Ferdinand Durcanský
Encyclopedia
Doctor Ferdinand Ďurčanský (December 18, 1906 – March 15, 1974) was a Slovak
nationalist leader who for a time served with the collaboration
ist government of Jozef Tiso
.
, he was educated at the Institute des Hautes Études Internationales in Paris, the University of Bratislava and Hague Academy of International Law
, receiving his law doctorate and working as a professor of law in Bratislava
.
Ďurčanský gained a grounding in nationalism in the universities. With Rodobrana
declining in influence during the mid 1930s, the focus of Slovak extreme nationalist discontent shifted onto the journal Nástup, which had a university student and graduate readership and which was edited by Ďurčanský. Unlike some of his contemporaries, who advocated autonomy
, Ďurčanský was a supporter of a fully independent Slovakia and when he and Jozef Tiso
visited Adolf Hitler
in 1938 it was only Ďurčanský who pressed the Nazi leader on the issue.
administration of Vojtech Tuka
, with Ďurčanský himself serving as Minister for Home and Foreign Affairs. This was not to last long, however, as the Germans felt that he had too many Jewish associates and, despite his efforts to save his position by ordering shops to display anti-Jewish signs, he was dismissed.
Tiso attempted to recall him in 1944 but the Nazis refused. Nonetheless, he remained a strong supporter of Tiso and collaboration, attempting to organise resistance to the Soviet Union
until early 1945 when he fled to Austria
.
accepted Czechoslovak charges that he had been paid by the Nazi secret service and had been complicit in the deaths of Jews. Condemned to death in absentia, he nevertheless escaped to the west in 1945 and became a stern critic of the communist regime. According to Mark Aarons
and John Loftus
Ďurčanský was a member of Intermarium, an underground anti-communist network with its headquarters in Paris that played a leading role in helping Nazis escape justice after the war and which was under the control of British inteligence. Having fled to the Vatican
, Ďurčanský was said to have linked up with other like-minded members of the group in order to conspire to restore the Slovak regime as well as other rightist totalitarian regimes in the newly communising states of Eastern Europe. To this end Ďurčanský made daily broadcasts to the Slovak areas of Czechoslovakia (according to the New York Times) whilst also publishing leaflets stating that he would soon return to take over as Prime Minister of an independent Slovakia. He established his own Slovak Liberation Committee as a basis for such plots although his attempts were severely undermined in September 1947 when General Ferjenčík concluded an investigation in which he revealed full details of Ďurčanský's group, as well as the level of infiltration by communist agents. Ferjenčík's report was used as the basis for a full takeover by the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia
. The speed with which his coup plot collapsed and the completeness of communist knowledge led to speculation amongst British intelligence that Ďurčanský was in fact a double agent but no evidence was forthcoming and before long he had risen to become President of Intermarium.
. He had for some time been under the protection of British agent Kim Philby
and when he was appointed Senior Liaison Officer to the USA and Canada
in 1949 he attempted to arrange for Ďurčanský to be moved to North America
. However at this point the Central Intelligence Agency
had thrown its weight behind a moderate group called the Czech Democrats and rejected the chance to work with a Slovak separatist with a collaborationist background. Philby did however manage to secure entry into Canada on a British visa in December 1950 Ďurčanský and he made the country his base of operations for the next few years and visited the country regularly on speaking engagements into the 1970s.
Ďurčanský returned to Europe
in 1952, settling in Munich
and conducting much of his work on behalf of Slovak independence from West Germany
. However he spoke to various Slovak groups in the United States in 1959 with the United States Department of State
claiming that he was granted a visa as 'membership in or affiliation with the defunct Nazi Party in itself no longer constitutes a ground of ineligibility.' His work against the Czechoslovak communist regime included spells as President of both the Slovak Committee for Action Abroad and the Anti-Bolshevik Bloc of Nations
. He also wrote extensively for rightist journals such as Nation Europa
, Zeitschrift für Geopolitik and Politische Studien.
Ďurčanský died of natural causes in Munich
.
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
nationalist leader who for a time served with the collaboration
Collaboration
Collaboration is working together to achieve a goal. It is a recursive process where two or more people or organizations work together to realize shared goals, — for example, an intriguing endeavor that is creative in nature—by sharing...
ist government of Jozef Tiso
Jozef Tiso
Jozef Tiso was a Slovak Roman Catholic priest, politician of the Slovak People's Party, and Nazi collaborator. Between 1939 and 1945, Tiso was the head of the Slovak State, a satellite state of Nazi Germany...
.
Nationalism
Born in RajecRajec
Rajec is a town in the Žilina District, Žilina Region in northern Slovakia.-History:The first written record about Rajec was in 1193 as Raich, in a document issued by King Bela III. The first mention as a town comes from 1397....
, he was educated at the Institute des Hautes Études Internationales in Paris, the University of Bratislava and Hague Academy of International Law
Hague Academy of International Law
The Hague Academy of International Law is a center for high-level education in both public and private international law housed in the Peace Palace in The Hague, The Netherlands...
, receiving his law doctorate and working as a professor of law in Bratislava
Bratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
.
Ďurčanský gained a grounding in nationalism in the universities. With Rodobrana
Rodobrana
Rodobrana was a Slovak paramilitary organization of the Slovak People's Party. The organization existed from 1923 to 1927 in Czechoslovakia, when the authorities ordered its dissolution, though many of its members continued to function in other party organizations. It was a predecessor of the...
declining in influence during the mid 1930s, the focus of Slovak extreme nationalist discontent shifted onto the journal Nástup, which had a university student and graduate readership and which was edited by Ďurčanský. Unlike some of his contemporaries, who advocated autonomy
Autonomy
Autonomy is a concept found in moral, political and bioethical philosophy. Within these contexts, it is the capacity of a rational individual to make an informed, un-coerced decision...
