Talk:Jozef Tiso

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comment about 58000 deported[edit]

~Mz, the number 58000 is too low, unless it is the number of deported before 1944. What is your source and which time does it refer to? Juro 21:46, 30 Aug 2004 (UTC)

The "only through my dead body" event references[edit]

I have added two references for that event, since it was quite shocking information for me. Both references are in Slovak and feature one witness, Ján Budzák, who was one of the children. Turingsk (talk) 23:47, 13 July 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Untitled[edit]

Yes, it is the number of deported until October 1942 ("by that time" = when deportations were stopped), German subsequently deported some other 13,500 Jews during the occupation. Source: In the spirit of Christianity - present in external links. I have added the latter number into the article. mz 08:14, 31 Aug 2004 (UTC)

I am sure this is not a NPOV given the extensive literature existing on this topic. But as you wish... But what is definitely wrong is the statement that that there was no pressure - Germany repeatedly strongly intervened that the Jewish question is not solved in Slovakia and something must be done about that, otherwise there would be troubles... Juro 22:32, 29 Nov 2004 (UTC)

If German WWII documents are not NPOV, what is then? (Definitely some sentences from this article aren't, but I do not intend to change them until I gather evidence and references.) Anyway, I did not mean there was no pressure - there was a pressure, but it was not impossible to resist the pressure. I rephrased the sentence for clarity. mz 17:35, 1 Dec 2004 (UTC)

"Nazi-controlled puppet government"??? What does the author mean by that? Even though there was pressure from the German side, prime minister Vojtech Tuka resisted the pressure to "final solution of the Jewish question" after being informed about killing of Jews in the concentration camps. And even about the interventions against the Jews, Tuka said that it was "our will and our iniciative. It is true that they gave me the possibility to realize my plan, and I, naturally, did not refuse." User:Liberal Nationalist 15:42, Mar 4, 2005 (UTC)

1. The topic is much more complicated then you think and are presenting it here. I could take hundreds of books and "bombard" you with various, frequently opposing, statements of various persons in Germany and Slovakia of that time 2. Tuka was a very special person. This is not an article about Tuka. 3. The formulation Nazi-controlled puppet government is approximately correct in the sense that this is how most sources present the government. Do not expect an encyclopaedia to present some innovative special views... Juro 21:47, 5 Mar 2005 (UTC)

The formulation is definitely not NPOV. The government was only INFLUENCED by Nazis and not CONTROLLED, difference. There was no "Nazi" in the government anyway. Even Tuka or Mach cannot be considered Nazis, their opinion was called "Slovak National Socialism" and Nazism is German National Socialism. Slovakia was a state with limited sovereignity, but a sovereignity much more stronger than communist Czechoslovakia. What I am presenting is not a special view and I think that most experts in the theme first Slovak Republic would not say Nazi-controlled puppet government. I would reformulate the sentence, but I do not want an edit fight, so I hope Juro and others will understand why it is a wrong formulation. LibNat 18:15, Mar 7, 2005 (UTC)

A suggestion for the new formulation: "Nazi-influenced government", "German-influenced government". And by the way, why does Juro think that Tuka is "special"? Prime minister is kind of a typical figure in any country, don't you think? Liberal Nationalist 18:27, Mar 7, 2005 (UTC)

I've decided to change the text and I hope that it won't be a problem. The previous formulation was absurd, Tiso was not President of a government!!! Liberal Nationalist 18:36, Mar 7, 2005 (UTC)

Nazism is abbreviation of "national socialism", the nationality is not specified. The Nazism article uses the term "German Nazism", so perhaps the appropriate term would be "Slovak nazism"... Anyway, after 1944 the political situation is Slovakia was definitely controlled by Nazi Germany, with Tiso as a president, of course... --195.113.53.102 15:07, 8 Mar 2005 (UTC)
The present version is OK. It is also true that before 1944 the first Slovak Republic was in fact more independent than post-war Czechoslovakia with respect to the Soviet Union. Some remarks: (1) The meaning of control is not so clear in English anyway (we have had the problem already in connection with Czehoslovakia), (2) in English, government refers to all governing institutions and entities, not only to the sum of ministries (we have had this problem already too) [see e.g. expressions like "the structure of US government"], so the formulation (which does not stem from me) was wrong only from a certain point of view, (3) do not forget that there were "German advisors" in the government (ie the ministries)...Juro 01:16, 9 Mar 2005 (UTC)

