my wife a so called "sissi" soldier who spent lots of time on the wrong side of the border, told me they could have done real damage but they were not allowed to do that. Anyway if there was no such agreement it only shows he understood the war had to end in Berlin and that help was needed to make it happen, even if some of that help ended up fighting the Finns like with Mustang planes for the Russians. They say Manerheim never revealed all his cards. After the war he run a small but popular summer restaurant in Hanko, a small town by the Bay of Finland. The reality was simply that he was the guy for the occasion. One thing to add is that Finns never call people, even Finns, Giants, like the British. Just look at "Then There Were Giants". If you look at what the Wikipedia has to say about it in English you find this about it: "In 1941 -1943 the central part between Svir and Petrozavodsk was occupied by the Finnish Army under orders from Mannerheim during WWII." That doesn't quite correspond to the reality regarding how much was actually transported that way.

[@okphalmer6596]

Actually Finnish Army special forces started reconnaissance and sabotage missions against the Soviet Union on the Morning of June 22nd 1941 when the Barbarossa started. Mannerheim authorized these operations but demanded that the men wore civilian clothes and that they were transported with German airplanes because Finland and USSR were not yet at war officially.

[@WandererRTF]

There were also scouting patrols sent across border much earlier than that. Some even with some sort of special rubber boots supposed to be able to confuse the dogs the NKVD borders troops used. But then again that wasn't particularly surprising. Though the other side was doing it too.

[@mikkotoikka3188]

Based what? I have newer heard.

[@WandererRTF]

@@mikkotoikka3188 For starters (in Finnish): www.iltalehti.fi/kotimaa/a/a98051f5-b01d-4630-9c58-54b191694de5 or www.doria.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/156930/Hankitun_tiedon_varassa_web.pdf (there are more specific books on the matter too)

[@GreatPolishWingedHussars]

Yes, that describes the Finnish raid on the Soviet Union together with the Germans! Because they were the friends of the Nazi Nation! Finnish President Carl Gustaf Mannerheim named the Nazi soldiers in a letter to Adolf Hitler: "Our German brothers-in-arms..." Obvious, Finland was an ally of the criminal Nazi nation and also took part in the raid on the Soviet Union in 1941. The Finns fought side by side with these criminal mass murderers. Finland did this to conquer territory. Apparently Finland not only wanted the lost territories of the Winter War of 1940, but also wanted to take other territories away from the Soviets. The Finnish parliament declared that the aim of the war was to restore the areas lost during the winter war and to gain more areas in the east in order to create a Greater Finland. President Ryti said this to the Finnish Parliament in 1941. By September 1941, the Finns recaptured the territories lost in the Winter War. However, the Finnish Army continued the offensive past the pre-1939 border with the conquest of Soviet territories, as well as halting only around 30-32 km (19-20 mi) from the center of Leningrad, where they participated in besieging the city by cutting its northern supply routes and digging in until 1944. The Finnish fleet also participated in the sea blockade of the city. It would have been terrible if the Nazi Nation had won together with the Finns the 2nd world war. This victory would have meant the destruction of the Soviet Union and various genocides against the Slavic peoples of the Soviet Union. But also elsewhere they would have exterminated the Slavs, for example in Poland, whereby they would also have exterminated certain nonslavic nations. It's a fact that the attack of 1941 served to support the Germans in completely destroying the Soviet Union. The Finns also knew what the Germans were doing, because they were there at the siege of Leningrad. In addition, the Finns also supported the German attack on the Soviet city of Murmansk and tried to besiege this city together with the Germans. The Finns wanted more than just to retake the lost territories. The Finns wanted to benefit from the expected German victory over the Soviet Union and additionally conquer more Soviet territory. To win, the Finns supported the Nazi nation in the criminal siege of Leningrad, which was part of the racist war of annihilation against the Slavic population of the Soviet Union. Because the siege was intended to exterminate the population of Leningrad. That's why 1 million people died in Leningrad largely by starvation. Mostly civilians. Which shows that the Finns didn't care that millions of civilians died in this war. The Finns also attacked and besieged Murmansk together with the Germans, which was definitely not a Finnish city either. That is why Great Britain declared war on the Finns and attacked Finnish troops with bombers too. Finland was so the enemy of liberators of Europe because Finland has allied itself with absolute evil.

