Slovaks Commemorate Start of Revolt

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia - Military jets thundered overhead, and hundreds of people, including veterans and top officials, gathered in Sunday to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the 1944 Slovak uprising against Nazi rule.

In a deeply symbolic message to participants, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder described the Nazis' fierce response to the uprising as a "dark and often and often forgotten chapter of German history."

"Today we commemorate ... the victims of this fight against the National Socialists and we acknowledge our responsibility to keep the memory of these events alive," he said in a message carried in Slovak by the national news agency TASR.

"Thousands had to pay with their lives, with forced labor and with concentration camps for their courageous support of freedom and self-determination."

The uprising was crushed by the Germans at the end of October 1944, but guerrilla fighting continued in the mountains until the next spring. With the revolt, Slovakia joined the worldwide coalition against the Nazis in World War II.

More than 60,000 soldiers and thousands of partisans and civilians from Slovakia, the former Soviet Union and 31 other nations had joined forces against the Nazi puppet government of Slovakia and German troops who had just embarked on their occupation of this central European country.

During World War II, Slovakia's government was run by Nazi President Jozef Tiso, a Roman Catholic priest. Under his rule, more than 70,000 Jews were sent to concentration camps where most of them died.

Tiso publicly expressed thanks to Adolf Hitler for his help in foiling the uprising and decorated some of the German soldiers.

In the central Slovak city of Banska Bystrica, a string of commemorative events to mark the uprising peaked with an official ceremony attended by Slovak President Ivan Gasparovic, Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda, his Czech counterpart Stanislav Gross and officials from other counties.

Military training jets and combat helicopters flew overhead. Folk groups performed traditional Slovak songs and veterans, their chests hung with medals, braved the blazing sun, applauding the speeches read by their government leaders.

Gasparovic, in a speech broadcast live by state-run STV television, thanked all who fought against the Nazis for their courage and self-sacrifice, and said their actions "cannot become just legends for textbooks but have to be the backbone of our nation."

President Bush (news - web sites) and Russian President Vladimir Putin (news - web sites) also sent their greetings.

"By engaging approximately 50,000 Nazi soldiers, the Slovak National Uprising demonstrated the hope, courage and conviction of the Slovak people," Bush said in a statement. "These values helped Slovaks endure four decades behind the Iron Curtain and are evident today as Slovaks build democratic traditions and participate in peacekeeping missions to advance freedom around the world."

Slovakia has 105 soldiers in Iraq (news - web sites), mostly for de-mining, and has supported the United States throughout that conflict.

Bush also expressed gratitude to the "Slovaks who helped captured Americans escape from prison camps, as well as for those who risked their lives to provide food, clothing, and shelter for Americans in need."

"Americans were proud to stand with Slovaks 60 years ago, and we are proud to stand with Slovaks as our allies today," he said.

From the article

"By engaging approximately 50,000 Nazi soldiers, the Slovak National Uprising demonstrated the hope, courage and conviction of the Slovak people," [President] Bush said in a statement. "These values helped Slovaks endure four decades behind the Iron Curtain and are evident today as Slovaks build democratic traditions and participate in peacekeeping missions to advance freedom around the world."

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