Winter War
Background
Main article: Background of the Winter War
Politics of Finland
Northern Europe in November 1939.:10 Neutral countriesGermany and annexed countriesSoviet Union and annexed countriesCountries with Soviet military bases
Finland constituted the eastern part of the Swedish kingdom for centuries before 1809. At this time, to protect its imperial capital, Saint Petersburg, Imperial Russia conquered Finland and converted it into an autonomous buffer state within the Russian Empire.
