Starting the Winter War with Finland as USSR

[Storm_Chasee]

I've decided to try the Soviet Union. I've done the anti-facist propanganda and with the usual agreement with Germany dividing Poland after they're done I got the claims.

OK the Germans won the war with Poland and honored the treaty. I expected to get the option to start the winter War with Finland similar to HOI3 in November ior December of 1939. I'm to January 1940 and it hasn't come up yet. What do I have to do to trigger it? Do I have to justify the war goal in the diplomatic options? Or will it come up at some random time during the winter?

Also on a related note I got the pressure going against the Baltic States. Will they capitulate in 1940 or do I have to do something else to trigger it?

[Blarg_Master]

Once you have done the molotov-ribbentrop pact or after germany eats poland (either of the two I can't remember) you get claims on the baltic, karelia and bessarabia.
You can justify on those claims much faster than normal. Additionally, you get an event to send an ultimatum to finland or romania while you are justifying, so you can get the land without war if they are scared of you.

[fuser]

After MR pact you will get a notice saying that you have bypassed bunch of focuses that gives you claim in baltic states, Romania and Finland, that's your cue.

As soon as that notice fires, start justifying war goals on these countries choosing "take claimed states", if you are playing historically baltic states will cave in without fighting so will Romania but Finland will refuse and you will have to go to war with them.

P.S. Try justifying war goals on only two countries at a time or else you will need way more political power.

[Storm_Chasee]

Thanks for the replies. They clarify things. Maybe I should back-up to my previous saved game right before WW2 began now that I you actually have to justify the claims. I did get the bypass notices of some of then national foci including completing one I was working on, but I think that occured after Poland fell to Germany.

[Storm_Chasee]

I went back to just before WW2 and things went about as expected though Finland gave in on the first demand which surprised me. I went ahead and justified more claims and ultimately puppeted Finland after about a 20 day war in January 1940.

The Baltic states gave in fairly quickly to ultimatums and have been annexed. Romania gave in as well so by mid April 1940 I have all what the USSR had historically plus a puppeted Finland. If Norway doesn't fall to Germany I shouldn't have to worry about a northern front when Germany attacks (I expect in 1941).