# Battles of Taipale (c. 25 December 1939)

URL: https://allhistories.com/finland/timeline/1939-battles-of-taipale
Location: Taipale, Karelian Isthmus
Themes: Key Events

At Taipale, where the Mannerheim Line met Lake Ladoga, Finnish forces repelled repeated Soviet assaults from December 1939 to March 1940 under massive artillery fire. The sector lay where the defensive line met the Taipale River and Lake Ladoga. Taipale held to the end of the war and became one of the most intensely fought sectors of the Karelian Isthmus. The ground was among the most heavily shelled of the war.

## Why it matters
The defence of Taipale exemplified the endurance of the Isthmus front.

Ruler at the Time: [Kyösti Kallio](https://allhistories.com/finland/rulers/kyosti-kallio)

Prime Minister of Finland: Risto Ryti (National Progressive Party)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Battle of Taipale](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Taipale)
- [Wikipedia — Mannerheim Line](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mannerheim_Line)
- [Wikipedia — Finland in WWII (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland_in_World_War_II)