Struggle of the Czechoslovak Communist Party for Slovakia during the defending of Slovakia and the uplift of its schools and science (On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Plan of Economic, Social and Cultural Uplift of Slovakia)

In this contribution the author makes an analysis of the reasons to hold an allterritory conference of the Czechoslovak Communist Party on the 16th and 17th May 1937 in Banská Bystrica. During this conference a significant historic document entitled „The Plan of Economic, Social and Cultural Uplift of Slovakia“ was discussed and approved. The conference was held in the situation of an inmediate exposure to a threat to the wholeness and independence of Czechoslovakia by reactionary Hitler’s facist powers from abroad, and their nationalist and separatist agencies at home.
It was the Czechoslovak Communist Party above all that raised the voice against that exposure to danger It called all people of the two nations of Czechoslovakia and its minorities to defend democracy and the Republic. From the tribune of its Vllth Congress the Party asked for forming a united and democratic front made from the nations and minorities of the CSR for the defence of the Republic. To make the forming of such an antifacist front possible, it was necessary to solve national problems in the CSR, those problems having been a lasting problem caused by the lack of capacities of the ruling classes. This was misused especially by Henlein’s and Hlinka’s followers and by the iredentists for disturbing the integrity, and for separatism in favour of Hitler and facism.
It was therefore suggested to the Czechoslovak government to solve the situation of the Germans, Hungarians, and Slovaks above all, at once. At the same time suggestions for such a solvation were elaborated A democratic, social and cultural balance as well as the uplift and the principle of equality were claimed here. The same character was presented also in the document „The Plan of an Allround Uplift of Slovakia“ which was elaborated with the participation of Slovak Communists, and which proved significant in the fight of Slovakia and during the defence of the Republic. Even from the point of view of pedagogics and the history of the Slovak school system this document was very significant. We are sorry to say that the bourgeois government did not admit its realization, not even in the fatal years of the Republic. It was realized only under the conditions of socialism in the Czechoslovak Social Republic.