# Our Enemy the Finns

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-enemy-the-finns/332153>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 21, 2005, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-enemy-the-finns/332153 "2005-11-21T22:19:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Ronald\_C.Semone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cc9497/32.png) [@Ronald\_C.Semone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ronald_C.Semone)\
**Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-enemy-the-finns/332153/1 "2005-11-21T22:19:27Z")

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Since it was allied with the other Axis powers (Germany, Japan, Italy, and, let us not forget, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria), did the United States declare war on Finland during World War II?

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**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\
**Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-enemy-the-finns/332153/2 "2005-11-21T22:44:42Z")

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If this [Wikipedia page](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Declaration_of_war_by_the_United_States) is to be believed, no; the United States only officially declared war on Japan, Germany, Italy, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria.

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**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\
**Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-enemy-the-finns/332153/3 "2005-11-21T23:31:39Z")

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I’ve heard that the UK did declare war on Finland, once it had aligned itself in opposition to Russia (in itself an understandable move, given the recent history between the two!)

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**Author:** ![St.Urho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8e7dd6/32.png) [@St.Urho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/St.Urho)\
**Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-enemy-the-finns/332153/4 "2005-11-21T23:51:52Z")

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> [@GorillaMan](#):
>
> I’ve heard that the UK did declare war on Finland, once it had aligned itself in opposition to Russia (in itself an understandable move, given the recent history between the two!)

Recent history? The USSR invaded Finland in 1939! The UK didn’t actually declare war on Finland until the Continuation War in 1941. The UK only launched a single air raid against Finland. Reportedly, the pilots all dropped their bombs in Helsinki Harbor.

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**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\
**Post date:** [November 22, 2005, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-enemy-the-finns/332153/5 "2005-11-22T00:09:39Z")

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OK, I was being rather condescending. But in 1939, neither the USSR nor Finland were involved in the war between Britain and Germany. Only when Germany invaded Russia did Finland find itself on one side rather than the other.