Finland’s rapprochement to National-Socialist Germany as reaction against Winter War

Abstract

The aim of this article is to analyse the reasons behind the Finnish co-belligerency with Germany in the Operation Barbarossa. The investigation reveals the main reasons and key moments which contributed to Finnish rapprochement with Nazi Germany following the Winter War when their relations reached the nadir. Therefore, the article looks at the attitude of Finnish, German and Soviet decision-makers following the Winter War and sets the Finnish decision within the frame of Finnish national interest as defined by its elites and not in an ideological choice of Totalitarian doctrine of National-Socialism. Ironically, after cooperating in the war against Soviet Union, Finland and Germany became open enemies after the Finnish armistice with Soviet Union was concluded.