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Diary Of WW2 — Day 195

Mar 13, 01:01 PM

Wednesday 13th March 1940

A peace treaty between the Soviets and the Finns is signed in the early hours of the morning. The ceasefire begins at 1200. This ends the 104-day war between Finland and the USSR the Winter War.

Field Marshal Mannerheim tells his troops, “The deeds you have accomplished will shine for centures in the pages of our history.” The Finns have never had more than 200,000 men in the fight and have lost 25,000 dead and 45,000 wounded. The Soviets committed 1,200,000 men, 1500 tanks and 3000 planes. Official sources put their losses at 48,000 dead and 158,000 wounded.

The figures lead Allied and Axis observers to believe that the effects of Stalin’s political purges of his officers have weakened his forces severely. This impression of inefficiency encourages Hitler’s decision to invade the USSR where he expects to win very quickly, his forces being much superior to the Finns’. When that invasion does come, the British and Americans will not want to send supplies to the Soviets as they expect the same outcome and do not want to waste resources.

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