1 00:00:00,440 --> 00:00:27,480 Speaker 1: Ridiculous History is a production of I Heart Radio. Welcome 2 00:00:27,480 --> 00:00:30,920 Speaker 1: back Ridiculous Historians. As always, thank you so much for 3 00:00:31,240 --> 00:00:36,160 Speaker 1: tuning in. Today, we're talking about the dogs of War, 4 00:00:36,479 --> 00:00:41,519 Speaker 1: the hot Dogs War, sausage War. There's the one and 5 00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:46,400 Speaker 1: only super producer, Max Williams. I'm ben No, I think 6 00:00:46,440 --> 00:00:48,639 Speaker 1: this title stood out to both of us. Huh well, yeah, 7 00:00:48,680 --> 00:00:50,559 Speaker 1: I mean you know what they say say war is 8 00:00:50,640 --> 00:01:00,640 Speaker 1: the verst Yes they do hot dog. They don't really 9 00:01:00,680 --> 00:01:04,240 Speaker 1: say that hot diggity dog. Yeah, you know. And I'm 10 00:01:04,280 --> 00:01:06,440 Speaker 1: telling you we title stood out to both of us. 11 00:01:06,880 --> 00:01:08,720 Speaker 1: Uh three. We thought it would be a light what oh, 12 00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:11,600 Speaker 1: a sausage war. That sounds delightful, like maybe there'll be 13 00:01:11,640 --> 00:01:15,400 Speaker 1: some rivals. Chefs are getting a recipe as to how 14 00:01:15,480 --> 00:01:18,000 Speaker 1: much fenneled their sausage should be stuffed in our Which 15 00:01:18,040 --> 00:01:20,959 Speaker 1: types of case things do you use? No, No, we 16 00:01:20,959 --> 00:01:23,040 Speaker 1: should have read a little deeper before we tackle this one. 17 00:01:23,080 --> 00:01:25,360 Speaker 1: It was in fact about a quite bloody conflict in 18 00:01:25,440 --> 00:01:30,000 Speaker 1: the Soviet Union and Finland. Yes, a absolute blood bath. 19 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:35,240 Speaker 1: On November thirty nine, thirty nine, half a million Soviet 20 00:01:35,319 --> 00:01:39,440 Speaker 1: soldiers swarmed North. They were armed to the teeth, they 21 00:01:39,480 --> 00:01:42,120 Speaker 1: had tanks, they have machine guns. This was part of 22 00:01:42,160 --> 00:01:45,679 Speaker 1: what's known as the Winter War. But the Russian enemy 23 00:01:45,800 --> 00:01:49,240 Speaker 1: in this case wasn't the Third Reich, even though it's 24 00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:53,520 Speaker 1: ninety nine, wasn't Third Reich. Instead, it was Finland and 25 00:01:53,720 --> 00:02:00,680 Speaker 1: Never seeming like they say at Hamilton's, they were outnumbered, outmanned, outgunned. 26 00:02:01,080 --> 00:02:03,000 Speaker 1: I can't remember exactly all that song goes, but you 27 00:02:03,040 --> 00:02:06,120 Speaker 1: know what I'm talking about. I sort of dove never. 28 00:02:06,160 --> 00:02:08,320 Speaker 1: You know, I've never gotten Hamilton's. I'm gonna come out 29 00:02:08,320 --> 00:02:10,640 Speaker 1: there and say a hot take. I don't get Hambleton's. 30 00:02:10,840 --> 00:02:13,480 Speaker 1: I don't get all the hype. Uh. Well, the hype 31 00:02:13,520 --> 00:02:15,960 Speaker 1: can ruin a good thing, you know, I really can't. 32 00:02:16,040 --> 00:02:17,760 Speaker 1: I never. I never was able to make it all 33 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:20,080 Speaker 1: the way through. And the Disney Plus version of it 34 00:02:20,120 --> 00:02:22,480 Speaker 1: is beautifully filmed. It's verily, really well done. I just 35 00:02:22,880 --> 00:02:25,160 Speaker 1: I don't know's I find it a little cringe. I'm 36 00:02:25,200 --> 00:02:29,720 Speaker 1: not gonna lie. I find Lin Manuel Miranda a little cringe. Uh. 37 00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:33,680 Speaker 1: Let let us know what you think about Hamilton's. Um. 38 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:38,120 Speaker 1: But yeah, outgunned indeed and taken by surprise. Uh you 39 00:02:38,120 --> 00:02:42,760 Speaker 1: would think Finland would have to give up to Stalin. 40 00:02:42,840 --> 00:02:44,920 Speaker 1: I mean Stalin is just no. Is this iron fisted, 41 00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:48,240 Speaker 1: you know, military powerhouse in Finland. You don't even think 42 00:02:48,280 --> 00:02:49,960 Speaker 1: that they have guns. I would just assume they have 43 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:53,680 Speaker 1: like pointy sticks or something. But they had some guns. 44 00:02:53,720 --> 00:02:56,320 Speaker 1: They just didn't have as many as the Soviets. But 45 00:02:57,040 --> 00:03:02,560 Speaker 1: for one shining moment, uh, it would seem that this 46 00:03:02,639 --> 00:03:05,480 Speaker 1: might be a David and Goliath type situation, with Finland 47 00:03:05,600 --> 00:03:08,920 Speaker 1: as the tiny little David with the sling, and Russia 48 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:11,799 Speaker 1: being the giant who maybe is going to be toppled 49 00:03:11,880 --> 00:03:15,320 Speaker 1: by just stick tuitiveness and gumption of the little guy 50 00:03:15,480 --> 00:03:17,200 Speaker 1: and the little guy in this situation, or at least 51 00:03:17,280 --> 00:03:21,959 Speaker 1: the rock in that sling the sausage. Yeah, true story. 52 00:03:22,400 --> 00:03:28,279 Speaker 1: So nine journey back there with those folks. Europe collectively 53 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:33,200 Speaker 1: is worried about Germany and their war mongering, but a 54 00:03:33,360 --> 00:03:38,560 Speaker 1: conflict between the USSR and Finland is also in the wind. 55 00:03:38,600 --> 00:03:45,040 Speaker 1: In fact, it seems unavoidable. Stalin himself reportedly resented Finland 56 00:03:45,240 --> 00:03:49,000 Speaker 1: because once upon a time it was Russian territory and 57 00:03:49,040 --> 00:03:53,360 Speaker 1: it had always fought back against attempts to assimilate the 58 00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:57,720 Speaker 1: country into Russian culture. And you know, of course you 59 00:03:57,840 --> 00:04:00,280 Speaker 1: just have to take a casual glance at the app 60 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:06,680 Speaker 1: Russia geographically is much much larger than Finland. But in 61 00:04:06,760 --> 00:04:09,880 Speaker 1: Stalin's mind and to a lot of a lot of 62 00:04:09,880 --> 00:04:12,880 Speaker 1: other people in Russia at the time, the loss of 63 00:04:12,920 --> 00:04:19,400 Speaker 1: Finland was a terrible example of the diminishment of the 64 00:04:19,480 --> 00:04:21,960 Speaker 1: Russian Empire, you know what I mean. They thought of 65 00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:25,160 Speaker 1: the days when Finland was part of Russia as the 66 00:04:25,240 --> 00:04:28,360 Speaker 1: glory days of the Empire. So they took the loss. 67 00:04:28,480 --> 00:04:31,960 Speaker 1: At least Stalin took the loss very personally. Yeah, it 68 00:04:31,960 --> 00:04:35,520 Speaker 1: seems like Stalin took most things pretty personally. If you've 69 00:04:35,520 --> 00:04:37,440 Speaker 1: seen the movie The Death of Stalin. He was a 70 00:04:37,560 --> 00:04:42,760 Speaker 1: very petty man um who would let no slight go unpunished, right, 71 00:04:43,160 --> 00:04:45,799 Speaker 1: It was sort of his whole vibe. So, behind the scenes, 72 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:48,719 Speaker 1: the Soviet Union of Nazi Germany had kind of colluded 73 00:04:48,839 --> 00:04:52,040 Speaker 1: or at least made this agreement not to interfere with 74 00:04:52,440 --> 00:04:57,560 Speaker 1: each other's territorial you know, goals in certain parts of Europe. Anyway, 75 00:04:57,839 --> 00:05:01,160 Speaker 1: um in the Soviet Union and finn Land had signed 76 00:05:01,200 --> 00:05:06,400 Speaker 1: this non