Rudolf Holsti in Moscow: An episode in Fenno-Soviet relations

NOTES

• On Holsti's pro-League passion, see Blücher Wipert von Gesandter zwischen Diktatur und Demokratie. Erinnerungen aus den Jahren 1935–1944 Limes Wiesbaden 1951 58 58 Laurence Collier, Unnumbered Memorandum: “Personality and Policy of Dr. Holsti, Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs,” London, 12 July 1937, in London, Public Records Office, Series 371, Folio number 22265, Document number N3500 (hereafter PR0/22265/N3500); Davies to Hull, No. 78, Strictly Confidential, Moscow, 19 February 1937, in Joseph E. Davies, Mission to Moscow (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1941) 72; and Jukkaa-Pekka Pietiainen, ed., “Rudolf Holsti: Toimantani Hallituksen, 1936–1938 (My Service in the Government, 1936–1938),” Suomen Kuvalehti. Nos. 51–52 (1984) 73 (hereafter Holsti, Toimantani).
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• et al. History of Soviet Foreign Policy Progress Moscow 1969 329 329 V. G. Federov, “Finland [since 1918],” Great Soviet Encyclopedia 27 (New York: MacMillan, 1983) 224; and “Kyösti Kallio,” 11: 363.
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• Kirby , David J. 1979 . Finland in the Twentieth Century , 117 – 117 . Minneapolis : University of Minnesota Press .
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• Ponomarov . 330 – 330 .
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• Collier, Conversation with Gripenberg, London, January 6, 1937, PR0/21092/N151. For Hackzell's version, see Blücher to Auswärtiges Amt, No. 23 II, Helsinki, January 21, 1937, in Bonn, Politisches Archiv des Auswärtigen Amts, Politik 2 Finnland, Band 1, Pol VI-149 (hereafter PA/Po 2 Fi, Bd. 1, Pol VI-149). Hackzell had sought invitations in 1934 and 1935 but had been rejected by Moscow. See Blücher, diary entry for 4 and 9 January 1937, in Helsinki, National Archives of Finland, Microfilm Collection, “Wipert von Blücher: Tagebücher, 1935–1944” (hereafter Blücher, diary); and Wahlbäck Krister Finlandsfrågan i svensk politik Norstedt Söners Stockholm 1964 7 7 9, and 11.
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• Grant-Watson to Eden, No. 236, Confidential, Helsinki 1936 December 9 PR0/20331/N6123.
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• Holsti . Toimantani Vol. I , 74 – 74 .
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• Blücher to AA, No. 1876, Helsinki, PA/Politik 5 Finnland 1936 October 1 7 Pol VI-1674.
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• Molly to AA, No. 2142, Helsinki, PA/Politik 3 Finnland-Russland 1936 November 1 13 Pol VI-5400.
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• Helsinki considered raising the Karelian Question at the League Council. See Collier Conversation with Gripenberg London 1937 February 8 PR0/21092/N731.
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• See Helsingin Sanomat (HS) and Hufvudstadsbladet (Hbl) 1936 October 27 for a statement from the official Finnish News Bureau on the incidents.of October 7 and 23. For the Soviet view, see Pravda, October 26, 1936.
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• Molly to AA, No. 2142 II, Helsinki, PA/Po 3 Fi-Ru 1936 November 1 21 Pol VI-5790.
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• October 1936 . Hbl October , 21
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• HS or Hbl, February 13, 1936. See also Albright to Hull, No. 798) (Diplomatic), Helsinki Washington, D.C., United States National Archives, State Department Decimal File, Record Group 59 1937 February 16 7760D.61/173 (hereafter NA/SDDF, 760D.61/173).
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• Wahlbäck . 7 – 7 . 9, and 371–2.
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• Holsti . Toimantani Vol. I , 74 – 74 .
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• See Biddle to Hull, No. 393, Oslo, NA/SDDF, 760D.61/177 1937 March 10
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• For Yrjö-Koskinen's views, see Blücher to AA, No. 2288 II, Helsinki, PA/Po 3 Fi-Ru 1936 December 1 9 Pol VI-2235.
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• See Schulenberg to AA, No. A/415, Confidential, Moscow, PA/Po 3 Fi-Ru 1937 February 1 15 Pol VI-330; Schulenberg had learned this from Scandinavian sources.
