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#1 The Karelian Isthmus is a land bridge between Russia and Scandinavia, and has been a highway for tribal migrations, a conduit for trade, and a springboard for conquest. The Isthmus has been a battleground between Russia and Sweden, and has suffered as a result.

#2 Finland was a Swedish province from 1721 to 1809, when it was ceded to Russia as a function of the general reshuffling of European boundaries that accompanied the Napoleonic Wars. The Swedish yoke was both loose and benign, and Finnish citizens enjoyed religious tolerance, freedom from censorship, and as many political rights as the citizens of most European states.

#3 Finland's relationship with Russia was unique, as it was the only country to openly secede from a larger empire and gain independence. The Finns were wary of Bolshevism, and the Soviets were uncomfortable with a neighbor that had opted for a thoroughly bourgeois system of government.

#4 When Finland was created, Lenin's government was extremely upset about having to give up such a compliant country. But at the time, it was done to protect Lenin from other threats. When Stalin came to power, he viewed the demilitarization of the Baltic islands with a skeptical eye.