1919
Helsinki, Finland
Finnish Army Map Room
The former residence of a Russian nobleman had been taken from him by Red revolutionaries, confiscated and sold on the open market, and then commandeered for military use. Now it was a nexus of the best military minds Finland had to offer. The walls were lined with maps, presenting a clear picture of the Fenno-Russian border from Petrograd to Petsamo. The air was slightly smoky; the room, illuminated by lamps, was still inadequately lighted, though this arrangement served them well enough.
Every man in the room, all the generals and colonels and marshals, had their minds focused on one plan, the product of many months' planning. It was staked out in pins on the maps; drawn in lines on charts; written on sheafs of paper, some of which were burned. The plan was more than simply ideas, though. It was a strategy, an infallible solution to the problem Finland had always faced: how does one deal with pesky neighbors? In the past, the solution had been appeasement, or the classic "If you can't beat them, join them" strategy. If one could even call it that. But after centuries under the guns of Sweden and Russia, finally the Finns could breathe free; it was their time to shine.
Or rather, some of the Finns could breathe free. The USSR, that infantile Communist state which so menaced Europe with its angry revolution, still held within its grasp two things that would forever ensure that the Finns would never be truly free. They had Karelia, a land populated by Finns; and they had Saint Petersburg, that vital Baltic outlet which also cut Finland off from its Estonian brothers, and from Europe at large. It was a red Russian ink blot on a white Finnish paper. And if President CGE Mannerheim and his men had their way, it would be turned white before long.
But this grand campaign, to liberate Finland forever, would ultimately fail without help. And unless Mannerheim did something on the political end of things, his military scheme would perish, and many Finns with it. So seek help he did. Leaving his subordinates to stick pins on the map and rub their hands together in anticipation, he retired to his office, and dictated a few telegrams to his secretary.
TO: Leaders of Sweden, Germany, Romania, Poland, Japan, and Other Nations who find Themselves Morally Opposed to the Existence of the Bolshevik Regime
FROM: CGE Mannerheim, President of Finland
ENCRYPTION: Low
SUBJECT: Anti-Bolshevik Alliance
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
It is with grave concern on the lips of all my people that I write to you. I must be frank and to the point: our concern is the Bolshevik. These barbarians, having as of late swept Russia by storm, must not be allowed to establish a foothold. Their manner of evil is despicable; it has not been seen since the days of the French Revolution, and never seen on such a vast scale. Thus I wire to you a simple and earnest proposal. If we are to halt the Red Menace, we must also coordinate our efforts. I propose the formation of a loose alliance of nations who seek to quench the wildfire that now threatens to not only scorch Russia to ashes, but also to overtake the entire world. I understand that each of you is concerned primarily with his own nation's internal and external affairs. As such, instead of meeting in person, we ought to simply convene a group of our most trusted and skilled military advisers. I will volunteer Helsinki as the location from whence they should plan the operations of our forces in Russia; but I am not at all averse to a Konigsberg meeting, or some other locale that is safe, yet close to the front. In any event, please return a wire to me with all haste. We cannot waste time, lest the cowardly Bolshevik find his strength, and creep upon us in the night with the long knife of revolution.
Yours,
CGE Mannerheim
TO: Adolf Hitler
FROM: CGE Mannerheim
ENCRYPTION: High
SUBJECT: Weapons and Training
Dear President Hitler,
I am pleased to hear that you are so forthcoming with aid to our poor, beleaguered nation. You have my heartfelt thanks. I hope to more formally align our nations, as we share so much in common. Indeed, you and I are both military men who have turned our swords to pens; and your style of governance and politics is admirable. Perhaps we might arrange a mutual alliance between Finland and Germany? In any case, I thank you again for your contribution to our struggle against the barbarians from the East. Finland will stand as a bulwark of freedom so long as I draw breath.
Yours in Friendship,
CGE Mannerheim