aggression packed in two Stalin started flexing uh 77 00:05:06,400 --> 00:05:10,120 Speaker 1: and making that beef very public and demanding that Finland 78 00:05:10,200 --> 00:05:13,840 Speaker 1: seed that territory. Um just a couple of years after 79 00:05:13,920 --> 00:05:16,000 Speaker 1: they had signed this don aggression packed and you could 80 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:20,520 Speaker 1: definitely argue that him uh mounting this kind of public 81 00:05:20,760 --> 00:05:25,400 Speaker 1: campaign is certainly aggressive, the kind of aggressive that George 82 00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:28,720 Speaker 1: Bush would would say, we will not let stand um. 83 00:05:28,800 --> 00:05:32,520 Speaker 1: So when Hitler finally invaded Poland in nineteen thirty nine, 84 00:05:33,240 --> 00:05:37,240 Speaker 1: that's when Stalin saw his chance to get in there 85 00:05:37,480 --> 00:05:39,600 Speaker 1: and and then take back what he thought was rightfully 86 00:05:39,640 --> 00:05:45,000 Speaker 1: his Yeah, because the world's eyes are on Germany and Poland, 87 00:05:45,320 --> 00:05:50,840 Speaker 1: so Stalin, as he said, sees an opportunity. November nine, 88 00:05:51,360 --> 00:05:56,560 Speaker 1: Soviet forces bomb Helsinki and they launched their invasion. The 89 00:05:56,600 --> 00:06:02,200 Speaker 1: international community is of course not supportive of this, but 90 00:06:03,360 --> 00:06:07,000 Speaker 1: it seems like their their hands are tied. Soviet victory 91 00:06:07,200 --> 00:06:12,320 Speaker 1: seems inevitable. The Finnish forces are outnumbered three to one. 92 00:06:12,520 --> 00:06:15,000 Speaker 1: This war looks like it's not just gonna be a 93 00:06:15,120 --> 00:06:18,000 Speaker 1: victory for the Soviet forces, but it looks like it's 94 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:21,880 Speaker 1: going to be a very short war. This assault, like 95 00:06:21,920 --> 00:06:25,200 Speaker 1: we said, they're they're over six hundred thousands Soviet troops, 96 00:06:25,360 --> 00:06:30,640 Speaker 1: thousands of tanks, planes, heavy artillery. The Finnish army is 97 00:06:30,760 --> 00:06:34,000 Speaker 1: less than half the size of the invading army and 98 00:06:34,480 --> 00:06:37,279 Speaker 1: they only have a few tanks. They don't really have 99 00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:40,560 Speaker 1: a ton of planes, and they're they're also to be 100 00:06:41,240 --> 00:06:45,320 Speaker 1: to be blunt. They're low on bullets, Like even if 101 00:06:45,360 --> 00:06:49,000 Speaker 1: they had more guns, would they have the ammunition to 102 00:06:49,040 --> 00:06:52,920 Speaker 1: put in them. That's a big problem. They're outnumbered, they're outgunned. 103 00:06:53,560 --> 00:06:59,800 Speaker 1: They are subjected to massive garages of artillery attacks. In 104 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:03,120 Speaker 1: in cases pointed out by War on the Rocks dot Com, 105 00:07:03,160 --> 00:07:08,240 Speaker 1: over three hundred thousand artillery shells fell on finished positions 106 00:07:08,279 --> 00:07:11,160 Speaker 1: in the space of a day. Oh my god, how 107 00:07:11,200 --> 00:07:13,960 Speaker 1: could you come back from that? And according to many 108 00:07:14,000 --> 00:07:16,840 Speaker 1: you know, written accounts from the time, the sound of 109 00:07:16,880 --> 00:07:20,840 Speaker 1: those munitions hitting could be heard over a hundred miles 110 00:07:20,840 --> 00:07:24,160 Speaker 1: away in hell Sinki. It was so cacophonous. And there's 111 00:07:24,200 --> 00:07:27,120 Speaker 1: just so many of them. Third, three hundred thousand shells, 112 00:07:27,280 --> 00:07:29,560 Speaker 1: and we're talking like big old these are like, you know, 113 00:07:29,640 --> 00:07:33,280 Speaker 1: mortar shells right then, like mortar rounds. Yeah, these artillery 114 00:07:33,360 --> 00:07:35,680 Speaker 1: these are these are not fireworks, you know what I mean. 115 00:07:35,800 --> 00:07:40,520 Speaker 1: They're doing serious, serious damage. And then right after these, 116 00:07:40,720 --> 00:07:43,960 Speaker 1: right after these shock and awe attacks, the Soviet troops 117 00:07:44,000 --> 00:07:49,680 Speaker 1: try to storm the Finnish bunkers but what like, just 118 00:07:49,760 --> 00:07:52,280 Speaker 1: to give you a sense of the destruction, folks, when 119 00:07:52,600 --> 00:07:56,600 Speaker 1: the Soviets would get into these bunkers, they would see 120 00:07:56,880 --> 00:08:01,520 Speaker 1: the Finnish defenders, the occupants of the bunkers dead from 121 00:08:01,520 --> 00:08:05,800 Speaker 1: the sheer concussive force of these artillery blast That's right. 122 00:08:05,800 --> 00:08:08,320 Speaker 1: It reminds me of the story we did about the 123 00:08:08,720 --> 00:08:12,600 Speaker 1: Hunley where you know, many of the crew of the 124 00:08:12,640 --> 00:08:17,440 Speaker 1: Hunley was found um, peacefully dead. Uh, and that turned 125 00:08:17,440 --> 00:08:20,080 Speaker 1: out to be largely because they were killed by shock waves. 126 00:08:20,280 --> 00:08:23,720 Speaker 1: Underwater shock waves from those minds, I believe is what 127 00:08:23,760 --> 00:08:26,480 Speaker 1: it was undersea mine. So I mean just just literally 128 00:08:26,520 --> 00:08:28,720 Speaker 1: those kinds of vibrations, even if it's not a direct hit, 129 00:08:29,000 --> 00:08:32,440 Speaker 1: can like liquefy your insides practically. Yep. Shout out to 130 00:08:32,640 --> 00:08:35,920 Speaker 1: Rachel Lance. It's so crazy that we know the world's 131 00:08:35,960 --> 00:08:40,280 Speaker 1: foremost authority on underwater explosions. That's a feather in my cap. 132 00:08:40,320 --> 00:08:42,920 Speaker 1: I don't know about you, man, but I I sometimes 133 00:08:42,920 --> 00:08:45,400 Speaker 1: think about that and I need a little you know, 134 00:08:45,640 --> 00:08:48,080 Speaker 1: we'll pick me up, a little pick me up. Absolutely, 135 00:08:48,520 --> 00:08:52,040 Speaker 1: that's a very very cool episode. Um okay, so dead 136 00:08:52,480 --> 00:08:56,080 Speaker 1: eerily silent again. According to War on the Rock dot Com, 137 00:08:56,520 --> 00:09:01,319 Speaker 1: Finish troops laying you know, placidly in their bunkers does 138 00:09:01,360 --> 00:09:04,760 Speaker 1: not seem like the type of turnaround victory or the 139 00:09:05,000 --> 00:09:07,760 Speaker 1: you know, the type of like underdog story that we promised. 140 00:09:08,440 --> 00:09:20,280 Speaker 1: So how do we get there. Let's introduce Group tal Vela. Uh. 141 00:09:20,360 --> 00:09:26,079 Speaker 1: The Finnish four Core was given the job of securing Finland, 142 00:09:26,320 --> 00:09:30,320 Speaker 1: specifically the northern shore of Lake Ladoga. They had two 143 00:09:30,320 --> 00:09:33,880 Speaker 1: full divisions, they had battalions assigned to it. In the 144 00:09:34,000 --> 00:09:37,920 Speaker 1: opening days of the Winter War, the corps actually wasn't 145 00:09:38,000 --> 00:09:42,840 Speaker 1: doing very well and the leaders allowed their units to 146 00:09:42,880 --> 00:09:45,960 Speaker 1: give up a lot of ground, which of course led 147 00:09:46,000 --> 00:09:50,800 Speaker 1: to a rapidly deteriorating wartime situation. There's a character we 148 00:09:50,800 --> 00:09:54,760 Speaker 1: want to introduce, Colonel Pavo tal Vela. He was a 149 00:09:55,080 --> 00:09:58,040 Speaker 1: it was a veteran of something that we're going to 150 00:09:58,160 --> 00:10:04,880 Speaker 1: treat very seriously. The despite being children in the nineteen 151 00:10:05,600 --> 00:10:12,360 Speaker 1: nineteen as expedition, which was very very much like he 152 00:10:12,440 --> 00:10:17,400 Speaker 1: went very deep, proved the deaths. Yes, it's an expedition 153 00:10:17,480 --> 00:10:23,200 Speaker 1: deep into a region. Uh, it's a penetrative mission. Uh. 154 00:10:23,679 --> 00:10:25,520 Speaker 1: It's been a long week, folks, But this is a 155 00:10:25,559 --> 00:10:30,559 Speaker 1: real story. The news expedition and we're um, we're we're adults. 