Battle of Suomussalmi
Suomussalmi, Kainuu, Finland
What happened
Finnish troops under Colonel Hjalmar Siilasvuo fought two Soviet divisions during the Winter War. In November 1939 the Soviet Union invaded Finland. Soviet divisions marched into northern Finland to cut the country in half. Finnish soldiers on skis, moving quickly through deep snow and freezing forests, cut the Soviet columns into pieces along the narrow roads and surrounded them.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It was Finland's clearest victory of the Winter War and a huge boost to Finnish morale. It became a symbol of how a small country defended itself against a much larger one.
What came next
The Winter War ended with the Moscow Peace Treaty on 13 March 1940. Finland gave up about 9% of its land but kept its independence.
Did you know?
Finnish troops targeted the Soviet field kitchens, leaving the enemy soldiers cold and hungry in temperatures far below freezing.
Timeline
- 30 November 1939The Soviet Union invades Finland.
- December 1939Finnish ski troops surround the Soviet columns.
- 8 January 1940The battle ends in a Finnish victory.
- 13 March 1940The Moscow Peace Treaty ends the Winter War.