In the article, someone claims that the number of Tiso's exceptions is 2'000. According to what I know, he has given 9'000 exceptions, which covered about 30'000 Slovakian Jews. Liberal Nationalist 14:50, 26 November 2005 (UTC)

If you can cite a good source, you can add that as an alternative. But I have never seen such a high number. Juro 17:15, 26 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I think the intro should mention Tiso has been executed as a war criminal (I know it's in the article, but IMHO it should also be on top) - any objections? 84.242.86.47 15:45, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Tiso was not a war criminal.He is not on the international war criminal list and he was not tried as a war criminal.--91.127.139.78 14:02, 17 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The early life section has the following problems:

1) There is no evidence that Tiso "spoke out against his fellow Slovaks." He was, however, loyal to the Hungarian state and tended to distance himself from Slovak nationalists. This pattern probably said more about Tiso's deeply held religious beliefs and career ambitions then it did about his nationalist identity.

2) The sequence of Tiso's clerical appointments should be: assistant priest in Oscadnica (1910); assistant priest in Rajec (1911); assistant priest in Banovce (1913); military chaplain (1914-1915); spiritual director of the Nitra seminary (1915-1921). Later, he also served as professor of religion and as the diocesan librarian; personal secretary of Bishop Karol Kmetko (1921-1923); professor of religion in Nitra (1923-1924); parish priest then dean of Banovce (1924-1945).

Tiso taught religion at the Piarist High School in Nitra between 1915 and 1918. He also taught religion at a local secondary school. I am not aware that this was a specifically girls' school.

3) I am aware of only one accusation of misconduct against Tiso as a teacher. In 1935, he was accused of having punished a student in 1919 for having failed to learn the Lord's Prayer in Hungarian. At the time, the charge played into a political campaign that portrayed Tiso (typically) as a "Magyaron," or Hungarian loyalist. In fact, Tiso had become a strident Slovak nationalist by 1919 and was at the forefront of efforts to Slovakize the city of Nitra. The 1935 charge prompted Tiso to sue. A lower court found in his favor, but a higher court did not. The student in question, however, reportedly testified in court that Tiso had punished him for not learning the prayer rather than for not learning it in Hungarian.

4) "Nyitrai Szemle" is not the local paper in Banovce but (not surprisingly) in Nitra (Nyitra). In addition, its correct name is Nyitramegyei Szemle. Tiso's articles, written between 1915 and 1917, never attacked Slovaks. Instead, one of them argued for the greater use of the Slovak language. The articles, however, did support the Hungarian war effort.

5) There is no evidence that Tiso "turned in Slovak soldiers." I believe that this charge is based on accusations made in 1938 that Tiso, in 1914, informed on Dusan Viest, a leading Slovak nationalist in Banovce. Viest, who was not a soldier in WWI, was imprisoned in 1914, which broke his health. I have never found any contemporary documents that would support this charge. Memoirs and contemporary letters by Viest's friends do not implicate Tiso in the affair, which apparently had more to do with Viest's connections with American Slovaks rather than with Tiso's alleged denunciation of Viest as a "pan-Slav" spy. Tiso and Viest, however, did have a conflict when both were living in Banovce.

6) Tiso had only one unsuccessful run for office, when he stood for parliament in 1920. His district won enough votes that, had his party backed him, he could have entered parliament. In 1923, he led a highly successful local campaign in Nitra, and in 1925, repeated the success in Banovce.

7) The main source cited for this section (Current Biography 1943) is highly unreliable, being influenced by wartime propaganda and the dearth of English-language scholarship on Tiso. Thus, while one can make a case that "he learned that bootlicking was a key to success," the statement is at the very least polemical.

