Figure 1.--More Finnish children were evacuated when the Finns joined the Germans in the Continuation War to regain the territory seized by the Soviets. Although the Fiinish army advanced ito Karelia, more children were evacuated. Soviet victories in the East forced the Finns to sign another costtly ceasefire and cede more land to the Soviets (September 1944). Most sources repoort that the evacuee children did not begin to come home until after the War in 1945. Photographic evidence suggests, however, that at least some children began coming home immediately after the Soviet ceasfine. The children here are clearly Finnish evacuee childrens--notice the tags. and they are very happy. That can onlt mean that they are headed home. There is little information on the back, but the photogrph was from Sweden and dated September 1944. Notice the lady's armband, presumably a Swedish or Finnish relief group.

The conclusion of the Winter War did not end the evacuations and refugee movements. The Finnis evacuee flow varied over time with periods of war, peace, defeat and victory. Some of the children in Sweden even returned home. After the Winter War, the next major event was the Continuation War. And there would also be movement evacuee substantial evcuee movement associated with the Continuation War. Finland was a small country and totally outclased by the Soviet behoumouth and massive Army. As a result, Stalin forced the Finns into the hands of the Germans. Talks with the Germans began immediately after the Sovierts forced concensiions on the Finns--The Peace of Moscow. Te Germans offered arms and support. Finland refused, however, to join the Axis or to accept NAZI racial dogma. But to regain its lost territory became a co-bligerant after Hitler launched Operation Barbrossa (June 1941). The small but highly motovated Finnish Army proved to be the Germans most effective ally. They attacked from the north into Karelia, but to the frustration of the Germans, did not advance significantly beyond the Finnish territory seized in the Winter War. The evicted Finns returned to their homes. The Russian settlers were moved into camps. And then as the Red army reversed the course of the War, the Finns were once again forced to evacuate Karelia (1944) and aceed to Soviet demands. Given the dngers of an advancing Red Army, some children may have been evacuated from other areas as well. We think that some Finnish children began returned home in late 1944, but have few details at this time.

Finns Return to Karelia (June-September 1941)

With the stunning success of Barbarossa, the German Wehrmacht smasjed the Red Amy and droce deeply into the estern Soviet Union (June 1941). The Finns signed on as co-belligerants, but not Axis allies. The Finnish Army armed by the Germans advanced in the north, taking back much of the terriry seized by the Soviets in the Winter War, but to the frustration of the Germans did not advance beyond the former Finnush border into pre-War Soviet territory. In the wake of the Finnish Army, an estimated 280,000 Finns returned to their homes in Karaelia. As the Finnish Army retook the area, the civilian population retuned to their homes that the Soviets had seized. Some report suggest that many of the returnees did not bring their younger children. This needs to be confirmed. Apparently the thought was that the task of rebuilding could best be acomplished without the distractions of caring for younger children. In addition, cninuing the war meant that there wa continuing privation znd shortages. Thus many parents decided the children were better off in Swesen.

More Finnish Children Evacuated (1941-44)

With the onset of the Continuation War, the Finns began evcuating more children. It was during the Comtinuation War that most of the 70,000 Finniish children were evacuted. This occurred early in theContinuation War when Barbarossa was going good for the Finn and Germans. The Finns retook much if Karelia, the most important area lost to the Soviets in the Winter War. Civilians moved back into Karelia, rebuilding their holmes and starting u abandoned farms. It wasaajor undertaking. Many decided it would be bet not to involve the younger children.

Russians Interned (1941-44)

The Soviets began evacuating Kareliahen the Finns entered the War. The Finns as their Army retook eastern Karelia, the area seized by the Soviets in the Winter War, found about half the population remained, includung Karelians/Ingrian Finns. The Finns interned the Russian ethnic/speaking population. Most were settlers moved into the area by the NKVD to replace the deported Ingrian Finns. They were run by the Finish Army during the Continution War. The intention was to exchange the Russians for the Ingrian Finns that the Soviets had deported. Stalin refused to consider any such exchange in oart because the story of how the Ingrian Finns had been brutalized would come out. The mortality rate of both groups of civilians was substantial with peope perishing from famine and diseases. Unlike the soviets, however, the Funns did not shoot large numbers of the interned Russins.

Second Finnish Evacuation of Karelia (1944)

As the Red Army turned the tide in the East, they eventually broke through th German blockade of Lenningrad and began pushing the Finns out of Karelia once again. The Finns were forced to conduct the second evacuation of Karelia. The evcuation was carried out (summer and autumn 1944). The Finns on their own could not hope to hold back the resurgnt Red Army. The Finns were forced to receed Karelia as well as aggree to additional Soviet deamnds. Again the Finns streamed out of Karelia. Virtualy no Finn chose to live under the Sovietrs. There were finnish Communists, but even the Finish Communists had no desire to live under Soviet rule. Most were aware s to what happened to the Finns in the soviet Union before the War. .

Soviet Ceasfire (September 1944)

The Red Armt moved rlentlessly west after Stlingrad (February 1943). The last remaining powerful German formation in the East was Army Group Center in Bylorussia and Poland. The Red Army summer offensive Operation Bagration, the Red Army summer offensive (June-August 1944). The Soviet focus was on the Germans and not the Finns. The Finns managed to blunt the Soviet summer offensive, but the military situation was desperate. The D-Day landings in the West and the Soviet destruction of Army Group Centrer made it clear that the War was lost. There was no way the Finns could resist the full weight of the new Red Armyon their own. Stalin had the capability of occupying all of Finland at this time. It is unclear why he did not. We suspect that his single-minded focus was on Hitler and Berlin, but as far as know, his reasoning is lost to history. One might have thought that more parents would have evaciated their chldren atthis tome, but this did not occur. Lappland was evacuated, but tghis was whole families and not just the children. The Finns had to make peace. A cease-fire was negotiated which went into force (September 4). An armistice was signed in Moscow (September 19). A provision of the armistice was that the Finns had to eject the Germans still fighting on Finnish soil. The final peace treaty was signed in Paris after the War (October 2, 1948). The final boundary was about the same as had been draw after the Winter War. The Finns, however, had to pay a huge indeminity to the Soviet Union. The sources we have consulted claim that the children were not returned from Sweden until after the War (1945). We have found images, however, suggeting that the children began coming home with the signing of the Soviet ceasfire. The Finns had to make peace. A cease-fire was negotiated which went into force (September 4). An armistice was signed in Moscow (September 19). A provision of the armistice was that the Finns had to eject the Germans still fighting on Finnish soil. The final peace treaty was signed in Paris after the War (October 2, 1948). The final boundary was about the same as had been draw after the Winter War. The Finns, however, had to pay a huge indeminity to the Soviet Union. As best we can make out, the children

Created: 6:46 PM 3/22/2016
Last updated: 6:46 PM 3/22/2016