The Winter War began when the Soviet Union invaded Finland, expecting a quick victory. Despite being outnumbered 3-to-1, the Finnish army used their superior knowledge of the terrain and 'motti' tactics (encircling and isolating enemy columns in the snow) to inflict massive casualties on the Red Army. Finnish snipers like Simo Häyhä (the 'White Death') became legendary. Although Finland was eventually forced to cede territory in a peace treaty, they maintained their independence and dealt a humiliating blow to the Soviet military's reputation. The poor Soviet performance in this war reportedly encouraged Hitler to believe that an invasion of the USSR (Operation Barbarossa) would be an easy victory.