The Development of Finnish—Soviet Relations
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
THE DEVELOPMENT OF FINNISH —SOVIET RELATIONS THE DEVELOPMENT OF FINNISH—SOVIET RELATIONS DURING THE AUTUMN OF 1939 IN THE LIGHT OF OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS Publication of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland O Y. SUOMEN K I R J A HELSINKI-FINLAND Printed in Finland by F. TILGMANN, LTD. Helsinki 1940 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 7 DOCUMENTS: 1. Treaty of Non-Aggression and Pacific Settlement of Disputes, concluded at Helsinki on January 21st, 1932, between Finland and the U.S.S.R 23 2. Convention of Conciliation, concluded at Helsinki on April 22nd, 1932, between Finland and the U.S.S.R 27 3. Convention for the Definition of Aggression, concluded at London on July 3rd, 1933 31 4. Protocol renewing until December 31st, 1945, the Treaty of Non- Aggression and Pacific Settlement of Disputes concluded on January 21st, 1932, between Finland and the U.S.S.R., signed at Moscow on April 7th, 1934 36 5. Neutrality Declaration of Finland, issued at Helsinki on September 1st, 1939 38 6. Statement published on September 1st, 1939, regarding the Neu- trality Declarations of the Northern Countries 38 7. Neutrality Declaration of the U.S.S.R., communicated by M. Molo- tov, Commissar for Foreign Affairs, to M. Yrjö-Koskinen, Finnish Minister at Moscow, with a Note of September 17th, 1939 39 8. Statement of M. Erkko, Minister for Foreign Affairs, to the Finnish News Service on September 18th, 1939, with reference to the Neu- trality Declaration of the U.S.S.R 40 Communique issued after the Conference of the Prime Ministers and Foreign Ministers of the Northern Countries, at Copenhagen on September 18th, 1939 41 10. Reports of M. Yrjö-Koskinen, Finnish Minister at Moscow, to M. Erkko, Minister for Foreign Affairs, on October 5th, 1939 ............... 42 11. Notes of M. Erkko, Minister for Foreign Affairs, concerning his conversation with M. Derevianski, Minister of the U.S.S.R. at Helsinki, on October 8th, 1939 43 12. Instructions of October 9th, 1939, for the Delegate of the Finnish Government M. J. K. Paasikivi, Minister Plenipotentiary, con- cerning the discussions of political nature to be held at Moscow ..................46 13. Memorandum of the Government of the U.S.S.R., handed in Moscow on October 14th, 1939, by MM. Stalin and Molotov to M. Paasikivi 49 14. Memorandum of the Finnish Government handed in Moscow on October 23rd, 1939, by MM. Paasikivi and Tanner to MM. Stalin and Molotov 51 15. Memorandum of the Government of the U.S.S.R. handed in Moscow on October 23rd, 1939. by MM. Stalin and Molotov to MM. Paasikivi and Tanner 54 16. Extracts from speech of M. Molotov, Commissar for Foreign Affairs, to the Supreme Soviet, on October 31st, 1939 56 17. Statement of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland on November 1st, 1939 60 18. Memorandum of the Finnish Government, handed in Moscow on November 3rd, 1939, by MM. Paasikivi and Tanner to M. Molotov, Commissar for Foreign Affairs 61 19. Communication handed during the negotiations in Moscow on November 9th, 1939, by M. Paasikivi to M. Molotov, Commissar for Foreign Affairs 20. Letter of M. Molotov, Commissar for Foreign Affairs, handed in Moscow on November 9th, 1939, to MM. Paasikivi and Tanner 21. Letter of MM. Paasikivi and Tanner, handed in Moscow on November 10th, 1939, to M. Molotov, Commissar for Foreign Affairs 68 22. Letter of MM. Paasikivi and Tanner, handed in Moscow on November 13th, 1939, to M. Molotov, Commissar for Foreign Affairs 69 23. Note of M. Molotov, Commissar for Foreign Affairs, handed on November 26th, 1939, to M. Yrjö-Koskinen, Finnish Minister at Moscow 24. Note of M. Yrjö-Koskinen, Finnish Minister at Moscow, handed on November 27th, 1939, to M. Molotov, Commissar for Foreign Affairs 71 25. Note of M. Molotov, Commissar for Foreign Affairs, handed on November 28th, 1939, to M. Yrjö-Koskinen, Finnish Minister at Moscow 72 26. Note of M. Molotov, Commissar for Foreign Affairs, handed on November 29th, 1939, to M. Yrjö-Koskinen, Finnish Minister at Moscow 74 27. Note of M. Yrjö-Koskinen, Finnish Minister at Moscow, handed on November 29th, 1939, to M. Molotov, Commissar for Foreign Affairs 75 28. Letter of M. Holsti, Delegate of Finland to the League of Nations, handed on December 3rd, 1939, to M. Avenol, Secretary-General of the League of Nations 76 29. Speech of M. Ryti, Prime Minister, broadcast on December 8th, 1939 77 30. Aide-Mémoire of M. Holsti, Delegate of Finland to the League of Nations, handed on December 9th, 1939, to M. Avenol, Secretary- General of the League of Nations 80 31. Appeal of the Finnish Parliament, adopted at its Plenary Session on December 10th, 1939 87 32. Exposé of M. Holsti, Delegate to the League of Nations, presented at the Session of the Assembly