Ryti speech 9th June 1941

[Seppo Jyrkinen]

My source is "Jatkosodan historia", vol4, p101. Also "Suomen Sota 1941-1945", vol5, p431. Ryti's letter to Mannerheim word by word: Mika Kulju, "Kenraalin viisi sotaa", p164. All those in Finnish only.

Mannerheim's letter to Siilasvuo was formulated smartly ("if you can't reach Louhi, then you can't"), but unfortunately I don't remember the source. Hopefully someone else AHF member will help you.

This matter, cool down the warfare, was also told to US ambassador Schoenfeld; http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bi ... 1&isize=XL

[Swing]

Thanks! Just read "Jatkosodan historia", it is a good starting point for next try. What about Päämaja\III AK collections at digi.narc.fi? Is it right way for investigations?

[Seppo Jyrkinen]

I think III AK is possible source, but I'm not familiar with it. Kulju's book is also worth to check if there is the original source.

One possibility is to put this question to http://agricola.utu.fi/keskustelu/ which is a meeting place of Finnish historians. Someone could give you the right address to a war time document.

[JariL]

The attitude of the Finnish State (or its military establishment) to the Sovie prisoners of War and the Russian civil population of the occupied territories of Karelia and Leningrad region raises questions about the democratic nature of Finland in 1941-44

No denying that many Russian POW's and civilians died in 1942 either in POW camps or internment camps in East-Karelia, mainly due to hunger. It is also true that in the beginning conditions in the camps and disciplinary methods used were not appropriate. However, the fact that the conditions in both cases were improved and the suffering stopped is by and large explained by the democratic political system of the country. When news about the deaths started spreading and they also lead to some newspaper articles being published abroad, most notably in Sweden, the authorities took action. From the autumn of 1942 onwards the conditions both in POW camps and internment camps in East Karelia had been improved both what comes to organization and nourishment and the detah rates fell into normal levels. To those who are interested in the subject two good books are Suur-Suomen kahdet kasvot (might also want to read Itä-Karjala, helmi Suomen maakuntien joukossa) and Vankisurmat; Neuvostosotavankien laittomat ampumiset jatkosodassa.