Podplukovník Ján Šmigovský a Einsatzgruppe H na Slovensku na jeseň 1944

Lieutenant Colonel Ján Šmigovský and Einsatzgruppe H in Slovakia in the Autumn of 1944

Autor: BAKA Igor

BAKA, Igor: Podplukovník Ján Šmigovský a Einsatzgruppe H na Slovensku na jeseň 1944

BAKA, Igor: Lieutenant Colonel Ján Šmigovský and Einsatzgruppe H in Slovakia in the Autumn of 1944.

Vojenská história, 21, 1, 2017, pp. 137-146.

The monitored document points out to the activities of the Lieutenant Colonel of the Slovak Army, J. Šmigovský, in favour of the occupying regime in Slovakia during the World War 2. The study increases knowledge on the fi eld of collaboration with the Germans, in particular the units of the Nazi security apparatus. It contains the record of the interview kept with Šmigovský by a member of the Emergency Group H (Einsatzgruppe H), of the German Security Police (Sicherheitpolizei – SIPO) and Security Service (Sicherheitsdienst – SD) in November 1944. In Slovakia, this unit operated with its six comandos and supporting points. It focused on fi ghting the members of resistance, Slovak Nationa Uprising, applying terror and reprisals against the civil citizens, Jews and Gypsies. From the report in question, we may read the attitude and opinion of Šmigovský on the political situation in Slovakia, the relations in Army, on the German-Slovak alliance. The document presents his opinions in a different light as well, outside the debate outlined above. It appears that Šmigovský’s responsibility for cooperation with the Nazi occupational apparatus cannot be marginalized and only interpreted through the lens of his decision whether or not to observe the military oath of the Slovak Republic. Information in the document suggest that his cooperation with Einsatzgruppe H continued in a relatively intense form in the following period as well. The Germans were very interested in him not only due to obtaining the professional information of military nature mentioned in the interview in question. Šmigovský also provided them with his own remarks on the political uncertainty of some of the Slovak offi cers, whereby he was exposing them to the threat of subsequent prosecution, more or less knowingly. The document itself is published according to the established rules for the issue of sources, disclosed in full wording. It is published bilingually, fi rst in Slovak translation, followed by the German original.

Keywords: Military History. Slovakia. World War 2. The Occupying Regime in Slovakia and Activity of the Lieutenant Colonel Ján Šmigovský.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.69809/vojhist.2017.21.1.7

Ročník: 21 | Číslo: 1/2017 | Stránky: 137-146