of the League of Nations on December 11th, 1939 88 33. Report and Resolution adopted by the Assembly of the League of Nations, dated December 14th, 1939 94 34. Resolution adopted by the Council of the League of Nations, 35. Message of M. Tanner, Minister for Foreign Affairs, addressed on December 15th, 1939, to M. Molotov, Commissar for Foreign Affairs 111 SUPPLEMENTS: 2 Maps. INTRODUCTION The surprising change, threatening the integrity and neutrality of Finland, which occurred in the foreign policy of the Soviet Union last October, can in no way have been caused by the relations which existed between these two States before that date. On the contrary, it can be stated with justification that the demands made by the Soviet Union are in sharp conflict with the treaties which it had concluded with Finland on its own initiative. There has not been, nor can there be, any suggestion that Finland on her part failed to observe these treaties scrupulously. The basic document establishing the relations between Finland and the Soviet Union is the Peace Treaty of Tartu, signed on October 14th, 1920. Even prior to that date Russia's Council of People's Commissars, under the chairmanship of Lenin, had submitted to the Central Executive Committee, on December 31st, 1917, a propo- sal to the effect that the political independence of the Republic of Finland should be recognised, and at its meeting on January 4th, 1918, the Central Executive Committee had adopted the proposal. In spite of this recognition, war broke out between Finland and the Soviet Union, and later all the questions at issue between the two States were fully dealt with in the Tartu peace negotiations. At the very beginning of the negotiations the chairman of the Soviet Union delegation stated that he represented a State which recognised the right of the self-determination of nations as a principle of its inter- national policy. Accordingly it could be considered as an axiom in the negotiations that the Soviet Union had no right to demand from Finland any cession of territory. This was all the more 8 obvious, seeing that during the entire period, from 1809 to 1917, during which Finland had been connected with Russia, she had been independent as regards internal affairs, a Grand Duchy, possessing precisely determined frontiers with Russia. These fron- tiers are of very old standing. The western part of the frontier running across the Carelian Isthmus, the removal of which further north has now been demanded by the Soviet Union, dates from the year 1323, and the eastern section from 1618. No change has occurred in this frontier for centuries, except that in 1864 the territory on which the Rajajoki arms factory stood was cut off from Finland and joined on to Russia, though at the same time the Emperor of Russia gave an undertaking that Finland would receive territory on the coast of the Arctic Ocean in exchange. The frontier to the north of Lake Ladoga is also of very old standing. Its southern part up to Nurmes dates from 1618 and the northern part from 1595. The only alterations made to this frontier have been comparatively slight. It was solely in the Arctic Coast frontier that an adjustment was made in 1920, the Soviet Union agreeing at the Peace of Tartu to cede the Petsamo district to Finland »for all time for possession in virtue of complete sovereign right». At that time it was in reality only a question of fulfilling the promise given in 1864 and of compensation for the delimitation of the frontier in 1826. The territory jointly enjoyed by Russia, Finland and Norway, was partitioned between Russia and Norway in 1826 with the result that Finland lost the outlet to the Arctic Ocean she had freely used until then. The territorial composition of Finland was thus so distinct that the Soviet Union had no reason to put forward any demands in this respect. While acknowledging the integrity of Finland's old political territory, the representatives of the Soviet Union made a large number of military demands in the Tartu peace negotiations, the acceptance of which they considered essential to the security of their State and especially of its former capital Leningrad. In this respect Finland made far-reaching concessions, which proved that she was even prepared to make sacrifices in order to preserve amicable relations with her big eastern neighbour. Thus, Finland undertook to abstain from fortifying the islands of Someri, Narvi, Seiskari, Peninsaari, Lavansaari, Great and Small Tytärsaari and Ruuskeri in the Gulf 9 of Finland. The agreement regarding these islands provided that »no fortifications, batteries, military observation posts, wireless stations exceeding a power of half a kilowatt, naval ports or naval artillery posts, stores of army property or war materials should be built or situated on them, nor more troops be stationed there than was necessary for maintaining order.