[@Wezqu]

Its nice that General Aksel Airo was seen in few of the pictures but he is so often forgotten when he was the real unsong hero of the Continuation War as he was the head of operations of the finnish forces. He was the right hand man of Mannerheim and when asked who lead the war operations Mannerheim said "Airo and me" showing how much he respected him to mention him before himself. ps. They wrote his name wrong in one of the pictures its Aksel not Axel.

[@ilarisauroja7223]

Look up colonel Valo Nihtilä. He was the true Brains behind lots of things in the Finnish high command. Military genious who went unknown and quite undecorated because of jealousy of many...

[@Pfaltzgraf]

The full name of Marshal Mannerheim was Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim. He himself used the name Gustaf Mannerheim, because his father and older brother were Carl Mannerheim, too. In Russia his name was Gustaf Karlovitsh Mannerheim, He signed his letters and documents with ”Gustav Mannerheim” or simply Mannerheim. So, please, edit that front picture of the video.

[@mtlb2674]

One not so much known fact: in the early hour of 21.6.1941 finnish submarines went on a mission to lay seamines on the coast of Soviet occupied Estonia. Those subs also had authorisation to attack any soviet warships that came on their path. Operation Barbarossa began about 24 hours AFTER this mission. I think it is obvious that we finns knew what was coming and we were well prepared for it. Maybe from so early than April 1940, maybe few months later but there is no question that the war preparations started in 1940.

[@Mirabelliana]

Sure they knew about operation Barbarossa before hand, but they didn't know the exact plans much before. However I'm not sure about the mines having been laid in 21.6., I thought they planted them in 22.6. But I might remember wrong.

[@antiquefilmgallery5683]

8:11-8:18 Tuompo - Mannerheim - Airo - Nenonen - Paasonen(?) This is the Finnish High Military Staff during the Continuation War. Heinrichs, also member of the Staff missing from the picture.

[@procyonant6805]

You can understand why Finland and Romania entered into an alliance with the Axis powers. Both countries lost significant territories in 1940. However, in the war against the USSR, they wanted not only the return of what they had lost, but also the acquisition of a new one - this was the implementation of the program of building a Greater Finland and a Greater Romania. The President of Finland wrote to Hitler that he did not mind that the northern part of the destroyed Leningrad would become part of Finland. I can imagine how hard Churchill made the decision to declare war on these countries. Sometimes the victims of aggression become the aggressors themselves.

[@andrewbowles9753]

Always loved the Finland story.

[@GreatPolishWingedHussars]

