The Off Topic Topic

[Josquius]

We need a proper Languish meet when all this is over(ish).

See you in 2034

[Syt]

I see HM government has joined the streaming community.

[Syt]

https://www.instagram.com/p/CW4xJ31ICH_/

embassyofrussia
Verified
82 years ago the Soviet-Finnish War a.k.a. the 'Winter War' started fueled by territorial disputes.

During the interwar period, Finland took a hostile position against USSR developing plans to seize Soviet Karelia. Soviet leadership was concerned with close cooperation of the Finnish ruling circles with Nazi Germany including that in military area (weapons' supplies).

Soviet-Finnish border ran only 32 kilometers from Leningrad making the Finnish Gulf and the city extremely vulnerable to a possible attack. Despite the non-aggression treaty, Soviet leadership had no doubts that a great war with Nazis was coming and within this context Finland was viewed as Germany's probable ally.

After Nazi Germany had invaded Poland on 1 September 1939, Soviet leadership was attempting to make a deal with Finland to move its border from Leningrad to strengthen the safety of the city and the country's northern parts. In exchange, Finland was offered a territory in Soviet Karelia twice as large. All Soviet suggestions were declined.

The Winter War resulted in the defeat of Finland. According to the Treaty of Moscow signed on 12 March 1940 Finland ceded considerable territories to the Soviet Union. After the Nazi attack against USSR, Finland joined Hitlerites intending to revenge.

#WinterWar #WeRemember #USSR #Soviet #Russia #Finland #historyofRussia #historyofUSSR #worldwar2 #RedArmy #WW2 #WWII #ww2history #historical #втораямировая #история #втораямироваявойна #ссср #война #финляндия #военнаяистория #ЗимняяВойна

[Josquius]

I mean....no?

[Valmy]

Um are they going to mention that the USSR was an ally of Nazi Germany during the Winter War?

[The Brain]

I remember after the First Cold War ended it was amazing to see some people (read: Americans) think that Russia was a normal country.

[DGuller]

https://www.instagram.com/p/CW4xJ31ICH_/

embassyofrussia
Verified
82 years ago the Soviet-Finnish War a.k.a. the 'Winter War' started fueled by territorial disputes.

During the interwar period, Finland took a hostile position against USSR developing plans to seize Soviet Karelia. Soviet leadership was concerned with close cooperation of the Finnish ruling circles with Nazi Germany including that in military area (weapons' supplies).

Soviet-Finnish border ran only 32 kilometers from Leningrad making the Finnish Gulf and the city extremely vulnerable to a possible attack. Despite the non-aggression treaty, Soviet leadership had no doubts that a great war with Nazis was coming and within this context Finland was viewed as Germany's probable ally.

After Nazi Germany had invaded Poland on 1 September 1939, Soviet leadership was attempting to make a deal with Finland to move its border from Leningrad to strengthen the safety of the city and the country's northern parts. In exchange, Finland was offered a territory in Soviet Karelia twice as large. All Soviet suggestions were declined.

The Winter War resulted in the defeat of Finland. According to the Treaty of Moscow signed on 12 March 1940 Finland ceded considerable territories to the Soviet Union. After the Nazi attack against USSR, Finland joined Hitlerites intending to revenge.

#WinterWar #WeRemember #USSR #Soviet #Russia #Finland #historyofRussia #historyofUSSR #worldwar2 #RedArmy #WW2 #WWII #ww2history #historical #втораямировая #история #втораямироваявойна #ссср #война #финляндия #военнаяистория #ЗимняяВойна

Still better than History Channel.

[FunkMonk]

Still better than History Channel.

I beg to differ.

"But what if, as ancient astronaut theorists suggest, the Soviet-Finnish War was fought over control of geodynamic leylines used by extraterrestrials as navigation markers for ancient landing strips which could be used in the coming war with Nazi Germany?"

I mean, come on, that is loads cooler than whatever the Russian Embassy is trotting out 

[Sheilbh]

Um are they going to mention that the USSR was an ally of Nazi Germany during the Winter War?

No. They won't. This comes up a lot when the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs does history - it's absolutely right that the Soviets were heroic and essential in winning the war. But not between 1939-41 when they were allies they weren't

This also comes up a lot with online Western lefties glorifying communism as the best defence against fascism (exceptions may apply).

[Sheilbh]

On the Liechtenstein chat - just discovered (via Wiki and Ido Volk) that Switzerland has repeatedly invaded Liechtenstein by accident. Normally because they forget where the border is (and the Swiss loving doing military exercises apparently):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liechtenstein%E2%80%93Switzerland_relations

[Josquius]

Liechtenstein annoyed me so much when I visited. Its just like a normal Swiss town. I didn't even get any special Liechtenstein money.

[Syt]

Liechtenstein annoyed me so much when I visited. Its just like a normal Swiss town. I didn't even get any special Liechtenstein money.

They seem to be quite rare: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liechtenstein_franc

[Sheilbh]

Calvinism's a hell of a drug

Pádraig Durnin #OneOfUsAllOfUs
@padraigdurnin
The most amusing difference between Irish and Scottish Gaelic is definitely in the words for December: Mí na Nollag (Month of Christmas) in Ireland, and An Dubhlachd (the Blackness) in Scotland.

[Josquius]

Aren't the Gaelic speakers in Scotland largely Catholic?

[Sheilbh]

Aren't the Gaelic speakers in Scotland largely Catholic?

No. They were Jacobites but Gaelic is strongest in the Highlands - especially the West - which is also very Calvinist.

They are strongly Presbyterian - there was the infamous story of someone in Lewis who put broken glass in a burn because they saw children playing in it on a Sunday. There have been two more conservative breakaways from the Kirk (in the 1840s and then 1990s) both mainly with churches in those areas.

There's no real tradition of surviving native Catholicism in Scotland, like you have posh recusant Catholics in England, it's all Irish and Italian immigration. I mean Scotland didn't even have a day off work for Christmas until the 1950s