SNP80: Caplovic: History Needs to be Interpreted to Youth in Modern Way

Bratislava, August 18 (TASR) - The history of the Slovak National Uprising (SNP) needs to be interpreted to young people in a modern manner, as they haven't experienced it, Military History Institute (VHU) director Miloslav Caplovic has told TASR on the occasion of the upcoming 80th anniversary of this event, adding that society must know history and learn from it. "Many politicians say that a nation that fails to learn from its history must repeat it. There's no need to talk about it, there's need to know the history. And what is important: we should pay more attention to this young generation knowing history," said Caplovic, adding that he belongs to the generation whose grandparents experienced the WWII and the SNP, but the younger generation has no such experience. According to Caplovic, the biggest heroes were SNP commanders. In addition to generals Jan Golian and Rudolf Viest, it was also colonel Karol Peknik, who was shot by the Nazis near the village of Pohronsky Bukovec (Banska Bystrica region) after the suppression of the Uprising. Caplovic also highlighted captain Frantisek Fajtl, who commanded the First Czechoslovak Fighter Regiment. The regiment flew to the territory of the Slovak State to help the insurgents. Society should not forget Colonel Vladimir Prikryl or General in memoriam Jan Cernek, who was pushed aside by the communist regime after the WWII. The allies' reaction to the SNP was positive; they welcomed an organised resistance in the rear of the enemy, said Caplovic. In the first weeks of SNP, they were helping it mainly materially, with air transport. The powers have divided their spheres of influence already before, and the Western aid was thus curtailed, explained the director. "It was decided that this territory would be in the sphere of influence of the Soviet Union after the war, so that's why they limited their help to military supplies, military aid, plus sending of intelligence officers who informed them about the situation in Slovakia," added Caplovic. The SNP was one of the largest armed revolts against Nazism in Europe. Some 60,000 Slovak soldiers, 18,000 partisans, as well as soldiers of the Czechoslovak foreign army took part in it. General Viest, who became the commander of the insurgent troops on October 6, 1944, issued the order to retreat to the mountains, and the insurgents switched to a partisan way of fighting. Commanders Viest and Golian were captured by the Germans in November 1944 and sentenced to death after interrogation by the Gestapo. ko