Unveiling Hidden Russophilia or Paradoxical Pragmatism? Slovak–Soviet Relations Under the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact

This article examines the short-lived episode of Slovak–Soviet relations between 1939 and 1941, framed by the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact and terminated by the German invasion of the USSR. Using archival and published sources, it analyses how the Hlinka Slovak People’s Party (HSĽS) reconciled its identity as a Christian, anti-Bolshevik movement with diplomatic accommodation of Moscow. The study demonstrates the structural dependency of Slovak foreign policy on the German Reich, showing that the establishment, development and collapse of relations with the Soviet Union were contingent on German strategic choices rather than Slovak initiative. It also highlights Slovak elites’ attempts to exploit the geopolitical window to expand autonomy, nurturing illusory hopes of a Bratislava–Moscow axis to counterbalance Berlin. Ultimately, pragmatic calculation outweighed Russophile or Slavophile rhetoric. The Slovak case thus illustrates the constrained agency of small Axis states, the malleability of ideology under hegemonic domination and the volatility of fascist diplomacy.