Finally, in response to a later question on this page: While Tiso was educated by Piarists and Jesuits, he did not belong to any order.

Jesse47 —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.142.88.9 (talk) 18:48, 26 January 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Non-neutrality[edit]

I do not feel that this article is sufficiently neutral. Jozef Tiso toed the Nazi party line, and there is little doubt that he would have risked his position, reputation and even life by standing up for the Jews of slovakia who were widely despised by the local population due to their superior wealth and social status (at the time most Slovaks were no more than peasants, and the region was very rural and poor). I feel this article treats Tiso too softly, especially the last section referring to President Benes and effectively portraying Benes as a merciless murderer - this must be understood in the context of the times. Listing the political parties that objected to the reprieve also reflects a non-neutral point of view. Tiso was a traitor, and was treated like any other of the time. One should not forget that pro-Tiso Slovaks fought against the SNP (slovak national uprising), and the treatment that was enacted by Tiso's regime upon countless collaborators of the partisans engaged in the uprising. I therefore do not feel this artical is neutral enough, and tried to change this as such. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Knuzeb (talkcontribs)

Following this, nothing seems to have changed. POV tag added. --83.228.182.202 (talk) 21:34, 16 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Because no evidence has been supplied to support the original comments - POV ttag therefore removed.--Smerus (talk) 17:44, 29 February 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I agree that the article is unduly biased - against Tiso. It reads as if written by an Anti-Nazi Jew. Why else the hostility to a Slovak nationalist (not a Nazi) and the bulk of the article being about Jews, to the exclusion of the many more important events during his career.Royalcourtier (talk) 05:00, 22 November 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Tisos end[edit]

see http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache:oWZXt8Cg404J:mozaika.sme.sk/c/2597058/Podla-prava-mal-prezident-ulozit-Tisovi-milost.html+tiso+narodny+sud&hl=de&gl=de&ct=clnk&cd=1&client=firefox-a

--Mt7 17:17, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Tiso was sentenced from slovak national court with slovak judges and president Benes had have right to give him amnesty, voting of goverment was only a formal matter, Benes did know from scratch outcome - that was as sure as fate. --Mt7 15:40, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

In the last days of WW2, Tiso fled to Austria and later Bavaria. He was arrested in Altoetting in july 1945, while hiding in a capchuin monastery and handed over to the new czechoslovak goverment in october 1945. Maybe, someone can add this to the article? 85.181.39.245 16:10, 24 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Available Biography[edit]

Is there an English language biography of Tiso available, or at least a book that covers his role in the Slovakia state?

Regarding neutrality of the article, I think that there isn't enough evidence in the article of his facilitation or acquiesence of crimes against humanity that would make his guilt a simple "fact" or this being another of case of the "winners" shooting the "losers".

Philippe Petain's collaboration in crimes against humanity is better documented. and he was convicted of treason, and he was not executed in comparison. patsw 21:54, 8 November 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Where does the article state he is guilty of crimes against humanity? From what I read it says he was charged with "internal treason, treason of the Slovak National Uprising and collaboration with Nazism". And that his death sentence and execution were controversial. I don't know anything about Petain, and I think concerns for Petain's article should be listed on that talk page.--BirgitteSB 17:36, 11 November 2007 (UTC)[reply]
"Collaboration with Nazism" is not merely a matter of ideology but the mass murder of non-combatants, particularly the Jews, which now comprises about a third of the article. Someone familiar with Tiso's biography could document his role in that "collaboration" better. patsw 14:02, 12 November 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Are you saying that he was not charged with "Collaboration with Nazism" after WWII?--BirgitteSB 14:07, 12 November 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Is there an English language biography of Tiso available, or at least a book that covers his role in the Slovakia state? patsw 17:00, 12 November 2007 (UTC)[reply]

There is - look up "Slovak History" by Anton Spiesz, the English version of "Dejiny Slovenska". It's a general Slovak history book but spends a *lot* of time on Tiso, especially on the collaboration and deportation questions and on his execution. I can't judge whether it's POV though. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.132.12.242 (talk) 00:06, 18 February 2008 (UTC)[reply]

