Timeline (Vitazstvo)

This is the main timeline of the Vitazstvo scenario.

1938

 * 2 November 1938 – The Kingdom of Hungary regains territories it lost after the disintegration of Austria-Hungary with the signing of the First Vienna Award, a treaty engineered by Germany and Italy to weaken Czechoslovakia. Much of southern Slovakia is given to Hungary. This would cause rising tensions in Slovakia, and the Hungarians were not fully satisfied by their gains.

1939

 * 13 March 1939 – Josef Tiso and Ferdinand Ďurčanský, the most prominent Slovak nationalist leaders, met with Adolf Hitler, Joachim von Ribbentrop and Wilhelm Keitel in Berlin. They make it clear to the Slovaks that unless Slovakia declares independence, they will allow Hungary to take full control of Slovakia.
 * 14 March 1939 – The independence of Slovakia is declared, the First Slovak Republic is formed.
 * 18 March 1939 – All Slovak forces in the southern Košice Region, near Uzhhorod, are ordered to withdraw. Lieutenant General Augustín Malár pretends to accept, but gives a secret order for the Slovak Army to prepare to fight the Hungarians.
 * 24 March 1939 – After allowing Hungarian forces to build up at Závadka, Slovak troops attacked from all sides with infantry and armored cars, cutting the Hungarians off. The surprised Hungarians, expecting to find little or no resistance, were overwhelmed.
 * 25 March 1939 – The Závadka pocket surrenders, with a total of 42 Hungarian soldiers killed and 78 captured, eliminating an entire Hungarian battalion. The main Hungarian force begins to advance, and Malár orders a strategic withdrawal.
 * 26 March 1939 – Slovak and Hungarian troops clash at Michalovce, with the Hungarians becoming encircled in the outskirts of the city. Malár's forces stopped several attempts to break out but at a cost of more than 50 casualties. The Hungarian units surrendered and signed a truce late that evening.
 * 28 March 1939 – With the main Hungarian expeditionary group in Slovakia defeated, the Hungarian government of Miklós Horthy was outraged. The Hungarian ambassador in Berlin demanded to Hitler that they allow Hungary to completely invade Slovakia.