Tribute to finnish warchildren and swedish aid

[reallyfullofmyself]

..my grandmother was from Karelia......she pulled a horse carriage behind her along with her two sisters all the way from Karelia to Vaasa...a few items, belongings that is today my familys -inheritance- of history... I miss my grandparents so much..All the suffering they went through,...and without that suffering, i would not exist today..

[Dolflu]

Why defend Swedish nazism and then suffer for it.

[livetoboogie]

hectic!

[gamer5274]

i'm happy that sweden helpt finnland but i think we could have helpt more, finnland is a great countrey a nordic allia and i think that russia should give back the territorys they took in the winter war thoug i have e finnish classmate that don't belive that sweden helpt ore did anything and that makes me mad i don't really like that we diden't helpt more then we did but still we helpt finnland and i'm glad for that

[freedomthrough]

@gamer5274 Let's just say no one did as much to really help Finland than Sweden did. I don't know anyone who doesn't have a warchild somewhere in their family tree. My grandmother was one and we stayed in touch with her host-mother until she died.

[granskare]

cool!

[Agrikultur]

''but did indirectly support Finland''. I mean it wasn't indirectly? It was just not the help the finns had hoped for.

[MrHerrKarl]

Folk verkar ha missat Molotov-Ribbentrop, synd. Men det är lätt att hyra en billig film.... Men enligt Mannerheim skall aktingen och tacksamheten aldrig förblekna. Utan Sverige hade vi hållt ut en vecka...

[freedomthrough]

@MrHerrKarl Bildligt talat i alla fall. Inte hade det funnits en chans att "lyckas så bra" utan Sverige.

[Mainilanlaukaisija]

There is simply one word in a wrong place.

[AinaIsabella]

My grandpa was a finnish war child that came to sweden, i am very proud to be a quarter finnish!

[Solatunum111]

@AinaIsabella Min brorson är också barnbarn till ett krigsbarn

[beginmaster]

I love Finland, and wouldn't doubt to defend it. Long live or two nations!

[freedomthrough]

@beginmaster I would never die to defend Finland, but i would die to defend the people i love and most of them are Finnish, so... Flag-wanking is pointless.

[notblondeswede]

Sweden & Finland 4-ever! <3

[JSLegoMaster]

Here in sweden I know many War children, they are part of our country today,

[Mainilanlaukaisija]

Most of the warchildren came back. Orphins and those whos parents had insurmountable difficulties stayed in Sweden. Often the return was heartbraking when the child had been in a new family couple of years.

[roth1c]

Nordic brothers! Good vid!

/Swede

[doberful]

It is very sad. I blame crazy Stalins desition to attack Finland. Im russian and Im leaving and working in Finland at the moment. I love Finland and finnish people are good and kind. I think we should forget the past and look forward in the future. It was enough war and we new generation dont want it again. Lets leave toghether in peace. Nowadays our contries have good strong relationship.

Anteksi for my english. Puhun Suomea!-)

[finnfellow]

I would say that at least a good relationship, not as strong... but you're the first normal dude from russia that I have met here on tube!

[reallyfullofmyself]

@doberful Nice said, although i agree with -finnfellow- that it may not be a very strong relationship, and yet to date, not a very open one on Russias behalf. But we are adult people and a new generation, and although the scars run very deep in the Finns yet to date (i heard Russian war stories all my childhood and lived all my life with not knowing my mothers half of the family whom were sent to Sweden as war children, and seen my grandparents as cripples due to the war), we do need -CONT,-

[reallyfullofmyself]

@doberful CONT,- work at constantly improving our relationships and no matter what, never EVER let History repeat itself again! I wish you a good life in Finland, please, also be responsable to not bring the "bad stuff" from Russia accross the border....Only with RESPECT and TIME can things heal. All the best to you.

[MJODENG]

Vakker film. Har sett original filmen om Eero med Topi Majaniemi om livet i Finland og i Skåne NrK2 1/5-09.

Gode skuespillere alle sammen.

[MeHxxRan]

1 day , Russia (our Arch Enemy) would pay the price for what it has done.

[juokis]

they wont agree  their war crimes.. they denie evrything

[freedomthrough]

@MeHxxRan And how exactly would it do that? By more innocent people suffering? Don't you think the millions that died during the reign of Stalin was enough suffering for the Russian people? Don't you think the million that died at our borders was enough? Have you ever heard a story of the Russian soldiers fighting with pride or having a good time? They did NOT. They were forced to a place they didn't know, by a man they didn't know to fight a war they didn't know the reason for. Blame Stalin.

