Soviet–Finnish negotiations of 1938–1939

E1943

The Soviet–Finnish negotiations of 1938–1939 were pre-war diplomatic talks in which the Soviet Union sought territorial and security concessions from Finland in an unsuccessful attempt to reshape their border and strategic position before resorting to military action.


Statements (35)
Predicate Object
instanceOf diplomatic negotiation
event in the interwar period
international diplomatic crisis
prelude to the Winter War
aimedAt improving the strategic position of the Soviet Union in the Gulf of Finland
obtaining territorial concessions from Finland
reshaping the Soviet–Finnish border
strengthening the defense of Leningrad
characterizedBy Finnish reluctance to cede territory
Soviet demands for border adjustments on the Karelian Isthmus
Soviet requests for territorial exchanges in the Gulf of Finland
Soviet security arguments about possible German use of Finnish territory
context prelude to World War II in Europe
countryInvolved Finland
Soviet Union
demandedBy Soviet Union
endTime 1939
followedBy Soviet invasion of Finland in 1939
Winter War
hasCause Soviet security concerns about Leningrad
growing tension in Europe before World War II
historicalSignificance illustration of small-state resistance to great-power pressure in the late 1930s
key step in the escalation of Soviet–Finnish conflict
ledTo Soviet decision to use military force against Finland
location Helsinki
Moscow
natureOfOutcome unsuccessful attempt to secure concessions by peaceful means
opposedBy Finland
partOf Soviet foreign policy before World War II
Soviet–Finnish relations
relatedTo Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact
Soviet defense of Leningrad
result failure to reach a binding agreement
startTime 1938
temporalRelation immediately preceded the outbreak of the Winter War

Referenced by (4)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
Soviet–Finnish relations ("Soviet–Finnish border agreements")
hasKeyEvent
Vyacheslav Molotov ("Soviet–Finnish negotiations during the Winter War")
notableWork
Soviet–Finnish negotiations of 1938–1939 ("Soviet–Finnish relations")
partOf
Winter War
precededBy

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