If the Soviets conquer Finland they will have overcome the last remaining barrier to regaining Russia's old military position astride the Baltic Sea. The establishment of virtual protectorates over the other small (Baltic Powers gave Russia a start in this direction.
As independent states, Finland and Estonia confined Russian sea power to the icebound head of the Gulf of Finland, where it could easily be Some strategists believed the Soviet attack was prompted by a desire to push across the northern end of europe and, obtain ice-free sorts on "upper Norwegian coast. To do this sia would first have to conquer Finland and perhaps occupy. the Aaland Islands. This would give Russia control of the entrance to the Gulf of Bothnia between Finland amd Sweden and would offer a mena threat to all Swedish centres.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.