See James Mace Ward, Priest, Politician, Collaborator: Jozef Tiso and the Making of Fascist Slovakia (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2013). — Preceding unsigned comment added by 199.168.75.155 (talk) 02:39, 7 February 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Tiso as Catholic Priest[edit]

There needs to be some more information on Father Tiso as a Roman Catholic priest. There's no mention of which order he belonged to, his ecclesiastic superiors or whether he was declared a Martyr of the Church. David Cheater (talk) 00:05, 18 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

About what is this artcle ?[edit]

I agree with David Cheater No mention he was Doctor of Moral Theology etc. This article has not character of autobiography, rather it is biased article about WWII Slovak Republic. Wikipedia should be encyklopedia and not anti fascist forum. Biasad because of using - Leader instead of President - "Indepedant" in quotation when their using in ironical sense Beter is using normal statment that WWII Slovakia was puppet state without irony.

== Antisemitism on czech wikipediea - help needed == Dear wikipedians. I would like to ask for help those of you who speak czech. On czech wikipedia, there are two people who spoil the Tiso article with many citations of Ďurica, a Slovak revisionist adoring Tiso and the Ludak regime. These citations are very biased, some Durica's claims are meaningless or/and antisemitic, but I'm alone there against two, they don't discuss rationally and other czech wikipedians do not seem to be interested in this topic, so I lack any support. Thanks a lot for your help. Franp9am (talk) 12:22, 12 April 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Was Tiso a president?[edit]

The Article is linked to President of Slovakia but Tiso's name isn't in the list of presidents (or even mentioned). Virant (talk) 18:39, 17 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

I think he should be not in this category. There is not a state continuity between the fascist war state and today's Slovakia. Or maybe the category (and article) President of Slovakia should be specified more, I don't know. Franp9am (talk) 21:25, 8 July 2012 (UTC)[reply]
removed - category only applies to present Slovak Republic--Smerus (talk) 09:32, 18 January 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Tiso and Deportations[edit]

Would somebody please revise this section:

"His power was limited and until now there is no proof that he signed deportations of Jews to concentration camps even though the Slovak Parliament accepted a bill (May 1942) deciding the deportation of the Jews."

The Constitutional Law on the Deportations (68/1942) was in fact signed by Tiso. This entire section whitewashes his support for the 1942 deportations. For the most recent scholarship on this point, see Ward, Priest, Politician, Collaborator, Chapter 7. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.9.236.15 (talk) 23:01, 8 November 2013 (UTC)[reply]

done.--Smerus (talk) 09:25, 18 January 2014 (UTC)[reply]


Jozef Tiso was not able to reject the formation of the Slovak State (later the Slovak Republic). Slovakia was threatened Hungary, Poland and Germany. The Slovak Republic was Slovaks good state with very limited democracy. Totalitarian regime was (ruled by one party). Officials were exclusively members of the Tiso Hlinka´s Slovak People's Party. Tiso was (like most Slovaks) anti-Semite religious and social reasons. This is as inexcusable as Nazi anti-Semitism. Tiso knew how the Jews will end and went voluntarily 52000 (other sources: 70,000) Slovak Jews to death (concentration camp in Ilava). As President approved and signed the anti-Jewish laws (loss of property, marking the yellow star, decommissioning of the nation). Deportations were only a consequence. These Tiso not signed it because it was not necessary (it was a government regulation, not law). His speeches were strongly anti-Semitic. He was repeatedly criticized by the Vatican and episcopate Slovak Republic. Tiso, who supported the establishment of the Czechoslovak Republic and the election of President Benes, completely sided with Hitler. This position, however, did not understand the Slovaks as "bad" and "anti-Slovak". Slovaks fought against the Allies after the war and had not been back connected with the Czech Republic, they would be exposed to very severe economic sanctions (reparation) with the risk of disintegration of the Slovak Republic (post-war Czechoslovak Republic lost the eastern part of the territory occupied by the Russians). Tiso knew. He escaped to Austria. She was captured by the Americans and handed over to Slovakia. There was similarly judged in Bratislava, was judged as the Protectorate government with President Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia Hácha). These courts were certainly not completely fair. Death of President Tisa was a mistake and he had Beneš clemency. Communists in the government, however, were against it. Tiso has not been tried for war crimes. Dr. Tiso was up to his speeches rather moderate Slovaks, who were very nationalist Catholics. Nevertheless: Tiso was the first president of the Slovak Republic. He was the sole representative states that supported Hitler and Hitler were supported in their existence, who was executed (Mussolini, Petain, the Nuremberg Trials). At the end: ThDr. Jozef Tiso was monsignor the Catholic Church only during the pontificate of Pius XI, at the request of Bishop Kmeťko. After the death of the Pope, Bishop again recognition of this title did not ask for Tiso. Title Monsignor he is not entitled. The reason was the opposition of the Catholic hierarchy with the behavior of the Slovak Republic headed by the president - a priest. Z. Veselsky, PhD., MBA. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 90.182.221.2 (talk) 10:42, 22 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