156 00:10:30,600 --> 00:10:37,559 Speaker 1: But so this Colonel Telvella, after his extensive but imperfect 157 00:10:37,760 --> 00:10:44,600 Speaker 1: uh you know, experiences with uh, he had also written 158 00:10:44,600 --> 00:10:49,960 Speaker 1: a thesis about combat operations in the Why did you 159 00:10:50,000 --> 00:11:04,599 Speaker 1: have to say again? I was almost recovered. Hey, but 160 00:11:04,720 --> 00:11:08,080 Speaker 1: I'm okay. Now I am wiping these tears away from 161 00:11:08,080 --> 00:11:11,040 Speaker 1: my eyes. Uh. And I'm going to power power on 162 00:11:11,160 --> 00:11:14,440 Speaker 1: sally Forth as Day's say. Um. He held him a 163 00:11:14,480 --> 00:11:18,120 Speaker 1: meeting with another very important man, the marshal by the 164 00:11:18,200 --> 00:11:22,360 Speaker 1: name of Karl Mannerheim. It was concerned that if the 165 00:11:22,440 --> 00:11:27,520 Speaker 1: situation continued to escalate, they were likely going to end 166 00:11:27,600 --> 00:11:30,280 Speaker 1: up losing their advantage to the front that they had 167 00:11:30,559 --> 00:11:33,960 Speaker 1: and then ultimately the war. So the Soviet eighth Army, 168 00:11:34,880 --> 00:11:38,640 Speaker 1: it was already on its way to uh vartill yah 169 00:11:39,520 --> 00:11:41,439 Speaker 1: ver vertil Ya. I'm gonna call it. It's get them 170 00:11:41,520 --> 00:11:44,280 Speaker 1: loud over the a and the second a UM. And 171 00:11:44,280 --> 00:11:47,959 Speaker 1: that was a very important strategic railway junction that would 172 00:11:47,960 --> 00:11:53,400 Speaker 1: open up the way um to the Karelian Isthmus, which 173 00:11:53,400 --> 00:11:57,000 Speaker 1: is another very very important strategic location, and then they 174 00:11:57,040 --> 00:12:01,120 Speaker 1: would have access to the main defense line. Yeah, that's 175 00:12:01,160 --> 00:12:03,920 Speaker 1: that's the idea and it's a pretty solid argument, at 176 00:12:03,960 --> 00:12:07,920 Speaker 1: least Mannerheim thinks. So he's convinced, and so Tavella says, look, 177 00:12:07,960 --> 00:12:10,120 Speaker 1: here's what you need to do. You need to send 178 00:12:10,200 --> 00:12:12,920 Speaker 1: some folks over to relieve some of the pressure here. 179 00:12:13,400 --> 00:12:17,040 Speaker 1: So Mannerheim sends the infantry Regiment sixteen known as the 180 00:12:17,120 --> 00:12:20,640 Speaker 1: j R. Sixteen under the command of a friend of 181 00:12:20,640 --> 00:12:24,480 Speaker 1: Tavela is a guy named Lieutenant Colonel aro Peji, and 182 00:12:26,520 --> 00:12:29,920 Speaker 1: gets his regiment from the railway to the front lines. 183 00:12:30,400 --> 00:12:33,960 Speaker 1: Tavella is giving the command of a special group called 184 00:12:34,000 --> 00:12:39,319 Speaker 1: Group tal Vela, and they get a pretty hardcore cinematic order. 185 00:12:40,040 --> 00:12:45,319 Speaker 1: They're told to stop the Soviet advance by any means necessary. 186 00:12:45,600 --> 00:12:47,480 Speaker 1: Do you think he named the group after himself or 187 00:12:47,520 --> 00:12:51,319 Speaker 1: it was bestowed upon them by some higher up unclear, unclear, 188 00:12:51,360 --> 00:12:53,520 Speaker 1: but I would like to think that somebody else just 189 00:12:53,600 --> 00:12:59,240 Speaker 1: called it that. It seems a little humility come on. 190 00:12:59,400 --> 00:13:01,720 Speaker 1: And so he's got there there, you know, presumably like 191 00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:04,560 Speaker 1: they've got a special set of skills, right um, They're 192 00:13:04,679 --> 00:13:07,480 Speaker 1: ordered to get out there, get a get ahead of 193 00:13:07,520 --> 00:13:11,800 Speaker 1: this problem, stop the Soviet advance using whatever, you know, 194 00:13:12,000 --> 00:13:14,839 Speaker 1: special set of skills they were, you know, gifted with 195 00:13:15,280 --> 00:13:19,840 Speaker 1: and together Talvella and Parjari um were able to kind of, 196 00:13:19,960 --> 00:13:23,080 Speaker 1: you know, rally the troops. The Finnish forces. At this point, 197 00:13:23,080 --> 00:13:26,199 Speaker 1: we're kind of like down a little down trodden. Um. 198 00:13:26,240 --> 00:13:28,320 Speaker 1: They were not feeling like they had much of a chance, 199 00:13:28,720 --> 00:13:32,960 Speaker 1: and the Soviets were still advancing at a at a 200 00:13:32,960 --> 00:13:39,520 Speaker 1: pretty significant clip. Um. So Parjari decided to conduct the 201 00:13:39,640 --> 00:13:43,440 Speaker 1: kind of behind the lines raid against the Soviet forces 202 00:13:44,200 --> 00:13:47,360 Speaker 1: that we're coming closer and closer to the area. So 203 00:13:47,440 --> 00:13:52,200 Speaker 1: Peji in his ragtag band of you know Ninja's just 204 00:13:52,240 --> 00:13:54,040 Speaker 1: gets even more ninja like with what I'm got to 205 00:13:54,040 --> 00:13:57,320 Speaker 1: tell you. They actually ski uh their snow ninjas. They 206 00:13:57,320 --> 00:14:01,120 Speaker 1: ski through the forests of North Karelia um under the 207 00:14:01,200 --> 00:14:03,560 Speaker 1: cover of night. Um. There is also there's a like 208 00:14:03,600 --> 00:14:07,360 Speaker 1: a diversionary attack by that other company UM j R 209 00:14:07,559 --> 00:14:12,160 Speaker 1: sixteen uh, the Infantry Regiment sixteen. And after a few 210 00:14:12,160 --> 00:14:16,520 Speaker 1: hours of skiing, the raiding party came across a regiment 211 00:14:16,559 --> 00:14:19,680 Speaker 1: of Soviet soldiers who were asleep uh in a valley 212 00:14:19,840 --> 00:14:23,720 Speaker 1: by um Kevi Zalmi Visali. Yeah, here's what they did. 213 00:14:23,760 --> 00:14:29,360 Speaker 1: They were these are guerilla tactics. They are launching surprise 214 00:14:29,440 --> 00:14:35,280 Speaker 1: attacks and then they're immediately relocating so that the Soviet forces, 215 00:14:35,320 --> 00:14:39,680 Speaker 1: which still outnumber them, are unable to muster up some 216 00:14:39,760 --> 00:14:42,720 Speaker 1: kind of counter attack. So these guys are are doing 217 00:14:42,840 --> 00:14:47,240 Speaker 1: drive bys on skis. Basically they're firing, they're skiing away, 218 00:14:47,720 --> 00:14:53,479 Speaker 1: and then they're confusing the enemy. The raid was massively successful. 219 00:14:53,560 --> 00:14:57,560 Speaker 1: The only casualty actually was Pejari himself, who had a 220 00:14:57,600 --> 00:15:01,840 Speaker 1: mild heart attack on the return. Juror me. So this 221 00:15:02,000 --> 00:15:06,160 Speaker 1: raid was huge for the morale of the Finnish forces 222 00:15:06,600 --> 00:15:12,480 Speaker 1: and it was incredibly demoralizing for Soviet forces. But even 223 00:15:12,520 --> 00:15:15,400 Speaker 1: though this made the Finns fill a little bit better, 224 00:15:16,200 --> 00:15:19,680 Speaker 1: most observers still thought this was just delaying the inevitable 225 00:15:19,800 --> 00:15:24,680 Speaker 1: and that Soviet forces would win the war, except that 226 00:15:24,880 --> 00:15:29,880 Speaker 1: is for a crucial misstep that they made on their side. 227 00:15:30,840 --> 00:15:35,160 Speaker 1: The forces who took over the border in November ninety nine, 228 00:15:36,160 --> 00:15:39,680 Speaker 1: they weren't in great shape because they lost a lot 229 00:15:39,680 --> 00:15:44,120 Speaker 1: of leadership due to Stalin's famous paranoia. You know, he's 230 00:15:44,160 --> 00:15:48,680 Speaker 1: known for purging his political rivals and even people who 231 00:15:48,720 --> 00:15:51,640 Speaker 1: thought they were friends with him. Between nine and nineteen 232 00:15:51,720 --> 00:15:56,840 Speaker 1: thirty nine, over thirty thousand high ranking officers have been 233 00:15:57,400 --> 00:16:00,000 Speaker 1: at the very least fired. A lot of them were 234 00:16:00,120 --> 00:16:05,560 Speaker 1: arrested or executed, and Stalin's supporters were put in their places, 235 00:16:05,600 --> 00:16:09,520 Speaker 1: regardless of what their qualifications might be. This is pretty 236 00:16:09,560 --> 00:16:12,880 Speaker 1: bad news because these new officers are green, they don't 237 00:16:12,960 --> 00:16:16,080 Speaker 1: really know what they're doing. Their bureaucrats, they're not soldiers, right, 238 00:16:16,160 --> 00:16:18,320 Speaker 1: And also just that you know that kind of climate, 239 00:16:18,760 --> 00:16:20,800 Speaker 1: and we've all been there, worked for a company or 240 00:16:20,840 --> 00:16:23,400 Speaker 1: whatever where you're always kind of like paranoid about what 241 00:16:23,440 --> 00:16:26,160 Speaker 1: your boss is gonna do. Maybe much of your colleagues 242 00:16:26,160 --> 00:16:29,080 Speaker 1: has gotten fired, and you're kind of living in constant fear. 243 00:16:29,120 --> 00:16:32,680 Speaker 1: It's terrible for morale. Um. So all these rank and 244 00:16:32,720 --> 00:16:36,160 Speaker 1: file troops in the Soviet Armies were just kind of 245 00:16:36,160 --> 00:16:38,920 Speaker 1: like just ill at ease, and like you said, the 246 00:16:39,000 --> 00:16:42,360 Speaker 1: new officers that were installed, we're just not very experienced. 247 00:16:42,400 --> 00:16:45,280 Speaker 1: They didn't really know how to command troops on the ground. 248 00:16:45,920 --> 00:16:50,640 Speaker 1: And this in fact backfired in Finland where many of 249 00:16:50,680 --> 00:16:54,720 Speaker 1: the Red Army troops were not used to that type 250 00:16:54,800 --> 00:17:01,280 Speaker 1: of climate um and the more green d of like leadership. Now, 251 00:17:01,880 --> 00:17:05,600 Speaker 1: they weren't used to you know, training for winter kind 252 00:17:05,600 --> 00:17:08,919 Speaker 1: of conditions or anything like that, and so they also 253 00:17:09,119 --> 00:17:13,120 Speaker 1: weren't particularly able to properly keep their troops fed and 254 00:17:13,160 --> 00:17:18,399 Speaker 1: clothed and you know, guarded against the elements. So they're 255 00:17:19,160 --> 00:17:23,080 Speaker 1: you know, seemingly less formidable foe than the Finish. While 256 00:17:23,119 --> 00:17:25,240 Speaker 1: they definitely had a disadvantage in terms of like power, 257 00:17:25,480 --> 00:17:29,680 Speaker 1: firepower and and manpower. Uh, they were definitely better fed 258 00:17:29,800 --> 00:17:32,880 Speaker 1: and much more used to the climate. And then these uh, 259 00:17:33,080 --> 00:17:37,040 Speaker 1: you know, wintry conditions. So there are even tales of 260 00:17:37,760 --> 00:17:42,320 Speaker 1: food shortages that got so bad that cannibalism was taking 261 00:17:42,320 --> 00:17:46,600 Speaker 1: place among the Russian rank and file. Yeah, and this 262 00:17:46,680 --> 00:17:50,439 Speaker 1: isn't for everyone, folks, but it's widely understood that the 263 00:17:50,480 --> 00:17:55,240 Speaker 1: catabalism did actually occur. That claim is supported by actual 264 00:17:55,400 --> 00:17:59,240 Speaker 1: Finish photographs from the time period. So this is this 265 00:17:59,359 --> 00:18:02,680 Speaker 1: is a war of extremes. It's one of the coldest 266 00:18:02,720 --> 00:18:07,080 Speaker 1: winters on record. Uh. The Finnish forces have the home 267 00:18:07,119 --> 00:18:10,119 Speaker 1: turf advantage because they live in this area, you know 268 00:18:10,160 --> 00:18:13,840 Speaker 1: what I mean, They're used to the brutal climate. Daylight 269 00:18:14,000 --> 00:18:18,480 Speaker 1: is only lasting a few hours, temperatures are regularly going 270 00:18:18,600 --> 00:18:21,800 Speaker 1: way below freezing. This means that if you have any 271 00:18:21,840 --> 00:18:24,640 Speaker 1: exposed flesh and you're out in the wild, you can 272 00:18:24,680 --> 00:18:30,640 Speaker 1: immediately get frostbite bodies. Yeah, bodies will freeze in minutes. 273 00:18:31,320 --> 00:18:34,440 Speaker 1: You could probably use dead bodies for a barrier if 274 00:18:34,440 --> 00:18:37,800 Speaker 1: you want it, because they would become that hard. Uh. 275 00:18:37,880 --> 00:18:41,399 Speaker 1: The radios aren't always working because the raging blizzards, you 276 00:18:41,440 --> 00:18:44,439 Speaker 1: can't do a lot of aerial reconnaissance. Uh. And also 277 00:18:44,760 --> 00:18:49,440 Speaker 1: in these winter storms make firing artillery tricky. So the 278 00:18:49,440 --> 00:18:53,800 Speaker 1: Fins see this and recognize it as an advantage. That's 279 00:18:53,800 --> 00:18:56,280 Speaker 1: pretty neat. Man, if you think about it, you think 280 00:18:56,280 --> 00:18:59,440 Speaker 1: about the desert and like the tundra as being like 281 00:18:59,480 --> 00:19:02,240 Speaker 1: could be like, you know, no pun intended polar opposites. 282 00:19:02,560 --> 00:19:05,159 Speaker 1: But if you look at the types of clothing that 283 00:19:05,240 --> 00:19:09,080 Speaker 1: the Finnished soldiers war they were, they they really resemble 284 00:19:09,400 --> 00:19:12,240 Speaker 1: the types of clothing Bedouins are folks who you know, 285 00:19:12,359 --> 00:19:15,080 Speaker 1: make their home or travel a lot in the desert 286 00:19:15,119 --> 00:19:18,119 Speaker 1: where they're called snow capes, and they're like literally these 287 00:19:18,200 --> 00:19:21,240 Speaker 1: kind of loose fitting, kind of like cloths that go 288 00:19:21,320 --> 00:19:23,240 Speaker 1: over their head almost like a turban, and then over 289 00:19:23,280 --> 00:19:26,119 Speaker 1: their body and apparently was something that helped them adapt 290 00:19:26,160 --> 00:19:29,359 Speaker 1: to the climate. And they also used reindeer. And again 291 00:19:29,400 --> 00:19:32,080 Speaker 1: we've already talked about how the Finnish troops were skiing. 292 00:19:32,800 --> 00:19:35,560 Speaker 1: They were used to this terrain and they could take 293 00:19:35,600 --> 00:19:38,640 Speaker 1: advantage of it and actually make it work for them, 294 00:19:38,760 --> 00:19:41,359 Speaker 1: especially when it came to the element of surprise. Yeah, 295 00:19:41,400 --> 00:19:43,240 Speaker 1: and keep in mind that when we're talking about the 296 00:19:43,320 --> 00:19:46,399 Speaker 1: Russian and Cranian soldiers not being familiar with the area 297 00:19:46,600 --> 00:19:50,280 Speaker 1: or the climate, very few of those individuals could even 298 00:19:50,400 --> 00:19:53,280 Speaker 1: use snowshoes, so skiing is kind of out of the 299 00:19:53,359 --> 00:19:58,400 Speaker 1: question for them. Also, those khaki uniforms stick out from 300 00:19:58,400 --> 00:20:01,240 Speaker 1: a long way away, which is a not not a 301 00:20:01,240 --> 00:20:05,080 Speaker 1: good look if you're on the Soviet side. So these 302 00:20:05,119 --> 00:20:09,720 Speaker 1: Finnish ski troopers were able to take were able to 303 00:20:09,800 --> 00:20:13,040 Speaker 1: gauge in multiple strategies, and they were able to come 304 00:20:13,119 --> 00:20:16,000 Speaker 1: from multiple directions, you know as snow bank or what 305 00:20:16,160 --> 00:20:20,240 Speaker 1: have you. The infantry and armored units of the Soviets 306 00:20:20,520 --> 00:20:24,679 Speaker 1: have to stay on these really narrow forest roads and 307 00:20:24,760 --> 00:20:28,360 Speaker 1: they're long columns. Because they're marching in a line, right 308 00:20:28,440 --> 00:20:30,480 Speaker 1: or they're rolling into tanks in a line, they can 309 