Vojtech Tuka: Slovak Prime Minister Behind the Deportation of 58,000 Jews

World History: True Stories of the 20th Century · Jul 3, 2026 · 14m

Vojtech Tuka was one of the most influential and dangerous figures of the wartime Slovak State—a politician whose ambition, ideology, and loyalty to Nazi Germany helped pave the way for the destruction of Slovakia’s Jewish community. His rise began long before World War II, shaped by radical nationalism, clerical fascism, and a fierce desire to break Slovakia away from Czechoslovakia. When Hitler dismantled the Czech lands in March 1939 and allowed the creation of a Nazi-controlled Slovak puppet state, Tuka quickly became one of its most powerful leaders.

As Prime Minister and later Foreign…