Before World War 1, Finland had been part of Russia. However, during the Russian Civil War that followed, Finland was largely dominated by the non-Soviet White Russians, who successfully broke away from Russian to become their own independent country. This situation was to rankle Stalin, who still regarded the territories of Finland as belonging to his country.

Three months after the outbreak of World War 2, The Soviet Union invaded Finland. Having already made territorial demands of Finland and emboldened by their participation in Nazi Germany’s invasion of Poland, 600,000 Soviet troops crossed the common border with Finland on November 30, 1939, probably assuming such an invasion would be a cakewalk against such a comparatively weak opponent. Some argue that their aim was the ultimate annexation of the entirety of Finland. However, despite the massive flood of invaders, most Soviet troops were ill-equipped and often barely trained.

Finland, surprisingly, proved to be anything but a pushover. At first, enormous columns of Soviet men and equipment poured across the frontier all along the front, and the Fins retreated before them into the northern forests. Soon, Soviet military columns were strung for miles along narrow country roads, where they proved easy fodder for fast-striking Finnish ski forces, who harassed them mercilessly and then disappeared back into the woods so familiar to them. As the harsh northern winter set in, the Soviet found themselves stalled with virtually no effective preparation for the brutal weather which settled in.

The attrition of Soviet personnel and equipment was horrendous. Entire battalions froze to death in their trenches. Other units were squandered in mass attacks similar to what had been tried in World War 1, with predictable results. Some troops even starved to death. This massive drain on men and material went on through three months of hellish combat. The Soviets were determined. The Finns were resolute. Something had to give.

Eventually, the Soviet high command grudgingly adopted a few new tactics after this initial disastrous foray but mostly upped the ante by sending an additional million and a half men into the fray, overwhelming Finnish defenses. This led to a usurious peace treaty which forced Finland to surrender almost 10% of its territory. However, this treaty was only going to stand a little over a year, as Germany then invaded the Soviet Union in Operation Barbarossa and the Finns sought retribution in what became known as the Continuation War, pulling Finland fully into the arms of the Axis. Ultimately, this invasion cost The Soviet Union about half a million casualties as opposed to 70,000 Finnish losses.

The Winter War 1939-40 is an excellent pocket history of this horrific, albeit brief conflict, with dozens of rarely- or never-before-seen pictures documenting the men and equipment of both sides. This David versus Goliath event is in many ways neatly reflected in the current Ukraine versus Russia conflict going on right now. The most significant difference is that although the world condemned the Soviet invasion, nothing much was actually done except the symbolic removal of the Soviet Union from the League of Nations. Finland received virtually no material international support, although there were flooded with so many international volunteers that they had to turn many away. One can’t help but wonder how things would have turned out if allies had only stepped up with much-needed military equipment to help repel that invasion back then.

This book breaks down the various stages of the war into succinct chapters, all heavily illustrated within its 123 pages. The writing is clear and compelling and truly makes for fascinating reading. The pictures provide a wealth of ideas for models and dioramas, and I’ve already thought of three that I’m personally going to take a shot at. It’s just that compelling a story. All pictures include detailed captions which simply add to the wealth of information provided.

This is a truly worthy addition to any modeler’s library, and the echoes of what occurred during those fateful three-and-a-half months resound to this very day. I heartily recommend this as a gripping read of a truly momentous human tale of conflict and courage. My thanks to Casemate for publishing this book, and to IPMS/USA for a chance to read it. Stay safe, everyone, and happy modeling!