Despite the fact that the wartime Slovak republic (1939-1945) was an ally and a puppet state of Nazi Germany, many Slovaks abroad joined the Allies, according to Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAV) historian Marina Zavacká. "When Czechoslovakia disintegrated, Slovak diplomats such Stefan Osusky, the head of the embassy in Paris, Juraj Slavik in Warsaw, Vladimir Hurban in Washington DC, Jan Papanek who was a consul in Pittsburgh refused to hand over their offices to the Germans, declared Czechoslovak free soil and began to organise resistance with countrymen in exile. Partly thanks to their efforts, international law recognises the continual existence of Czechoslovakia between 1918-1992 and today's Slovakia as a successor country that does not follow the wartime Slovak state in any way," said Zavacká. "Some members of the Slovak diapsora were initially enthusiastic for independence, but an undemocratic Slovak state under the tutelage of Germany was untenable for Slovak Americans who enlisted in the US Army and organised collections to finance, for example, field hospitals, kitchens and also convoy freedom ships, naming them after Milan Rastislav Stefanik, Jozef Murgaš and other Slovaks," she added.
The war divided Slovak believers, especially Catholics. "On the one hand, there were clergy in the highest state posts, and clergy were also assigned to each unit of the paramilitary pro-Nazi Hlinka Guard and the Hlinka Youth; on the other hand, there were clergymen interned in concentration camps as political prisoners in Ilava," said Zavacká, adding that even among the clergy there were some who fled abroad to fight. "Army priest Ludovit Vesely unsuccessfully tried to escape to the foreign resistance, and after the suppression of the Slovak National Uprising in August 1944 he was executed. Friar Julius Sofranko was killed as a Royal Air Force pilot. More than 20 Slovak religious order members fought for Allied troops," added Zavacká.
