Зимова війна 1939–1940 рр. як історичний прообраз російсько-української війни: паралелі воєнної стратегії та політики

Abstract

This paper provides a comparative analysis of the Soviet-Finnish (“Winter”) War of 1939–1940 and the current russian-Ukrainian war. The study examines features common to both conflicts: the fabrication of a pretext for aggression, the expectation of a swift victory and a change of government, the underestimation of a smaller state’s defensive capacity, the systemic deficiencies of the aggressor’s army, and international isolation. It is argued that both wars reproduce a persistent pattern of russia’s imperial behaviour, in which numerical superiority is offset by the defender’s motivation, mobile tactics, and external support. It is concluded that the