Finnish Democratic Republic

Infobox Former Country
native_name = "Suomen kansanvaltainen tasavalta" "Demokratiska Republiken Finland"
conventional_long_name = Finnish Democratic Republic
common_name = Finnish Democratic Republic
government_type = Socialist Republic
era = World War II
continent = Europe
country = Finland
era = World War II
year_start = 1939
year_end = 1940
date_start = 1 December
date_end = 12 March
p1 = Finland
flag_p1 = Flag_of_Finland.svg
s1 = Karelo-Finnish SSR
flag_s1 = Flag of the Karelo-Finnish SSR.svg






capital = Terijoki
leader1 = Otto Ville Kuusinen
title_leader = Chairman¹
footnotes = ¹ Chairman of the Supreme Soviet and head of government

The Finnish Democratic Republic ( _fi. Suomen kansanvaltainen tasavalta, _sv. Demokratiska Republiken Finland) was a short-lived government dependent on and only recognised by the Soviet Union. It operated in those parts of Finnish Karelia that were occupied by the Soviet Union during the Winter War and was known under the name of the Terijoki Government. The Soviet Union argued that it was the only rightful government for all of Finland that was capable of ending the Winter War and restoring peace. However, before the end of the war the Soviets gave up this interpretation to make peace with the Republic of Finland's' government.

It was established on 1 December 1939 in the Finnish border town of Terijoki (now Zelenogorsk, Russia). During its lifespan Otto Ville Kuusinen was chairman and head of government.

On 12 March 1940, it was merged with the Karelian ASSR within the RSFSR to form the Karelo-Finnish SSR, a Soviet republic in its own right, after Finland had ceded the areas to the Soviet Union in the Moscow Peace Treaty.

Terijoki Government

ee also

*Finnish Socialist Workers' Republic, an earlier, independent socialist state which existed for several months in 1918.