ABSTRACT
By the beginning of March 1939, it was clear that Finland could not hold out for long without outside intervention. As Finland’s plight grew increasingly desperate, Collier and his colleagues grew correspondingly anxious for Britain to take some meaningful action. In the first place, they had to convince the Finns to issue an appeal for aid, as this was the precondition for the despatch of a military force. Once this was made, the problem over the refusal of Norway and Sweden to allow any transit of troops posed a potential hazard. If they maintained their intransigent position, Collier proposed that the blame for the collapse of Finland should be placed at their door, thus avoiding any approbation attaching to Britain.