00:20:30,520 --> 00:20:34,080 Speaker 1: be ambushed and they can be cut apart by something 310 00:20:34,359 --> 00:20:38,960 Speaker 1: that the Finns called Malti tactics m O t t I. 311 00:20:39,640 --> 00:20:43,600 Speaker 1: That's a it's a term for a measure of firewood, 312 00:20:44,240 --> 00:20:47,040 Speaker 1: so they were chopping them down like wood. Is what 313 00:20:47,040 --> 00:20:52,879 Speaker 1: what that name refers to? Interesting, there's actually uh scholarly 314 00:20:52,920 --> 00:20:58,119 Speaker 1: paper on MASSI tactics and finished military historiography since World 315 00:20:58,119 --> 00:21:00,520 Speaker 1: War Two. That is the very sexy title of it 316 00:21:00,560 --> 00:21:03,880 Speaker 1: from the University of Eastern Finland by Posse to nine 317 00:21:03,920 --> 00:21:05,600 Speaker 1: men if you want to read a little bit more 318 00:21:05,680 --> 00:21:11,680 Speaker 1: about this uh particular historical tactic. But um, again I 319 00:21:12,119 --> 00:21:14,680 Speaker 1: keep referring to them as snow ninja's because this is 320 00:21:14,720 --> 00:21:16,560 Speaker 1: not what they were. They were able to move very 321 00:21:16,600 --> 00:21:19,520 Speaker 1: silently with these reindeer, who also need to be able 322 00:21:19,520 --> 00:21:22,359 Speaker 1: to move silently to stay away from predators. Um. They 323 00:21:22,560 --> 00:21:27,800 Speaker 1: were transporting their heavier kind of artillery on these very 324 00:21:27,840 --> 00:21:32,080 Speaker 1: silently moving, well adapted reindeer, whereas the Soviets were still 325 00:21:32,119 --> 00:21:34,439 Speaker 1: using motorized vehicles so they could hear them coming a 326 00:21:34,480 --> 00:21:37,560 Speaker 1: mile away. Um. I have to mention that the Soviets 327 00:21:37,560 --> 00:21:41,840 Speaker 1: were starting to really show uh their fatigue and malnourishments, 328 00:21:41,840 --> 00:21:44,000 Speaker 1: so they were like super like on edge all the time. 329 00:21:44,400 --> 00:21:47,639 Speaker 1: And a lot of these attacks took place during the nights, 330 00:21:47,720 --> 00:21:50,439 Speaker 1: which lasts longer. You know. We know that in like 331 00:21:50,480 --> 00:21:53,080 Speaker 1: Alaska and an arcticustin like that. I mean, it stays 332 00:21:53,160 --> 00:21:56,720 Speaker 1: dark sometimes for you know, like weeks out of the 333 00:21:56,800 --> 00:22:00,199 Speaker 1: year sometimes, right, yeah, yeah, and daylight is all going 334 00:22:00,280 --> 00:22:02,440 Speaker 1: to be a few hours long at this time of year. 335 00:22:03,359 --> 00:22:08,960 Speaker 1: The attacks are also occurring at night because Soviet campfires 336 00:22:09,000 --> 00:22:12,040 Speaker 1: are the there might as well be advertisements saying, come 337 00:22:12,040 --> 00:22:15,280 Speaker 1: attack us if you're a finished sniper. Uh So, the 338 00:22:15,359 --> 00:22:19,760 Speaker 1: Red Army soldiers start to really get beaten down in 339 00:22:19,880 --> 00:22:22,960 Speaker 1: terms of morale, but it's having physical effects as well. 340 00:22:23,040 --> 00:22:27,440 Speaker 1: A lot of them are severely sleep deprived, and one 341 00:22:27,680 --> 00:22:31,879 Speaker 1: of their most effective strategies on the Finished side was 342 00:22:32,520 --> 00:22:35,760 Speaker 1: what War on the Rocks described as weaponization of the 343 00:22:35,880 --> 00:22:39,760 Speaker 1: enemy's hunger. So to have soldiers, you have to be 344 00:22:39,840 --> 00:22:44,000 Speaker 1: able to feed them, especially if they're in if they're 345 00:22:44,040 --> 00:22:50,480 Speaker 1: conducting such strenuous exercises in such a demanding environment during 346 00:22:50,480 --> 00:22:54,080 Speaker 1: the winter war, the like, if we were all Soviet soldiers, 347 00:22:54,920 --> 00:22:57,960 Speaker 1: our daily ration would be like a hunk of bread 348 00:22:58,119 --> 00:23:01,520 Speaker 1: and maybe some tea. On the other side, the Fins 349 00:23:01,560 --> 00:23:06,200 Speaker 1: have everything hooked up. They've got these preserved meats, they've 350 00:23:06,200 --> 00:23:10,480 Speaker 1: got this very nutrient rich, if not super appetizing gruel, 351 00:23:10,840 --> 00:23:15,560 Speaker 1: and they have these sled driven cooking units that are 352 00:23:15,640 --> 00:23:18,280 Speaker 1: just zipping back and forth bringing home the bacon or 353 00:23:18,280 --> 00:23:22,040 Speaker 1: in this case, the sausage. Yeah, and we know historically 354 00:23:22,280 --> 00:23:26,280 Speaker 1: um sausage has been very important staple during war times 355 00:23:26,359 --> 00:23:29,159 Speaker 1: or just during more lean times, because they last longer. 356 00:23:29,240 --> 00:23:30,679 Speaker 1: You know, you can hang them up, you can pre 357 00:23:30,760 --> 00:23:33,760 Speaker 1: cook them, or keep them freeze dried, or there's there's 358 00:23:33,760 --> 00:23:36,080 Speaker 1: any number of ways to keep them from spoiling, because 359 00:23:36,080 --> 00:23:38,360 Speaker 1: it's the way that they're you know, cased and all 360 00:23:38,440 --> 00:23:43,000 Speaker 1: that stuff, so very very important uh staple. But the 361 00:23:43,040 --> 00:23:45,879 Speaker 1: Red Army persisted because you know, you don't say no 362 00:23:45,960 --> 00:23:48,840 Speaker 1: to Papistalin, do you y. It's generally thought not to 363 00:23:48,920 --> 00:24:01,240 Speaker 1: be a good idea. So the Soviets are rightly terrified 364 00:24:01,720 --> 00:24:05,320 Speaker 1: and they're getting close to starving. If we fast forward 365 00:24:05,359 --> 00:24:09,520 Speaker 1: to December ten, we see that a Soviet battalion, the 366 00:24:10,560 --> 00:24:14,960 Speaker 1: ninth Rifle Division, staged a surprise attack on finished troops 367 00:24:15,440 --> 00:24:19,280 Speaker 1: near a village in the east. And this would have 368 00:24:19,320 --> 00:24:22,479 Speaker 1: been a very easy victory for the Soviets, but because 369 00:24:22,520 --> 00:24:27,960 Speaker 1: they were starving, they lost their minds. When they ran 370 00:24:28,040 --> 00:24:32,240 Speaker 1: into the cooking tents for the Finnished soldiers, they smelled 371 00:24:32,600 --> 00:24:36,960 Speaker 1: sausage stew, and this was a purposely fat, heavy meal 372 00:24:37,119 --> 00:24:40,240 Speaker 1: that was meant to keep the fins fighting despite the 373 00:24:40,280 --> 00:24:44,840 Speaker 1: freezing conditions. So they stopped their attack. They like dropped 374 00:24:44,840 --> 00:24:47,560 Speaker 1: the whole thing, and they said, Okay, let's get something, 375 00:24:48,320 --> 00:24:50,600 Speaker 1: which is pretty understandable, you know, if all you've been 376 00:24:50,640 --> 00:24:54,280 Speaker 1: eaten is is not great bread and then maybe some tea. 377 00:24:54,520 --> 00:24:56,159 Speaker 1: I'm not saying it was the right thing to do, 378 00:24:56,240 --> 00:24:58,720 Speaker 1: but I definitely would have stopped for a for a 379 00:24:58,760 --> 00:25:04,960 Speaker 1: food truck, absolute kidding, especially like a delicious sausage truck 380 00:25:05,400 --> 00:25:08,880 Speaker 1: and a bowl full of gruel. Gruel. Now, and look, 381 00:25:08,920 --> 00:25:11,479 Speaker 1: I think gruel gets a bad rap. You know. I 382 00:25:11,520 --> 00:25:13,760 Speaker 1: really was a big fan of cream of wheat when 383 00:25:13,800 --> 00:25:15,879 Speaker 1: I was a small child. I think I would probably 384 00:25:15,880 --> 00:25:18,000 Speaker 1: still enjoy it this day. And I also enjoy pronouncing 385 00:25:18,040 --> 00:25:22,000 Speaker 1: the hard ancient wheat um. But uh, that's essentially what 386 00:25:22,119 --> 00:25:25,440 Speaker 1: gruel is. It's just like some sort of you know, pablum, 387 00:25:25,480 --> 00:25:28,800 Speaker 1: like uh, you know, I guess it could be served warm. 388 00:25:29,320 --> 00:25:30,919 Speaker 1: We could live on that. But yeah, you know, you 389 00:25:30,920 --> 00:25:34,480 Speaker 1: can get to get some sausage. That's what I'm saying. 