Einsatzkommando Finnland
Encyclopedia
Einsatzkommando Finnland was a German paramilitary
unit active in northern Finland and northern Norway during World War II
, while Finland was fighting the Continuation War
against the Soviet Union
with the support of Nazi Germany
. The official name of the unit was Einsatzkommando der Sicherheitspolizei und des SD beim AOK Norwegen, Befehlsstelle Finnland, but it was often referred to as Einsatzkommando Finnland.
The existence of Einsatzkommando Finnland, until then unknown, was revealed in a 2008 doctoral dissertation by Oula Silvennoinen. The unit was subordinated to Reichssicherheitshauptamt, and Finnish security police
Valpo
as well as a Finnish military intelligence organization collaborated with it.
roughly 3,000 POWs and civilians were extradited to Germany in exchange for Finno-Ugric
Soviet POWs held by Germany. Sana's book led to the ongoing research project at the Finnish National Archives. Most of those extradited joined the Russian Liberation Army
or were recruited to spy behind the Soviet lines, but 520 of them were political officers in the Red Army or otherwise active communists, and although they were presumed killed in German hands, their exact fates had been unknown.
Finland handed over about 500 POWs and refugees to Germans operating in Northern Finland and Northern Norway, who probably executed all of them. About 10% of those handed over were Jewish, although their ethnicity seems not to have been the reason for their extradition. Extraditions began already in the summer of 1940. Additionally, a small number of Valpo officials worked as interpreters and interrogators in German POW camps with German Einsatzkommando Finnland officials, and were complicit in the executions of an unknown number of POWs.
Einsatzkommando Finnland operated in two POW camps, Stalag 322 in Elvenes, Norway
and Stalag 309 in Salla
, Finland (nowadays Russia). As the German advance into the Soviet Union stalled, the stream of POWs into these camps trickled, and Einsatzkommando Finnland was disbanded at the end of 1942.
Silvennoinen is a researcher at the Finnish National Archives, and his dissertation forms a part of ongoing research on prisoner-of-war deaths in Finland and people handed over to Germany and the Soviet Union by Finnish authorities between 1939 and 1955.
Paramilitary
A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
unit active in northern Finland and northern Norway during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, while Finland was fighting the Continuation War
Continuation War
The Continuation War was the second of two wars fought between Finland and the Soviet Union during World War II.At the time of the war, the Finnish side used the name to make clear its perceived relationship to the preceding Winter War...
against the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
with the support of Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
. The official name of the unit was Einsatzkommando der Sicherheitspolizei und des SD beim AOK Norwegen, Befehlsstelle Finnland, but it was often referred to as Einsatzkommando Finnland.
The existence of Einsatzkommando Finnland, until then unknown, was revealed in a 2008 doctoral dissertation by Oula Silvennoinen. The unit was subordinated to Reichssicherheitshauptamt, and Finnish security police
Security police
In some countries, including the United States, security police are those persons, employed by or for a governmental agency, who provide police and security services to those agencies' properties....
Valpo
Valtiollinen Poliisi
Valtiollinen poliisi was the predecessor of the Finnish Security Intelligence Service.- Etsivä keskuspoliisi :...
as well as a Finnish military intelligence organization collaborated with it.
Background
It has previously been revealed in several studies, including that of investigative journalist Elina Sana in her book Luovutetut. Suomen ihmisluovutukset Gestapolle ("The Extradited. Finland's Extraditions to the Gestapo"), that during the Continuation WarContinuation War
The Continuation War was the second of two wars fought between Finland and the Soviet Union during World War II.At the time of the war, the Finnish side used the name to make clear its perceived relationship to the preceding Winter War...
roughly 3,000 POWs and civilians were extradited to Germany in exchange for Finno-Ugric
Finno-Ugric languages
Finno-Ugric , Finno-Ugrian or Fenno-Ugric is a traditional group of languages in the Uralic language family that comprises the Finno-Permic and Ugric language families....
Soviet POWs held by Germany. Sana's book led to the ongoing research project at the Finnish National Archives. Most of those extradited joined the Russian Liberation Army
Russian Liberation Army
Russian Liberation Army was a group of predominantly Russian forces subordinated to the Nazi German high command during World War II....
or were recruited to spy behind the Soviet lines, but 520 of them were political officers in the Red Army or otherwise active communists, and although they were presumed killed in German hands, their exact fates had been unknown.
Research
According to Silvennoinen's research, before and during the Continuation WarContinuation War
The Continuation War was the second of two wars fought between Finland and the Soviet Union during World War II.At the time of the war, the Finnish side used the name to make clear its perceived relationship to the preceding Winter War...
Finland handed over about 500 POWs and refugees to Germans operating in Northern Finland and Northern Norway, who probably executed all of them. About 10% of those handed over were Jewish, although their ethnicity seems not to have been the reason for their extradition. Extraditions began already in the summer of 1940. Additionally, a small number of Valpo officials worked as interpreters and interrogators in German POW camps with German Einsatzkommando Finnland officials, and were complicit in the executions of an unknown number of POWs.
Einsatzkommando Finnland operated in two POW camps, Stalag 322 in Elvenes, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and Stalag 309 in Salla
Salla
Salla is a municipality of Finland, located in Lapland. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of ofwhich is water. The population density is....
, Finland (nowadays Russia). As the German advance into the Soviet Union stalled, the stream of POWs into these camps trickled, and Einsatzkommando Finnland was disbanded at the end of 1942.
Silvennoinen is a researcher at the Finnish National Archives, and his dissertation forms a part of ongoing research on prisoner-of-war deaths in Finland and people handed over to Germany and the Soviet Union by Finnish authorities between 1939 and 1955.
External links
- Thesis abstract (Scroll down to the bottom for English version)
- Väitös: Valpo syyllistyi sotarikoksiin jatkosodan aikana Aamulehti (Finnish)
- Finland deltog i Förintelsen Dagens NyheterDagens Nyheteris a daily newspaper in Sweden. It has the largest circulation of Swedish morning newspapers, followed by Göteborgs-Posten and Svenska Dagbladet, and is the only morning newspaper that is distributed to subscribers across the whole country. In 2009 DN had a circulation of 316,000, reaching 881...
, 2008-09-21 (Swedish) - Väitös: Valpo surmasi jatkosodassa saksalaisten rinnalla HELSINGIN SANOMAT (Finnish)
- Finland var med på jødeutryddelsen Aftenposten.no (Norwegian)
Earlier revelations
- One Way Journey 2004 (Earlier revelations)
- Finland's Tarnished Holocaust Record (Earlier revelations)
- Finnish-German seminar examines wartime cooperation between Finnish Valpo and Gestapo HELSINGIN SANOMAT