Unfortunately Za you probably cannot read the book on post-Winter War discussions between Stalin and the Generals during the congress on this. Probably not a big seller in Russia but a hit here in Finland some 5 years ago. Donīt know if it was published elsewhere. Anyway, even if the Generals try to say they only did what they were ordered and try to blame their colleagues for the problems it is obvious Stalin believed his generals could not fail him on the Finland issue and was a bit shocked after all. And even more suprising I think nobody was shot after the hearings.
For Zhdanov different explanations have been given. I donīt know if itīs to protect the Stalin Cult at the time but in some books it is claimed the whole Finnish operation was run by Zhdanov so that he could show how good a soldier and tactician he was. However I find it a bit hard anyone could do anything of that scale without Stalin being informed.
Camz, there were some local troops assembled as the Finnish National Army that would be used as the " Freeing force of Finland" and there was even the newly created government "Terijoki government " that was supposed to take over after Finland had surrendered. Politically these were big mistakes as the Finnish people and also the press all over the world realized this was a hostile takeover and the new government just a puppet government.
A bit later on as not many Finnish prisoners were caught these Finnish-speaking troops were sent to a camp where the local citizens of Leningrad could go see the "Finnish prisoners" ( propaganda!!) and call them names and spit over them. As they were actually citizens of the USSR the camp commander had a tough time trying to contain the people for not getting too angry with the camp inmates...
The first troops that Red Army sent were actually not well trained in many places and many of them fired their guns on their way to the front for the first time. In some cases the front line troops even got scared that they have enemy troops in the rear because of the loud shooting there. And it was just men practicing to use their guns.
Itīs sometimes "funny" to see the same mistakes being repeated all over again in world history. It seems that the winter clothing and boots that were supposed to be given to the troops in Mid- and North Karelian fronts were held in Leningrad in supply stores and the men in the front fought in their "summer clothing".....
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