390 00:25:34,720 --> 00:25:37,159 Speaker 1: It's I feel like it's a negative connotation it's like, 391 00:25:37,240 --> 00:25:39,040 Speaker 1: let's just call it something else, let's call it cream 392 00:25:39,040 --> 00:25:43,959 Speaker 1: of wheat. But they could not resist that delicious smell, 393 00:25:44,520 --> 00:25:46,720 Speaker 1: and it would have suck out, you know, you know, 394 00:25:46,760 --> 00:25:49,160 Speaker 1: it would have been carried from far away in those 395 00:25:49,520 --> 00:25:52,760 Speaker 1: freezing cold conditions. They never would have They never had 396 00:25:52,800 --> 00:25:56,280 Speaker 1: a chance. So it was too much for them. They 397 00:25:56,359 --> 00:25:59,679 Speaker 1: did pause their attack. They got that finished sausage, and 398 00:25:59,720 --> 00:26:03,399 Speaker 1: the Finnish defenders took advantage of that. Lieutenant Colonel r 399 00:26:03,440 --> 00:26:07,119 Speaker 1: O Pejari, the hero of our story, was happened to 400 00:26:07,160 --> 00:26:10,239 Speaker 1: be passing through the area at the time and he 401 00:26:10,280 --> 00:26:13,960 Speaker 1: saw this wave of Fins that were like acting all panicky, Right, 402 00:26:14,080 --> 00:26:17,440 Speaker 1: why are they panicking? Then, Oh, they're panicking because there's 403 00:26:17,520 --> 00:26:22,160 Speaker 1: this sneak attack that's happening that's only been stopped because 404 00:26:22,320 --> 00:26:26,360 Speaker 1: the attackers are starving, and now they're just gorging themselves 405 00:26:26,440 --> 00:26:29,199 Speaker 1: on sausage, like jamming it in their mouths, you know, 406 00:26:29,320 --> 00:26:31,920 Speaker 1: jamming it in their pockets, hiding it wherever they can 407 00:26:32,520 --> 00:26:35,480 Speaker 1: uh because they don't know if this opportunity will come again. 408 00:26:35,800 --> 00:26:43,800 Speaker 1: We can emphasize nothing literally starving gets together like a 409 00:26:43,920 --> 00:26:47,720 Speaker 1: last minute group. He gets about a hundred cooks clerks 410 00:26:47,760 --> 00:26:53,199 Speaker 1: and some gunners, and they are able to basically sneak 411 00:26:53,280 --> 00:26:58,800 Speaker 1: up on this exhausted rifle regiment just after midnight on 412 00:26:58,840 --> 00:27:03,520 Speaker 1: December eleven, and it this is incredibly brutal. This is 413 00:27:03,560 --> 00:27:06,440 Speaker 1: a blood bath. It's one of the few times, um 414 00:27:06,520 --> 00:27:08,760 Speaker 1: at least according to historian William Trotter, it's one of 415 00:27:08,800 --> 00:27:12,480 Speaker 1: the only times that bayonet fighting was recorded during the 416 00:27:12,520 --> 00:27:16,520 Speaker 1: Winter War. Uh. They use the Finns use a particular 417 00:27:16,560 --> 00:27:19,679 Speaker 1: thing called a puko knife. You heard of these, I haven't. 418 00:27:19,720 --> 00:27:22,200 Speaker 1: I just looked it up. And it's just a nasty 419 00:27:22,280 --> 00:27:26,719 Speaker 1: little knife, super sharp, like a like a dear bone 420 00:27:26,800 --> 00:27:30,280 Speaker 1: handle kind of thing, and a short blade, real good 421 00:27:30,320 --> 00:27:33,720 Speaker 1: for a shankin stabbing. Uh. And you could definitely slice 422 00:27:33,720 --> 00:27:36,440 Speaker 1: the throat with a very very sharp edge, and they 423 00:27:36,440 --> 00:27:41,280 Speaker 1: did just that. Throats were slashed, people were gunned down, presumably, 424 00:27:41,600 --> 00:27:46,600 Speaker 1: you know, while steaming pots of uh of sausage soups 425 00:27:46,680 --> 00:27:51,000 Speaker 1: spilled out everywhere. It sounds like a real horror shown. Yeah, yeah, definitely, 426 00:27:51,040 --> 00:27:53,400 Speaker 1: because if you see those blades that they were using, 427 00:27:53,520 --> 00:27:56,879 Speaker 1: and things like Trunchean's as well, there's not a lot 428 00:27:56,960 --> 00:28:01,440 Speaker 1: of range to those. This was very close orders bloody combat. 429 00:28:01,480 --> 00:28:04,639 Speaker 1: It only lasts a few minutes, and as put in 430 00:28:04,800 --> 00:28:08,800 Speaker 1: Finland at war dot Com, Soviets tried to scatter, but 431 00:28:09,000 --> 00:28:12,680 Speaker 1: some of those soldiers ended up dying with their mouths 432 00:28:12,720 --> 00:28:17,000 Speaker 1: in their pockets full of sausage. So that is the 433 00:28:17,200 --> 00:28:21,000 Speaker 1: very undelightful reason this has been called the sausage War. 434 00:28:21,160 --> 00:28:24,879 Speaker 1: It's not what I think any of us were hoping for. 435 00:28:25,119 --> 00:28:27,240 Speaker 1: We were thinking, hey, if it is like a food fight, 436 00:28:27,320 --> 00:28:30,280 Speaker 1: or there's something funny, or someone like slaps Joseph Stalin 437 00:28:30,400 --> 00:28:33,800 Speaker 1: with a sausage and picturing a rat a two E 438 00:28:33,920 --> 00:28:37,479 Speaker 1: type situation, you know, some sort of delightful you know, 439 00:28:37,680 --> 00:28:41,080 Speaker 1: feud between an upstairs downstairs kind of story, you know 440 00:28:41,320 --> 00:28:43,920 Speaker 1: for the ages with a happy ending where everyone eats together. 441 00:28:44,360 --> 00:28:46,960 Speaker 1: Uh no, no, no, and and and imagine, I always, 442 00:28:47,000 --> 00:28:48,680 Speaker 1: I think it's always so dramatic when they do this 443 00:28:48,720 --> 00:28:51,920 Speaker 1: in the film. But I mean, presumably the snow would 444 00:28:51,920 --> 00:28:56,760 Speaker 1: have just been stained with blood. Oh yeah, absolutely when 445 00:28:56,880 --> 00:28:59,840 Speaker 1: dawn would come for a few short hours. It would 446 00:28:59,840 --> 00:29:06,000 Speaker 1: be a nightmarish scene. So after the immediate fighting, some 447 00:29:06,240 --> 00:29:11,440 Speaker 1: Finnished soldiers are scouting around for escape ease and they're 448 00:29:11,520 --> 00:29:15,719 Speaker 1: using a lamp to stun their prey and then another 449 00:29:15,760 --> 00:29:20,360 Speaker 1: guy fires a submachine gun. The Finns lost about twenty people. 450 00:29:20,480 --> 00:29:24,480 Speaker 1: The Red Army lost over a hundred, and that's just 451 00:29:24,560 --> 00:29:28,400 Speaker 1: the bodies they found and counted. This terrified the Russian Batalians. 452 00:29:28,520 --> 00:29:32,560 Speaker 1: Very few people had survived, and it shows both the 453 00:29:32,680 --> 00:29:36,560 Speaker 1: disorganization of the Red Army and just how adept the 454 00:29:36,560 --> 00:29:40,520 Speaker 1: Finnish forces were even outnumbered and honestly how ruthless they 455 00:29:40,520 --> 00:29:44,520 Speaker 1: were when it when it came time to rumble. It's funny. 456 00:29:44,520 --> 00:29:46,440 Speaker 1: I just think of the I think of the Finnished 457 00:29:46,440 --> 00:29:49,960 Speaker 1: people is very like placid and you know, just like 458 00:29:49,960 --> 00:29:53,640 Speaker 1: like chill. But that is my own inexperience with the 459 00:29:53,680 --> 00:29:56,720 Speaker 1: Finnished people. Uh, and I will make that mistake again 460 00:29:57,000 --> 00:29:58,920 Speaker 1: if I am forced to face off in battle with 461 00:29:58,960 --> 00:30:03,040 Speaker 1: one of them. Yeah. Actually, uh. Finland has a reputation 462 00:30:03,560 --> 00:30:07,120 Speaker 1: for being incredibly effective in times of war. As a 463 00:30:07,120 --> 00:30:09,360 Speaker 1: matter of fact, this is something some of our ridiculous 464 00:30:09,360 --> 00:30:14,600 Speaker 1: historians were already thinking of the world's deadliest snipers from Finland. 