Creating the Paradigm of ‘New Nation’

Anton Hruboň

doi:10.1163/22116257-bja10032

Abstract

Abstract Despite its official Catholic nature, Jozef Tiso’s Slovak State apparatus adopted not only the teachings of the eugenic movement but also the racial-hygiene ideology of National Socialist Germany, which it gradually implemented into its political culture. This study presents how eugenic and racial-hygiene thinking was introduced into the structures of Hlinkova slovenská ľudová strana (HSĽS; Hlinka’s Slovak People’s Party), the self-governing party of independent Slovakia during the Second World War, against the backdrop of developmental trends in Europe. What is emphasized here is the gradual formation of the racial paradigm in the spirit of a eugenic and racial-hygiene framework, as well as the formation of a ‘pure Aryan Slovak nation’ cult, physically and mentally contrasting with racially-hygienically ‘unclean and degenerate’ Jews and Roma.

Highlights

Slovak Republic – Slovak State – fascism – eugenics – racism – biopolitics – Hlinkova slovenská ľudová strana
Despite its official Catholic nature, Jozef Tiso’s Slovak State apparatus adopted the teachings of the eugenic movement and the racial-hygiene ideology of National Socialist Germany, which it gradually implemented into its political culture
This study presents how eugenic and racial-hygiene thinking was introduced into the structures of Hlinkova slovenská ľudová strana, the selfgoverning party of independent Slovakia during the Second World War, against the backdrop of developmental trends in Europe

Summary

Introduction

Slovak Republic – Slovak State – fascism – eugenics – racism – biopolitics – Hlinkova slovenská ľudová strana (hsľs – Hlinka’s Slovak People’s Party). Within the biopolitical framework of the ruling Hlinkova slovenská ľudová strana [hsľs; Hlinka’s Slovak People’s Party], racial identity as a basic identification factor of the national community did not concern only the Jews, but all citizens of the state.[3]. The aim of this present study is to indicate how, against the background of the European eugenic movement that sought to qualitatively elevate the human race, a new kalocagathic mantra of ‘superior healthy race’ was formed in Slovakia within the Slovak State (1939–1945) in which racial principles became a core element of the self-governing hsľs policy. Tion is paid to reflections of eugenic thinking in social practice and the creation of racial identity during the hsľs regime,[4] which was influenced by the growth of eugenic culture in Europe as well as partially by the German racial-hygiene school, further radicalized after the nsdap came to power in Germany

Objectives

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Conclusion