The Sixth Battalion
Encyclopedia
The Sixth Battalion is a 1998 documentary film
that examines the little known history of Jewish soldiers who fought for the Slovak Republic, which was closely aligned with Nazi Germany
during World War II
. The documentary combines interviews with archival footage and photographs of the Slovak Republic in order to provide a brief history of the state, exploring the rise of antisemitism and how it affected these Jewish soldiers.
if we didn't achieve the quota.” Forced to take on grueling construction projects for the army, these Jews were treated as a lower class of soldiers who constantly faced the possibility of being deported to concentration camps.
In 1939, Adolf Hitler
suggested that the Slovak Republic split from Czechoslovakia
. After a unanimous vote in their parliament, the Slovak Republic was formed. But the new nation, small and impressionable, became a puppet for Nazi Germany.
The first Prime Minister
, Jozef Tiso
, spouted anti-Semitic statements that echoed Hitler. “Is it not humane if the Slovak people want to get rid of their perpetual enemy—the Jew? Is it not Christian
?” his booming voice once asked. Answering his own question, he continued “The precept of love to thy self is God given, and this command for love for myself commands me to get rid of everything that is harmful to me—everything that threatens my life… We act according to God's will. Slovak! Get rid of thy pest!”
Strong antisemitic propaganda
was also spread in newspapers and magazines, paving the way for deportations and the systematic extermination of Eastern European Jewry during the Holocaust
.
Then, young, able bodied Jewish men were forced to serve in the army. They were discriminated against and most of their service was spent building infrastructure for the state. “We took the pick axes and shovels we had cleaned the day before and went to dig the canal,” remembers one soldier, “it was a hard and exhausting job.” Many of the bridges and streets they built are still in use.
The documentary shares their private stories. Often, instead of being applauded for good deeds, the soldiers were simply subject to more antisemitism. While off duty, one young soldier leaped into a river to save a girl from drowning. Once she was safe and on shore, a crowd formed around the two of them. When the mob began to whisper that he was a Jew, and grew suspicious of his association with the girl, the soldier became fearful for his own life, refused to disclose his name, and ran away.
The Jewish soldiers of the Sixth Battalion witnessed the atrocities of war from many angles. In addition to facing the grueling hardships of military life, they experienced prejudice
themselves and watched helplessly as their friends and family members were deported. Their ability to work and remain useful to the state saved their own lives, but experiencing incredible inhumanity filled them with rage and sorrow.
Other documentaries about Jews during World War II:
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
that examines the little known history of Jewish soldiers who fought for the Slovak Republic, which was closely aligned with Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The documentary combines interviews with archival footage and photographs of the Slovak Republic in order to provide a brief history of the state, exploring the rise of antisemitism and how it affected these Jewish soldiers.
Summary
“Everywhere there were fleas and bugs. We slept in barns,” remembers one former soldier, “the work was very hard—I worked with a pick ax and shovel. The foreman threatened that we would be sent away to PolandPoland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
if we didn't achieve the quota.” Forced to take on grueling construction projects for the army, these Jews were treated as a lower class of soldiers who constantly faced the possibility of being deported to concentration camps.
In 1939, 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...
suggested that the Slovak Republic split from Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
. After a unanimous vote in their parliament, the Slovak Republic was formed. But the new nation, small and impressionable, became a puppet for Nazi Germany.
The first Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
, 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...
, spouted anti-Semitic statements that echoed Hitler. “Is it not humane if the Slovak people want to get rid of their perpetual enemy—the Jew? Is it not Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
?” his booming voice once asked. Answering his own question, he continued “The precept of love to thy self is God given, and this command for love for myself commands me to get rid of everything that is harmful to me—everything that threatens my life… We act according to God's will. Slovak! Get rid of thy pest!”
Strong antisemitic propaganda
Propaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
was also spread in newspapers and magazines, paving the way for deportations and the systematic extermination of Eastern European Jewry during the Holocaust
The Holocaust
The Holocaust , also known as the Shoah , was the genocide of approximately six million European Jews and millions of others during World War II, a programme of systematic state-sponsored murder by Nazi...
