New Book project on Winter War

[Bair]

Dear Friends,

I am now starting a book on Winter War that will come out at least in Russian in November 1939. Some preliminary negotins with Finnish and British publishers are also underway.

THe book will be description of operations on tactical level, as detailed as possible. Theater of Operations - Karelian Isthmus 1939-1940.

Based both on Russiand and Finnish archive research.

What aspects of the campaign would be interesting for you to read about?

regards,

Bair

[Art]

I am now starting a book on Winter War that will come out at least in Russian in November 1939.

2009? What will be the difference compared with:
http://pics.livejournal.com/sirjones/pic/001br484/

[Bair]

it will be 2,5 times larger in volume and more detailed. At least in Russian.

[Art]

Sounds interesting. As concerns myself I would be interested in info on summer 1944 offensive on the Isthmus especially the second part (after 20 June). More specifically - detailed information on losses suffered by both sides, more or less cohesive description of Soviet operational plans, info on landing operation in the Vyborg Gulf, some data on air component of the operation.

[Bair]

I will try to do so but I have no idea how much time I will have in TsAMO in Podolsk to study those matters...

[patrik.possi]

Hi

Very intresting project!

Theres alot of things i want to know from a russian point ov view.

1 Political, I want to knew how the Soviet leadership argued and the reason for why the the dropped the the "kuusinen goverment" and agreed to talk with the Finnish goverment again. what was the real reason behind the Soviet softning in position.

2 I have also read disturbing first hand account that Finnish POW was treated very bad, and that there where cases of exucution.

3 Also Soviet intelgence estmates and prediction of th ewar would be nice. I do not know if this story is true, but in Jukka L Maakelas book secret war he has a story where the Finnish intoregator ask a captured airman why Soviet bombers was targeting Porvoo day after day, and the airman replayed -Are you kiding, there is where the great war monger Runeberg lives!. [*Runeberg 1804-1877 finnish national poet] This story sound too good to be true, but how relible was Soviet intelgence.

4 I also would like to see a studie over Soviet plans and intention during 1944 and especially on and after 20th June. Now we only got fragments.

Rgds Patrik

[janner]

Go for it Bair

[Hanski]

What aspects of the campaign would be interesting for you to read about?

I would find it interesting to read about any aspects of the campaign that came as a surprise to either party: the behaviour of the adversary, the conditions on the battlefield, unexpected turns of events in general.

Before the campaign, there were naturally peace time plans on both sides, some of which had to be later abandoned because things simply went otherwise -- any analysis of modifications to planning by necessity and quotations of eyewitnesses thereon, war diaries and other documents would be welcome.

One of the details that I would like to read about are Finnish POW's at the time of being captured and during their captivity -- seen from the Soviet perspective. Some of them were political deserters, others had no choice under the circumstances but to cease resistance. How did the RKKA and the NKVD find them?

Best of luck to your venture, Bair!

[Lotvonen]

Did Germany help the Red Army?

"If the Allied had joined the war in Finland (in 1940) the Red Army would have got in a catastrophic position. Stalin understood this well enough, although it is most likely that he had received German military advice for the offensive in the Isthmus in February 1940"

Quote from the book : Jukka Seppinen, Neuvostotiedustelu Suomessa 1971-1991 Strategia ja toiminta (Jyväskylä 2006)
Seppinen provided no reference to support his statement.

I would like someone to find out if this is a fact or an opinion ?

[Robert M Hammond]

Dear Bair,

Hello from Southern California! Did you ever publish your book on the Winter War? If yes, is there an English version?

All the best,
Robert Hammond

[Seppo Koivisto]

Bair Irincheev has published at least this book in English: War of the White Death: Finland against the Soviet Union, 1939-40.
https://www.amazon.com/War-White-Death- ... 0811710882

[Robert M Hammond]

Thank you!

[Robert M Hammond]

Bair Irincheev has published at least this book in English: War of the White Death: Finland against the Soviet Union, 1939-40.
https://www.amazon.com/War-White-Death- ... 0811710882

Dear Seppo Koivisto,

Hi! Has anyone published a book or a paper on the first week of the Winter War covering the fighting on the Karelian Isthmus? I am trying to learn about the Finnish R-Group?

All the best!
Robert

[Seppo Koivisto]

Unfortunately I don't know any good books in English on that subject. The paper "Winter War battles of cover troops in Karelian Isthmus" has a very short English summary useless for historians, but maybe you have some use of the maps. (Click PDF in the upper right corner.)
https://journal.fi/ta/article/view/47486

War diaries of the R-Group are on line.
https://digihakemisto.net/aineisto/2401717732