Lapland War

E17226

The Lapland War was a World War II–era conflict in northern Finland in 1944–1945, in which Finnish forces fought to expel their former German allies from Lapland under pressure from the Soviet Union.

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Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf World War II campaign
military conflict
approximateFinnishCasualties about 1000 killed
approximateGermanCasualties several thousand killed, wounded, or missing
belligerent Finnish Army
German 20th Mountain Army
Wehrmacht
cause Moscow Armistice requirements
Soviet pressure on Finland to expel German forces
characteristic harsh Arctic climate conditions
limited direct large-scale engagements
scorched earth tactics by retreating German forces
civilianImpact large-scale evacuation of Lapland civilians
massive destruction of homes and infrastructure in Lapland
commandedBy Franz Böhme
Hjalmar Siilasvuo
Lothar Rendulic
conflictType war of expulsion
countryInvolved Finland
Germany
endDate 1945-04-27
followedBy postwar Allied Control Commission period in Finland
historicalPeriod late World War II in Europe
legalStatus separate conflict from the Continuation War in Finnish historiography
location Lapland
northern Finland
memory significant event in Finnish Lapland regional history
notableBattle Battle of Muonio
Battle of Rovaniemi
Battle of Tankavaara
Battle of Tornio
notableOperation Operation Birke
Operation Nordlicht (1944)
opponent Finland
Nazi Germany
partOf World War II
precededBy Continuation War
primaryFront Petsamo, Finland
surface form: Petsamo region

Rovaniemi area
Tornio–Kemi area
relatedTo Moscow Armistice requirements
surface form: Moscow Armistice of 19 September 1944

Soviet–Finnish relations
result Finnish compliance with armistice terms
German withdrawal from Lapland
destruction of infrastructure in Lapland
startDate 1944-09-15
territorialChange no major change in Finnish borders
theatre Arctic theatre of World War II

Referenced by (25)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Battle of Muonio conflict Lapland War
Battle of Rovaniemi conflict Lapland War
Battle of Tankavaara conflict Lapland War
Battle of Tornio conflict Lapland War
Finnish Air Force conflict Lapland War
Finnish Army conflict Lapland War
Finnish Defence Forces conflict Lapland War
Hjalmar Siilasvuo conflict Lapland War
Operation Birke conflict Lapland War
Rovaniemi area conflict Lapland War
Tornio–Kemi area conflict Lapland War
Continuation War followedBy Lapland War
this entity surface form: Lapland War (indirectly, via German–Finnish–Soviet dynamics)
Battle of Tornio partOf Lapland War
Tornio–Kemi area partOf Lapland War
this entity surface form: Finnish offensive in Lapland
Battle of Muonio relatedEvent Lapland War
this entity surface form: German withdrawal from Lapland
Operation Birke relatedTo Lapland War
Marshal of Finland usedInConflict Lapland War
Battle of Muonio war Lapland War