Background
On March 14, 1939, the Slovak State was created as a client state of Germany within the area of Slovakia. Prior to this, on November 2, 1938, a part of Slovakia containing a substantial Hungarian population (due to its having been part of Hungary between 1001 and 1920) was taken by the Hungarian Army as a result of the First Vienna Award. Small parts of these disputed areas with mixed Polish and Slovak inhabitants belonged to Germany and Poland.
The official political pretext for the Slovak participation in the Polish Campaign was a disagreement over a small disputed area on the Poland-Slovakia border. Poland had appropriated this area on December 1, 1938, in the aftermath of the Munich Agreement. In addition, some Polish politicians supported Hungary in their effort to include into their state parts inhabited mostly by Hungarians.
During secret discussions with the Germans on July 20-July 21, 1939, the Slovak government agreed to participate in the aggression against Poland. The Slovaks also agreed to allow Germany to use its territory as the staging area for its troops. On August 26, the Slovak Republic mobilized its armed forces and created a new field army, codenamed "Bernolák", that comprised 51,306 soldiers. Additionally, 160,000 reservists were called, with 115,000 entering service until September 20, 1939.
Read more about this topic: Slovak Invasion Of Poland (1939)
Famous quotes containing the word background:
“They were more than hostile. In the first place, I was a south Georgian and I was looked upon as a fiscal conservative, and the Atlanta newspapers quite erroneously, because they didn’t know anything about me or my background here in Plains, decided that I was also a racial conservative.”
—Jimmy Carter (James Earl Carter, Jr.)
“In the true sense one’s native land, with its background of tradition, early impressions, reminiscences and other things dear to one, is not enough to make sensitive human beings feel at home.”
—Emma Goldman (1869–1940)
“I had many problems in my conduct of the office being contrasted with President Kennedy’s conduct in the office, with my manner of dealing with things and his manner, with my accent and his accent, with my background and his background. He was a great public hero, and anything I did that someone didn’t approve of, they would always feel that President Kennedy wouldn’t have done that.”
—Lyndon Baines Johnson (1908–1973)