The Holocaust in Finland

During World War II and the Holocaust, Finland allied with the Axis powers (Nazi Germany, Italy, and Japan) against the Allies.[1] The Holocaust in Finland involved the systematic deportation and murder of Finnish Jews by Finnish police officers, officials, and courts. This took place between 1941 and late November 1942.[1]

In late November 1942, eight Finnish Jews were deported to Nazi-occupied Tallinn in Estonia, which was then a part of the Soviet Union.[1] They were given to Nazi authorities and sent to Auschwitz concentration camp.[1] Only one of the eight survived.[1]

In response, the Allies ordered and even threatened Finland to stop deporting and murdering their own Jewish citizens. Almost immediately, the head of the Finnish government issued a order making it illegal to deport or murder Jews. The order was effective: the systematic deportations and killings stopped.

As a result, most of the Jews in Finland were saved during World War II and did not perish in the Holocaust. Less than 5% of Finnish Jews died or were deported in the Holocaust in Finland.

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References

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  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Silvennoinen, Oula (Fall 2023). "Periphery of a Genocide: Finland and the Holocaust". Holocaust & Genocide Studies. 37: 312–327.