Slovakia - Military Chronicle [antikvár]

Slovakia's past, and its aeoDOlitical coordinates In view of Its geographical position and natural terrain, Slovakia's territory has never been one of Europe's more densely Inhabited regions, nor has it become a geostrategic or a geopolitical focus for historical developments. Despite this, the destiny of this small country lying more on the periphery than at the centre of events, has not saved Slovakia and its people from being exposed to military and violent conflicts. The centuries-long competition among ethnicities, nations and states to impose hegemony across central Europe and the Carpathian Basin reflected the struggle to exert strategic control over migrations and movement In the Danubian corridor, which links Europe's west to east, and north to south. Although the Danube River only crosses the south of Slovakia, it has played a major role in defining the geopolitical space of our country The wars, military operations and campaigns associated with Slovakia's subjugation and annexation, whether they occurred In the distant or recent past, brought about far-reaching changes in all walks of life for the winning and losing communities. Reasons for conquering other nations were numerous. Among the most common was the desire to seize a country's human and material resources, while simultaneously taking control of Its geographical area and strategic routes. The geographical factor has played a crucial role in military invasions throughout the history of Slovakia. The fact that the Carpathian Mountains can only be traversed from Moravia and Poland via a handful of passes and river crossings bolstered the defences of Slovakia and the central parts of the Carpathian Basin from the east and the north. Especially in the past, the planning and conduct of military operations was determined by natural and climatic conditions. These often proved more decisive in terms of the final outcome of battles than superiority in manpower. In general, flat and open spaces benefited Invaders, whereas Inaccessible terrain favoured defenders. Depending on potential and real adversaries, the centre of the defence would be relocated, as would the assembly areas for launching attacks and counterattacks. Relations with neighbouring countries were an equally Important factor in the country's defence. The Slovak nation has never been populous, which is best illustrated by the fact that all the neighbouring states have populations at least twice as big as Slovakia's. In fact, the Slovak Republic as a country and the sovereign state of the Slovak people emerged as late as the 20th century Until then, thousands of Slovak soldiers had served with other foreign militaries. This Is the main reason why it took so long to establish our own military Identity