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• HS or Hbl, December 1936 4
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• Orr to Hull, No. 750 (Diplomatic), Helsinki, NA/SDDF, 760D.61/168 1936 December 11
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• Grant-Watson to Eden, No. 255, Confidential, Helsinki, PR0/21092/N117 1936 December 26
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• HS or Hbl, December 1936 24
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• A German source told the U.S. Consul in Geneva that a “Fronde” opposed to Litvinov's policy was emerging, and that only Ivan Maisky, the Soviet Ambassador to Great Britain, strongly backed him. See Gilbert to Hull, No. 1904 (Political), Geneva, NA/SDDF 761.00/276 Van Nostrand Princeton 1936 October 90 90 20 and George F. Kennan, Soviet Foreign Policy 1917–1941 1960
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• December 1936 . Hbl December , 30
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• Chilston to Collier, Letter, Moscow, PR0/21092/N266 1937 January 12
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• December 1936 . Ajan Suunta December , 30 Holsti suspected Blücher's inspiration led to this attack. See Gurney to London, Telegram No. 2, In code, Saving, Helsinki, January 22, 1937, PR0/21092/N426.
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• January 1937 . Blücher, diary January , 165 – 165 . 3
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• January 1937 . Suomen Sosialidemokraatti January , 4
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• January 1937 . Ajan Suunta January , 20
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• Blücher . January 1937 . diary January , 166 – 166 . 5 and 8 and 167.
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• Orr to Hull, No. 768 (Diplomatic), Helsinki, NA/SDDF 760D.61/171 1937 January 5
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• Blücher . January 1937 . diary January , 172 – 172 . 9 and Blücher, Gesandter, 61–2.
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• See Blücher diary 1937 January 172 172 9
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• Blücher . January 1937 . diary January , 197 – 198 . 27 Not everyone was convinced. The Chief of the Finnish General Staff's Intelligence Bureau, Colonel A. J. Svensson, expressed the opposition of the Army to Blücher. See Blücher, diary, January 8, 1937, 167. Eljas Erkko, the owner of Helsingin Sanomat, and future Foreign Minister told Blücher: “It is a psychological mistake to deal with the Russians in a friendly fashion. Once they noticed our softness, the Russians again became impudent. They have fired shots across the ice at Terijoki and refused to allow an investigation.” This was a reference to the wounding of a fisherman. See Blücher, diary, February 4, 1937, 204.
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• November 1936 . Hbl November , 24 or Brown to Hull, No. 648, Stockholm, December 1, 1936, NA/SDDF, 758.00/26.
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• 1936 . The Times , December 19
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• See PA/Po 3 Fi-Ru 1937 February 1
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• See PR0/21092/N117 1936 December
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• 1937 . Le Temps , January 9
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• See PR0/21092/N117 1936 December and S. Walker, Minute, London, December 11, 1936, on Grant-Watson to Eden, No. 236, Confidential, Helsinki, November 28, 1936, cited in note 9 above.
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• For British press comment, see Evening Standard and Sunday Express 1937 January 2 Collier, Conversation with Gripenberg, London, January 6, 1937, cited in note 8 above.
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• January 1937 . Collier, Draft, and Oliphant, Minute, London, January , 14 and undated, on N117, cited in note 25 above.
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• 1937 . The Times , January 23
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• See undated Minute on Gurney to London, Telegram No. 2, In code, Saving, Helsinki, January 22, 1937, cited in Ajan Suunta 1936 December
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• See Collier Conversation with Gripenberg London 1937 February
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• Blücher to AA, No. 2488, Helsinki, PA/Po 3 Fi-Ru 1936 December 1 29 Pol VI-2375; also Blücher, Gesandter, 60 and Blücher to AA, Telegram No. 32, Cito! In code, Helsinski, December 30, 1936, 14:40, PA/Po 3 Fi-Ru, Bd. 1, Pol VI-2372.
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• Blücher . January 1937 . diary January , 185 – 185 . 15
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• Blücher to AA, No. 23, III, Helsinki, PA/Po 3 Fi-Ru 1937 January 22 zu Pol VI-149; Deutsche Allgemeine Zeitung, February 3, 1937.
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• See Blücher diary 1937 January 185 185
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• January 1937 . Berliner Tageblatt January , 4
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• January 1937 . Uusi Suomi January , 29
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• Blücher . February 1937 . diary February , 204 – 204 . 4
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• February 1937 . Berliner Börsenzeitung February , 8
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• See Walter Duranty's assessment in The New York Times February 1937 9 Isvestiia, February 8, 1937.