465 00:30:15,120 --> 00:30:18,320 Speaker 1: His name, I want to say, Simo Semo hi Ha 466 00:30:18,720 --> 00:30:22,600 Speaker 1: or something like that. H a y h a whom 467 00:30:22,640 --> 00:30:26,280 Speaker 1: all outs over the a's Uh. He has at least 468 00:30:26,360 --> 00:30:31,240 Speaker 1: five hundred confirmed kills during this Winter war. Jesus I 469 00:30:31,360 --> 00:30:35,720 Speaker 1: know his nickname was the White Death. So they're very 470 00:30:35,800 --> 00:30:39,200 Speaker 1: much a Max please beat me here. They're very much 471 00:30:40,400 --> 00:30:45,760 Speaker 1: on a around and find out vibe, thank you, thanks, 472 00:30:46,040 --> 00:30:50,040 Speaker 1: very effective. You're you're the You're like a Finnish sniper 473 00:30:50,080 --> 00:30:53,760 Speaker 1: of beeping. There it is there, it is so uh 474 00:30:53,800 --> 00:30:57,160 Speaker 1: with Max as our winter soldier, let's continue the story here. 475 00:30:58,840 --> 00:31:03,719 Speaker 1: The Finnish forces realized how effective this is, how like 476 00:31:03,880 --> 00:31:07,880 Speaker 1: critical the food situation is on the Soviet side, so 477 00:31:07,920 --> 00:31:12,040 Speaker 1: they decide to weaponize it by ordering everybody to target 478 00:31:12,160 --> 00:31:17,200 Speaker 1: Soviet field kitchens. So start removing the food or removing 479 00:31:17,200 --> 00:31:20,960 Speaker 1: the access to it. Uh. This they finally found their weakness. 480 00:31:21,600 --> 00:31:25,760 Speaker 1: Soviets need food, which is what Checkers is referencing when 481 00:31:25,760 --> 00:31:31,400 Speaker 1: they say you gotta eat, you gotta actually yeah, so 482 00:31:31,400 --> 00:31:35,200 Speaker 1: so this becomes kind of the breaking point. But still 483 00:31:35,640 --> 00:31:38,640 Speaker 1: sausage is not enough to stop the invasion. After more 484 00:31:38,680 --> 00:31:42,520 Speaker 1: than a hundred days of war, Finland is finally overwhelmed 485 00:31:42,800 --> 00:31:46,920 Speaker 1: just because Stalin was throwing bodies at the problem. They 486 00:31:47,000 --> 00:31:51,480 Speaker 1: just couldn't compete with the sheer magnitude of the firepower. 487 00:31:52,240 --> 00:31:55,840 Speaker 1: And it's It's a pretty popular example for people who 488 00:31:55,880 --> 00:31:59,480 Speaker 1: are students of military strategy because Finland doesn't have a 489 00:31:59,480 --> 00:32:02,480 Speaker 1: big popular lation at the time. It's considered kind of 490 00:32:02,520 --> 00:32:07,680 Speaker 1: weak and isolated diplomatically, but it made the war so 491 00:32:07,800 --> 00:32:11,120 Speaker 1: costly for Russia in terms of in terms of sheer 492 00:32:11,160 --> 00:32:13,960 Speaker 1: blood and loss of human life. So wait, a manute, 493 00:32:13,960 --> 00:32:16,600 Speaker 1: are you saying that Stalin let his own ego and 494 00:32:16,680 --> 00:32:19,800 Speaker 1: megalomania stand in the way of an effective war? Well, 495 00:32:19,920 --> 00:32:22,320 Speaker 1: you know, uh, there there are a lot of things 496 00:32:22,320 --> 00:32:26,240 Speaker 1: that could be said about Joseph m and not all 497 00:32:26,280 --> 00:32:30,840 Speaker 1: of them are good, to put it lightly, but this, uh, 498 00:32:31,040 --> 00:32:35,400 Speaker 1: this kill ratio is still one of the most extreme 499 00:32:36,280 --> 00:32:40,600 Speaker 1: in the history of modern warfare. Uh. I think experts 500 00:32:40,640 --> 00:32:46,600 Speaker 1: now estimate that Finland maybe lost twenty five thousands soldiers, 501 00:32:46,640 --> 00:32:51,720 Speaker 1: but the Soviets lost somewhere around two hundred thousand and 502 00:32:51,760 --> 00:32:54,240 Speaker 1: the ones and many of those who didn't die were 503 00:32:54,280 --> 00:32:57,760 Speaker 1: crippled for life due to frostbite. Yeah, that frost bite 504 00:32:57,800 --> 00:33:03,200 Speaker 1: is absolutely no joke. Um. Finland did eventually fall to Stalin, 505 00:33:03,640 --> 00:33:09,840 Speaker 1: though um despice this very formidable underdog moment. Unfortunately, they 506 00:33:09,840 --> 00:33:15,000 Speaker 1: were forced to seed massive pieces of their territory. But 507 00:33:15,240 --> 00:33:18,720 Speaker 1: the army was so effective and scene is so effective 508 00:33:19,160 --> 00:33:22,680 Speaker 1: that they were able to keep their independence. Uh, and 509 00:33:22,720 --> 00:33:25,480 Speaker 1: we're spared the same fate as many of the other 510 00:33:25,560 --> 00:33:31,360 Speaker 1: Baltic states. So good on Finland, Right, it's pretty cool. Yeah, Yeah, 511 00:33:32,320 --> 00:33:35,400 Speaker 1: it's it's a brutal story. But war is a brutal 512 00:33:35,880 --> 00:33:41,000 Speaker 1: industry and it's just the worst. Yeah. And this conflict 513 00:33:41,280 --> 00:33:45,680 Speaker 1: led to a lot of consequences for members of the 514 00:33:45,800 --> 00:33:49,719 Speaker 1: Soviet military, and it actually led to some reforms that 515 00:33:49,760 --> 00:33:55,240 Speaker 1: were sorely needed. But that is the story of the 516 00:33:55,480 --> 00:33:59,360 Speaker 1: Sausage War. No, it's such a brutal story that I 517 00:33:59,400 --> 00:34:02,680 Speaker 1: don't don't think we should just end it there. Um, 518 00:34:02,720 --> 00:34:06,440 Speaker 1: maybe we can give maybe we can get a taste 519 00:34:06,560 --> 00:34:10,720 Speaker 1: of something lighter. I've got a little story for you, guys. 520 00:34:11,200 --> 00:34:14,399 Speaker 1: I went through a period where I was looking at 521 00:34:15,560 --> 00:34:19,480 Speaker 1: apartments in other countries, especially when I realized that we 522 00:34:19,520 --> 00:34:22,359 Speaker 1: can work remotely, and I got really into looking at 523 00:34:22,480 --> 00:34:26,320 Speaker 1: finished apartments because they have they have all these cool 524 00:34:26,520 --> 00:34:29,440 Speaker 1: innovations that you just don't see an apartments in the US. 525 00:34:29,480 --> 00:34:32,040 Speaker 1: And one thing that struck me as weird is that 526 00:34:33,280 --> 00:34:37,200 Speaker 1: like every apartment building is just sort of expected to 527 00:34:37,239 --> 00:34:40,160 Speaker 1: have a sauna it's that much of the culture. It 528 00:34:40,320 --> 00:34:44,360 Speaker 1: truly is. Uh. Sauna culture is huge there. Um ben, 529 00:34:44,400 --> 00:34:48,359 Speaker 1: have you heard of a thing called a shower beer? Yeah, yeah, 530 00:34:48,760 --> 00:34:50,600 Speaker 1: exactly what it sounds like. It's something that I was 531 00:34:50,600 --> 00:34:52,560 Speaker 1: turned onto not very long ago. You have a nice 532 00:34:52,560 --> 00:34:55,880 Speaker 1: refreshing beer while you're taking a hot shower. Um. Well, 533 00:34:56,000 --> 00:34:59,360 Speaker 1: in Finland's they don't have shower bears. They have sauna sausages. 