Finland: How did the world’s happiest country become a bastion of Europe’s defence? They know how to fight in darkness, in forests, in temperatures that freeze machinery. Up in the far north, Finland seems like a quiet country of snow, forests and a tiny population. But this country has built one of Europe’s toughest fighting forces.
HELSINKI DECEMBER 8: How did the world’s happiest country become a bastion of Europe’s defence? Its troops train in brutal Arctic conditions. They know how to fight in darkness, in forests, in temperatures that freeze machinery. Conditions that turn deadly for most armies become an advantage in Finnish hands.
Up in the far north, Finland seems like a quiet country of snow, forests and a tiny population. But this country has built one of Europe’s toughest fighting forces. The country has a strong will to fight that’s shaped by its tough history and a culture where people are ready to defend their home.
This episode explores how Finland has checkmated a scheming Putin and placed a powerful alliance right on his doorstep after joining NATO in 2023.
The Finnish Army is the land forces branch of the Finnish Defence Forces. The Finnish Army is divided into six branches: infantry (which includes armoured units), field artillery, anti-aircraft artillery, engineers, signals, and materiel troops. The commander of the Finnish Army as of 1 January 2022 is Lieutenant General Pasi Välimäki.
