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Czechoslovakia Slovak Republic
On March 14, 1939, Slovakia declared its independence,
causing itself the Slovak Republic. Monsignor Tiso was elected
president of this new republic. A clerical nationalist, Tiso
opposed the Nazification of Slovak society and hoped instead to
establish Slovakia as a nationalist, Christian, corporative
state. His plan conflicted with that of Slovak radicals who were
organized into the paramilitary Hlinka Guards. The latter
cooperated closely with the Nazi-oriented German minority led by
Franz Karmasin. Radicals dominated the Slovak government. Vojtech
Tuka, recently released from prison, became prime minister; his
associate, Ferdinand Durcansky, was named foreign minister.
Alexander Mach, head of the Hlinka Guards, was propaganda
minister. German "advisory missions" were appointed to all Slovak
ministries, and German troops were stationed in Slovakia
beginning March 15, 1939.
The conflict between Tiso and the radicals resulted in the
Salzburg Compromise, concluded between Slovakia and the Reich in
July 1940. The compromise called for dual command by the Slovak
Populist Party and the Hlinka Guards. The Reich appointed storm
trooper leader Manfred von Killinger as the German representative
in Slovakia. While Tiso successfully restructured the Slovak
Populist Party in harmony with Christian corporative principles,
Tuka and Mach radicalized Slovak policy toward the Jews (130,000
in the 1930 census). In September 1941, the Slovak government
enacted a "Jewish code," providing a legal foundation for
property expropriation, internment, and deportation. In 1942 the
Slovak government reached an agreement with Germany on the
deportation of Jews. The same year, when most of the deportations
occurred, approximately 68,000 Slovak Jews were sent out of
Slovakia to German-run concentration camps. Many Jews escaped
deportation under a provision that allowed Tiso to exempt Jews
whose services were considered an economic necessity.
Tiso's power was strengthened in October 1942, when the
Slovak Diet proclaimed him leader of the state and Slovak
Populist Party, giving him rights of intervention in all affairs
of state. The HG was effectively subordinated to party control.
The new German representative, Hans Elard Ludin, concentrated his
energies on war production. German banks acquired a controlling
interest in all Slovak industries. With the aid of German
investments and technical advice, Slovakia experienced a
considerable economic boom, especially in the armaments industry,
which had been controlled by the German government since December
1939. To some extent, Slovakia served as a showcase for Hitler's
new order.
Data as of August 1987
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