LordKiran
Veteran Member
So just to be clear, it is wrong to suggest that the fins 'sided' with the nazis in the sense that they were sworn allies, rather than their goals just happening to coincide with one another?
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Can you specify on Finland's involvement in the Nazi war effort?
How is that relevant?
To the main topic? Not at all. With regards to my personal tangential dispute with Barbos? He keeps looking for reasons to justify Stalin's violation of Finnish Sovereignty.
Yes, and the justification is because the Nazis were going to use it as a way to invade. If Finland would not have let Hitler do it, then Hitler would have simply taken it by force, as he did with the Netherlands and Belgium. You may not like it, but calling it "warmongering" is leaving out a very important piece of historical context.
I would call it justified.
I wouldn't because you'll notice Stalin didn't give them their territory back after the fact. Isn't it funny how Russian borders grew by "Protecting themselves" Right...
All of this is just using so many words to once again reiterate "Stalin secured the interests of his people at the expense of others." And in that regard he is little different from any fascistic dictator you care to mention.
The historical context is that from 1807 to 1917 Finland was a Russian province. Taken from the Swedes. Since Stalin was a nationalist, he wanted it back. Completely ignoring that Finland had belonged to Sweden for close to a thousand years prior.
That's a problem in Europe. Everybody has a historical claim to everything else. And ethnic borders are fluid. There's just no point "giving back" land. It's better just to freeze borders and do our damndest to prevent nationalists from grabbing land from others.
I understand the historical context. I further understand that the people we now call Fins didn't necessarily see themselves as one people prior to Swedish conquest. All I am saying is that at the end of the day Stalin was warmongering when he declared war on the fins and violated their sovereignty. All I am arguing against are the flimsy justifications for Stalin's decisions. Nothing more.