Finnish history? So one shouldn't love an alliance with the Nazi nation! They were also the friends of the Nazi Nation! Finnish President Carl Gustaf Mannerheim named the Nazi soldiers in a letter to Adolf Hitler: "Our German brothers-in-arms..." Obvious, Finland was an ally of the criminal Nazi nation and also took part in the raid on the Soviet Union in 1941. The Finns fought side by side with these criminal mass murderers. Finland did this to conquer territory. Apparently Finland not only wanted the lost territories of the Winter War of 1940, but also wanted to take other territories away from the Soviets. The Finnish parliament declared that the aim of the war was to restore the areas lost during the winter war and to gain more areas in the east in order to create a Greater Finland. President Ryti said this to the Finnish Parliament in 1941. By September 1941, the Finns recaptured the territories lost in the Winter War. However, the Finnish Army continued the offensive past the pre-1939 border with the conquest of Soviet territories, as well as halting only around 30-32 km (19-20 mi) from the center of Leningrad, where they participated in besieging the city by cutting its northern supply routes and digging in until 1944. The Finnish fleet also participated in the sea blockade of the city. It would have been terrible if the Nazi Nation had won together with the Finns the 2nd world war. This victory would have meant the destruction of the Soviet Union and various genocides against the Slavic peoples of the Soviet Union. But also elsewhere they would have exterminated the Slavs, for example in Poland, whereby they would also have exterminated certain nonslavic nations. It's a fact that the attack of 1941 served to support the Germans in completely destroying the Soviet Union. The Finns also knew what the Germans were doing, because they were there at the siege of Leningrad. In addition, the Finns also supported the German attack on the Soviet city of Murmansk and tried to besiege this city together with the Germans. The Finns wanted more than just to retake the lost territories. The Finns wanted to benefit from the expected German victory over the Soviet Union and additionally conquer more Soviet territory. To win, the Finns supported the Nazi nation in the criminal siege of Leningrad, which was part of the racist war of annihilation against the Slavic population of the Soviet Union. Because the siege was intended to exterminate the population of Leningrad. That's why 1 million people died in Leningrad largely by starvation. Mostly civilians. Which shows that the Finns didn't care that millions of civilians died in this war. The Finns also attacked and besieged Murmansk together with the Germans, which was definitely not a Finnish city either. That is why Great Britain declared war on the Finns and attacked Finnish troops with bombers too. Finland was so the enemy of liberators of Europe because Finland has allied itself with absolute evil. ------------------------- Yes and in 1938 Czechoslovak mobilized 1 250 000 soldiers. The information about the Polish army is also wrong in 1939. Because at that time Poland had a 1 million army and the 5th largest army in the world! The information about the French is also wrong! In 1939 the French Army had 900,000 regular soldiers. However, it another 5 million reservists who had been trained and could be called-up in time of war. And the British Army had a regular army of 227,000 men, who were supported by a reserve of 173,700 men. In fact, the majority of the German army was engaged in combat in Poland in 1939, including 90% of the German air force. So if the French and British had attacked massively in the west, as agreed with Poland, the Germans would have been defeated quickly. But these cowardly "allies" of the Poles betrayed Poland and instead of attacking massively in the west, they hid in the bunkers and thus gave away a victory. Through this cowardly behavior they made possible the unimaginable crimes of the Nazi nation. A total of 50 million died as a result of the fighting and various genocides committed by the Nazi nation.

[@andrewbowles9753]

@@GreatPolishWingedHussars Cool your jets man. Finland somehow survived a nearly impossible situation. The West betrayed Finland by offering meager means and leveraged their help to their benefit against Nazi Germany. Are we forgetting the Allies consisted of the evil Soviet Union who stabbed Poland in the back too. Soviets executed all captured Polish officers at the Katyn massacre. Yes Finland was co-belligerent with Nazi Germany but they were never an Axis member. Finland had the ironic situation where Jews fought in their ranks whereas all European Axis aligned countries had to submit to the "Final Solution." Finland survived despite invasion, betrayal, isolation and was not occupied post WWII. Finland was just as human as any other nation at the time. That is the point I was trying to convey.

[@GreatPolishWingedHussars]

@@andrewbowles9753 This is complete nonsense! In 1941 Finland and Germany were not threatened by the Soviets. The Germans and the Finns together raided the Soviet Union to conquer territories. This was not a war of self-defense by the Nazi nation and Finland, but a war of conquest. By the way, massacre of Poles? The Nazi soldiers massacred many more Polish civilians and Polish prisoners of war. Jews? The Nazi nation tried to murder all Jews. Nevertheless, the Finns were allies and friends of the Nazi nation. Finnish President Carl Gustaf Mannerheim named the Nazi soldiers in a letter to Adolf Hitler: "Our German brothers-in-arms..." Obvious, Finland was an ally of the criminal Nazi nation and also took part in the raid on the Soviet Union in 1941. The Finns fought side by side with these criminal mass murderers and also participated in crimes.

[@andrewbowles9753]

@@GreatPolishWingedHussars Well then feel sorry for yourself because your offended, that what I have stated is fact. Finland was already in a state of war with the USSR before 1941. European front of WW2 was perpetrated by both marxist nations in Nazi Germany and the USSR. Finland was not given the chance to be Switzerland because Hitler and Stalin divided up Eastern Europe. Then Stalin invaded four months later. The Batlic states were absorbed and oppressed by the USSR. Finland resisted to the point USSR couldn't outright take Finland.

