1940 Finnish Propaganda

British Newsreel. February 19, 1940.Both countries used different types of frontline propaganda during the Winter War. Although Finland and the Soviet Union had a common border, knowledge of the opponent was quite low on both sides, which resulted in numerous mistakes in both Finnish and Soviet propaganda.The Finnish used leaflets, speeches over loudspeakers and posters at no-man's land. Most of the Finnish leaflets were made by Finnish officers who had studied Russian language in pre-revolution Russia, or in the Russian Imperial Army. Few of them were aware of the fact that the Soviet government reformed the Russian language in 1918, and continued to write in old pre-reform Russian language, which looked strange to the Red Army soldiers and probably only strengthened the messages of Red Army political officers that all leaflets were made by the Russians who fought against the communists in the Russian Civil War.Also, the educational level of the Red Army soldiers was often overestimated by the Finns. Using terms like 'world imperialism' and "opportunistic behavior of military leadership of the Leningrad Military District" they wrote leaflets that were incomprehensible for an average Red Army soldier, who was often a farmer with a primary school education and little knowledge of the complicated terms.Some Finnish leaflets condemned Stalin and encouraged Red Army men to overthrow Stalin's rule; other Finnish leaflets tried to convince Red Army men that Stalin did not want the war and these were ambitious generals from the Leningrad Military District that started the war just to get promoted. Thus, the leaflets lacked consistency.
Almost all Finnish leaflets encouraged Red Army men to kill their political officers and defect to the Finnish side. Political officers were depicted as men in black leather coats and in black leather caps. This was a correct image of a Commissar or a political officer in the Red Army in the times of the Russian Civil War, but in 1939-1940 political officers wore normal Red Army uniforms, and the only difference from the other officers were red stars on the sleeves instead of V-shaped rank chevrons. Their role in the Civil War was to make sure that a unit commander, who was often a former Imperial Army officer, would not defect to the enemy. In the 1930s a political officer's role was to educate the men, to explain the international situation and policies of the Soviet State.Many Finnish leaflets told Red Army men that they would be paid for weapons if they turned them in to the Finnish Army. Some Finnish leaflets depicted Red Army generals in a very negative light. Finnish leaflets also appealed to feelings of Red Army men and explained to them that Finns were fighting for their homes and their families on their own land.Leaflets were dropped on the Red Army positions by Finnish Air Force, or in some cases Finnish rangers took packs of leaflets with them on patrols behind enemy lines and just left them in Red Army trenches. Red Army soldiers were not forbidden to pick up leaflets and read them.Marshal Mannerheim observed in his memoirs that Finnish propaganda was useless. "Red Army soldiers were almost completely immune to our propaganda" stated the Marshal. ref: www.wfyi.org/fireandice/history/propaganda.htm

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Finland
• USSR
• Finnish
• Soviet
• Propoganda
• Winter
• War
• 1940
• Leaflets
• Loudspeakers
• Red
• Army

[tranmere789]

If you wanna blame finns you blame them to be too early anticommunists. We fought against communisim about 30 years earlier than western allies. We stopped communism three times: 1918,1940 and 1944. Helsinki is one of the 3 capitals in WW2 not conquerred by enemy forces. Others were of course Moscow and London.

So blame if you wanna. It's your choice. I wanna say to this great generation of Finland - YOU WERE JUST GREAT!

[nomorefooling]

1.25 million Soviet soldiers against a nation of 3 million citizens....

[Hyyra]

we dominated russians by their own technology hehe)))

[cultofmao]

Seems to be virile British anti Russian propaganda(Finland lost in the end to Russia). Then a short time later Britain was allied to Russia and went on to free Europe from the dreaded Hun(with a little help from the Yankees), whilst Finland had Jerry around for tea and cake and then had to fight to kick him out of Lapland, which of course he burnt before he left showing German gratitude for Finland's support for them.

[darnjack0roll]

@darnjack0roll yes but they were finns u idiot,plus the germans didnt advance a shit in the north,and second i was talking about winter war,so jokes on you idiot

[Zuomigundi]

@darnjack0roll You are fucking stupid. You don't even know the difference between citizen and soldier, idiot. Just because you are so stupid, I will do some pilkunnussintaa here: during continuation war there were over 500 000 finnish soldiers (+ about 200 000 germans) on finnish front.

[darnjack0roll]

@nomorefooling 1.25 million soldiers vs a little over 300 thousand soldiers,idiot

[EYEREX1]

СЕРП І МОЛОТ,СМЕРТЬ І ГОЛОД.

[JumalanMyrsky]

@FallenEmpire666 SS divisions have nothing to do with the Winter War.

[Killjoy45]

Finnish propaganda was different if we compare it to others, because it actually told the truth. :-D

[rakkipallo]

@McLarenMercedes awww you are just saying that because you cant handle alcoholxD i have seen so many swedes in drunk at viking line and stockholm that i can really say that you guys can be also quite a assholes and pigs when you are drunk;)

[rakkipallo]

@McLarenMercedes wow what a ignorant jackassxD my friend told me bla bla blaxD do your homework before saying things like that dude:)