Richard Golian

1995-born. Charles University alum. Head of Performance at Mixit. 10+ years in marketing and data.

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Richard Golian

Hi, I am Richard. On this blog, I share thoughts, personal stories — and what I am working on. I hope this article brings you some value.

Robert Fico Forgets When and How the Second World War Began

Fico, historical manipulation and propaganda

By Richard Golian

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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 do not understand how, in today’s world, we cannot 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 is 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 do not need a book or Wikipedia to remember that — my great-grandfather was deployed as a soldier on the Polish border at the time.

Summary

Robert Fico claimed the war happened between 1941 and 1945. Germany and Slovakia invaded Poland on September 1, 1939. Slovakia was the only country that paid to deport its Jewish population. The 1944 National Uprising showed courage. History demands completeness, not selective memory.

Sources

Archive of documents on the 1939–1945 period: Nation's Memory Institute of the Slovak Republic
Richard Golian

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

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Common questions on this article's topic

When did the Second World War actually begin?
The Second World War began on September 1, 1939, with the German and Slovak invasion of Poland. Slovakia mobilised over 51,000 soldiers as the Bernolák Army Group, attacking without a formal declaration of war. On September 17, 1939, the Soviet Union joined the invasion from the east, as secretly agreed in the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact of August 23, 1939. In the article, this timeline is contrasted with Robert Fico's framing of the war as happening between 1941 and 1945 — omitting the first two years entirely.
Did Slovakia participate in the invasion of Poland in 1939?
Yes. Slovakia was one of the co-belligerents alongside Germany on September 1, 1939. The Slovak 1st Infantry Division seized villages including Javorina and the town of Zakopane. Slovakia participated in exchange for recovering territories that Poland had annexed in autumn 1938. This makes Slovakia a participant in the war from its very first day — a fact that the article argues must not be omitted from any honest discussion of the country's wartime history.
Did Slovakia pay to deport its Jewish population?
Yes. Slovakia paid Nazi Germany 500 Reichsmarks for each Jew deported — one of the very few countries in the world to do so. Between March and October 1942, approximately 57,000 Slovak Jews were deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau and other camps. Only a few hundred survived. After Germany occupied Slovakia in 1944, another 13,500 were deported. An estimated 68,000 to 71,000 Slovak Jews were murdered — over 80% of the pre-war Jewish population.
What was the Slovak National Uprising?
On August 29, 1944, a large part of the Slovak army rose against both the German occupation and the collaborationist regime of President Jozef Tiso. Over 80,000 soldiers and approximately 18,000 partisans participated, joined by fighters from 30 other nations. The uprising lasted 60 days. After its suppression on October 28, 1944, insurgents continued fighting as partisans until Soviet liberation in April 1945. It remains one of the largest armed anti-Nazi resistance actions in occupied Europe.
Did the Slovak president award medals to those who suppressed the uprising?
Yes. On October 30, 1944 — two days after the uprising's end — President Jozef Tiso celebrated a Mass of thanksgiving in Banská Bystrica with German SS-General Hermann Höfle, during which medals were awarded to German soldiers for suppressing the uprising. This took place in the very city that had served as the uprising's centre. In the article, this fact illustrates the deeply divided nature of Slovak wartime history.
Why does selective historical memory matter?
In the article, the argument is that approaching history honestly requires naming A, B, and C — always. The Soviet Union played a key role in defeating Nazism and suffered the greatest casualties of any member of the anti-Hitler coalition. But that does not erase the Soviet invasion of Poland in 1939 or what happened after 1945. Tailoring historical narratives to suit current political allies is presented as fundamentally incompatible with being a mature society.