" However, Finland, under the control of Field Marshal Carl Gustaf Mannerheim and Prime Minister Risto Ryti rejected Russia’s offer."
Ryti became the PM when the war started, but was not the PM while the prewar negotiations were going on. The prime minister was Aimo Cajander.
"The pro-German government of Ryti and Mannerheim had publicly been cozying up to the Germans during the 1930s"
Since "the pro-German government of Ryti and Mannerheim" did not actually exist until (arguably) the war started (this description would leave off president Kallio, as well as many other actors), it of course couldn't have done this. Cajander's government was anything but pro-German; a pro-German government would not have made a Foreign Minister out of Rudolf Holsti, who actually had to leave his job after (allegedly) getting drunk at a governmental reception and saying that Hitler was a mad dog who should have been shot.
By any standard Winter-War-era Soviet Union was more aligned to Nazi Germany than Finland was; a simple fact that I have never seen anyone conclusively rebut without misleading or outright false information. Post-Winter-War era was, of course, different - but those differences are a direct result of the unjustified Soviet invasion.
" However, Finland, under the control of Field Marshal Carl Gustaf Mannerheim and Prime Minister Risto Ryti rejected Russia’s offer."
Ryti became the PM when the war started, but was not the PM while the prewar negotiations were going on. The prime minister was Aimo Cajander.
"The pro-German government of Ryti and Mannerheim had publicly been cozying up to the Germans during the 1930s"
Since "the pro-German government of Ryti and Mannerheim" did not actually exist until (arguably) the war started (this description would leave off president Kallio, as well as many other actors), it of course couldn't have done this. Cajander's government was anything but pro-German; a pro-German government would not have made a Foreign Minister out of Rudolf Holsti, who actually had to leave his job after (allegedly) getting drunk at a governmental reception and saying that Hitler was a mad dog who should have been shot.
By any standard Winter-War-era Soviet Union was more aligned to Nazi Germany than Finland was; a simple fact that I have never seen anyone conclusively rebut without misleading or outright false information. Post-Winter-War era was, of course, different - but those differences are a direct result of the unjustified Soviet invasion.