Soviet offensive of February 1940

E33272

The Soviet offensive of February 1940 was a major Red Army assault during the final phase of the Winter War that broke through Finland’s Mannerheim Line on the Karelian Isthmus.


Statements (44)
Predicate Object
instanceOf battle of the Winter War
military offensive
aimedAt forcing Finland to accept Soviet territorial demands
belligerent Finnish Army
Red Army
characteristic breaching of multiple Finnish defensive positions
heavy Soviet casualties
intense artillery preparation
commander Semyon Timoshenko
conflict Winter War
consequence Finnish request for peace negotiations
Moscow Peace Treaty
context Soviet–Finnish relations 1939–1940
countryInvolved Finland
Soviet Union
endDate 1940-03-13
followedBy Moscow Peace Treaty negotiations
front Leningrad Military District
historicalPeriod World War II era
involvedForceStrength several Soviet armies on the Karelian Isthmus
location Karelian Isthmus
Mannerheim Line
militaryBranch Red Army ground forces
notableFor final collapse of the Mannerheim Line defenses
shift from earlier Soviet frontal assault tactics to more concentrated breakthroughs
objective breakthrough of the Mannerheim Line
opposedBy Finnish field army on the Karelian Isthmus
opposingCommander Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim
partOf Soviet strategic plan to force Finnish capitulation
Winter War
precededBy Soviet offensive of December 1939
relatedEvent Battle of Summa (1940)
Battle of Viipuri
result Soviet breakthrough of Finnish main defensive line
Soviet tactical victory
strategic success for the Soviet Union
scale major offensive
startDate 1940-02-01
target Finnish main defensive sector on the Karelian Isthmus
theatre Karelian Isthmus front
timePeriod final phase of the Winter War
used concentrated armor attacks
infantry assaults in depth
massive artillery bombardment

Referenced by (1)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
Mannerheim Line
significantEvent

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