Managed to answer some questions I had about this by finding this site. http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=6299 One point struck me as ironic. Since Germany was allied with the Soviet Union at the time, the official German line forbade enlistment of German volunteers The numbers of Volunteers are lower than I'd have thought, as it would have been a good chance for some with anti-Communist leaning to have a go at the Red Army. Many perhaps saw the need to stay at home and defend their countries from the looming Nazi threat. Lots of Volunteers went to the Spanish Civil War a few years earlier but it was warmer there.
Poor Finland didn't know whether it was coming or going: first the war with Russia, then peace, then allows Germany to use it as a base causing Russia to bomb it again, then the war with Russia (again), and then the war with Germany. And after ALL that she managed to remain free. Great country.
The Finns proved themselves to be one hell of an army. In one sense it was a learning curve for the Red Army, although an extremely costly one. It brought home to Stalin and the Stavka exactly how bad their army was in combat.
Thinking that if I'd been around in the 1930s and felt the urge to fight in someone else's war then in Spain my sympathies would be with the Republicans against the Fascists putting me on the same side as the Communists. Then later off to Finland to fight against the Soviets. Probably better to have stayed at home.
Thinking that if I'd been around in the 1930s and felt the urge to fight in someone else's war then in Spain my sympathies would be with the Republicans against the Fascists putting me on the same side as the Communists. Then later off to Finland to fight against the Soviets. Probably better to have stayed at home. Only with the benefit of hindsight!