All Quiet on the Eastern Front? The Finnish Army and Wildlife during WWII

Abstract

<p>Despite the significant overall impact of wars on societies and nature, environmental studies have tended to focus on peacetime processes. Consequently, environmental history is a new approach to the study of the largest war that has taken place on Earth so far. This article addresses the mobilisation of natural resources in Finland during World War Two. More specifically, we study the following question: what role did hunting and fishing have in the war zone? Depictions do exist in the memoirs of soldiers and officers from different countries, but hardly any historical studies have been conducted on these themes despite their importance. This article is probably the first attempt to review the extent of hunting and fishing activity in a war zone during World War Two, and its significance both for military personnel and wildlife populations.</p>