[@GreatPolishWingedHussars]

@@andrewbowles9753 Yes, the Soviets then, after defeating the Germans and Finns, showed how dangerous they were for Finland. The fact that the Soviets did not occupy Finland after defeating the Germans and Finns shows that you are spreading lies about the alleged threat to Finland from the Soviets in 1941. In fact, the Finns' war against the Soviet Union had ended a year before 1941 and Finland had allied itself with the Germans to reconquer the territories lost to the Soviet Union, but also to conquer additional Soviet territories. The Finnish parliament declared that the aim of the war was to restore the areas lost during the winter war and to gain more areas in the east in order to create a Greater Finland. President Ryti said this to the Finnish Parliament in 1941. By the way, your talk about that I feel sorry for myself and alleged insults makes it clear that you only want to distract from the fact that historical reality confirms my statements.

[@roger.e.lareau4556]

So ,Finland didn't trust Stalin. I can't blame them.

[@jounisuninen]

Finland didn't trust Hitler, either.

[@jimi1943]

No one trusted stalin and stalin trusted no one.

[@TheGloriousLobsterEmperor]

@@jounisuninen They sure trusted him enough to help siege Leningrad.

[@jaakkosaha5787]

Soviet Union was given a naval base in Hanko as part of the peace treaty following the Winter War and they were allowed to move troops to this base through Finland. So by the summer of 1941, there were both German and Soviet troops moving though Finnish territory.

[@stevekaczynski3793]

Hanko was evacuated by the Soviets in 1941.

[@Oxtocoatl13]

The fact that the continuation war started with soviet troops entrenched like an hour's drive from Helsinki is weirdly often forgotten in Finland. The battles around Hanko and the surrounding islands are very interesting.

[@kallekonttinen1738]

Rarely you can see such a learned discription about Finnish 1941 outside Finland. Tumbs up!

[@kallekonttinen1738]

Noticed couple detail mistakes with the pictures. One picture there is text "Finnish troops marching in the Soviet Union, July 1941". Troops are actually in Finland and they are marching in TO the Soviet Union. Location is inside current Finnish borders.

[@kallekonttinen1738]

Second picture there is text "Carl Mannerheim in Helsinki, 1917". Year there is wrong. Time is May 1918 when white troops come to Helsinki after German troops had taken it from Finnish Red forces..

[@alexamerling79]

Essentially they had a common enemy. The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

[@Ronald98]

i read on wikipedia some time ago on how the british spitfires fought both finnish and german planes over murmansk and to secure the soviet port from attacks from the air to ensure the steady supply of lend lease... i don't remember where i read that but i definitely did read it... so i don't know what are you talking about.. the british and the finns did fight over northern russia

[@paananenjouko1480]

Jagdgeschwader 5 (JG 5) was a German Luftwaffe fighter wing during World War II. It was created to operate in the far north of Europe, namely Norway, Scandinavia and northern parts of Finland, all nearest the Arctic Ocean, with Luftflotte 5, created specifically to be based in occupied Norway, and responsible for much of northern Norway. There were only Germany fighter planes in north at that time, Finnish Air Forces never fought with British fighter pilots. USSR indeed were British planes because they gave Lend-Lease help.

[@reinokarvinen8845]

The soviets flew american and brittish planes donated to them

[@IrishTechnicalThinker]

Indy is the type of guy to sit on his TV to watch his couch. Legend.

[@charleskristiansson1296]

What could Finland do? Colonised by Sweden then Russia? They had to fight for their survival and were harshly penalised by their loss of territory. The neutral countries are NEVER given a choice as the BIG BULLIES don't allow the smaller peaceful nations to live in peace.

[@Dev_Six]

The train cart still exists in Finland that Mannerheim and Hitler spoke in. One of the carts was vandalized a year or two ago, but the cart where the recording was made is still fine.

[@tukemies]

What do you think about the scenario that many historians have wondered? If Finnish troops had gone further in the east and cut off the Murmansk Railway the soviets would not have got so much resources from Americans. Most of the American aid to Soviet Union came to Murmansk on ships and onward by trains to the south. That could have had significant impact on the whole war on eastern front.

