Ukraine War Day #418: Finnish Revanchism – Part I

Look at Finland; she is a democratic country, more developed, more cultured than we are. In Finland a process of separation, of the differentiation of the proletariat is taking a specific course, far more painful than was the case with us. The Finns have experienced the dictatorship of Germany; they are now experiencing the dictatorship of the Allied powers. But thanks to the fact that we have recognised the right of nations to self-determination, the process of differentiation has been facilitated there. I very well recall the scene when, at Smolny, I handed the act to Svinhufvud which in Russian means “pighead” — the representative of the Finnish bourgeoisie, who played the part of a hangman. He amiably shook my hand, we exchanged compliments. How unpleasant that was! But it had to be done, because at that time the bourgeoisie were deceiving the people, were deceiving the working people by alleging that the Muscovites, the chauvinists, the Great Russians, wanted to crush the Finns. It had to be done.

Lenin, Report to the 8th Congress of the Party, March 18-23, 1919

Dear Readers:

Pehr Evind Svinhufvud, aka “Mr. Pighead”

Still on the theme of revanchism, but this time we turn our attention to Finland. Finns also claim to have a great beef against Russia. Which they can settle only by joining NATO, no matter the consequences.

I try to be open-minded, but I simply cannot grasp why Finns would have this beef at all. Ukrainians, I sort of understand… But Finns? They only ever got good things from Russia. Well, at least post-Tsarist Empire times. Like their independence (Lenin). More land than they knew what do with (Stalin). Decades of prosperity subsidized by cheap Russian fuels, consumer goods, and trade (Brezhnev and beyond). If there is anyone out there who can enlighten me, what exactly is the beef? Then please, I am all ears.

Anyhow, to help us navigate this study in madness and delusion, I have this piece by reporter Stanislav Leshchenko. Unlike certain other reporters (or internet pundits), Leshchenko is not brushing off nor diminishing the importance of Finland’s accession to NATO (as in “Ah, who cares? Crazy Finns on skis, big deal…”). He believes that this is an important development and represents a real military threat to Russia. In fact, the subtitle of his piece is:

Finland is capable of presenting a real military threat to Russia

As a pro-Russian, and as a Worrier, this worries me, naturally. But I think I would be even more worried if I were pro-Finn. Because this implication is: Once the Revenge Match starts, Russia can’t just brush Finland off like a little fly. Russia would have to really stomp them into the ground. Real good, this time around. I read on some Russian website that the Russians demonstratively showed off one of their nuke silos, with the word “Helsinki” painted inside the silo. As in, “Ready to fly, just say the word!”

Nonetheless, the Finnish people themselves are not worried at all. In fact, they are ecstatic, as Leshchenko reports in his lead paragraph:

The armed forces of Finland conducted their first war games since joining NATO. The Finns are loudly greeting this event; as the local reporters write, “A sense of euphoria reigns, along with the Hoorah mood.”

Aleksandr Kommari

Finnish publicist Aleksandr Kommari (who is a member of a Stalinist and pro-Russian political party, so definitely not a Hoorah-patriot) notes ironically: “Yes, so Finland is in NATO now. A sense of euphoria reigns, along with the Hoorah mood. Why should we care any more about those backward Russians, with their tin soldiers and weapons fit only for a museum (tinasotilaat ja museon kalusto). Some people are saying that April 4, 2023 should be regarded as our second Independence Day. Sadly, I won’t live to see the day, a couple of decades from now, when Finns will once again cry their sob stories about lastu historian laineilla – a tiny sliver tossed on the wave of history. Although they are doing it to themselves, with their own hands. On the other hand, history is moving so quickly now, that maybe I actually will live to see the debriefing with my own eyes.”

If Kommari frets about his own longevity, it must be because he is over 60 years old, although he doesn’t look nearly that old in this photo. [I’m pretty sure that’s him in the photo, though, I double-checked.]

Already a member in all but name…

Leshchenko: After the first euphoria started to die down, experts and journalists set about to clarify: Exactly what will membership in NATO bring to Finland? Not all that much that is different, actually. Taking into account that Finland became an official NATO “partner” back in 1994, and already cooperates closely with the Alliance. Not to mention, already meets all NATO “standards” in terms of technical and institutional requirements.

Finland has been participating in NATO war games for many years. Back in 1997 it joined the Council of the Euro-Atlantic partnership. A Finnish contingent fought in Afghanistan alongside American and NATO soldiers. In 2008 Helsinki joined NATO’s Quick Reaction Forces; and in 2014 it became a partner in something called the Program of Expanded Opportunities.

The Finnish Jaeger Brigade trains in Lapland.

In May 2017 Finland and NATO conducted the largest war games ever in Europe, in the Finnish province of Lapland.

Finland buys tons of American weapons. For example in 2021 they decided to buy a bunch of F-35’s. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg is ecstatically fond of Finns, how their armed forces are so compliant with NATO standards, and how they integrate seamlessly into all of NATO’s activities.

The Finns, in turn, have much to offer NATO. Namely, its armed forces and its territory. For such a relatively underpopulated nation, Finland has a relatively large land army, and the citizens take seriously their requirement for universal conscription and service.

Minna Ålander

Minna Ålander is a Research Fellow at the Finnish Institute of International Relations, who studies how to keep the Russians at bay: “In the case of war, the size of the Finnish army could comprise up to 280,000 men, with a general reserve of 870,000. In case of necessity, we could mobilize a million men. And that’s with a population of only five and half million. Moreover, Finland has invested in anti-air defense systems and possesses an artillery that is one of the most powerful in Europe.”

One of the main questions that is asked: “Will NATO troops from other countries be stationed on Finnish soil?” Most experts believe this is unlikely. Finnish bases themselves will form the NATO forward garrisions. But there is an issue with NATO units of the so-called “Enhanced Forward Presence” program. Which has bases in all NATO countries, including neighboring Estonia. Next a few experts are quoted, pro and con, as to whether a small NATO HQ might or might not be installed on Finnish territory. Either way, it would consist of just a few dozen NATO troops and specialists, whose job would be to integrate the existing Finnish defenses into NATO. They also might engage in construction activities, such as the modernization of roads, airports and water ports; all the better to service military needs.

But what about nukes?

[to be continued]