page_title: Finnish–Estonian defence cooperation
section_title: Background
hierarchical_section_title: Finnish–Estonian defence cooperation / Background
caption_attribution_description: English: President of Finland Pehr Evind Svinhufvud (left) and President of Estonia Konstantin Päts (middle) in the city of Narva in 1936. State visits were scheduled every year. The most important issue of negotiations was the military cooperation between countries. Suomi: Suomen presidentti Pehr Evind Svinhufvud (vasemmalla) ja Viron riigivanem ("valtionvanhin") Konstantin Päts Narvan kaupungissa 1936. Valtiovierailut tapahtuivat vuorovuosin. Tärkeimpänä puheenaiheena oli merisotilaallisen yhteistyön vahvistaminen.
context_page_description: Finnish–Estonian defence co-operation began in 1930 with a secret military pact between Finland and Estonia against the threat of the Soviet Union. Open co-operation ended in 1939, as the Soviets pressured the Estonian government, but it continued secretly with information-sharing during the Winter War.
context_section_description: The origins of defence co-operation lay in the Baltic Entente of the 1920s. Practical co-operation began with the initiative of the Finnish general staff in February 1930 in Tallinn and the first joint war games were held in 1933. Officially, both countries were neutral, but behind the scenes, the relationship was more complex. Nazi Germany, for example, unsuccessfully offered Estonia a secret military alliance in 1937.
  Finland started co-operation only for its own defensive reasons though both countries speak Finnic languages and are neighbours. There were defence plans involving Finland launching a massive assault against Leningrad if the Soviet Union started a war against both countries. However, the plan would also have required the participation of Latvia, and according to the Finnish military leader, Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim, the countries would have needed outside help from the League of Nations. Finland could not send troops directly to the Baltic countries, but a joint assault would have been possible through the Karelian Isthmus and/or from Poland.
caption: President of Finland Pehr Evind Svinhufvud (left) and President of Estonia Konstantin Päts (middle) in the city of Narva in 1936. State visits were scheduled every year. The most important negotiating issue was military co-operation.
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