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The Continuation War and the War of Lapland
by Petrokji Jamn

Many people don't know what was the Winter War, Continuation War or the War of Lapland in Finland or don't know their significance. The moral defeat that Russia sufferd in the Winter War, encouraged Hitler's plans to attack Russia. After the Winter War, in Finland it was sure that the world war was not over yet and that Finland had to choose their side. England and the United States refused to help Finland so Germany was the only chance.

Using the military equpment that the Germans provided, Finland had to attack Russia along with the Germans and lead the German troops to Lapland. When the Continuation War started and Finland attacked Russia in the summer of 1941, the goals were to take over all the areas what was lost in the Winter War and surround Leningrad with the Germans. At the north, the Germans were supposed to attack against Murmansk Harbor and stop the Allied assistance to Russia. However they were not able to accomplish this.

In the East-Karelia Finnish troops cut the Murmansk railway but didn't know at first that there was a crossroads to the Arkangeli supply route. Because Finland refused to try to invade Leningrad with the Germans, the attack stopped all over the front and all the lost areas were retaken. The station war lasted until 9th of June 1944 when the Russians launched a massive attack against Finland. On their attack, the Russians used huge armor, infantry, air and artillery forces so that the Finns had to retreat because of the high risk of being surrounded. The situation in the front, especially in Karelia Isthmus, was so chaotic that the Finland President Risto Ryti had to sign the Ribbentropp Contract. The contract meant that Finland had to fight beside Germany to the end but against that the Finns got the Panzerfaust anti-tank weapons what they desperately needed.

So the Kerelia Isthmus was lost again, but when the Russians approached the Vyborg the Finns organized a defense and stopped the Russians. Over two million Russian and Finnish soldiers fought in the Tali and Ihantala battles and it was the biggest battle in which the Finnish Army had ever taken part in. Because of the high Russian losses, Finland and Russia signed the Moskov peace treaty.

One of the terms in the peace treaty was that all Germans had to leave from Finland immediately. However the Germans did not accept this and that started the War of Lapland. While the Germans were retreating back to Norway, they also burnt and mined all the areas what they left behind. Before the spring 1945 all the Germans were back in Norway, and after six years, World War Two in Finland was finally over.