1939-40 Russo-Finnish Winter War

[Chinaski]

Oh, I wasn't actually talking about the Winter War, but the civil war of 1918.

That's a different story. I don't know the details, but I'll be researching it for my History paper eventually...

[Har]

Yeah, that sounds fascinating.

[Chinaski]

Yeah, that sounds fascinating.

If you have any particular opinion about Mannerheim's conduct, argue it here with factual evidence and sources.

[FedUpWithFaith]

Yay ^^ Let's have a mythology trivia thread!

We do, what happened Gawdzilla?

[klr]

Yeah, that sounds fascinating.

If you have any particular opinion about Mannerheim's conduct, argue it here with factual evidence and sources.

A potted history, mostly summarised from the William Trotter book I mentioned early in the thread:

Mannerheim was referred to some as "The Bloody Baron", a nickname that he shared with Roman Ungern von Sternberg. It might be coincidence, or (more likely) Mannerheim was given it as a back-handed reference to von Sternberg, who really was a bloodthirsty lunatic. Mannerheim was held responsible for the deaths of several thousand "Reds" during the "White Terror" of 1918, which itself followed on from an earlier "Red Terror". But Mannhereim's role and culpability in these mass deaths is disputed - there was a lack of proper communication and control, there was disease, famine, etc. On the other hand, he had great authority, and could have acted more decisively in some cases.

... so where does the truth lie? :hum:

[Woodbutcher]

Wood,

The more I learn about Finland, the more impressed I am. Also came across some really cool stuff about linguistic-genetic studies of the Finns and Laplanders too. Some really fascinating migration must have happened to and from that relatively small area.

I seem to recall that Finland was subjet to radiation poisoning from Chernobyl and possibly some other Soviet nuclear tests and accidents (particularly a nuclear sub that went kaput in your waters). What ever came of that?. Are people still getting sick? Did the Russians or Soviets ever do anything to help?

Finns' ethnic ancestry comes from tribespeople from around Russian Ural mountains. AFAIK the Huns and the Mongols pushed these proto-Finnic tribes ahead of them, across the Russian steppes and up through Hungary. Some settled there, others chose to move north, eventually settling in Estonia and Finland. Finnish and Estonian languages are fairly closely related, Hungarian has diverged greatly, influenced by slavic tongues. Some of the earlier inhabitants, the Lapps, had resided in Finland for a long time before this, since 4000 BC, if I remember correctly. Later on people moved in from Russia as well. Finns are not exclusively blond, many have dark brown or black hair, which is probably due to Russian influence. Lapps, who live in northern Finland, Sweden and Norway speak a language that is related to Finnish. Some of them also live in Russia on the Kola peninsula next to Finland.
I seem to recall about Chernobyl that the Russians wanted to keep it hushed. The first indication was that radioactive measurements in northern Finland suddenly flew off the scale. Eventually the Russians had to 'fess up that they were at fault, although at first they denied it. At first people panicked, but eventually radiation settled to normal levels. Since there is two months of no sun in northern Finland, a little radioactivity in reindeer would have been neat for the Lapps: they would have been easier to spot if they glowed in the dark.

[Woodbutcher]

Finns don't trust Russians to help. They think that the first thing the Russians would do is to send in an army. The sub I think was closer to Norway, as far as I know Finland has escaped most of the radiation effects from nuclear testing as well.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Yay ^^ Let's have a mythology trivia thread!

We do, what happened Gawdzilla?

Nobody gave a response that I saw.

[FedUpWithFaith]

Yay ^^ Let's have a mythology trivia thread!

We do, what happened Gawdzilla?

Nobody gave a response that I saw.

You didn't comment on my response. Are you sure you got your question right? - it's quite a coincidence.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

You didn't comment on my response. Are you sure you got your question right? - it's quite a coincidence.

It's not surprising that religions borrow from older religions, or that stories get "improved" when a good story comes along.

[Chinaski]

The first of my books on the Winter War came today, two about the war specifically and a biography of Mannerheim's years in Finland. I've got a shitload to read, and more are still coming. I'll never manage

[Har]

Queue Nelson Muntz: Hah-ha! :twisted:

[Chinaski]

While having dinner with a German auristocrat, Mannerheim was asked by said aristocrat if it would bother him if he lit a cigar. Mannerheim stared at him and replied, "I wouldn't know. No one has ever tried."


Mannerheim didn't like the Germans

[Chinaski]

Sorry, but some of these anecdotes are just wonderful.

In one village, a detachment of border guards came up to the home of an aged peasant woman and sadly informed her that she must prepare to leave her home, possibly forever, with only the belongings she could carry on her back and in the horse-drawn sled tethered near her cabin. In the morning, they would return and burn her house to the ground, so that the Russians could not sleep there. When the soldiers returned the next morning, they found the sled parked by the old woman's door, piled high with her possessions. When they entered the farmhouse, they were startled to see that the entire dwelling had been scrubbed and whitewashed until it sparkled. Stuck to the wall by the door, the woman left a note saying that she had gone to fetch something at a neighbour's house and would return in time to drive the sled away in the soldier's company. In the meantime, the note concluded, if the soldiers would look by the stove, they would find enough matches, kindling, and petrol to burn the house quickly and efficiently. When the old woman returned, the soldiers asked he why she had gone to so much trouble. Pulling herself upright with all the dignity she could summon, she looked them in the eye and replied: "When one gives a gift to Finland, one desires that it should be like new."

[klr]

Sorry, but some of these anecdotes are just wonderful.

In one village, a detachment of border guards came up to the home of an aged peasant woman and sadly informed her that she must prepare to leave her home, possibly forever, with only the belongings she could carry on her back and in the horse-drawn sled tethered near her cabin. In the morning, they would return and burn her house to the ground, so that the Russians could not sleep there. When the soldiers returned the next morning, they found the sled parked by the old woman's door, piled high with her possessions. When they entered the farmhouse, they were startled to see that the entire dwelling had been scrubbed and whitewashed until it sparkled. Stuck to the wall by the door, the woman left a note saying that she had gone to fetch something at a neighbour's house and would return in time to drive the sled away in the soldier's company. In the meantime, the note concluded, if the soldiers would look by the stove, they would find enough matches, kindling, and petrol to burn the house quickly and efficiently. When the old woman returned, the soldiers asked he why she had gone to so much trouble. Pulling herself upright with all the dignity she could summon, she looked them in the eye and replied: "When one gives a gift to Finland, one desires that it should be like new."

I've read that anecdote myself somewhere ... what books did you get?