Battlefront Finland Shelling of Mainila, Causus Belli of the Winter War.

 



NOTE OF M. MOLOTOV, COMMISSAR FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS,
HANDED ON NO\/EMBER 26th, 1939, TO M.YRJO-KOSKINEN,
FINNISH MINISTER AT MOSCOW.
Monsieur le Ministre,
According to information received from the
headquarters of the Red Army, our troops posted on
the Carelian Isthmus, in the vicinity of the village of
Mainila, were the obiect today, 26th November, at
3.45 p.m., of unexpected artillery fire from Finnish
territory. In all, seven cannon-shots were fired, killing
three privates and one non-commissioned officer and
wounding seven privates and two men belonging to
the military command. The Soviet troops, who had
strict orders not to allow themselves to be provoked,
did not retaliate.

In bringing the foregoing to your knowledge, the
Soviet Government consider it desirable to stress the
fact that, during the recent negotiations with M.
Tanner and M. Paasikivi, they had directed their
attention to the danoer resultino from the
concentration of large regular forces in the
immediate proximity of the frontier near Leningrad. In
consequence of the provocative firing on Soviet
troops from Finnish territory, the Soviet Government
are obliged to declare now that the concentration of
Finnish troops in the vicinity of Leningrad, not only
constitutes a menace to Leningrad, but is, in fact, an
act hostile to the U.S.S.R. which has already resulted
in aggression against the Soviet troops and caused
casualties.

The Government of the U.S.S.R. have no intention of
exaggerating the importance of this revolting act
committed by troops belonging to the Finnish Army -
owing perhaps to a lack of proper guidance on the
part of their superiors - but they desire that revolting
acts of this nature shall not be committed in future.

In consequence, the Government of the U.S.S.R.,
while protesting energetically against what has
happened, propose that the Finnish Government
should, without delay, withdraw their troops on the
Carelian Isthmus from the frontier to a distance of
20-25 kilometres, and thus preclude all possibility of a
repetition of provocative acts.
Accept, M. le Ministre, the assurance of my high
consideration.