Scandinavia in the opening stages of WW II: some questions?

1) The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact allocated Finland to the Soviet "sphere of influence", along with Estonia, Latvia, and eastern Poland. The latter areas were all occupied and annexed by the USSR, apparently with German approval. What did the Germans (especially Hitler) expect to happen with Finland? Did they effectively agree that the USSR could conquer and incorporate Finland, too?

2) When the USSR attacked Finland in 1939, did the Germans expect the USSR to conquer Finland? One would think they did.

3) Did the Germans have any worries about the strategic implications of a Soviet conquest of Finland? In particular, did any Germans worry that such conquest would bring Soviet forces within 130 km of the Kiruna iron mine. Kiruna was critically important to the German steel industry until after the Fall of France, and somewhat important even then. Also, Kiruna was in a remote area, where it would be defenseless, unless Sweden chose to move a lot of troops there.

4) In launching the Norway Campaign, Germany acted in part to secure the North Sea route for ore from Kiruna. Achieving that required success; and if the campaign failed, Germany would lose the North Sea route, and Allied forces would be about 100 km from Kiruna. When deciding on the campaign, did the Germans recognize this potential downside? Or had they concluded the Allies would occupy the Narvik region whether the Germans acted or not?

5) If the Allies had won in Norway... What plans did the Allies have for cutting off Germany from Kiruna's iron ore? Did they for instance consider trying to buy all of the output, as they did with chromium from Turkey and Portugal?

Further questions arise about the other great mineral resouce of the area: the nickel mine at Petsamo. As I read sources, the mine was only discovered in the 1930s, and had barely started production in 1939. The mines were occupied by Soviet troops in the Winter War, and then returned to Finland in the end-terms.
 
Last edited:
1) The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact allocated Finland to the Soviet "sphere of influence", along with Estonia, Latvia, and eastern Poland. The latter areas were all occupied and annexed by the USSR, apparently with German approval. What did the Germans (especially Hitler) expect to happen with Finland? Did they effectively agree that the USSR could conquer and incorporate Finland, too?
Yes, they yielded Finland to Soviet sphere to be dealt as Stalin wanted.

2) When the USSR attacked Finland in 1939, did the Germans expect the USSR to conquer Finland? One would think they did.
The Nazi regime also did their best to help Stalin by upholding the M-R Pact, stopping Italy and Hungary from sending military aid to Finns through German territory. Mussolini was furious about this, and Winter War soon threatened the future of Rome-Berlin Axis.
3) Did the Germans have any worries about the strategic implications of a Soviet conquest of Finland? In particular, did any Germans worry that such conquest would bring Soviet forces within 130 km of the Kiruna iron mine. Kiruna was critically important to the German steel industry until after the Fall of France, and somewhat important even then. Also, Kiruna was in a remote area, where it would be defenseless, unless Sweden chose to move a lot of troops there.
Sweden had a fortified border in easily defendable terrain.
4) In launching the Norway Campaign, Germany acted in part to secure the North Sea route for ore from Kiruna. Achieving that required success; and if the campaign failed, Germany would lose the North Sea route, and Allied forces would be about 100 km from Kiruna. When deciding on the campaign, did the Germans recognize this potential downside? Or had they concluded the Allies would occupy the Narvik region whether the Germans acted or not?
Hitler would have preferred a neutral Scandinavia, but Winter War led to a chain of events that more or less forced the Nazis to act quickly.
5) If the Allies had won in Norway... What plans did the Allies have for cutting off Germany from Kiruna's iron ore? Did DId they for instance consider trying to buy all of the output, as they did with chromium from Turkey and Portugal?
The mere presence at Narvik would hamper the ore transportation considerably.
Further questions arise about the other great mineral resouce of the area: the nickel mine at Petsamo. As I read sources, the mine was only discovered in the 1930s, and had barely started production in 1939. The mines were occupied by Soviet troops in the Winter War, and then returned to Finland in the end-terms.
Here the British-Canadian mining company had political importance, and Petsamo was the only occupied area of Finland ceded back to Finnish control at the Moscow Peace treaty.
 
Top