12 mars 1940 - Moscow Treaty of 1940

Description:

This peace treaty marked the end of the Winter War between the USSR and Finland. The borders of Finland and Russia were changed, Russia gaining the entire Karelian Isthmus (a stretch of land between the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga in northwestern Russia--map pictured) along with other Finnish cities. Finland also "leased" land to Russia, with the Soviet Union paying 8 million Finnish marks annually. The Soviet Union could freely move through the region of Petsamo to Norway and back, and Soviet goods could move to Sweden from the USSR and back. This treaty was what let Finland survive the rest of World War II.