Good points Mosu and are for the most part along the lines of what I was trying to state. The first 25,000 troops came to Estonia via treaty but it was in June that the Soviets crossed the border with the additional troops. I was incorrect (too low as it was 90,000 not 40,000 troops that crossed the border this on top of the 25,000 already there) in the total above as I found this statement –
“The June Coup and the subsequent occupation of Estonia -In June 1940, whilst the whole world was anxiously watching the unexpectedly successful onslaught of the German army in Western Europe, the Soviet Union availed itself of the opportunity to quietly do away with the independent Baltic states. Soviet propaganda accused Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania of violating the base treaties and of anti-Soviet plotting, etc. On 14 June 1940, the day that Paris fell, the Soviet Union presented an ultimatum to Lithuania demanding the admission of an unlimited number of troops and the establishment of a new government acceptable to the USSR. After Lithuania had given in to the demands, similar ultimatums were presented to Estonia and Latvia on 16 June 1940, to be answered within eight hours. By that time, Estonia had been surrounded by all sides: Soviet warships stopped Estonian vessels, Soviet bomber planes shot down a Finnish Tallinn-Helsinki passenger plane, and the Red Army troops in the bases and at the border were held at the ready. Since military resistance would have been futile, the Estonian government accepted the ultimatum: on 17 June 1940 the whole of the Estonian territory was invaded by 90 000 troops and the Soviet occupation began which lasted - with an interval of three years - for more than half a century.”
Estonian Army Numbers
Army strength (September 1939)
1,500 officers (inc. 19 general)
2,400 cadre NCOs
1,100 civilian employees
12,000 soldiers
Defence League strength
43,000 men
– In a total nationwide mobilization total forces would be around 130,000 = A very small force even if every man was armed (this mobilization would also take time as was the case in Finland). Estonia also does not have the natural defenses of Finland which was also a key in all of this. Bad weather helping the defenders was also not a factor as it was in Finland since Estonia has a rather warm climate and has very mild winters when compared to Finland.
If the Estonians would have fought in mass the Estonians would have been defeated. Now one can say that they had little to lose because as things turned out (Soviet then Nazi then Soviet once again occupations) Estonia suffered quite a bit.
Mosu on Pohjan Pojat – a friend of mine in Finland, Jukka Mattila, has done a couple of books on this subject. Have you seen these works? I have them and although my Finnish is poor, I have been told the works are outstanding. He has a new book coming out this summer in English that I did the English editing work on. While I can not state what the book is about (until it is released) I can say it is Estonian related. I have a helmet from a member of Pohjan Pojat who was also in JR27 in WW1 – The soldier , Finnish Jägermajor Gunnar Stenbäck , fought in both Estonia and Latvia so it is quite a neat piece of Finnish and Baltic State history.
Helmet info can be seen here
http://www.mosinnagant.net/finland/Finn-Helmets.asp
Another good source in regards to Finnish-Estonian history is Jarkko Kemppi from the Joensuu Finland-Estonia Society and Martti Turtola Director of Finnish-Estonian Institute. Mosu might know of his father Lt. Col. Johannes 'Jussi' Turtola, CO of the Infantry Regiment 53 who was killed in the Continuation War.
As I stated in the beginning of this, there is no doubt there will be mixed feelings on this subject in Finland (and elsewhere). All that I can state in that most Finns that I know have positive feelings towards Estonia and understand there was very little Estonia could do in the face of the Soviets. Finland, even in their dire straights, was in a much better position to defend their nation than were the Estonians. I am also not sure how what took place in Estonia would have had an effect on the Winter War since the Winter War ended before the Soviets invaded Estonia in mass. I guess along these lines you could turn this around and say the Estonians should be upset that the Finns left the war in 1944 while the Estonians fought until 1945 against the Soviets (really into the 1950's with the underground soldiers of the woods) - In fact when the Finns ended the war in 1944 the Estonians serving in 3rd battalion, Infantry Regiment 47 and Infantry regiment 200 (I think all members of this unit in the Finnish Army were Estonian but for some officers) were forced to leave the Finnish front to continue the fight against the Soviets in Estonia. Still I would doubt many Estonians feel in a harsh manner towards Finland because Finland made a separate peace with the USSR. Finland did what it had to do in 1944 just as Estonia did what they felt they had to do in 1940. In the end all of this was caused by Soviet actions so the blame is on their shoulders.
Oh well.... I guess I have ventured enough off topic for today
PS
The new book Finland At War, which should be out in late July and I co-authored, mentions some of this history as well. Mainly just a mention of some numbers of Estonians fighting for Finland.
