Happy Independence Day, Finland!

NB The following mosaics have been compiled using photos from Kunniamme päivät: Suomen sota 1939-40 kuvina ja päämajan tilannetiedoituksina, published by Maan Turva (ed. Toivo Rautavaara and Juhani Konkka), WSOY, Porvoo, 1940.

Photos from: Kunniamme päivät: Suomen sota 1939-40 kuvina ja päämajan tilannetiedoituksina

Finland became independent on 6 December 1917.

It remained independent also 75 years ago, when the Soviet Union attacked it on 30 November. Vastly superior in number of soldiers, aircraft, and tanks, the SU expected a total victory within two weeks. 

Photos from: Kunniamme päivät: Suomen sota 1939-40 kuvina ja päämajan tilannetiedoituksina

However, making use of good tactics, hard weather conditions, and high morale in the Forces and among the civilians, Finland repelled Soviet attacks for several months.

Photos from: Kunniamme päivät: Suomen sota 1939-40 kuvina ja päämajan tilannetiedoituksina

Photos from: Kunniamme päivät: Suomen sota 1939-40 kuvina ja päämajan tilannetiedoituksina

World opinion largely supported the Finnish cause and there were plans for an international intervention, cancelled firstly by the refusal by Sweden and Norway to allow the British and French troops to pass through their territory and secondly by the end of the war.

Despite many difficulties, about 12,000 foreign volunteers – especially from Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Hungary, Estonia, and Belgium – as well as Finns from Northern America made it to Finland before the war was over. 

Photos from: Kunniamme päivät: Suomen sota 1939-40 kuvina ja päämajan tilannetiedoituksina

Hostilities ceased on 13 March 1940. Finland had to cede a portion of Karelia, four islands in the Gulf of Finland and other areas (and more than 400,000 civilians were hastily evacuated), but retained its sovereignty.

Photos from: Kunniamme päivät: Suomen sota 1939-40 kuvina ja päämajan tilannetiedoituksina

Remembering with gratitude.

♥

Tomorrow, Sunday, I'll be joining the participants of Mosaic Monday at Judith's Lavender Cottage Gardening. (Links not working anymore)

To finish with a flourish, some suggestions from exoticgarden.fi for the next summer. Don't these cultivars of Viola cornuta have wonderful colours?!

'Sorbet Phantom'

'Sorbet Pink Wing'

'Sorbet Blueberry Cream'

♥

P.S. On the today's post of my blogger friend Laura, there's a link to a beautiful video by Oliver Goetzl, uploaded by Tarja M.  -  Definitely worth watching and listening... Click on the smaller photo!