The Red Army Rises – the Impact of Threat Assessment on Defence System and Military Thinking in Finland in the 1920s

Abstract

This article examines how the threat of the Red Army was perceived in Finland during the 1920s and 1930s, and how this threat assessment influenced the development of Finland’s defence system. The main focus of the article is on the developments of the 1920s and the solutions that were reached during that time. It primarily addresses the development of the defence system, but also considers the evolution of Finnish military thinking in its early stages. The research question of the article is: “How did the threat assessment affect the development of Finnish defence and military thinking during the 1920s and 30s?” The article is mostly based on the author’s dissertation project that examines the development of the Finnish covering troop concept from 1918 to 1942.