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• See Chilston to FO, No. 67, Moscow, PR0/21092/N783 1937 February 9 and note 22 above.
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• February 1937 . Pravda February , 8
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• Holsti . Toimantani Vol. I , 75 – 75 . See also Chilston to FO, Telegram No. 20, in code, Moscow, February 11, 13:38, PR0/21092/N757. Snow to Collier, Letter, Secret, Helsinki, April 10, 1937, PR0/21093/N2432. According to Schulenberg, Holsti mentioned the Karelian Question, Soviet border fortifications, the shooting incidents, anti-Finnish radio propaganda, Comintern activities, the press, the German-Finnish military pact, Zhdanov's threat, commercial relations, and Soviet border traffic controls. See note 22 above.
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• For the text, see HS, Hbl, or Moscow Daily News 1937 February 10
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• See Holsti Toimantani I 75 75
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• Gurnev to FO, No. 30, Helsinki, PR0/21092/N1187 1937 February 23
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• HS or Hbl, February 1937 10
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• Holsti . Toimantani Vol. I , 75 – 75 . see also note 62 above.
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• Holsti . Toimantani Vol. I , 75 – 76 . In April, when he repeated this conversation with British Minister T. M. Snow, Holsti said he did not know what the Finnish government's reaction might be, since the question was “an eventuality [that] had not been studied,” but “speaking for himself, however, he could say that Finland would regard as their ‘Enemy No. 1’ any Power whatever which violated Finnish territory in an attack on Russia.” See Snow to Collier, Letter, Secret, Helsinki, April 10, 1937, cited in note 62 above.
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• See Holsti Toimantani I 75 75
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• See PR0/21092/N1187 1937 February
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• Holsti . Toimantani Vol. I , 75 – 75 .
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• See PR0/21092/N1187 1937 February
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• See Holsti Toimantani I 75 75
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• See Holsti Toimantani I 75 75
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• Schulenberg learned of this. See PA/Po 3 Fi-Ru 1937 February 1
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• See HS or Hbl February 1937 12
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• See PA/Po 3 Fi-Ru 1937 February 1
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• See HS or Hbl February 1937 12
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• See PA/PO 3 Fi-Ru 1937 February 1
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• For the text, see Chilston to FO, Telegram No. 21 Moscow 1937 February In code 11 15:49, PR0/21092/N759.
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• February 1937 . HS February , 13
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• February 1937 . Hbl February , 14
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• Albright to Hull, No. 798 (Diplomatic), Helsinki, NA/SDDF, 760D.61/173 1937 February 16
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• Chilston to FO, Telegram No. 28, In code, Moscow, PR0/21092/N946 1937 February 18 15:30
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• Schulenberg to AA, Telegram No. 36, In code, Moscow, PA/Po 3 Fi-Ru 1937 February 1 12 21:45 Pol VI-297.
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• On Holsti's disappointment that Chilston had not received instructions, see Schulenberg to Weizsäcker, Private Letter, Moscow, PA/Po 3 Fi-Ru 1937 February 1 15 zu Pol VI-423. But see also Chilston's dispatch on his private meeting with Holsti, which makes no mention of Holsti's disappointment: Chilston to Eden, No. 68, Moscow, February 9, 1937, PR0/21092/N784.
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• Blücher to AA, Telegram No. 3, In code, Helsinki, PA/Po 3 Fi-Ru 1937 February 1 15 Pol VI-313. See also Blücher, Gesandter, 64, where he continued to deny Holsti's success because the “psychological conditions” for such a policy were “missing” among the Finnish people.
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• Grundherr to Blücher, Letter, Berlin, PA/Po 3 Fi-Ru 1937 February 1 24 zu Pol VI-751.
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• Biddle to Hull, No. 393, Oslo, NA/SDDF, 760D.61/177 1937 March 10
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• Colonel Svensson visited Sweden in April, and Sandler told Holsti in July that he would cautiously pursue the matter. See Wahlbäck 44 45
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• Holsti's resignation has been the object of some debate. In his memoirs written in 1940, Holsti blamed poor health, aggravated by internal dissension within the Finnish government Holsti Toimantani III 42 47
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