This book examines the intertwined dynamics of Churchill's anticommunist and geopolitical thought. It looks at the ways in which he attempted to use Finland as both tool and ally in the anticommunist projects of the twentieth century. Finland appeared a staunch ally in Churchill's recurring efforts to destroy or negate international communism, but the broader concerns of geopolitics and Great Power diplomacy complicated what might have been a simple task of teaming up with like-minded Finns. The resulting tensions are explored and explained in this study of comparative anticommunism based on Churchill's private papers and on additional British, Finnish and American documents.
Author(s): M. Ruotsila
Edition: 1
Year: 2005
Language: English
Pages: 192
BOOK COVER......Page 1
HALF-TITLE......Page 2
TITLE......Page 3
COPYRIGHT......Page 4
CONTENTS......Page 5
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS......Page 6
ABBREVIATIONS......Page 8
INTRODUCTION......Page 10
1 BEFORE THE BOLSHEVIKS, 1900–1918......Page 16
Churchill, Russia and the Grand Duchy of Finland......Page 17
Churchill, Finland and anti-socialism before 1917......Page 21
2 CHURCHILL, FINLAND AND THE RUSSIAN INTERVENTION, 1919–1920......Page 26
Background, contexts and premises......Page 27
Churchill, Finland and the anticommunist front......Page 35
The first St Petersburg plan (May–July, 1919)......Page 40
The second and third St Petersburg plans (October 1919–January 1920)......Page 45
Assessing the Churchill-Mannerheim collaboration......Page 50
3 THE TRAVAILS OF ANTICOMMUNISM IN THE INTERWAR YEARS, 1921–1939......Page 54
From anticommunism to anti-fascism......Page 55
Churchill and Mannerheim......Page 61
Finland, the Soviet Union and the Grand Alliance......Page 67
Dividing the blame, scouting the future......Page 74
4 THE ANTICOMMUNIST CHALLENGE OF THE WINTER WAR, 1939–1940......Page 78
Planning for Operations Catherine, Avonmouth, Stratford, Wilfred and Lumps (September–December 1939)......Page 80
The light of freedom in the frozen North (January–March 1940)......Page 89
Churchill and aid to Finland (December 1939–March 1940)......Page 95
Towards an armistice (March–April 1940)......Page 102
Interpretations and assessments......Page 107
5 CHURCHILL AS ALLY OF THE SOVIET UNION, ENEMY OF FINLAND, 1941–1944......Page 110
Churchill and Finland in the period of the interim peace (March 1940–July 1941)......Page 113
Road to the British declaration of war (July–December 1941)......Page 116
The years of apparent hostilities (December 1941–September 1944)......Page 127
Churchill and a vanquished Finland......Page 140
6 CHURCHILL, FINLAND AND THE EARLY COLD WAR, 1945–1955......Page 150
Anticommunist options after 1945......Page 151
The futile effort to entice Finland......Page 157
CONCLUSION......Page 164
NOTES......Page 172
BIBLIOGRAPHY......Page 194
INDEX......Page 206
