Lapland war 1944-1945

Dedicated for Finnish and German soldiers in that war.

Lapland war were the hostilities between Finland and Nazi Germany between September 1944 and April 1945, fought in Finland's northernmost Lapland Province.

When Finnish wrote Moscow Armistice The Soviets demanded that all German troops had to be expelled from Finland. The Finns were thus placed in a situation of having to fight to free their lands of German forces. The Finns' task was complicated by the Soviet demand that the major part of Finnish armed forces must be demobilized at the same time, even while conducting a military campaign against the Germans. General Hjalmar Siilasvuo, the victor of Suomussalmi, led the Finns against the Germans, who were commanded by General Lothar Rendulic.

During the first few weeks the withdrawal of Germans and advance of Finnish troops was organised jointly by the headquarters of both armies, a fact that was kept secret from the Soviets. The Germans fell back according to a common timetable, and the Finns attacked and fired at the empty trenches. After two weeks the Soviets realised the deception, and demanded the Finns conduct immediate heavy action against the Germans.

Fighting intensified when the Finns made a risky invasion from the sea on 1 October 1944 near Tornio on the border with Sweden. Heavy combat lasted for a week, and the Germans were forced to withdraw

In their retreat the German forces under General Lothar Rendulic devastated large areas of northern Finland with scorched earth tactics. As a result, some 40--47% of the dwellings in the area were destroyed, and the provincial capital of Rovaniemi was burned to the ground,

Casualties and losses

Finnish
774 killed, 262 missing in action and about 3,000 wounded

Germans
1,200 KIA and about 2,000 WIA for the Germans. 1,300 German soldiers became prisoners of war

German land mines caused civilian casualties for decades after the war, and almost one hundred personnel were killed during demining operations

Fallen German soldiers cemetary in Rovaniemi

http://cartinafinland.fi/kuvapankki/imagebank/image/34/34633/Saksalaisten+sot...

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Lapland
• war
• 1944-1945
• Lapin
• sota
• Lapplandkrieg

[JadeOfEscarcha]

This make me cry.

I'm French, and I think you Finnsih can be proud unlike me.

What is this beautiful song?

[Nordost44]

@JadeOfEscarcha

I must admit that i dont remember this song name. Sorry.

And of course French can be proud too. WWII was not your start moment but you people have other moments during history.

[ThirdReichHistorian]

This war should NEVER have happened. =( I believe that the Germans ans Finns are brothers.

[Nordost44]

@ThirdReichHistorian

We can thank only Soviet union for that war. Finns want to give German leave in peace but soviet demand war against Germans. It whas very hard for meny Finnish soldier when they need tho shot they old brothers in arms. But after Germans burned Rovaniemi meny soldier didint feel anymore sympathy.

[darnjack0roll]

oh how i feel so sorry for our country to betray germans that way, those soldiers in finland werent even nazis.They were good ppl with good hearts and uusr made us to betray them D; im sorry germany....

[paulo1111000]

@JadeOfEscarcha U have the french foreign legion to be proud of =D

[libertyphoenix777]

@JadeOfEscarcha Yeah, the French GOVERNMENT may have surrendered to those Nazi pigs, but the PEOPLE FORMED THE FRENCH RESISTANCE AND FOUGHT ON!

[ristuksenvittu]

@saksa101

yes, and still i cant understand how finland was responsible for the war and had to pay uhh... 300 million for ussr? risto ryti was made responsible somehow... i think ussr is responsible for the winter war and continuation war and partially for the whole ww2(molotov–ribbentrop Pact)

kuinka helvetissä suomi oli muka syyllinen sotaan jos he tänne hyökkäävät kun ei anneta maita heille?

jatkosota eri asia mutta oikeutettu, tosin kuin ryssillä koskaan ollut mitään oikeutta tänne tulla.

[saksa101]

Finland and Germany are relatives, brothers! This war should never have habbend!!!

Thanks to soviets this war happend!

[granskare]

I see the damage caused by the krauts when they should have just got out and set up a defense line in Norway

[KoffoIII]

Onko sulla tuohon 3:10 kuvaan kyltistä mainita jotain lähdettä? Kiteyttää aika hyvin koko Lapin sodan hengen imo.

[JadeOfEscarcha]

@libertyphoenix777 the resistance was made by courageous individual peoples, but the French Government surrender and help the Nazis. Thanks god, a General organized the resistance for those who don't want to surrender.

[libertyphoenix777]

GREAT VIDEO! THE LAPLAND WAR, WHEN FINNISH PATRIOTS KICKED THE NAZI PIGS OUT OF THEIR COUNTRY!

[libertyphoenix777]

@JadeOfEscarcha I disagree, there was the French resistance.