Slovakia understands well the message of the SNP, and the proof is the aid to Ukraine, Prime Minister Heger said
8/29/2022 (Webnoviny.sk) – The heroes of the Slovak National Uprising (SNP) stood up against Nazi Germany, against President Jozef Tis and against their government, which sends its own citizens to concentration camps.
In a speech during the celebration of the 78th anniversary of the SNP, Prime Minister Eduarda Heger said that this heroism and courage to stand up to evil showed that they did not want to temporarily look at the wrongdoing.
A bright spot in our history
“I am thinking about what was the real motive of the SNP participants. Was it ideology or freedom springing from within them?’ said Heger, who added that even during the Gentle Revolution we fought again for our freedom.
“Politicians who joined the SNP came, but we saw from their actions that they had nothing to do with its ideals. We also had those here who saw in the management of the country only a space for stealing public property,” added the prime minister.
According to him, we have no shame in our history, but we have a bright spot that many look up to with admiration.
The SNP’s message now sounds much more alive
“You, SNP participants, opposed tyranny to human dignity, opposed totalitarian democracy,” Heger said. According to him, we are still fighting today so that Slovakia will always be a democratic country. At the same time, Heger is glad that Slovakia could show how well it understands the message of the SNP by helping Ukraine materially and morally.
“This year the SNP’s message sounds much more alive. It is up to us whether we allow me to enter into our day-to-day decision-making,” added the prime minister.
In conclusion, he added that even today, new fascism and politicians are making their way into Slovak society, who abuse the difficult position of citizens and will cause extremism in them. “And today we again have to ensure that fascism never has a place in our society,” concluded the prime minister.
Start moving out! With such an order, the Slovak National Uprising broke out 78 years ago
8/29/2022 (Webnoviny.sk) – On Monday, Slovakia commemorates the 78th anniversary of the Slovak National Uprising (SNP). It broke out on August 29, 1944 as a reaction of domestic resistance groups to the entry of German occupation troops into the territory of the then Slovak Republic.
As an ally of the Nazi supply of Germany, Slovakia plays an important role in supplying its troops on the Eastern Front. In Berlin, they feared the emergence of resistance and subversive groups and did not trust the Slovak army.
The uprising and the joint progress of the Slovak resistance groups were preceded by the so-called Christmas Agreement, which was concluded by representatives of the democratic and communist resistance and committed to creating the Slovak National Council (SNR).
The most influential resistance group, which later formed the main rebel force, operated in the Slovak army. Lieutenant Colonel Ján Golian was at the head of this group. The East Slovak Army, which was supposed to secure the Carpathian passes, played a key role in the preparations for the uprising.
The West Slovak troops did not react
Armed anti-fascist resistance began on August 29 with a coded order “Start the eviction!”, which was published by Golian. However, the West Slovak garrisons did not respond to the agreed signal, and the Germans disarmed the East Slovak Army without a fight.
As a result, the rebels lost a lot of weapons and military equipment. Despite this, the organizers of the uprising did not give up and continued to fight against the German troops for the next eight weeks.
Political power in the rebel territory was taken over by the Slovak National Council (SNR), which was established on September 1, 1944. The SNR abolished discriminatory anti-Jewish laws and banned the HSĽS as well as German and Hungarian political parties. Golian, who was promoted to colonel and later to brigadier general, commanded the army part of the insurgent forces until October 7, 1944, when he was replaced in leadership by divisional general Rudolf Viest.
They pushed the insurgents into the mountains
In addition to the regular army, partisans, members of the gendarmerie and the financial guard also took part in the fighting. The 1st Czechoslovak Army moved from the eastern front to the rebel territory. separate fighter aviation regiment and the 2nd Czechoslovak independent paratrooper brigade.
After heavy fighting, the insufficiently armed insurgents gradually retreated from the occupying forces and were pushed into the mountains. After the occupation of Banská Bystrica by German soldiers, on October 27, General Viest of the insurgent army issued an order to switch the fight to partisan style.
Generals Viest and Golian were captured a few days later and both were sentenced to death in Berlin. Nazi reprisals and violence after the suppression of the SNP were cruelly felt by the civilian population as well.
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