The Foreign Office and Finland

The book looks at the ways in which the Northern Department of the Foreign Office approached matters pertaining to Finland in the years 1938-1940, concentrating on the particular issues of the proposed refortification of the A land Islands, Finnish rearmament and aid to Finland during the Winter War with the Soviet Union.
At the beginning of this period, the Northern Department officials aimed at giving support to Finland while, at the same time, attempting to create an environment where Finland and the Soviet Union could reach agreement, thus keeping Finland out of the German sphere of influence.
Their belief that the security interests of the USSR must be considered when dealing with Finland changed after the Soviet invasion of Finland at the end of November 1939. From this point on, the ability of the Northern Department officials to influence policy towards Finland declined, as the Cabinet became more interested in the situation. Nevertheless, Laurence Collier, the head of the department and his associates, continued to recommend particular forms of action, and their ideas were frequently at odds with what was being decided by government. Their recommendations for military intervention against the USSR went far beyond what the government was prepared to consider.