Vyborg: Encyclopedia II - Vyborg - 20th-century vicissitudes

Vyborg - 20th-century vicissitudes

Following the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the fall of the Russian Empire, Finland declared itself independent. During the Finnish Civil War Viipuri was in the hands of the Reds, until it was captured by the Whites on 29 April 1918.

In the mid-war decades, the town, now officially known as Viipuri, was the second biggest city in Finland. In 1939 Viipuri had some 80,000 inhabitants, including sizable minorities of Russians, Germans and Swedes. During this time, Alvar Aalto built a masterpiece of modernist architecture - the Viipuri Library.

During the Winter War some 31,000 people were evacuated from Viipuri to western Finland. The Winter War was concluded by the Peace of Moscow, which stipulated transfer of Viipuri and the whole Karelian Isthmus to the Soviet sovereignty. As the town was still held by the Finns, the remaining Finnish population had to be evacuated in haste. The evacuees from Finnish Karelia came to be a vociferous political force, and their wish to return to their homes was an important incentive when Finland sought support from Nazi Germany against the Soviet threat; a support that resulted in Finland and Germany ending up on the same side in World War II.

On 29 August 1941, Viipuri was recaptured by Finnish troops, whose advance cut the railroads going to Leningrad by the northwestern shore of Lake Ladoga. A consequence of this was the prevention of relief aid during the Siege of Leningrad, one of the deadliest in history. At first the Finnish Army didn't allow civilians into the town. Of the 6287 buildings 3807 were destroyed. The first civilians started to arrive at the end of September and by the end of the year Viipuri had a population of about 9700. By 1942 it has risen to 16 000. About 70% of the evacuees from Finnish Karelia returned after the re-conquest to rebuild their looted homes, but were again evacuated after the Red Army's 1944 Karelian offensive, timed with the Battle of Normandy. By the time of the Soviet offensive the town had a popultation of nearly 28 000. The town was evacuated by June 19 and the defence of Viipuri was entrusted the 20th Brigade. The town fell to the Red Army on 20 June 1944 but the Finns managed to stop the Soviet offensive at the Battle of Tali-Ihantala, the largest battle fought in the Nordic countries.^{[citation needed]}

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "20th-century vicissitudes", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki