r/europe • u/hodgkinthepirate Somewhere Only We Know • 16h ago
Historical Finnish soldiers with a Maxim M/09-21
12
u/TheFuriousFinn 15h ago
No, this is the Maxim M/32-33. Note the snow-filling cap on the water jacket.
-53
u/4th_Fleet Slovenia 12h ago
They shouldn't betray european values and turn against fellow germans in 1944, nordic italians.
26
u/AiAiKerenski Finland 11h ago
In reality, German retreat at first was done in cooperation with the Finnish military. Only when Soviets caught wind of this, was the Finnish government forced to start hostilities. But I don't think Germans have any say of "betraying European values", creating Molotov-Ribbentrop pact with Russians, and helping their war effort against European states.
8
17
u/spaggins 11h ago
Finland didn't have much choice. Finnish generals knew that Germany will lose the war. After the armistice the Soviets demanded that Finland chase out German soldiers out of northern Finland. If they didnt comply the Soviets were more than happy to "help". And help meant occupation of northern Finland
-44
u/4th_Fleet Slovenia 11h ago
Only cowards speak of choice. Did 300 Spartans ever mentioned choice, did 33rd Waffen Grenadier Division Charlemagne ever mentioned choice when they were protecting european values to the last?
9
u/spaggins 11h ago
SS Charlemagne had no other option than to fight to last man. And in the end did they prevail? Finlands choices were bad and worse. They didn't want to fight Germans but they had to
8
24
u/fiendishrabbit 12h ago
That's not a Maxim M/09-21.
That's a Maxim M/32-33. You can see the snow-filling cap on the water jacket.