Co-belligerence

Co-belligerence is a term for waging of war together - against a common enemy. Co-belligerence is to be distinguished from a military alliance, but may be perceived as an euphemism. A government "finds itself" in a position as co-belligerent; compared to the alliance which is actively and willfully sought.

Co-belligerence is a broader and less precise status than wartime partnership in a formal military alliance. Co-belligerents may, or may not, support each other actively, but some degree of joint coordination, and for instance exchange of intelligence, is natural.

The term co-belligerence may indicate some kind of remoteness between the co-belligerent parties, cultural, ideological or otherwise, whereas alliance then indicates a corresponding closeness.

The Allies as co-belligerents with former enemies

The term was used in 1943-45 during the latter stages of World War II to define the status of former German allies and associates (chiefly Italy, but also from 1944 Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Finland), after they more or less voluntarily joined the Allies' war against Germany.

Finland as co-belligerent with Nazi-Germany

Co-belligerence is also the term used by Finland for her military co-operation with Nazi-Germany in the Continuation War of 1941-44, when both countries had the Soviet Union as a common enemy. The Continuation War was a direct consequence of Nazi-Germany's attack on the Soviet Union, Operation Barbarossa. Until then the German and Soviet governments had been allies, as during the Winter War (1940) against Finland.

While the Allied propaganda from 1941 often referred to Finland as one of the Axis Powers, this description is especially in Finland viewed as negligent and erroneous, as Finland was never a signatory to the German-Italian-Japanese Tripartite Pact of September 1940, and as the Continuation War formally was seen as a separate war by both Moscow and Helsinki.

Finland's co-belligerence as an euphemism

Hitler declared to be allied with the Finns, but Finland's government declared their intention to remain a non-belligerent country, not the least due to a remaining neutralist public opinion. The truth was somewhere inbetween:

1. In practice, by mining the Gulf of Finland Finland's navy contributed to Germany's attack from the beginning. Thereby the Leningrad navy was locked in by Finland's navy, making the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Bothnia practically domestic German waters, where submarines and navy could be trained without risks.
2. After the Soviet attack on Finland, its re-conquest of the Karelian Isthmus, and to a lesser extent the occupation of East Karelia, contributed to the siege of Leningrad.
3. The sixteen Finnish divisions tied down large numbers of Soviet troops.
4. Germany's supply of much needed nickel from Petsamo and iron from Sweden was critical to the Nazis' ability to prolong the war.