- Karol Sidor
Karol Sidor (
July 16 1901 -October 20 1953 ) was afar right Slovaknationalist politician.A devout
Roman Catholic , he was born inRužomberok and came to politics early as a low-level supporter ofAndrej Hlinka . After finishing his education he joined theSlovak People's Party (SPP) and became one of its leading members on the pro-Poland wing. Before long however he would become associated with theFerdinand Ďurčanský and theVojtech Tuka wings of the party. He was elected to parliament in 1935 and, ironically given his early ideas, was chosen to argue against Poland's claims on Slovak territory.Sidor was also commander of the
Hlinka Guard and had been touted as a successor to the priest, although this did not happen. He was given the position of Minister for Slovak Affairs by the Czechoslovakian government in 1938, a role which took him away from the radicals of the SPP, allowingJozef Tiso to take control ahead of him. Wary ofNazi Germany , he served as Minister of the Interior for little over a month in 1939 before their pressure forced him out. Sidor was a stronganti-Semite but nevertheless he had reservations about the Nazis and would later serve in only the very minor role of Minister to theHoly See .As the war ended he left Czechoslovakia for the west, ultimately settling in
Montreal . He was sentenced "in absentia" to 20 years by a Czech court in 1947, although he died inCanada without serving the sentence.References
*
Philip Rees , "Biographical Dictionary of the Extreme Right Since 1890 ", pp. 356-357
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