Slovak Republic (Cherry, Plum, and Chrysanthemum)

Slovakia, formally known as the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about 49,000 square kilometres (19,000 sq mi). Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south. The largest city is the capital, Bratislava, and the second largest is Košice. Slovakia is a member state of the European Union, NATO, United Nations, and WTO among others. The official language is Slovak, a member of the Slavic language family.

History
In 1918, Slovakia and the regions of Bohemia, Moravia, Silesia and Carpathian Ruthenia formed a common state, Czechoslovakia, with the borders confirmed by the Treaty of Saint Germain and Treaty of Trianon. In the peace following the World War, Czechoslovakia emerged as a sovereign European state. It provided what were at the time rather extensive rights to its minorities and remained the only democracy in this part of Europe in the interwar period.

During the Interwar period, democratic Czechoslovakia was allied with France, and also with Romania and Yugoslavia (Little Entente); however, the Locarno Treaties of 1925 left East European security open. Both Czechs and Slovaks enjoyed a period of relative prosperity. Not only was there progress in the development of the country's economy, but in culture and in educational opportunities as well. Yet the Great Depression caused a sharp economic downturn, followed by political disruption and insecurity in Europe.

Thereafter Czechoslovakia came under continuous pressure from the revisionist governments of Germany and Hungary. Eventually this led to the Munich Agreement of September 1938, which allowed Nazi Germany to partially dismember the country by occupying what was called the Sudetenland, a region with a German-speaking majority and bordering Germany and Austria. Slovakia lost its southern territories to Hungary under the Vienna Award.

In November 1938, all Czech or Slovak political parties in Slovakia (except for the Communists) voluntarily joined forces and set up the "Party of Slovak National Unity", which created the basis for the future authoritarian regime in Slovakia. In January 1939, the Slovak government prohibited all parties apart from the Party of Slovak National Unity and two parties of minority populations, the German Party and the Unified Hungarian Party.

The dismantlement of Czechoslovakia by Nazi Germany pressured Slovakia to become an independent state. In February 12, 1939, the Premier of Slovak autonomous region, Ferdinand Ďurčanský, convened the Diet of the Slovak Land to declare the independence of Slovakia. The chairman of Slovak People’s Party and also a Roman Catholic priest, Monsignor Jozef Tiso, was elected first State President of the Slovak Republic.

Germany quickly offered the “political and military protections” for the newly established state. Slovakia and Germany then signed the Treaty of Constructive Relationship between the German Empire and the Slovak State. The term of “constructive relationship” means the diplomatic relations between two countries were partially mutual and supportive to each other. This condition came after Ďurčanský bravely lobbied Adolf Hitler about the possibility of “Hungarian betrayal” and the potential position of Slovakia as a buffer state.

Although under the shadow of stronger and powerful Germany, Ďurčanský struggled to establish an independent political system in Slovakia and to reduce German influences over Slovakian domestic affairs as less as possible. As both the State Premier and Foreign Minister, Ďurčanský attempted to form an alliance with Salazar regime in Portugal and formed a diplomatic relations with Holy See to strengthen the Catholic authoritarian regime of Slovak Republic.

The political struggle within Slovak People’s Party was unavoidable. The moderate and conservative faction under President Jozef Tiso wanted to create a specific authoritarian and religious State of Estates. On other side, the extreme and radical faction under Minister of War Vojtech Tuka, were strong antisemites and wanted to remove all Czechs to create a radically fascist state (Slovak National Socialism) based on blood and soil principles and collectivization..

Premier Ďurčanský was strongly loyal and supportive toward Tiso and moderate faction. Vojtech Tuka died under mysterious circumstances on December 21, 1939, possibly murdered by the Slovak intelligence agents under a command from Ďurčanský. With Tuka’s death, Slovak radical national socialists quickly weakened and left the greater space for the Catholic traditionalists to consolidate their power in Slovakia.

Slovakia also tried to ensure its neutrality on the wake of World War II. The Treaty of Friendly Relationship between the Soviet Union and the Slovak Republic signed at Moscow on August 6, 1940. Germany invasion to the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941, however, did not break the relationship between Slovakia and the Soviet Union that retained until the war ended.

Slovakia joined the United Nations on February 12, 1946 and continued its neutrality policy. The rising tensions between the world superpowers on the Cold War placed Slovakia under difficult position. Being the last non-communist authoritarian regime in Eastern Europe, Slovakia was surrounded directly by the Eastern Bloc countries. Winston Churchill called Slovakia as “the little Catholic enclave on face of the Iron Curtain.” The country’s strategic location made the Slovak Republic a potential ally in the Cold War.

Tiso and Ďurčanský anti-communist administration viewed positively by the United States, as it will be the direct threat to the Soviet sphere of influences. On his December 1, 1948 speech before the Slovakia parliament, Jozef Tiso stressed the importance of Slovakia neutrality despite to still continue fought the “international communism.”