THE SLOVAK TROOPS IN UKRAINE PROPAGANDIST IDEOLOGICAL SUPPORT AT THE INITIAL STAGE OF THE GERMAN-SOVIET WAR
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24919/2519-058x.15.204981Keywords:
propaganda and ideological support, World War II, Slovakia, Ukraine, army.Abstract
The purpose of the research is to analyze the main theses of Slovakia’s ideological and propaganda preparation for the war against the USSR and to evaluate the effectiveness of this training. The methodology of the research is based on the principles of objectivity, historicism, as well as the use of methods of analysis, synthesis, generalization. The scientific novelty is that for the first time in the Ukrainian historiography of World War II the features of the propaganda-ideological support of the Slovak troops in Ukraine in 1941 were found out. The main theses of Slovak propaganda have been examined and its effectiveness has been evaluated on the basis of official and unofficial documents. The Conclusions. Unlike Germany’s allies such as Romania and Finland, Slovakia had no territorial claims on the USSR. The only motive for participating in the war was a commitment to allied duty. Therefore, Slovakia’s entry into the German-Soviet war required thorough propaganda and ideological training. It relied on several basic points: loyalty to allied duty to Germany; protection of the Slovak state against the aggressive plans of the Bolsheviks; protecting Christianity from atheistic Bolshevism; the liberation of the peoples of the USSR from under Bolshevik tyranny; nurturing the best of military traditions. Their effectiveness in the early stages of the war was quite high. This was facilitated by the military chaplains’ activities, who enjoyed considerable authority among personnel. Also, the Slovak soldiers were able to see clear confirmation of some above-mentioned theses in the Ukrainian lands (the Soviet punitive bodies victims’ mass graves, spoiled religious buildings, etc.). In many localities the Slovaks were hailed as the liberators. This had a strong impact on the soldiers’ moral and psychological state. The army, at least in the initial stages of the war, managed to keep away from the common-law and pro-communist sentiments in Slovak society. This was facilitated not only by appropriate ideological and advocacy support, but also by the removal of unreliable elements enrolled during mobilization.References
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