, Ďurčanský was a supporter of a fully independent Slovakia and when he and Jozef Tiso
Jozef Tiso
Jozef Tiso was a Slovak Roman Catholic priest, politician of the Slovak People's Party, and Nazi collaborator. Between 1939 and 1945, Tiso was the head of the Slovak State, a satellite state of Nazi Germany...
visited Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
in 1938 it was only Ďurčanský who pressed the Nazi leader on the issue.
Under the Nazis
His followers, who came to be known as the 'Young Generation', held a number of posts in the Slovak People's PartySlovak People's Party
The Slovak People's Party was a Slovak right-wing party and was described as a fascist and...
administration of Vojtech Tuka
Vojtech Tuka
Vojtech "Béla" Tuka was the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic between 1940 and 1945. Tuka was one the main forces behind the deportation of Slovak Jews to Nazi concentration camps in Poland...
, with Ďurčanský himself serving as Minister for Home and Foreign Affairs. This was not to last long, however, as the Germans felt that he had too many Jewish associates and, despite his efforts to save his position by ordering shops to display anti-Jewish signs, he was dismissed.
Tiso attempted to recall him in 1944 but the Nazis refused. Nonetheless, he remained a strong supporter of Tiso and collaboration, attempting to organise resistance to the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
until early 1945 when he fled to Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
.
Plot exposed
The United Nations War Crimes CommissionUnited Nations War Crimes Commission
The United Nations War Crimes Commission was a commission of the United Nations that investigated allegations of war crimes committed by the Nazi Germany and its allies in World War II.The Commission began its work at the behest of the United States and the other Allied nations in 1943, prior to...
accepted Czechoslovak charges that he had been paid by the Nazi secret service and had been complicit in the deaths of Jews. Condemned to death in absentia, he nevertheless escaped to the west in 1945 and became a stern critic of the communist regime. According to Mark Aarons
Mark Aarons
Mark Aarons is an Australian journalist and author. He was a political adviser to NSW Premier Bob Carr.Aarons was born in Newcastle, New South Wales but was brought up in Sydney. He was educated at Fairfield Boys High School and North Sydney Boys High School.He is the son of the late Laurie...
and John Loftus
John Loftus
John Joseph Loftus is an American author, former US government prosecutor and former Army intelligence officer. He is a president of The Intelligence Summit and, although he is not Jewish, a president of the Florida Holocaust Museum. Loftus also serves on the Board of Advisers to Public...
Ďurčanský was a member of Intermarium, an underground anti-communist network with its headquarters in Paris that played a leading role in helping Nazis escape justice after the war and which was under the control of British inteligence. Having fled to the Vatican
Vatican City
Vatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of...
, Ďurčanský was said to have linked up with other like-minded members of the group in order to conspire to restore the Slovak regime as well as other rightist totalitarian regimes in the newly communising states of Eastern Europe. To this end Ďurčanský made daily broadcasts to the Slovak areas of Czechoslovakia (according to the New York Times) whilst also publishing leaflets stating that he would soon return to take over as Prime Minister of an independent Slovakia. He established his own Slovak Liberation Committee as a basis for such plots although his attempts were severely undermined in September 1947 when General Ferjenčík concluded an investigation in which he revealed full details of Ďurčanský's group, as well as the level of infiltration by communist agents. Ferjenčík's report was used as the basis for a full takeover by the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia
Communist Party of Czechoslovakia
The Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, in Czech and in Slovak: Komunistická strana Československa was a Communist and Marxist-Leninist political party in Czechoslovakia that existed between 1921 and 1992....
. The speed with which his coup plot collapsed and the completeness of communist knowledge led to speculation amongst British intelligence that Ďurčanský was in fact a double agent but no evidence was forthcoming and before long he had risen to become President of Intermarium.
Later activity
Having had his plot exposed Ďurčanský took advantage of the ratlines in operation to escape to ArgentinaArgentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. He had for some time been under the protection of British agent Kim Philby
Kim Philby
Harold Adrian Russell "Kim" Philby was a high-ranking member of British intelligence who worked as a spy for and later defected to the Soviet Union...
and when he was appointed Senior Liaison Officer to the USA and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in 1949 he attempted to arrange for Ďurčanský to be moved to North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. However at this point the Central Intelligence Agency
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
had thrown its weight behind a moderate group called the Czech Democrats and rejected the chance to work with a Slovak separatist with a collaborationist background. Philby did however manage to secure entry into Canada on a British visa in December 1950 Ďurčanský and he made the country his base of operations for the next few years and visited the country regularly on speaking engagements into the 1970s.
Ďurčanský returned to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
in 1952, settling in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
and conducting much of his work on behalf of Slovak independence from West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
. However he spoke to various Slovak groups in the United States in 1959 with the United States Department of State
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
claiming that he was granted a visa as 'membership in or affiliation with the defunct Nazi Party in itself no longer constitutes a ground of ineligibility.' His work against the Czechoslovak communist regime included spells as President of both the Slovak Committee for Action Abroad and the Anti-Bolshevik Bloc of Nations
Anti-Bolshevik Bloc of Nations
Anti-Bolshevik Bloc of Nations was a co-ordinating center for anti-Communist émigré political organizations from Soviet and other socialist countries. The A.B.N. formation dates back to an underground conference of representatives of non-Russian peoples that took place on November 1943, near...
. He also wrote extensively for rightist journals such as Nation Europa
Nation Europa
Nation Europa is a monthly magazine, published in Germany, that was originally established in support of Pan-European nationalism...
, Zeitschrift für Geopolitik and Politische Studien.
Ďurčanský died of natural causes in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
.