2 pounds of dirt for one pound of gold

WI Finland had accepted one of the Soviet offers during the negotiations leading up to the Winter War? The Hungarian-language map below (inset "b," or see the dotted line on the main map) shows one such offer, moving the border in the Karelian Isthmus roughly to the Mannerheim Line and also ceding the Baltic islands and a 30-year lease on Hango in exchange for Eastern Karelia up to the Murman Railway.

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The Soviets made initial demands in the Baltic states as well, and after getting those occupied the countries and annexed them anyway. The Finns expected that would be the case and decided they needed to be firm in the beginning if they would have any hope of survival.

So I think if the Finns did agree, that Stalin would come back in Spring 1940 and ask for even more concessions which would either prompt 1) a later war that would be much more disadvantageous to the Finns, or 2) eventual capitulation and occupation.
 

Cook

Banned
It hadn't happened yet on the eve of the Winter War.

No, but Czechoslovakia had. The initial Soviet demands included the Mannerheim defence line didn’t they? Meaning that Finland would have to rely on the Soviets being satisfied with what they’d stolen and not wanted more because the Finns wouldn’t have any defences left if the Red Army came knocking.
 
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