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Germany-Sloavkia relations

After Nazi Germany threatened to annex part of Slovakia, allowing the remaining regions to be partitioned by Hungary and Poland, Slovakia chose to maintain its national and territorial integrity, seceding from Czecho-Slovakia in March 1939, and allying itself, as demanded by Germany, with Hitler's coalition.

During World War II, Slovakia was an ally of Nazi Germany as part of the Axis. The Slovak Republic under President Josef Tiso signed the Tripartite Pact on November 24, 1940.

Slovakia had been closely aligned with Germany almost immediately from its declaration of independence from Czechoslovakia on March 14, 1939.

Slovakia entered into a treaty of protection Schutzvertrag with Germany on March 23, 1939.

This treaty aligned Slovakia's foreign and defence policies with Germany, and allowed German troops to form a protection zone in the western parts of Slovakia.

Slovak troops joined the German invasion of Poland, having interest in Spiš and Orava. Those two regions (alongside with Cieszyn Silesia) were divided and disputed between Poland and Czechoslovakia since 1918, until the Poles fully annexed them following the Munich agreement.

After the September Campaign, Slovakia reclaimed control of those territories.
Slovakia declared war on the Soviet Union in 1941 and signed the revived Anti-Comintern Pact of 1941.

Slovak troops fought on Germany's Eastern Front, with Slovakia furnishing Germany with two divisions totalling 20,000 men.

During the war, approximately 70,000 Slovak Jews were sent to concentration camps to perish in the Holocaust.

In September 1942, a Slovak-German treaty was signed detailing the conditions for the deportation of Slovak Jews.

Following the creation of democratic Slovakia and German reunification, both countries traded under a free market economy.
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Latvia; Both countries established direct diplomatic relations on January 1, 1993. Latvia is represented in Slovakia through its embassy in Vienna (Austria). Slovakia has an embassy in Riga. Both countries are full members of NATO and of the European Union. Latvian Foreign Minister Indulis Berzins and his Slovak counterpart Eduard Kukan met in Riga in 2000.

"Relations between Latvia and Slovakia are good and have a potential for development, Latvian Foreign Minister Indulis Berzins and his Slovak counterpart Eduard Kukan agreed in the talks in Riga today. Latvia and Slovakia have common foreign policy aims which facilitate bilateral relations and discussions. Berzins and Kukan agreed that both countries were interested in development of a political dialogue, cooperation between foreign and defence ministries, as well as..."

I'm assuming these two get along
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Russia; Russia–Slovakia relations date back to when diplomatic relations were established upon Slovakia gaining its independence on January 1, 1993.

After it became clear that the Soviet Red Army was going to push the Nazis out of eastern and central Europe, an anti-Nazi resistance movement launched a fierce armed insurrection, known as the Slovak National Uprising, near the end of summer 1944. A bloody German occupation and a guerilla war followed. The territory of Slovakia was liberated by Soviet and Romanian forces by the end of April 1945.

Russia opened its embassy in Bratislava in 1993. Slovakia also has an embassy in Moscow.

Both countries are strongly opposed to the 2008 independence of Kosovo and have refused to recognize and establish diplomatic relations with Kosovo.
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Cuisine;
Pork, beef and poultry are the main meats consumed in Slovakia, with pork being substantially the most popular. Chicken is the most widely eaten poultry, followed by duck, goose, and turkey. A blood sausage called jaternice, made from any and all parts of a butchered pig, also has a following. Game, especially boar, rabbit, and venison, are generally available throughout the year. Lamb and goat are eaten but are not widely popular.

Wine is enjoyed throughout Slovakia. Slovak wine comes predominantly from the southern areas along the Danube and its tributaries; the northern half of the country is too cold and mountainous to grow grapevines. Traditionally, white wine was more popular than red or rosé (except in some regions), and sweet wine more popular than dry, but in recent years tastes seem to be changing.Beer (mainly of the pilsener style, though dark lagers are also consumed) is also popular throughout the country.

Wine it is then!
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Music;
Popular music began to replace folk music beginning in the 1950s, when Slovakia was still part of Czechoslovakia; American jazz, R&B, and rock and roll were popular, alongside waltzes, polkas, and czardas, among other folk forms. By the end of the 1950s, radios were common household items, though only state stations were legal. Slovak popular music began as a mix of bossa nova, cool jazz, and rock, with propagandistic lyrics. Dissenters listened to ORF (Austrian Radio), Radio Luxembourg, or Slobodná Európa (Radio Free Europe), which played more rock.

Due to Czechoslovak isolation, the domestic market was active and many original bands evolved. Slovakia had a very strong pop culture during 1970s and 1980s. This movement brought many original bands with their own unique interpretations of modern music. The quality of socialist music was very high. Stars such as Karel Gott, Olympic, Pražský výběr (from Czechia) or Elán, Modus, Tublatanka, Team (from Slovakia) and many others were highly acclaimed and many recorded their LP's in foreign languages.

After the Velvet Revolution and the declaration of the Slovak state, domestic music dramatically diversified as free enterprise encouraged the formation of new bands and the development of new genres of music. Soon, however, major labels brought pop music to Slovakia and drove many of the small companies out of business. The 1990s, American grunge and alternative rock, and Britpop have a wide following, as well as a new found enthusiasm for musicals.

Slovak stereotypes;




Many foreign tourists can experience culture shock in Slovakia because of another culture, different attitudes and a different way of life. There are a few topics in which you should be attentive:
Clothes are socially important, especially in large cities. If you are not well-dressed, be prepared for stares. Your shoes should be polished and when you enter someone’s house, you are expected to leave your shoes at the door. Your host will offer you a pair of slippers.
If you have a date, bring flowers, but always give an odd number (even numbered bouquets are reserved for funerals). Also if the flowers are wrapped in paper take them out before you present them.
Men should go first when entering the bar in case that there is a fight. You have to protect a woman.
When you are offered a drink, you are expected to clink glasses and to make eye contact. And don’t forget that Slovaks are quite passionate drinker.
Drivers are impatient and do not respect speed limits. It is rare to see a driver who goes prescribed speed (40 km/h) in a village.

It is said that Slovak people are hardworking, very friendly, hospitable, although they are not very rich.

Here's the definitive Slovakian stereotype:

Slovakians seem on the surface to be crude, dull-witted simpletons, but are really treacherous and secretive back-stabbers with a ruthless tactical intelligence who pretend to be poor, but have lots of hidden money.

They save and save for years and live like poor trash, and then come out of nowhere and pay cash for everything. They are natural chess masters, and will beat you at chess only two games after learning for the very first time. Their supernatural knack for chess generalizes to a general cold-blooded aptitude for playing people like a game of chess.

Young Slovak people are very often porn-star gorgeous -- they have naturally light bronze skin with light eyes and athletic, lean physiques. And young Slovaks are insatiably sexual, to the point of nymphomania.

Finally, Slovaks are naturally cruel and severe people, and their tempers swing wildly from frighteningly loving and obsessive, to murderously apathetic. Their humor is dark and sadistic, albeit a bit slow-witted and dumb.

And, oh yeah, they eat gruesome blood sausages and other horrors, routinely. Horror and severity are the central themes of their lives.

This is the Slovak stereotype.



* hate being called Czechoslovakians
* can drink incredible amounts of beer without getting drunk
* bohemians
* women are bulimic
* sneaky, clever
* drink too much
* attractive, sexy
* still poor from formerly being Eastern Bloc country
* play/listen folk music only
* love Slovakian remixes of American music
* communists
* not friendly to strangers
* sexists
* dark looking
* drink only cheap beer, hate other alcoholic drinks
* smoke too much
* big ice hockey fans