A fascinating study of some of the most famous fortifications of the 20th century and of how their military and political implications shaped the face of northern Europe.

In the wake of the bloody civil war that followed Finland's independence from Russia in 1917, the border between the two countries was established across the Karelian Isthmus, an area long fought over by Russia, Finland and Sweden in their attempts to dominate the northern tip of Europe.

As the Winter War broke out in November 1939, the complex and heavily defended Mannerheim Line suffered intense bombardment. The armistice of 1940 saw Finland cede control of the entire Karelian Isthmus to the USSR, and a propaganda war ensued.

Through an analysis of the background, and operational history of the Mannerheim Line, Bair Irincheev attempts to dispel such myths and provide an accurate assessment of its huge historical importance.

Bair Irincheev was born in 1977 in St Petersburg, Russia. he is a keen re-enactor of the Winter War. Bair runs his own travel company, which organizes tours of military sites in the former Soviet Union and Finland. He is married, and lives in Helsinki, Finland.

Introduction * Chronology * Design and development * The principles of defence * Tour of the sites * The living sites * Operational history * Aftermath * The sites today * Bibliography * Glossary * Index