Slovak Troops Fought Alongside Nazis: Overlooked Chapter of War Crimes in National History

Slovak military forces under the wartime Ľudák government fought alongside Nazi Germany against the Soviet Union for nearly three years during World War II. The Slovak State, a Nazi client regime that existed from 1939 to 1945, was led by the authoritarian Ľudák Party under Jozef Tiso and closely collaborated with Hitler's Germany throughout the war. Historians emphasize the importance of openly discussing these darker chapters of Slovak history, including the country's participation in war crimes, rather than glossing over periods that are not sources of national pride.