A Finnish officer shared his experiences as a Finnish soldier among NATO colleagues. The perspectives are subjective, of course, but they also align closely with my own understanding of what it means to be Finnish—yet they remain flattering.
“We have a solution-oriented, open-minded approach to work.” Finns are best known for their directness. “We don’t get stuck in the details—we push toward the goal, even if we have limited information. That’s a skill that’s appreciated here.”
“We’ve adopted a model of deep leadership. It’s based on trust and mutual respect—not just issuing orders... Many people told me that the Finnish style is exceptionally effective. And when we demonstrate that it works even under pressure and time constraints, it leaves a lasting impression.”
Norwegian Rear Admiral (ret.) Hans Helseth, for his part, described Finnish officers as “open, courageous, and intelligent. They made an enormous impression right away.”
* * *
Let’s hope his observations are read in Putin’s Russia as well. And through that, maybe there will be an understanding of why the great power Soviet Union failed to conquer Finland—then a nation of fewer than four million people—during World War II. This was especially evident in the last major battle at Ilomantsi, where Russian forces fled in disarray, leaving the Finns with considerable spoils of war.
The conquest of Finland didn’t succeed—as it did in Germany or Japan—even though Stalin tried twice. And it certainly won’t succeed now, with Finland backed by the world’s most powerful defense alliance: NATO.
My uncle was fighting in the Karelian Isthmus in the summer 1944. He said that the Kuhlmey flight group was essential in stopping the Russian attack.
ReplyDeleteDuring the last weeks of the Winter War Stalin got frightened of the possible Anglo-French bombing of the Baku oilfields and made a peace with Finland.
So Finland got some support, it's good to be not alone.