The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact - ELTE BTK Történelem Szakos Portál

to reach out for Russia through the Republic of Turkey. 29
On the contrary, Anglo-Russian relations further detoriated in November,
1939. On the 26, the Talvisota, the Winter War began with a Soviet offensive.
Pressure on the British was getting stronger from the French government and
the British public opinion. They saw Finland as a free, liberal state just being
occupied by the totalitarian machine, and expected Great Britain to do
something. During the war, Anglo-French plans to send troops to Finland was
recurring several times, but the official British politics did not consider the
Finnish issue a real heavy one, but any further Russian advancement, e.g. in
Sweden or Norway „would progressively increase the ultimate threat to the
security of the British Isles”. 30 On the other hand, the Finn case was not heavy
enough to put wedge between Moscow and Berlin: as Conservative MP Leo
Amery wrote to Halifax on 6 December, „the two gangsters will continue to
cooperate so long as there is loot to be got”. 31
In December, the Finns also appealed to the League of Nations to condemn
Soviet aggression and intervene. Originally, the British did not support the
motion, as Cadogan commented: „Talked to H. [Halifax] about this ridiculous
summons of League Council and Assembly on Finnish issue question.
Inevitable but insane”. 32 Due to increasing French support, later the British
joined these efforts and facilitated the expulsion of the Soviets from the League
on the 14 December, 1939. Finally, the Finnish collapse in mid-March ruled
out the Anglo-French military intervention in Finland. 33
All the British attempts, the trade talks, Cripps’s visit, or the Turkish
connection had failed to get in touch with the Russians. The Soviet invasion of
Finland in November 1939 cut off all negotiations between Moscow and
London for a while. After the fall of Finland, the British took up again the line
to get in touch with the Russians, but this time Moscow was dismissive. The
Anglo-Soviet relations were settled only after the beginning of the German
invasion of the Soviet Union. And this is the point which marks the expiry of
the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact as well. 34
29
DOERR: op. cit., 430.
30
COLLINS: op. cit., 29.
31
Ibid. 31.
32
Qtd. in COLLINS: op. cit., 31.
33
DOERR: op. cit., 438.
34
Ibid. 438.
130