Seventy years ago this week the Soviet Union started the Winter War by invading Finland, which then changed allies two times during the course of World War II.

The East Finnish daily Karjalainen reflects on how external factors can decide the fate of smaller nations:

“Independence is always a power balance. Becoming independent means becoming independent from someone. Finland first became independent from Sweden, then from Russia.

In the 1930s Finland was a young state capable of waging war, with deep prejudices against the economic sytem of its large neighbour. Finland felt threatened, and looked for help in all directions.

But it is extremely difficult for a small country to take independent decisions. Finland’s history bears testimony to this. In the spring of 1940 Finland was ally to Britain and France against the Soviet Union and Germany for a short while. A year later it was fighting on the side of Germany against the Soviet Union and the Western Allies.

In summer 1944 it was then on the side of the Soviet Union in the war against Germany. When the possibilities of a small country are limited its leaders must adapt to the tide of history.”

Photo: A group of Red Army soldiers show a captured Finnish state flag. | Archive