Robert Fico Forgets When and How the Second World War Began

A few days ago, Robert Fico said:

“Dear Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Slovakia, I will say this honestly and from the heart. And I am not exaggerating. I am very glad to be among normal people. We don’t often have the opportunity to meet people who know exactly what happened between 1941 and 1945.”

In the same speech, he added:

“There’s a wise saying that reminds us: those who forget history or refuse to learn it are condemned to see it repeated.”

So let me remind Mr. Fico of the history he conveniently forgot or does not wish to acknowledge.

When he speaks of the Second World War, he seems to overlook when and how it actually began:

• The Second World War started on September 1, 1939, when Germany and Slovakia militarily invaded Poland.

• On September 17, 1939, the Soviet Union joined the invasion of Poland.

I honestly don’t understand how, in today’s world, we can’t call things by their real names and instead twist or forget the most basic historical facts. How can we expect to come to terms with history or learn from it if we do that?

It’s simple: the Second World War began with the invasion of Poland, in which the Soviet Union participated, coordinating its efforts with Germany. Slovakia was part of that invasion from day one. And I don’t need a book or Wikipedia to remember that — my great-grandfather was deployed as a soldier on the Polish border at the time.

We must also openly admit that from 1941, the Slovak army took part in the invasion of the Soviet Union. Since it helped capture or hold occupied territories, we cannot fully absolve it of responsibility for what happened in those areas.

We must also remember that Slovakia was the only country in the world to pay Germany to rid it of its Jewish population. So let’s not pretend that we were always on the right side or the side of the victors.

At the same time, it’s important to recall that in 1944, a large part of the Slovak army rose militarily against Germany itself during the Slovak National Uprising. And this is not just something I know from history books or school lessons — my family lived through it. My great-grandfather was an active participant in the uprising, which, among other things, meant that if it hadn’t been for luck and the people who helped our family, they would have ended up in a mass grave in Kremnička, like so many other families of insurgents and partisans. And I wouldn’t be here today.

And yes, in defeating the Nazi and fascist regimes in Germany and Slovakia, the Soviet Union and the Red Army played a key role. Of all the members of the anti-Hitler coalition, the Soviet Union endured the greatest terror and suffered the most casualties. In my view, every civilized person should honor the memory of every soldier who, in good faith, fought against these brutal regimes.

But that does not mean we erase what happened before 1941 or after 1945. We must name A, B, and C — always.

If we want to approach our history as a truly mature society, then at the very least, we must name what really happened, rather than tailoring our words to the audience or to the political allies we have at the moment.

If you have any thoughts, questions, or feedback, feel free to drop me a message at mail@richardgolian.com.