Slovak Republic (1939–1945)
Slovak State (March 1939 – July 1939) Slovenský štát Slovak Republic (July 1939 – April 1945) Slovenská republika | |||||||||
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| 1939–1945 | |||||||||
| Motto: Verní sebe, svorne napred! (English: "Faithful to Ourselves, Together Ahead!") | |||||||||
| Anthem: Hej, Slováci (English: "Hey, Slovaks") | |||||||||
| National seal | |||||||||
The Slovak Republic in 1942 | |||||||||
| Status | Client state of Nazi Germany and member of the Axis | ||||||||
| Capital and largest city | Bratislava 48°09′N 17°07′E / 48.150°N 17.117°E | ||||||||
| Common languages | Slovak, German | ||||||||
| Ethnic groups |
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| Religion | Roman Catholicism (official religion) | ||||||||
| Demonym(s) | Slovak | ||||||||
| Government | Clerical fascist one-party corporate state under a totalitarian dictatorship | ||||||||
| President | |||||||||
• 1939–1945 | Jozef Tiso | ||||||||
| Prime Minister | |||||||||
• 1939 | Jozef Tiso | ||||||||
• 1939–1944 | Vojtech Tuka | ||||||||
• 1944–1945 | Štefan Tiso | ||||||||
| Legislature | National Assembly | ||||||||
| Historical era | World War II | ||||||||
| 14 March 1939 | |||||||||
| 23–31 March 1939 | |||||||||
| 21 July 1939 | |||||||||
| 1–16 September 1939 | |||||||||
| 28 July 1940 | |||||||||
| 24 November 1940 | |||||||||
| 22 June 1941 | |||||||||
| 29 August 1944 | |||||||||
| 4 April 1945 | |||||||||
| Area | |||||||||
• Total | 38,055 km2 (14,693 sq mi) | ||||||||
| Population | |||||||||
• Estimate | 2,655,053 | ||||||||
| Currency | Slovak koruna (Ks) | ||||||||
| Date format | d. m. yyyy | ||||||||
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| Today part of | Slovakia Poland | ||||||||
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Slovakia, officially the (First) Slovak Republic, and from 14 March until 21 July 1939 officially known as the Slovak State (Slovak: Slovenský štát, German: Slowakischer Staat), was a partially-recognized clerical fascist client state of Nazi Germany which existed between 14 March 1939 and 4 April 1945 in Central Europe. The Slovak part of Czechoslovakia declared independence with German support one day before the German occupation of Bohemia and Moravia. It controlled most of the territory of present-day Slovakia, without its current southern parts, which were ceded by Czechoslovakia to Hungary in 1938. The state was the first formally independent Slovak state in history. Bratislava was declared the capital city.
A one-party state governed by the far-right Hlinka's Slovak People's Party, the Slovak Republic is primarily known for its collaboration with Nazi Germany, which included sending troops to the invasion of Poland in September 1939 and the Soviet Union in 1941. In 1940, the country joined the Axis when its leaders signed the Tripartite Pact.
The local Jewish population was heavily persecuted, with almost 70,000 Jews being murdered or deported (two-thirds of the Slovak Jewish population). In 1942, the country deported 58,000 Jews to German-occupied Poland, paying Germany 500 Reichsmarks each. Internal opposition to the fascist government's policies culminated in the Slovak National Uprising in 1944, itself triggered by the Nazi German occupation of the country. Although the uprising was eventually suppressed, partisan resistance continued. The Slovak Republic was abolished after the Soviet liberation in 1945, and its territory was reintegrated into the recreated Third Czechoslovak Republic.
The current Slovak Republic does not consider itself a successor state of the wartime Slovak Republic, instead a successor to the Czechoslovak Federal Republic. However, some nationalists celebrate 14 March as a day of independence.