534 00:35:00,280 --> 00:35:04,400 Speaker 1: True story, it's so true. So uh, it's a cultural 535 00:35:04,440 --> 00:35:08,520 Speaker 1: institution people like. It's such a part of Finnish culture 536 00:35:08,880 --> 00:35:11,560 Speaker 1: that once upon a time, Finnished mothers would give birth 537 00:35:11,560 --> 00:35:13,560 Speaker 1: in the sauna. It was the cleanest space in the home. 538 00:35:14,200 --> 00:35:18,400 Speaker 1: There are three point three million saunas for population of 539 00:35:18,440 --> 00:35:22,760 Speaker 1: about five point five million people, meaning that almost every 540 00:35:22,760 --> 00:35:27,840 Speaker 1: household has one. And like you said, no people also 541 00:35:27,960 --> 00:35:32,680 Speaker 1: cook sausage in the saunas, has right, the traditional makara 542 00:35:33,000 --> 00:35:38,080 Speaker 1: sausage they use, you know how the traditional wet sauna 543 00:35:38,760 --> 00:35:43,719 Speaker 1: would be a pile of hot stones that you then 544 00:35:43,880 --> 00:35:47,080 Speaker 1: you know, pour water over in the water quickly evaporates 545 00:35:47,120 --> 00:35:49,600 Speaker 1: and creates the hot steam. Uh. So, one way of 546 00:35:49,640 --> 00:35:52,000 Speaker 1: cooking the sausage is to actually literally lay it over 547 00:35:52,040 --> 00:35:55,719 Speaker 1: the sauna stones, which are known as kaius is. I 548 00:35:55,719 --> 00:35:58,680 Speaker 1: thinkna forgive me if I'm mispronouncing that. There are also 549 00:35:58,840 --> 00:36:01,239 Speaker 1: little kind of little gadgets you can get. You can 550 00:36:01,280 --> 00:36:03,680 Speaker 1: also wrap them in foil so they're not going directly 551 00:36:03,800 --> 00:36:10,200 Speaker 1: on the presumably uh you know, body fluid covered stones 552 00:36:10,280 --> 00:36:12,640 Speaker 1: not you know, just they're just like sweat, let's call it. 553 00:36:12,760 --> 00:36:14,680 Speaker 1: There's gonna be some sweat on those stones, so you 554 00:36:14,760 --> 00:36:17,640 Speaker 1: wrap it foil. But there are some other innovations that 555 00:36:17,680 --> 00:36:19,760 Speaker 1: are may be a little more modern, right yeah, yeah, 556 00:36:19,920 --> 00:36:25,600 Speaker 1: like a soap stone holder that is specifically designed to 557 00:36:25,760 --> 00:36:29,560 Speaker 1: let you cook sausage inside your sauna. Also, I want 558 00:36:29,600 --> 00:36:34,120 Speaker 1: to give our pal Gay Bluzier at Arbitrary Ridiculous History 559 00:36:34,120 --> 00:36:39,239 Speaker 1: Award for finding finding this article called the five most 560 00:36:39,280 --> 00:36:42,799 Speaker 1: popular Finnish Sausages. This is the kind of stuff that 561 00:36:42,840 --> 00:36:45,800 Speaker 1: I lose time reading late at night. But if you 562 00:36:45,880 --> 00:36:50,600 Speaker 1: scroll down, um, you'll see that musta makara is the 563 00:36:51,280 --> 00:36:55,799 Speaker 1: not only the most popular of the Finnish sausages, but 564 00:36:55,960 --> 00:36:59,400 Speaker 1: it's also you guys know, I'm an adventurous eater. I 565 00:36:59,560 --> 00:37:03,239 Speaker 1: try it, but it doesn't look super great. It is 566 00:37:03,680 --> 00:37:08,919 Speaker 1: a blood sausage, so you're the sauna. Yeah yeah, you're 567 00:37:09,000 --> 00:37:11,920 Speaker 1: eating your pigs blood, pork meat, and fat along with 568 00:37:12,000 --> 00:37:18,040 Speaker 1: crushed dry um. It looks a little bit like poop. Uh, 569 00:37:19,200 --> 00:37:22,600 Speaker 1: just a bit, but you know, no knocking it. Maybe 570 00:37:22,600 --> 00:37:25,200 Speaker 1: it tastes amazing. I'm just saying it might not be 571 00:37:25,280 --> 00:37:28,280 Speaker 1: for everyone. You know, It's funny. It actually does seem 572 00:37:28,280 --> 00:37:32,160 Speaker 1: as though makara is specifically a type of sausage. It's 573 00:37:32,239 --> 00:37:36,160 Speaker 1: meant to be consumed in the sauna. Yeah. Yeah, you 574 00:37:36,200 --> 00:37:38,799 Speaker 1: can eat it outside of outside of the sauna. You 575 00:37:38,880 --> 00:37:40,839 Speaker 1: certainly can't, but it does seem to be a bit 576 00:37:40,880 --> 00:37:44,120 Speaker 1: of a flex um. You gotta have your sausage when 577 00:37:44,120 --> 00:37:49,280 Speaker 1: you're in your sauna. Sausage, guys, I love a sausage. 578 00:37:49,360 --> 00:37:51,440 Speaker 1: Sausage yeah, like you know, just like cheap a sausage 579 00:37:51,440 --> 00:37:53,040 Speaker 1: you are now, but like you had like real sausage. 580 00:37:53,040 --> 00:37:55,560 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, it's like the best two. I was just 581 00:37:55,600 --> 00:37:59,600 Speaker 1: in Paris briefly, um, and I had this local sausage 582 00:37:59,600 --> 00:38:02,360 Speaker 1: over out of like creamy mashed potatoes with gravy, and 583 00:38:02,440 --> 00:38:03,919 Speaker 1: it was the best sauce I've ever had in my life. 584 00:38:03,960 --> 00:38:06,120 Speaker 1: It was just like, you know, something about the level 585 00:38:06,160 --> 00:38:08,400 Speaker 1: of like fennel and like the spices and things. It 586 00:38:08,520 --> 00:38:11,840 Speaker 1: was just like freaking awesome. So yeah, it all depends. 587 00:38:12,280 --> 00:38:15,319 Speaker 1: French cuisine tends to use fresh ingredients too, so I 588 00:38:15,320 --> 00:38:18,120 Speaker 1: think that makes a huge difference. That's what I noticed, um, 589 00:38:18,520 --> 00:38:21,160 Speaker 1: last time I was in Paris. But yeah, maybe sausage 590 00:38:21,160 --> 00:38:23,680 Speaker 1: in a gravy. I'm down with that. Biscuits and gravy, 591 00:38:23,920 --> 00:38:28,319 Speaker 1: you know. And then, if you'll recall the episode you 592 00:38:28,360 --> 00:38:32,279 Speaker 1: and I were on of Richard Blaze's Food Court. I 593 00:38:32,400 --> 00:38:35,800 Speaker 1: argued for sausage, you argued for bacon. If I'm not mistaken, 594 00:38:36,400 --> 00:38:39,799 Speaker 1: I arranged Supreme in that judgment is a kangaroo court 595 00:38:39,960 --> 00:38:43,799 Speaker 1: and do not respect this jurisdiction. Um, I guess like 596 00:38:43,800 --> 00:38:45,560 Speaker 1: to do the court right here because I'm on old 597 00:38:45,600 --> 00:38:49,120 Speaker 1: side right now. My argument was the sausage is more versatile, 598 00:38:49,320 --> 00:38:53,839 Speaker 1: and I think that was mainly what what you guys are, 599 00:38:54,040 --> 00:38:56,680 Speaker 1: the Soviets and I and the Fins in this situation. 600 00:38:56,760 --> 00:38:59,359 Speaker 1: So watch out. Now we're gonna, we're gon We're gonna, 601 00:38:59,400 --> 00:39:04,680 Speaker 1: we're gonna in it diplomatically and peacefully. Budget right, we 602 00:39:04,719 --> 00:39:08,120 Speaker 1: won't we won't uh stab each other just yet. Uh. 603 00:39:08,160 --> 00:39:11,440 Speaker 1: And there's more than enough sausage and bacon to go around, 604 00:39:11,920 --> 00:39:15,440 Speaker 1: but Richard Blaze's show Food Court is a tremendous amount 605 00:39:15,440 --> 00:39:17,279 Speaker 1: of funds, so give it a listen if you get 606 00:39:17,280 --> 00:39:22,760 Speaker 1: a chance. He's a super nice, brilliant and objectively funny dude. 607 00:39:22,880 --> 00:39:25,000 Speaker 1: Is He's just a joy to hang out with. In 608 00:39:25,080 --> 00:39:28,759 Speaker 1: the meantime, I think we're going to haul it a day. 609 00:39:29,600 --> 00:39:33,040 Speaker 1: We've done. Am I a bad person for admitting that 610 00:39:33,080 --> 00:39:37,359 Speaker 1: this conversation has made me hungry? You guys again, I 611 00:39:37,680 --> 00:39:39,640 Speaker 1: peep by on the curtain. I have not had time 612 00:39:39,680 --> 00:39:42,239 Speaker 1: to go consume my leftover Chinese food yet, so that 613 00:39:42,360 --> 00:39:45,640 Speaker 1: is happening immediately. No, I mean the bloodshed part maybe 614 00:39:45,680 --> 00:39:48,480 Speaker 1: a little bit, but uh, the sausage, I mean we 615 00:39:48,600 --> 00:39:52,680 Speaker 1: ended done the sausage. The sausage, yes, and uh and 616 00:39:52,840 --> 00:39:56,240 Speaker 1: we hope you enjoyed this episode, folks. Thanks as always 617 00:39:56,239 --> 00:40:00,959 Speaker 1: to our one and only super producer, Mr Max Maximili Williams. 618 00:40:00,960 --> 00:40:04,040 Speaker 1: Thanks of course to Alex Williams who composed our track, 619 00:40:04,480 --> 00:40:08,160 Speaker 1: and uh, thanks to our number one sausage Jonathan Strickland 620 00:40:08,200 --> 00:40:10,560 Speaker 1: A k this quister. We could do better than number 621 00:40:10,600 --> 00:40:14,359 Speaker 1: one Sausage? What should we do? I guess I'll see 622 00:40:14,360 --> 00:40:24,880 Speaker 1: you next time, Folks, for more podcasts for my heart Radio, 623 00:40:24,960 --> 00:40:27,560 Speaker 1: visit the i heart Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever 624 00:40:27,719 --> 00:40:29,280 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.