This book offers an illuminating bridge between the political and social
dimensions of the Soviet-Finnish War of 1939-40. The conflict
represented a significant crisis for the Soviet Union, inspiring
international condemnation and a significant loss of face for its
supporters, both at home and abroad. The focus of this study is not upon
the military dynamics of the war, but upon its ability to influence
events, interpretations and interactions between agents and institutions
within the Soviet Union and the wider international communist movement.
Through original archival research, this book considers the ways in
which the Soviet leadership reacted to the crisis, the tools at its
disposal, and the effectiveness with which it managed to manipulate and
control the spread of information through official and unofficial
channels. It contributes to a more complete and complex picture of the
inter-related nature of Soviet politics, propaganda and mass media in
this period.