Allies of the New Europe. Perceptions of Finnish Fascism on Slovakia, Croatia and Estonia, 1941-1944
Allies of the New Europe. Perceptions of Finnish Fascism on Slovakia, Croatia and Estonia, 1941-1944
Author(s): Pauli HeikkiläSubject(s): History
Published by: Editura Cetatea de Scaun
Keywords: Finland; Slovakia; Croatia; Estonia; World War II; Nazi Germany; New Europe; Fascism; International relations
Summary/Abstract: This article deals with international relations of Finnish Fascism in 1941-1944. It reveals contradictions in their concept of Europe as it focuses on images of other German allies/co-belligerents, namely Croatia, Slovakia and Estonia. As the reports and articles concerning these countries had little to do with reality, they tell more about the Finnish Fascists, their expectations for a European nation and foremost about the European system of international relations. The news from these countries can be divided into three categories. Firstly, the increased productivity under the new governments was emphasized. Secondly, the news stressed the common battle against the Soviet Union paying attention to the armaments or actual soldiers. Thirdly, and related to the previous one, appraisals in public speeches towards Finland were reprinted: Europeans had to respect each other and this respect was gained on the battlefield. Although none of the states could provide a desired old state independence, earlier representations of national spirit were brought forward. Estonia was used as a warning example of perils of Bolshevism due to the Soviet rule there in 1940-1941. The fact that nearly all the news derived from Germany, emphasizes the centralized nature of their Europe. The direct criticism was unsurprisingly avoided in these presentations. This was easy in the cases of distant Slovakia and Croatia but the actual situation in Estonia was more known in Finland and could not be totally ignored. Consequently the news ceased long before the war ended.
Journal: Valahian Journal of Historical Studies
- Issue Year: 2010
- Issue No: 14
- Page Range: 105-122
- Page Count: 18
- Language: English
- Content File-PDF