But how accurate is that picture? Rising above the national perspective “The war effort showed proof of moral values that were, and still are, held in high regard, such as patriotism and working together for a greater cause.” He seems to say that people dissatisfied with today’s diverse society seek the blueprint for a society that supposedly used to exist. “A nostalgic view of Finland lives through the memory of the war,” says Holmila. “The Winter War is always topical when speaking about Finnish self-consciousness” says Antero Holmila, a researcher at the University of Jyväskylä with a background in British academia, and the editor of a book entitled Talvisota muiden silmin (The Winter War through the Eyes of Others). The battle would last for 105 days, until March 13, 1940, with Finland, much to the surprise of most, remaining independent but ceding about 9 percent of its prewar territory and 20 percent of its industrial capacity to the Soviet Union.Īs elsewhere, the outcome of the worldwide conflict shaped the nation.

On November 30, 1939, the day after this question appeared as the title of the New York Times editorial, the Soviet Union initiated a massive offensive against Finland.

Finnish winter war uniform