[reallyfullofmyself]

@freedomthrough ...i so feel for what you say..and i so understand that pain....i never thought i would feel the pain of the war as i was not even born then, but in a poor beginning of 1960's of Finland where MY parents also had to emigrate to Sweden for a better life.. I grew up the first 14 yrs of my life in Sweden and was treated nothing but with kindness and respect.. Sweden helped us and healed a lot of my fam scars..And the older i'm getting and the more i understand and see what -cont,-

[reallyfullofmyself]

@freedomthrough cont,- this war has done, how very deep the scars go of all the families split, and missing myself half of my mothers family that i never got to know..the whole thing just feels like a black hole the older i get. And i understand your pain also..the necessity to have someone to blame, but Stalin is also dead and will never be accountable for anything..the blame does not help, it just deepens the scars.. We need to heal somehow, neither of us will ever forget, but we can, -cont,-

[freedomthrough]

@reallyfullofmyself That was exactly my point. There is no one left to blame for us, so we need to go on. History will judge him, we need to go on.

[tyskbulle]

Many think that just becuse Finland was able to resist the soviet union whit great succes Sweden woud be a sleeping warmachine. In fact we had poor military and wasnt ready for a war until like 1942. Our soldiers didnt even have winter traning, so what good woud they do in the winter war where all that matterd where mobile infantry defence. We faced russia so many times and we know the price, we avoided war at all cost and i stand by that. Finland had to defend its own independence.

[Scurck]

But Sweden had a major industrial capacity that would have helped greatly, especially if we got tech from Germany.

Most of the Finns that fought did not have much training either, and most Swedes at that time did not live in big cities so they knew very well how to behave in cold weather.

[Mainilanlaukaisija]

I´m reading an interesting book at a moment about finnish-swedish secret military co-operation in 1930´s. The situation was quite complex, when prime minister Hanson himself supported the co-operation and swedish and finnish military did co-operation plans if the russians attackt. In the end he was still not ready to put the plans in practice.

[Mainilanlaukaisija]

There was a hot discussion in swedish goverment just before the Winter war and it led to resign of minister of foreign affairs Richard Sandler. The swedish generals and Sandler were ready put 100% support to Finland, but the goverment desided differently. There is also clear evidence that the finns took tight attitude in Moscow negotiations, because they had wrong information about swedish role. I still don´t think the baltic way would have been the easier way.

[no16na39]

I have read that at least Norway if not Sweden too, let Finnish troops "very unofficially" to use border cabins to rest and they gave their army supplies. Food, ammunition, guns etc. before patrols left again.

[tyskbulle]

however if it is true, then we have another enlightment shift. Sense after the Norweigan campaign we trained 8000 of thier resistance fighters.

[tyskbulle]

Our neutrality shifted like day and night, but after stalingrad we sided whit the allies in almost every way. In a way we to have done war cimes, by aiding the allied bombers bombing german citys. But on the other hand we saved hundreds of thousends of jews....presonaly i think germany woud never risk swedens northen mines to be destroyed, so he woud never invade. This way we coud actively supported Finland in war against the commies.

[Scurck]

Our neutrality where reacting to the realistic expectations of the outcome of the war. Before the winter failures and stalingrad it was obvious to THE ENTIRE WORLD that Germany would win easily over Russia and then have a free back to focus everything on England who would fall fairly soon.

In that situation it would have been idiotic to not have had a fairly good relation to a victorious Germany.

If we had joined Finland we would have had the same alliance with Germany that Finland had.

[tyskbulle]

Indeed, and like i explained on another youtube video here. Sweden woudnt stand a chance againt German, it wasnt a winter war whit ukranian pesants that you fight in dense forests. It was the well diciplined german wermacht and airforce, we woud be crushed in matter of days if the germans wanted to. Sweden played both sides but strongly favored the allied side when all was settled and done. In the end its a price of neutrality.

[Scurck]

It is worth to note that Sweden was VERY German-centered before the war. People did not learn English in schools like we do now, they learned German. Also, Germany went to war against our great arch enemy Russia who had attacked our brothers in Finland.

Sweden would have been far more "on Germany's side" in our neutrality if Germany had not invaded Denmark and Norway.

That they where killing people on an industrial scale where not known until late in the war.

[Mainilanlaukaisija]

"It is worth to note that Sweden was VERY German-centered before the war." The situation was same in Finnis schools. Before the war the crimes in the USSR were much larger than in nazi-Germany. The british and the french did not choose their enemy , because of it´s criminal nature, it was much more power politics.

[no16na39]

Finland and Germany were not officially allied. Because all western powers failed to come to aid, co-belligerence was a necessity to have the supplies from Germany. In Suursaari battles Germans had to surrender to Finns. In Silver Fox operation 12000 Germans, 1000 Finns got killed against 8000 Russian casualties. German troops were left behind and lost contact to Finnish troops in critical situations many times. They were not in their element in the North.

[Scurck]

I meant the same _type_ of alliance of course.

And If Sweden had joined Finland then Germany would most likely have had a much higher interest in supporting both countries as the two combined could have done much more damage to Russia. Especially with German tech produced in Swedish factories.

