Slovak National Uprising 29.8.1944

[dusan]

The Slovak National Uprising

The Slovak National Uprising. Europe's second-largest uprising against Nazi rule.

Until the beginning of World War II, Slovakia was a part of the1. Czechoslovak Republic(ČSR). In 1938, Jozef Tiso, a Roman catholic priest and an activist of the Slovak Rural Party, became the Prime Minister of the autonomous Slovak Republic, then still a part of Czechoslovakia. On March 14, 1939, Tiso proclaimed an independent Slovak state. After few months he became President of Slovakia. Under him, Slovakia became a 'satellite' for the Third Reich. The mood among Slovaks was mixed. Everyone understood that Slovak 'independence' was only guaranteed by German troops. There was, however, little opposition to the arrangement and the country prospered economically under the Tiso regime. However,during the Slovak state was nearly 58 000 Jews deported in the camps. On June 22,1941 are Slovak soldiers involved in the campaign against the Soviet Union. Then,thousands of Slovak soldiers deserted in 1943 and 1944 and joined partisan groups and the Red Army. After this,in Slovakia increased resistence against the Tiso government.
In December 1943, the rebellious Slovaks formed a coordinating group called the Slovenská Národná Rada (Slovak National Council), or SNR, and appointed General Ján Golian to take charge of military operations.
During the summer of 1944, partisan warfare against occupying German troops broke out especially in the eastern part of Slovakia. Many officers in Slovak army decided to rise up against Tiso before the Germans directly occupied their country. On August 28, 1944 Nazi troops arrived in Slovakia to put down Slovak partisan rebellion. On August 31, 1944 German troops disarmed the Eastern Slovak Army,which wanted to open Dukla pass in the Carpathian Mountains for Red Army.
The Slovak National Uprising began on August 29,1944 when Defence Minister F.Čatloš announces on state radio that Germany has occupied Slovakia. The rebel Slovak Army has changed a name to 1. Czechoslovak Army in Slovakia. It had after two mobilisations 60,000 soldiers and 18,000 partisans. A centre of the Slovak National Uprising was in a town Banská Bystrica,in the middle of Slovakia. The hardest fights were near Strečno, Telgárt, Žiar nad Hronom, Ostrô, Priekopa, Malá Štubňa, ...... The 1.Czechoslovak Army didn´t have a lot of heavy weapons. A strategic triangle of Slovak defence was between Banská Bystrica,Brezno and Žiar nad Hronom. The main leaders of the Slovak National Uprising were General Ján Golian and later also General Rudolf Viest, who came in Banska Bystrica in October from London. The other leading officers were gen. Mikuláš Markus,gen. Jozef Tlach,gen. Emil Perko,gen. Július Nosko,plk. Ján Černek,plk. Ján Malár,plk. Pavol Kuna,mjr. Michal Širica,three brothers Vesels .....The main German leaders were General Berger and General Hofle. A hilly terrain in Slovakia and the heroic defence of Slovaks caused Nazis a lot of problems. The German troops ( 47,000 soldiers),which had many of heavy weapons, started on October 18, 1944 a massive-counter attack with the best SS-divisions and the other special troops. On October 27,1944 German took Banská Bystrica. The rebel 1.Czechoslovak Army retreated to the mountains, marking a shift in strategy to guerrilla warfare. Approximetly 17,000 partisans and soldiers continued fighting in the mountains till the end of the war. The Red army didn´t support Slovaks with weapons,which they needed,because this Uprising wasn´t in plans for J. Stalin.He didn´t want to help us because he wanted only the Red Army to liberate Slovakia.

[Kiwiwriter]

There was a good article on this campaign in Purnell's (Marshall Cavendish in America) series of magazines on WW2 history.

It's a fascinating story, which is obscure in the West because of the Cold War and unpronounceable names.

[JoeRoman]

In the big scheme of things, not an important incident, except to those who died.

Joe

[dusan]

Originally posted by JoeRoman@Sep 27 2004, 02:43 AM
In the big scheme of things, not an important incident, except to those who died.

Joe

Quoted post

:angry: :angry: :angry: :angry:
I don´t agree with you. Slovak national uprising was a great plan,that could make war shorter. But Stalin was against......

[JoeRoman]

Originally posted by dusan+Oct 8 2004, 05:48 PM-->

:angry: :angry: :angry: :angry:
I don´t agree with you. Slovak national uprising was a great plan,that could make war shorter. But Stalin was against......

Quoted post

[/b]

As I said, if you take for granted the story which you posted on July 3, it didn't work and thus is just a footnote in WW2. We are not talking about what if's, but realty.

Joe

[angie999]

An article on this is due to be published in the December 2004 edition of History Today magazine.