United States...[edit]

I removed the last sentence of the fourth (penultimate) paragraph of the section "Slovak seccession":

With recognition of the Czechoslovak govt in exile USA delivered to that "government" aide-memoire with the same content, excluding territorial claims for pre-Munich borders and excluding cognisance of so called "legal continuity".

Aside from the poor English (that can be fixed) this sentence could be taken in two almost opposite meanings:

  1. "...with the same content, EXCEPT excluding territorial claims for pre-Munich borders and excluding cognisance..." (That is, the aide-memoire was the same as the British document except that it excluded (omitted) the part about not recognizing border and not recognized legal continuity)
  2. "...with the same content, THUS ALSO excluding territorial claims for pre-Munich borders and excluding cognisance..."

Since it's not clear and since these are basically opposite meanings, I deleted the sentence. Herostratus (talk) 03:51, 27 February 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Nationalist and revisionist edit[edit]

Can someone please undo the following edit: (cur | prev) 10:11, 28 May 2016‎ 86.154.105.98 (talk)‎ . . (22,833 bytes) (+1,126)‎.

This is a nationalist reworking of the previous text that introduces several false statements. The specific National Tribunal that hanged Tiso, for example, was dominated by Communists but was nonetheless a body of the Slovak government, which at the time was a coalition between Communists and Democrats.

More troubling is the claim introduced into the article that Slovak Jews were not exterminated in Auschwitz, as this evokes revisionism. For one thing, the contributor seeks to mitigate Slovak participation in the Holocaust by arguing that Slovak policy resulted only in Jews being worked to death rather than gassed. Besides being morally untenable, the argument is backed only by evidence that Slovak Jews worked at Monowitz, and that the killing process at Auschwitz was still evolving in spring 1942. Jews deemed incapable of work, however, were routinely killed, and a gas chamber was in operation in Birkenau already in June 1942. Slovak Jews moreover were not only sent to Auschwitz but also to death camps such as Belzec. See: http://www.yadvashem.org/yv/en/exhibitions/communities/bratislava/deportations.asp https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10007324 https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005189

I also question why Friedlander, a leading authority on the Holocaust, should be qualified as a "Jewish writer." — Preceding unsigned comment added by 141.35.40.136 (talk) 21:13, 28 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

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confusion with Tito?[edit]

Who is going to confuse Jozef Tiso and Josip Tito? I don't get it, it's so many different consonants, and a very uncommon form for the latter (it's usually either Josip Broz or Josip Broz Tito or just mononymously Tito). --Joy [shallot] (talk) 21:21, 3 November 2021 (UTC)[reply]

I agree. (t · c) buidhe 21:27, 3 November 2021 (UTC)[reply]
I also agree. CJ-Moki (talk) 06:10, 4 January 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Tiso was never tried for war crimes. He was tried for the crime of domestic treason, the crime of treason in the insurrection, the crime of collaboration. The verdict of the court is also available, in Slovak language. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 95.103.197.246 (talk) 22:01, 14 March 2023 (UTC)[reply]