[tyskbulle]

Swedens neutrality was pretty wierd during the WW2, first we aided the finns whit like half of our heavy equipment and all around supplies, then we aided the german divisions to fight in northen Norway. Then we aided the allies whit spy intelligence and help sunk the bismark as exampel. Then we aided the germans sending a army to fight in Finland. Then we aided the allies again, and even planned to liberate Denmark and Norway. What woud happen if we sided whit one side? The price of neutrality.

[Scurck]

Wrong, Sweden never "aided the German divisions to fight in northern Norway". What happened was that German soldiers ON LEAVE where allowed to go by train through Sweden.

And one time we allowed a German armed force to go from Norway into Finland.

The first was due to German pressure and the second was to help Finland.

Sweden was two weeks away from a D-day "invasion" of Denmark to push out the Germans when Germany surrendered.

[tyskbulle]

"Already during the Norwegian Campaign the Swedish Government gave the Wehrmacht access to the Swedish Rail System, to transport divisions of infantry and war material."

"Access to the Swedish railways was granted on condition that the number of German soldiers travelling to Norway would balance the number leaving."

So this is false? I yet cant find a history book about it and i never trust internet sources. I do know though the Norweigans have a soure aye for something like this.

[Scurck]

For some reason some people seem to like spreading false propaganda about what Sweden did during ww2.

False propaganda such as Sweden letting armed German troops travel on Swedish trains (except the one who went to Finland).

And this is the first time I have even seen the claim that they did this DURING the ongoing campaign.

Perhaps it is the same people who think Sweden where cowardly for not declaring war on Germany...

[nomorefooling]

Sweden officially sided with Finland in the Winter War and sent aid, but we did not declare war on Soviet Union... Norway, Finland , and Denmark are weird nations... They ask Sweden to declare war on both Germany and Soviet Union. Yeah, that sounds likea good idea. NOT.

[no16na39]

Not officially and appreciate the help we got, not enough. We would have known if you we would have got help when needed. Finland was in the same situation, at war with Soviet Union and not not giving up at Germany on our soil remembering the Lappland war also.

[Marlean]

Please show more of the movie "Den bästa av mödrar" I think it is soooooo good and there's no more clips of it on Youtube, please please please post more!

[finnfellow]

yeah I think too it's a great movie but am sorry to say that I haven' t thought about to send it on utube at the time...but anyway, thanks for the hint ;)!

[qwertical]

Noh, toivotaan ettei tarttis sotia vähään aikaan.

Let's hope we don't have to go to war again soon.

[bonda95]

My neightbour were a volentare swedish soldier in the winter war. If something like this happents agin I will be a volentare !

[finnfellow]

he is/ was a  great man :)!

[bonda95]

All soldiers in that battle ( finnish and swedsih ) were grat =D I wish that I could have done it too....

[finnfellow]

yeah you' re right! we can always trust to ordinary swedes but your leaders are a piece of shit as always :)...

[bonda95]

yeah our leaders can go fuck them self =P

[marcuslager]

Yeah!!! All politicians suck!

[mattegunnar]

sweden sent 84 000 rifles, 450 MG, 85 antitankguns, 112 artilleryguns 300 000 shells 32 aircraft,300 seamines 500 sunkbombs, and 45 miljon rifle clips

[HotGirlFromHelsinki]

Finland and Sweden does not hate each other. I mean. Do you love ypur brother? Or do you wanna be better then him in everything?

[mattegunnar]

we should have done more. we should have help the finnsh by joning the war agingst russia

[Idiot22sk]

If Finland sent 100 000 children to Sweden again, i will accept them

Finland and Sweden got a big history behind us.

We are brothers!

[antisankari15]

Vittu tollasista vitun epäsikiö briteistä tartte välittää vitu skidit ymmärrä mistää mitää selkäänsä sais ansaita perkele nii että tukka irtois.

[kiekkopojka8]

hehe.. :P

[kiekkopojka8]

Fuck you, you fucking queer. Fuck the english wannabee faggots as you, you fucking asshole. Go fuck yourself you CUNT!

[finnfellow]

oh c'mon go ape somewhere else...

[kiekkopojka8]

fuck you you fucking british fuck..

[deGothiaSweden]

If this happened in our time I would be the first swedish volunteer to come and fight with you! I would not hesitate a second. We defend our brothers, with our very lifes if so must be.

I only wish our government would have done more...

[Eroo5]

I would do the same!

[aivopark]

And allso there was Swedish volunteers in Finnish army 1939-1944. Sweden actually did not let all the volunteers come to Finland. Big thank`s to Swedish war heroes who, kept fighting to the bitter end for Finland!

