Western Allies in the Winter War

[Daylight Savings]

The UK and France made several proposals to provide aid to Finland during the Winter War. These were thinly veiled attempts by the UK to secure Norwegian ports and Swedish iron ore from falling to Germany and by France to make the war occur somewhere other than France. They were unsuccessful and as they dragged their feet Finland began to doubt the arrival of assistance and commenced peace negotiations. What if the the Western Allies had held to their word and delivered 20,000 men each via Petsamo before the end of February? Is it too little too late to have any effect? More importantly what effect does this have on the larger geopolitical scene?

 

[Shtudmuffin]

Finland would certainly join the allies. Nazi Germany's invasion of Scandinavia would likely encompass Norway and Finland as well, putting Sweden at risk and prompting them to join the allies before or during this. The USSR will join the Axis and fight with them as long as they're tolerated by Hitler. World War 2 would be a hell of a lot harder to fight.

 

[The Red]

The Allies have basically pulled off the worst strategic decision in modern military history, the Soviet Union in the Axis...doesn't bear thinking about.

 

[Daylight Savings]

The Allies have basically pulled off the worst strategic decision in modern military history, the Soviet Union in the Axis...doesn't bear thinking about.

That seems to be the obvious answer. But remember Germany is led by a madman. Could he really hold back his hatred of the Communists long enough to win that war. They still can't take Britain and North Africa has the same logistic problems and Soviet action through the Caucasus has a strong possibility of bringing a response from Turkey.

 

[Citizen Samuel]

Considering the whole rationale for Germany's war was a colonial empire in eastern Europe, I can't see why Germany would not choose to invade the USSR in 1941, even if they were both fighting the Allies.

And since the Winter War only lasted a few months when Finland didn't receive help from the Allies, I don't think it would be a permanent state of war. Stalin would probably give up with some minor concessions. Even if the war was still ongoing at the time of a German invasion, the threat to the USSR would be so great that both parties would be glad to stop the war and ally.

 

[Karelian]

The whole "intervention through Petsamo" was a pipe dream.
The port itself was nothing more than a tiny fishing harbour (http://www.metsapirtti.net/artikkelit/penttiahtiainen/jankajaak/janka03.jpg)
that the Soviets were still paranoid enough to cover with two divisions (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/OsastoPennanen.png) supported by the Soviet Arctic Fleet and strong airforces based on Kola Peninsula.
And the supply effort of this expedition would be tied to the sole dirt road in the whole region during the war era: http://www.rky.fi/read/asp/hae_kuva.aspx?id=112365&ttyyppi=jpg&kunta_id=148

The nearest small settlement, Sodankylä, is 350km away south. Nearest Finnish town, Rovaniemi, is 470km away from Liinahamari harbour.
The railroad line south begins from here, so they're almost there by now, it's only 764 railway kilometers to Viipuri left.

The shortest possible land route from Petsamo and Liinahamari harbour to Viipuri is as long as the land route between Genova (in Mediterranean) and Hamburg (in northern Germany). http://mapfrappe.com/

 

[Daylight Savings]

The whole "intervention through Petsamo" was a pipe dream.
The port itself was nothing more than a tiny fishing harbour (http://www.metsapirtti.net/artikkelit/penttiahtiainen/jankajaak/janka03.jpg)
that the Soviets were still paranoid enough to cover with two divisions (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/OsastoPennanen.png) supported by the Soviet Arctic Fleet and strong airforces based on Kola Peninsula.
And the supply effort of this expedition would be tied to the sole dirt road in the whole region during the war era: http://www.rky.fi/read/asp/hae_kuva.aspx?id=112365&ttyyppi=jpg&kunta_id=148

The nearest small settlement, Sodankylä, is 350km away south. Nearest Finnish town, Rovaniemi, is 470km away from Liinahamari harbour.
The railroad line south begins from here, so they're almost there by now, it's only 764 railway kilometers to Viipuri left.

The shortest possible land route from Petsamo and Liinahamari harbour to Viipuri is as long as the land route between Genova (in Mediterranean) and Hamburg (in northern Germany). http://mapfrappe.com/

I was not aware of what a logistical impossibility it would be. I was aware it was mostly just a way of saying they offered to help, but I assumed the plan they pitched had to be somewhere near believable. With war planning like that it's a wonder they didn't try to flank Rommel by bringing a few divisions around his rear through the Sahara. So in short, this would be beyond an act of God to pull off and there is no intervention without Norway and Sweden which is also not happening.

 

[Life In Black]

As an alternative, perhaps Britain and France could persuade the Germans to send more and larger "volunteer" forces to aid in the great struggle against communism. MacCaulay and BlairWitch have a story on here (although it's long on indefinite hiatus) that dealt with a similar concept.

 

[Daylight Savings]

As an alternative, perhaps Britain and France could persuade the Germans to send more and larger "volunteer" forces to aid in the great struggle against communism. MacCaulay and BlairWitch have a story on here (although it's long on indefinite hiatus) that dealt with a similar concept.

Considering they were at war at the time I think it's unlikely the British and French will attempt to persuade the Germans to do anything.

 

[Life In Black]

Considering they were at war at the time I think it's unlikely the British and French will attempt to persuade the Germans to do anything.

Not officially, but if the British and French can end up getting Germany embroiled in a war with the Soviets a full year and a half earlier than OTL....