.
Then, young, able bodied Jewish men were forced to serve in the army. They were discriminated against and most of their service was spent building infrastructure for the state. “We took the pick axes and shovels we had cleaned the day before and went to dig the canal,” remembers one soldier, “it was a hard and exhausting job.” Many of the bridges and streets they built are still in use.
The documentary shares their private stories. Often, instead of being applauded for good deeds, the soldiers were simply subject to more antisemitism. While off duty, one young soldier leaped into a river to save a girl from drowning. Once she was safe and on shore, a crowd formed around the two of them. When the mob began to whisper that he was a Jew, and grew suspicious of his association with the girl, the soldier became fearful for his own life, refused to disclose his name, and ran away.
The Jewish soldiers of the Sixth Battalion witnessed the atrocities of war from many angles. In addition to facing the grueling hardships of military life, they experienced prejudice
Prejudice
Prejudice is making a judgment or assumption about someone or something before having enough knowledge to be able to do so with guaranteed accuracy, or "judging a book by its cover"...
themselves and watched helplessly as their friends and family members were deported. Their ability to work and remain useful to the state saved their own lives, but experiencing incredible inhumanity filled them with rage and sorrow.
See also
- Holocaust
- Slovak Republic
- History of the Jews in Russia and the Soviet UnionHistory of the Jews in Russia and the Soviet UnionThe vast territories of the Russian Empire at one time hosted the largest populations of Jews in the diaspora. Within these territories the Jewish community flourished and developed many of modern Judaism's most distinctive theological and cultural traditions, while also facing periods of...
- History of antisemitism
Other documentaries about Jews during World War II:
- Marion's TriumphMarion's TriumphMarion's Triumph is a 2003 documentary that tells the story of Marion Blumenthal Lazan, a child Holocaust survivor, who recounts her painful childhood memories in order to preserve history. The film combines rare historic footage, animated flashbacks, and family photographs to illustrate the...
- Pola's MarchPola's MarchPola's March is a 2001 documentary made by Jonathan Gruber about a Holocaust survivor, Pola Susswein's emotional trip back to her childhood home in Poland after fifty years spent in Israel, trying to forget her painful past.-Summary:...
- A Story about a Bad DreamA Story about a Bad DreamA Story about a Bad Dream was made in 2000 by director Pavel Stingl and brings to life the diary of Eva Erbenova, a little girl who survived the Holocaust...
- Chaim Rumkowski and the Jews of Lodz
- Goodbye HollandGoodbye HollandGoodbye Holland is a 2004 documentary about the extermination of Dutch Jews during World War II. The film debunks the accepted notion that the Dutch were 'good' during the war, exposing how Dutch police and civil servants helped the Nazis implement massive deportations, which resulted in the death...
- Paradise CampParadise CampParadise Camp is a 1986 documentary about Theresienstadt concentration camp in Czechoslovakia. Unlike other Holocaust camps, Jews entered Theresianstadt willingly, even eagerly, because Nazi lies led them to believe it would be a peaceful retreat. The deception continued even after it was clear...
- Shadows of MemoryShadows of MemoryShadows of Memory is a 2000 documentary by Claudia von Alemann that describes the rise and fall of Hitler from the perspective of a Nazi supporter—Alemann's 84-year-old mother.-Summary:...
- The Boys of BuchenwaldThe Boys of BuchenwaldThe Boys of Buchenwald is a 2002 documentary film that examines how the child survivors of the Buchenwald concentration camp had to assimilate themselves back into normal society after having experienced the brutality of the Holocaust...
- They Were Not SilentThey Were Not SilentThey Were Not Silent is a documentary about the Jewish Labor Committee's anti-Nazi movement in America before, during and after World War II. The film features rare archival footage and photographs along with interviews with labor veterans, Holocaust survivors and scholars...