The Continuation war 1941 - 44

The war was declared on June 26. Finland attacked to Soviet Union together with Germany. Finland wanted back the areas lost in The Winter War. The attack halted in the Karelian Isthmus on the old border line, only some ten kilometers from Leningrad. In Ladoga Karelia the Finnish army went over the old border line, from time before The Winter War, to the River Svir, invaded Petrozadovsk and the western coast line of Lake Onega as well the Isthmus of Maaselkä and Rukajärvi: East Karelia was under Finnish rule. In the autumn 1941 the Karelian refugees expressed their will to move back to their homes following the footsteps of the Finnish army. The resettlement of the Karelians also became part of the official policy when the newly conquered territories in 1941 where officially declared as part of Finland. In the spring of 1944 235 000 persons had resettled in the Karelia.

After two and a half year of trench warfare, Soviet Union started a massive counter attack on 9th June 1944.Because of the threat of military collapse in Karelian Isthmus, Finnish troops in Ladoga Karelia were withdraw from East Karelia and the main part of these troops was send to the Karelian Isthmus. Some troops from East Karelia stayed in Ladoga Karelia, to defend areas part of Finland before The Winter War. On September 4 cease-fire ended military actions on the Finnish side. The Soviet Union ended hostilities exactly 24 hours later than the Finns.

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