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Finland's government received the first tentative peace conditions from Soviet (through Stockholm) on January 29. Until then, the Red Army had fought to occupy all of Finland and abolish Finland's democracy. By this point, the Soviet government was prepared to temper its claims. The demands were that Finland cede the Karelian Isthmus, including the city of Viipuri, and Finland's shore of Lake Ladoga. The Hanko Peninsula was to be leased to the Soviet Union for 30 years.
Finland rejected these demands, and intensified the pleas to Sweden, France and the United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a state in Western Europe, usually known simply as the United Kingdom the UK Britain or less accurately as Great Britain . The UK was formed by a series of Acts of Union which united the formerly for military support by regular troops. Although Finland in the long run had no chance against a country 50 times its size, the reports from the front still held out hope for a Finland anticipating League of NationsThe League of Nations was an international organization founded after the First World War with goals of reducing armaments, settling disputes between countries and maintaining living conditions, but The League proved incapable of preventing aggression by intervention. Positive signals, however inconstant, from France and Britain, and more serious expectations of troops from Sweden, for which plans and preparations had been made all through the 1930sCenturies: 19th century 20th century 21st century Decades: 1880s 1890s 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s Years: 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 Events and trends Technology Jet engine invented Link Trainer invented Sc, were further reasons for Finland not to rush into peace negotiations. (See Winter War#Foreign support for a detailed account.)
In February 1940, Finland's Commander-in-ChiefCommander-in-Chief (in NATO-lingo often C-in-C or CINC pronounced "sink") is the commander of all the military forces within a particular region or of all the military forces in a state. Political title While well-known Commanders-in-Chief often have been marshal Mannerheimequestrian statue at the beginning of the Mannerheim road in Helsinki, Finland Baron Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim ( June 4, 1867 January 28, 1951) was Finland's reputed Commander-in-Chief and later President of Finland ( 1944 1946). Mannerheim was born in expressed his pessimism about the military situation, prompting the government to start peace negotiations on February 29February 29 is the 60th day of a leap year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 306 days remaining. A year which has a February 29 is, by definition, a leap year''. This date only occurs approximately every four years, in years evenly divisible by 4, such as 1 . The same day the Red Army commenced an attack against Viipuri.
On March 6March 6 is the 65th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (66th in Leap years). There are 298 days remaining. It is Keichitsu in the Japanese calendar. Events 1447 Nicholas V becomes Pope. 1460 Treaty of Alcacovas Portugal gives Castile the Canary Isl, a Finnish delegation lead by Prime MinisterThe Prime Minister ( Finnish Paaministeri Swedish: Statsminister is the Head of Government in Finland. In 1918 the Senate of Finland was transformed into the Cabinet of Finland, and the position as vice-chairman of the Senate's Economic Division was trans Risto Ryti travelled to Moscow. During the negotiations, the Red Army broke through the Finnish defence lines around Tali and were close to surrounding Vyborg.
The Peace Agreement was signed on the evening of March 12, Moscow time, i.e. 1 A.M. on March 13, Finnish time. The fighting ended at 11 A.M., Finnish time.
Finland was forced to cede nearly all of Finnish Karelia (with Finland's industrial center, including Vyborg/Viipuri, Finland's second largest city; in total, nearly 10% of the territory), even though large parts were still held by Finland's army. 422,000 Karelians, 12% of Finland's population, lost their homes. Military troops and remaining civilians were hastily evacuated to inside the new border.
Finland also had to cede a part of the Salla area, the Finnish part of the Kalastajansaarento ( Rybachi ) peninsula in the Barents Sea, and in the Gulf of Finland the islands of Suursaari , Tytärsaari, Lavansaari and Seiskari. Finally, the Hanko Peninsula was leased to the Soviet Union as a naval base for 30 years.
Contrary to common belief, the Soviet troop transfer rights by railway to the Hanko base were not granted in the peace treaty, but they were demanded first on July 9, after Sweden had acknowledged railway transit of Wehrmacht troops to occupied Norway. However, the peace treaty stipulated that Finland would grant free passage for Soviet civilians through Petsamo to Norway.
Additional demands were that any equipment and installation on the ceded territories were to be handed over. Thus Finland had to hand over 75 locomotives, 2,000 railroad cars, a number of cars, trucks and ships. The Enso industrial area, which was clearly on the Finnish side of the border, as it was drawn in the peace treaty, was also soon added to the Finnish losses of territory and equipments.
The new border was not arbitrary from the Soviet viewpoint.
The Finns were shocked by the harsh peace terms. It seemed as if more territory was lost in the peace than in the war, and the loss was in many ways some of the highest valued parts of Finland:
Sympathy from the world opinion seemed to have been of little worth. A certain bitter disappointment became a common feature of the Finns' view of other nations, not the least the Swedes, who had offered plenty of sympathy but not lived up to their obligation to support Finland with blood.
For better or for worse, the harsh terms made the Finns inclined to seek support from Nazi Germany, and made many Finns regard a revanche as justified. In the end, this might have been a necessary condition for Finland's survival in the World War.
Only a year later, in June 1941, hostilities resumed in the Continuation War.
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