A wooden sign, the Germans left this message after they had retreated to Norway

In the Winter War, Hitler’s Germany was in an alliance with Stalin’s Soviet Union, and Finland was left at the mercy of the Soviet Union. In 1941, as Germany’s politics toward its eastern ally had changed, Finland's connection with Germany became that of a co-belligerent. In the crisis of summer 1944, in return for its assistance to Finland in the form of weapon deliveries, Germany forced Finland to sign an alliance agreement (Ryti-Ribbentropp Agreement). President Ryti signed the agreement in his own name, for which he came to face a long prison term after the war. 

The partnership of Finland and Germany ended when Finland and the Soviet Union concluded an armistice. The terms of the Interim Peace required Finland to use arms to chase the Germans out of the country. At their most, the number of German soldiers in the country exceeded 200 000. When the Germans left, they destroyed and burned down entire villages, towns and bridges in the area of Lapland.