. ▁ ▁After ▁Poland ▁was ▁divided ▁up ▁with ▁Germany , ▁St alin ▁made ▁territorial ▁dem ands ▁to ▁Finland ▁for ▁points ▁that ▁would ▁defend ▁L ening rad . ▁Hels ink i , ▁back ed ▁by ▁world ▁public ▁opinion ▁refused , ▁so ▁St alin ▁inv aded . ▁ ▁Despite ▁out number ing ▁Finn ish ▁troops ▁by ▁over ▁ 2 . 5 : 1 , ▁the ▁war ▁proved ▁embar rass ingly ▁difficult ▁for ▁the ▁Red ▁Army , ▁which ▁was ▁ill - equ ipped ▁for ▁the ▁winter ▁weather ▁and ▁lack ing ▁compet ent ▁command ers ▁since ▁the ▁pur ge ▁of ▁the ▁Soviet ▁high ▁command . ▁The ▁Fin ns ▁resist ed ▁fier c ely , ▁and ▁received ▁some ▁support ▁and ▁considerable ▁sympathy ▁from ▁the ▁Al lies . ▁A ▁new ▁threat ▁in ▁March ▁ 1 9 4 0 ▁led ▁Finland ▁to ▁ask ▁an ▁arm ist ice . ▁It ▁rel in qu ished ▁the ▁K are li an ▁Ist hm us ▁and ▁some ▁smaller ▁territ ories . ▁London , ▁Washington -- and ▁especially ▁Berlin -- calcul ated ▁ ▁that ▁the ▁poor ▁showing ▁of ▁the ▁Soviet ▁army ▁indicated ▁it ▁was ▁in comp et ent ▁to ▁defend ▁the ▁USS R ▁against ▁a ▁German ▁invasion .< ref > R og er ▁R . ▁Re ese , ▁" L ess ons ▁of ▁the ▁Winter ▁War : ▁a ▁study ▁in ▁the ▁military ▁effect iveness ▁of ▁the ▁Red ▁Army , ▁ 1 9 3 9 – 1 9 4 0 ." ▁' J ournal ▁of ▁Military ▁History ▁ 7 2 . 3 ▁( 2 0 0