UDC

94(47).084.6

Authors

Mikhail I. Tyagur
The Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia; nab. reki Moyki 48, korp. 20, St. Petersburg, 191186, Russian Federation; e-mail: tiagur-mih@mail.ru

Abstract

This article dwells on the formation and use in combat of volunteer ski battalions that were created during the Soviet-Finnish War of 1939–1940, also called the Winter War. This topic has been poorly covered in historiography, with researchers usually just mentioning the fact that such battalions existed. These military units were a result of an improvised mobilization campaign as the war was protracting. In Leningrad and the Leningrad Region these battalions started to be formed in the first days of January 1940: five of them in the city and two in the region. This article describes the work of the commissions for recruitment of volunteers, living conditions and training of the new soldiers as well as difficulties with arming the ski battalions. In addition, it characterizes the quality of commanders. It should be noted that only four battalions formed in Leningrad and the region participated in the hostilities. The article takes as an example the 65th ski battalion that had been formed in Luga and fought on the Karelian Isthmus. These volunteer battalions proved to be poorly prepared for warfare. Since many of the recruits had undergone military training in the organizations of the Society for Assistance to Defence and Aviation- Chemical Construction (Osoaviakhim), soon after the war was over the party started to openly criticize this society and even proposed to disband it and establish a new defence society instead. As a result, in the summer of 1940 it was decided to carry out certain reorganizations in the work of the society.

Keywords

Soviet-Finnish War, Winter War, Leningrad, Osoaviakhim, ski battalions, volunteers

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