Winter War

British  

noun

1. the war of the winter of 1939–40 between Finland and the USSR after which the Finns surrendered the Karelian Isthmus to the USSR

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Example Sentences

Most of Finnish Karelia was grabbed by Joseph Stalin's forces in 1940 after the bloody Winter War, when Finland put up stiff resistance to the Soviets despite overwhelming odds.

From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026

During the Winter War of 1939-1940, Finland fended off a Soviet invasion, though the Finns had to relinquish some territory and they agreed to remain formally neutral throughout the Cold War.

From New York Times • Mar. 30, 2023

Having detected flaws in the Soviet Union’s invasion of Poland and its struggle against Finland in the Winter War, Hitler was confident he could defeat Stalin.

From Textbooks • Dec. 14, 2022

Finnish Winter War veterans were recruited for the U.S.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 20, 2022

In what became known as the Winter War of 1939-40, Finland repelled a Soviet invasion, but as an ally of Nazi Germany ended up ceding most of its eastern province of Karelia.

From BBC • May 12, 2022