Frozen Fronts and Fragile Lines: Finland 1939–1944 Meets Ukraine 2022–2026

Gilles Paché
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Gilles Paché: CERGAM - Centre d'Études et de Recherche en Gestion d'Aix-Marseille - AMU - Aix Marseille Université - UTLN - Université de Toulon

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Abstract: Modern conflicts reveal that material superiority alone rarely ensures battlefield success. The war in Ukraine since 2022 underscores how the organization, sustainment, and adaptation of logistical networks can decisively shape outcomes, often surpassing the impact of troop numbers or armament volumes. Ukrainian forces demonstrate that endurance, operational flexibility, and effective use of terrain can secure a lasting advantage against a more heavily equipped adversary. Historical precedent reinforces this observation: Finland's resistance against the Soviet Union between 1939 and 1944 shows that an apparently weaker State can achieve strategic leverage through careful preparation and resource management. By structuring defences around mobility, dispersing critical assets, and executing targeted operations, Finland sustained long-term.

Keywords: Force multiplier; Logistics; Operational resilience; Strategic endurance; Ukraine War; Winter War; Adaptability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026-06
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Published in Journal of Military and Strategic Studies, 2026, 24 (4), pp.64-87

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05670392

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