On this day, the Soviet Union launched an invasion of neighbouring Finland.
The invasion follows weeks of negotiations and diplomatic maneuvering between the two nations, which ultimately resulted in the Soviets staging ‘false flag’ operations.
The Soviet government launched the invasion without first declaring war, violating three separate non-aggression pacts: the 1920 Treaty of Tartu, the 1932 and 1934 non-aggression pacts between Finland and the Soviet Union; and the Covenant of the League of Nations, which the Soviet Union signed in 1934.
21 divisions of Soviet forces crossed the border, totaling 450,000 troops. At the same time, Soviet aircraft bombed the Finnish capital Helsinki, killing 100 people and destroying 50 buildings. The Soviet Union would later claim they were actually dropping humanitarian aid to the ‘starving’ Fins.
As a direct result of this invasion, on 14th December 1939 the Soviet Union was expelled from the League of Nations