[@konstantinkelekhsaev302]

they tried but failed. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Silver_Fox

[@aritakalo8011]

Move more cargo via Vladivostok and Archangel temporarily. Mainly they couldn't have run winter convoys to archangel, since it wasn't Ice free as Murmansk. I doubt it would have knocked the Soviets out of the war. Just meant more organizing to run via Vladivostok. Plus soviets would have burned hell and brimstone to clear the route back open. Even if Murmansk railway would have been captured.... Could it have been held. Most likely Murmansk would have turned into Sevastopol like sea supplied bastion from which they would constantly break out while southern offensive would have constantly flowed in supplied via the Murmansk railway. All the while Finns and Germans would have had to supply the cutting garrison via bad back roads, trucks and rivers and lakes. Thus even if capture would have succeeded it would probably have been short lived. During summer they would have shipped from archangel massive troops concentrations via sea to Murmansk... Maybe even during winter with ice breakers etc. Not like Murmansk was going to run out of ammunition.... it was a massive supply depot with all the convoys flowing in.

[@willydawiller]

@@konstantinkelekhsaev302 the finnish part of that operation was successful, the germans didn't uphold their requirements

[@bige1106]

@@konstantinkelekhsaev302 actually it was not the Finns that failed, it was really the Germans that failed, there were very few Finns involved in that operation, in fact Mannerheim was very dissatisfied with how badly the Germans performed in the North. Finns of course were very successful in taking back their illegally stolen lands to the south were the Finns operated.

[@Redmanticore]

@@bige1106 it was clear they didn't send their best materials with their few men. why weren't they equipped and trainer at all for winter war? where were the mountaineering corps? where were the tanks? the planes? the munitions? even boats, since they were next to sea? they just slaughtered the low morale northern of their own for nothing. arguably finns didn't advance, because finns got a call from the president of united states.

[@finchborat]

Idk if someone already mentioned it in the comments but one fun fact that (to my surprise) wasn't brought up in the bio. Mannerheim was present at and participated in Tsar Nicholas II's coronation in 1896.

[@sampohonkala4195]

He was one of the four officers that followed the tsar in the ceremony.

[@OllihuAkbar]

"East Karelia has never been part of Finland" That's a bit reductive considering Finland had just declared it's independence from the Soviet Union and there were countless Finnish and Finnic peoples outside it's newly drawn border.

[@romaboo6218]

Its like saying "Native americans never had been a country that controlled america"

[@PalofGrrr]

Finland had been attacked by the USSR .So when Germany went to war with the USSR..Well the enemy of my enemy is my friend

[@boomer955]

Poland attacked Soviet Russia and took some of it territories. So when Germany went to war with Poland, well the enemy of my enemy is my friend.

[@jaybee9269]

Really great, insightful episode.

[@-jk-2580]

I think you made accurate and modern presentation. ”The Drift Theory” is mostly post-war myth to support Finlands international position in Cold War Europe.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thank you!

[@derrickstorm6976]

The drift theory is indeed entirely a description of thr Finnish position in the cold war

[@danbulicanu8411]

Please make a similar video about Ion Antonescu and Romanian's implication in WW2, Finland an Romania had a similar history because of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, joining the war against the soviets to liberate their occupied territories (Karjala and respectively Bessarabia)

[@siyamkamal9587]

Romania was as cruel as the germans during ww2. The pogorms that happened in romania rival that of Germany

[@caryblack5985]

Romanis was promised Soviet territory and Odessa. They were deeply involved in the mass murder of Jews.

[@Overlord734]

Bessarabia itself was unlawfully occupied by Romania during Russian Civil war.

[@danbulicanu8411]

@@Overlord734 It wasnt occupied, the General Assembly of the Democratic Republic Of Moldova voted to unite with Romania, more than 60% of the population being ethnically Romanian 😉

[@Overlord734]

@@danbulicanu8411 compare the annexation of Bessarabia by Romania with the annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014. Similarities are striking.

[@danielmalinen6337]

According to the perspective taught in Finland, the alliance was left informal in the agreement on purpose and this relationship is still called a non-alliance-alliance in our history books, because it was kind of like an alliance without actually being an alliance. But according to some countries it was an actual alliance because there is no such things as a non-alliance-alliance and an informal alliance.

[@maivaiva1412]

Thank you!! I prefer hearing about this stuff from non-Finnish people since most Finns (including me lol) have Big Opinions that often can get in the way of actually being truthful to themselves.