[no16na39]

Your grandfather had a heart of gold. That letter signed by Mannerheim is a treasure. My fathers siblings were transferred to Sweden, my father stayed behind with his mother. My grandfather died because he was wounded shortly after the war. My father was 3 yrs old. They lost everything as Karelians. Not our independence and this was the sacrifice.

[Sweden80Here]

My grandfather helped around 100 finnish children over to sweden. We have a "thank you" letter from the finish state on the wall. signed by mannerheim. I wish we had declared war on russia because of their attack on our brothers and systers in finland.

[raippaluoto]

big thanks SWEDEN!!

[tomtensben]

Thank you for this friend! very good video!

[Gunnar125]

We really dont deserve any tributes for the tiny aid we sent. All we can say is, Sorry.

And we'll try not to let you down again.

[finnfellow]

haha yeah right... this is a tribute to finnish warchildren and mainly to swedes volunteers (8-9k) that helped us and those that took care of our warchildren, but maybe not for all of you...

[Gunnar125]

Fine kick me when I'm lying down and pour salt in my wounds. Why not beat me to death with my lost arm aswell :P

[finnfellow]

nuh, it' s not that worth :P

[Gunnar125]

How do you mean? People like me?

[Lapatossu]

Thank you Gunnar.

[jimmyn89]

Considering the state of the Swedish armed forces at the time i would say they should be happy they got anything at all from Sweden.

I wouldn't really say the amount of aid was tiny, take F19 voluntary air force for example, it consisted of 12 fighters and a number of bombers, that was 1/3 of all our fighters.

The aid we gave to Finland was certainly enough to lower our own readiness for war, which was pretty much nonexistent.

[Gunnar125]

You dont have to prove anything. We know we helped, they know we helped. We could have done more, and we could have done less, but we didnt.

[finnfellow]

I agree with Gunnar. I mean, it' s as well known that Sweden sent about 8k- 9k voluntary corps but according to jimmy then your army were quite tiny what came to Finnish army, which was poor as hell... of course the humanitarian aid was priceless and accepting the germans secret aid through Sweden to Finland, despite the fact that you were a neutral country in the winter war!

[finnfellow]

and the whole ww2 :)

[Scurck]

Sweden where NOT neutral in regards to the winter war!

Sweden openly supported Finland in almost any way.

About 50% of the Finnish national budget came from Sweden during the war...

[no16na39]

Yes it was. Finland got credits from other countries to buy supplies. Finland also had to pay unfairly 6 billion e in today's money as war compensation after the war. But the first months we took them as a war booty from the Russians, together more than all the bought supplies from other countries.

[Scurck]

Name any instance when Sweden took a neutral stance towards the winter war.

None of what you mention affects the Swedish help. Half of all money in the Finnish budget came from Sweden.

[no16na39]

Government and public are 2 different issues. Official stand was no, as you well know that troops were not allowed to come to help through Sweden e.g. We got 490 mln sek. As far as I know as credits. Foreign powers were not allowed to aid financially or were classified to be at war. You sold us supplies and weapons like all other countries did. And gave old artillery, which were to be destroyed (reach 5km against Russian 25-35km).

[Scurck]

If a nation gives away half its supply of artillery and airplanes to another nation and forms official volunteer army corps and an airforce wing to fight for that nation, do you consider that a NEUTRAL stance? BRODERFOLK! Finlands sak är vår!!!

No foreign powers except Sweden and Germany wanted to send help to Finland. The allies feigned to help with the purpose of occupying the Swedish ore mines and had no intent whatsoever to help Finland (this was admitted by Churchill after the war).

[no16na39]

Artillery was junk with 5km reach from WWI. Air force was needed in the North, thank you. There were other foreign powers who tried and would have wanted but were in the same situation than Sweden. They were threatened by SU or Hitler not to intervene (Winter War-Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact). Poland was occupied in September, Finland attacked in November. We got a Non-Aggression Pact valid until 1945 with SU. Never trust a Russian.

[jimmyn89]

Well not only the artillery was junk, the aircrafts we had were not that great either.

One of the Swedish pilots in Finland wrote that when they came up right behind russian I-15 fighters the russians made no attempt to evade, they just kept flying straight forward because apparently the swedish fighter aircrafts could not penetrate the vital parts of the I-15's.

[jimmyn89]

The volunteer airforce later recieved an armor plate from a russian I-15 from the finnish air command and tests revealed that the pilot was correct, the bullets simply bounced of it.

[Scurck]

The quality does not matter, it was what Sweden had and we gave it to you.

Without the capability to actually help, words and promises where only useless gestures. Only Sweden and Germany had both the will and capability, unfortunately the socialists in the Swedish government stopped us from joining the fight.

[no16na39]

Volunteers 4 batallion never reached the front (8000). 2000 were involved at the end of the Winter War in the North releasing Finn soldiers to the South where was the need.

[katlvsf1]

So easy for the world to forget the forgotten, sad...