740.0011 European War 1939/28089

The Finnish Legation to the Department of State 78

Memorandum

In the conversation between Mr. Welles and Mr. Procopé on January fifteenth 1943 the relations between Finland and the Soviet Union and their future outlook were referred to. On account of this, the Government of Finland wish to draw attention to the following points:

1) The reasons for the state of war still existing between Finland and the Soviet Union are the breaking of treaties and the acts of aggression against Finland undertaken by the Soviet Union. In 1939 Finland alone had to carry on the defensive struggle against this great Power whose aggression was condemned not only by the universal opinion but also by the League of Nations.79 The ultimate [Page 233] aim of this aggression was to destroy the independence of Finland. This is also proved by the fact that the Soviet Government established a bolshevistic puppet Government which was meant to rule the whole of Finland. Further the Moscow Government having signed a “peace treaty” with this puppet Government80 went, on account of this “treaty”, as far as to ignore at the beginning of the war the legal Government of the Republic of Finland.

After the signing of Peace in Moscow Finland concentrated all her strength upon the reconstruction of the country. She was not however left in peace to carry on this work. The Soviet Union charged Finland with new political demands exceeding the clauses of the Moscow Peace Treaty as for instance demands concerning military transit. At the same time the Russian Government interfering with the internal affairs of Finland and by causing domestic disturbances tried to lead the course of events in Finland to the same end as that achieved in the Baltic countries.81 Simultaneously the Soviet Union continued their military preparations beyond Finland’s eastern borders on a large scale constructing a great number of railroads and airfields for which there was no local need. Everything indicated that a new aggression was under preparation.

Indeed, such an aggression did occur. On the very day of the outbreak of war between Germany and the Soviet Union the Soviet Air Force bombed purely Finnish targets. There was no reply to the diplomatic representations made by the Finnish Government on account of this attack. On June 25th, 1941, the Russian forces began systematic, aggressive operations against Finnish territory. Finland had thus once more become the object of aggression and was compelled again to resort to armed self-defense.

2) The Government of Finland do realize that Finland has to establish satisfactory relations with her eastern neighbour. So far, however, there are no signs to indicate that the aggressor as regards his political attitude would have given up his aims towards Finland nor strategically changed his aggressive activities.

  1. Handed to the Under Secretary of State by the Finnish Minister on February 11, with the request that Mr. Welles give special attention to the last paragraph.

    In a memorandum to Mr. Welles, February 13, the Acting Chief of the Division of European Affairs (Atherton) observed that the Legation’s memorandum was apparently intended to justify their present policy and that it revealed that “Finland is not yet disposed to enter into peace negotiations with the Soviet Union”. (740.0011 European War 1939/28089)

  2. For correspondence on the outbreak of war between Finland and the Soviet Union in 1939, see Foreign Relations, 1939, vol. i, pp. 952 ff. For the resolution of the Council of the League of Nations condemning the Soviet Union for its aggression against Finland, see telegram No. 322, December 13, 1939, from the Consul General at Geneva, Foreign Relations, The Soviet Union, 1933–1939, p. 803.
  3. The Treaty of Mutual Assistance and Friendship between the Soviet Union and the Finnish Democratic Republic was signed in Moscow on December 2, 1939, and took effect the same day; for text, see Izvestiya, December 3, 1939; for summary, see telegram No. 1005, December 3, 1939, from the Ambassador in the Soviet Union, Foreign Relations, 1939, vol. i, p. 1018.
  4. For correspondence concerning the forcible occupation of the Baltic States-and their incorporation into the Soviet Union, see ibid., 1940, vol. i, pp. 357 ff.