Moscow Armistice

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Moscow Armistice
Finnish areas ceded in 1944.png
The areas ceded by Finland to the Soviet Union after the Continuation War. Porkkala was returned to Finland in 1956. [1]
TypeBilateral treaty
Signed19 September 1944 (1944-9-19)
Location Moscow, Russian SFSR, USSR
Parties
Ratifiers
  • Flag of the Soviet Union (1936 - 1955).svg Soviet Union
  • Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
  • Flag of Finland.svg Finland

The Moscow Armistice [2] was signed between Finland on one side and the Soviet Union and United Kingdom on the other side on 19 September 1944, ending the Continuation War. The Armistice restored the Moscow Peace Treaty of 1940, with a number of modifications.

Contents

The final peace treaty between Finland and many of the Allies was signed in Paris in 1947.

Conditions for peace

Finnish and Soviet officers gather for negotiations on September 5, 1944 End of Soviet Finland war 1944.jpg
Finnish and Soviet officers gather for negotiations on September 5, 1944

The conditions for peace were similar to what had been agreed in the Moscow Peace Treaty of 1940: Finland was obliged to cede parts of Karelia and Salla, as well as certain islands in the Gulf of Finland. The new armistice also handed all of Petsamo to the Soviet Union, and Finland was further compelled to lease Porkkala to the Soviet Union for a period of fifty years (the area was returned to Finnish control in 1956). [1] Territories ceded to the Soviet Union constituted approximately 11.50% (44,106.23 km2) of Finland's territory (382,561.23 km2) prior to the Winter War and the Continuation War as dictated by the Treaty of Tartu.

Other conditions included Finnish payment of nearly $300,000,000 ($5.4 billion in today's US dollars) in the form of various commodities over six years to the Soviet Union as war reparations. [3] Finland also agreed to legalise the Communist Party of Finland (after it had made some changes to the party rules) and ban parties that the Soviet Union considered fascist. [4] Further, the individuals that the Soviets considered responsible for the war had to be arrested and put on trial, the best-known case being that of Risto Ryti. [5] The armistice compelled Finland to drive German troops from its territory, leading to a military campaign in Lapland.

Surrendered territory

Municipalities annexed by the Soviet Union  [ fi ]
Municipality
of Finland
Russian Cyrillic namekm2Sq milesPart of present-day
populated place in Russia
Notes
Antrea Каменногорск486.4302.23 Kamennogorsk
Harlu Харлу252.6156.96 Kharlu  [ ru ]
Heinjoki  [ fi ]Хейнйоки342.1212.57 Veshchevo
Hiitola Хийтола464288.32 Khiytola
Impilahti Импилахти904561.72 Impilahti
Jaakkima Яккима501.9311.87 Yakkima
Johannes Советский217.6135.21 Sovetsky
Kanneljärvi Победа246.3153.04 Pobeda
Kaukola Севастьяново293.7182.5 Sevastyanovo
Kirvu Свободное695.22432 Svobodnoye
Kivennapa Первомайское650.52404.21 Pervomayskoye
Koivisto  [ fi ]Койвистон283.1175.91 Primorsk
Kuolemajärvi Пионерское400248.55 Pionerskoye
Kurkijoki  [ fi ]Куркийоки539.5335.23 Kurkiyoki  [ ru ]
Käkisalmi  [ fi ]Какисалмен188.54117.15 Priozersk
Lumivaara  [ fi ]Лумиваара292.4181.69 Lakhdenpokhsky District
Metsäpirtti  [ fi ]Метсапиртти186.9116.13 Zaporozhskoye
Muolaa  [ fi ]Муолаа750.02466.04 Pravdino
Petsamo  [ fi ]Печенгский10,4706,505.76 Pechengsky District
Pyhäjärvi Пюхаярви522324.35 Otradnoye
Rautu Рауту339.6211.02 Sosnovo
Ruskeala  [ fi ]Рускеала519322.49 Ruskeala
Räisälä Райсала492.95306.30 Melnikovo
Sakkola Саккола349.4217.11 Gromovo
Salmi Салми1,423884.21 Salmi
Soanlahti  [ fi ]Соанлахти504313.17 Suoyarvsky District
Sortavala  [ fi ]Сортавалан690.88429.3 Sortavala
Suistamo  [ fi ]Суистамо1,623.801,009 Suoyarvsky District
Suojärvi  [ fi ]Суоярви3,688.402,292 Suoyarvsky District
Terijoki  [ fi ]Терийоки122.4276.07 Zelenogorsk
Uusikirkko Уусикиркко641.70398.73 Polyany
Valkjärvi  [ fi ]Валкъярви400248.55 Michurinskoye
Viipuri Выборг613.93381.48 Vyborg
Vuoksela Вуоксела13583.88 Vuoksela
Vuoksenranta Вуоксенранта300.22186.55 Ozyorskoye
Äyräpää  [ fi ]Эуряпяя205.7127.82 Baryshevo

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Return of Porkkala by Soviets 50 years ago had strings attached". Helsingin Sanomat. 25 January 2006.
  2. Armistice Agreement between the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, on the one hand, and Finland on the other
  3. "HS Home 3.9.2002 – Last war reparation train crossed Finnish-Soviet border 50 years ago". 2012-02-06. Archived from the original on 2012-02-06. Retrieved 2022-09-19.
  4. (in Finnish) Jukka Nevakivi (2006) Jatkosodasta nykypäivään. (From Continuation War to Today. In: Suomen poliittinen historia 1809–2006. WSOY, Helsinki
  5. Jakobson, Max (former Finnish Ambassador to the UN) Finnish wartime leaders on trial for "war guilt" 60 years ago Helsingin Sanomat International edition, 28 October 2005

Further reading