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A Pdf to See This Article As It Appears in Print Slovak World Congress (SWC) and Canadian Slovak League (CSL) journalists finally exposed his Nazi past.14 Created While Tiso While Tiso was executed for war and led by Nazi was executed for war crimes, crimes in 1947 by Czechoslovakia’s elect- collaborators and ed communist government, the SWC and their allies—the Toronto- two of his worst cronies, Jozef CSL hailed him as a national hero. On the based SWC and CSL— Kirschbaum and 50th anniversary of his death, CSL Toronto enjoyed many decades of Ferdinand Dur- held a Sunday church event to honour him. Cold-War support from the The day cansky, escaped Jozef Kirschbaum gave the commemorative Canadian government and after he met their trials. Given speech. The CSL raised funds to help buy corporate media, which Tiso’s home for use as a museum to exalt Hitler, Jozef safe haven by shared their toxic, his memory. Involved in that project were Tiso declared Canada’s Liberal anti-Red social various leaders including CSL president Ste- a “free” Slovakia. government, they psychosis phen Kovacic,15 who represented the CSL President Tiso’s Nazi helped to found at ABN-Canada’s 1986 conference. At that regime deported about and lead both the event featuring CIA-backed Nicaraguan and 75,000 Jews to death camps. SWC and CSL. Afghan terror groups, as well as many oth- Such myths of Nazi Slovakian inno- ers created and led by Nazi collaborators, cence have long been spread by key Cana- the CSL’s Kovacic said: bit.ly/HitlerTiso dian academics. As a history professor in It is my honour, by this presentation to he Slovak World Congress (SWC) Montreal and Toronto, and co-founder of the join the common fight of the enslaved was founded in Toronto in 1971 by University of Ottawa’s Chair in Slovak His- nations in Northern, Central and Eastern tory, Kirschbaum himself led the cover up. Europe and to give any possible support Tformer officials of the Nazi puppet to achieve our common goal...16 state of “Independent” Slovakia (1939-45). His effort to shape Slovak historical Affiliated with the profascist Anti-Bolshe- memory is continued by his son Stanislav, a War crimes of SWC leaders vik Bloc of Nations (ABN),1 the SWC was prof. at York University. A graduate of Can- In the late 1930s, as a law student and Hlin- “composed of Nazi collaborationists and ada’s National Defense College, Stanislav ka Party organizer at Bratislava University, their progeny,” said journalist Jack Ander- is highly respected in some circles as an ex- Kirschbaum edited its antisemitic/antiMa- son. The SWC, he said, was “the Slovakian pert on communism and Central European rxist publications. He also led the Hlinka chapter” of the World AntiCommunist “security issues.”8 Since the 1960s, his work Guard’s “elite detachment” of thugs on cam- League.2 Active in the CIA-backed “Captive has cleansed Slovakia’s role in genocide and pus, the “Academic Guard” (1938-40).. Af- Nations” cause, SWC whitewashed wartime honoured his father’s collaboration with Ti- ter leading attacks on Jews by this band of Slovakia’s allegiance to the Nazis, and sup- so’s fascist regime. His 1983 book, Slovak SS-like “Brown Shirts,” Kirschbaum met ported the Black Ribbon Day movement.3 Politics, was subtitled Essays on Slovak His- Adolph Eichmann. Hitler had sent Eichmann Chief among the SWC’s Nazi collab- tory in Honour of Joseph M. Kirschbaum. to Slovakia in late 1938 to help orchestrate orators was Jozef Kirschbaum who fled to Both father and son had Slovak his- the Tiso regime’s role in the Holocaust.17 Canada in 1948 after being sentenced to ten tory texts published by the SWC. And both In 1938-39, Kirschbaum met the years in a Czechoslovak prison, plus ten in worked with its Canadian affiliate, the CSL. Nazi elite, including: Hitler, Hermann a labour camp.4 Kirschbaum was key to the In 1962, when Jozef edited CSL’s pro-Tiso Göring, Heinrich Himmler, Joachim von Hlinka-Party regime of Catholic priest, Jozef organ, Kanadsky Slovak, Canadian Jewish Ribbentrop, Werner Göttsche and Edmund Tiso. As Slovakia’s president, Tiso enforced groups urged the RCMP to investigate his Vessemeyer.18 Kirschbaum was the Hlinka Nazi-like laws that deprived Jews of their Nazi past and extradite him.9 His son has Party Sec. Gen. (1939-40), a Slovak diplo- jobs, possessions and rights. Tiso’s regime chaired Kanadsky Slovak’s editorial com- mat in Rome (1941-42) and its Charge also sent 75,000 of Slovakia’s 90,000 Jews mittee since 201010 when it ran an article by d’Affairs in Switzerland (1942-45).19 He to Nazi death camps.5 Sharing the Nazi’s ha- his father. Recalling Jozef’s “pleasant mem- served the American Slovak League and the tred for Judeo-Bolshevism, Tiso’s regime ories” of the 1930s, it used a photo of him CSL in Bern where the UN International vowed to “fight against the Marxist-Jewish with Father Andrej Hlinka, the priest/bank- Refugee Organization “was convinced ... to ideology of disorganization and violence.”6 er who founded the Hlinka Party. “We were accept as refugees [to the US and Canada] Sheltered by Canada til his death in a tolerant, friendly generation,” Jozef wrote, Slovak exiles linked to the wartime Slovak 2001, Kirschbaum led the SWC and its af- “many [were] nationally conscious and will- state, who fled the communists in 1945.”20 filiate, the Canadian Slovak League (CSL). ing to put their knowledge and strength into Kirschbaum’s career was aided by For decades they whitewashed Slovak fas- the service of the nation and the church.”11 his friend and law prof, Ferdinand Durcan- cism and hid their movement’s obeisance to In a Slovak history text dedicated to sky, who led the Slovak delegations to meet Nazism. Forty years after WWII, the SWC his father, Stanislav said Jozef Kirschbaum Hitler that created Nazi Slovakia. The UN finally issued a statement on the Holocaust cofounded SWC and gave it “intellectual listed Durcansky as a Category A war crim- at its 1987 assembly in Toronto (attended and organizational leadership.”12 In 1970, at inal in 1946 and, in 1947, he was sentenced by PM Brian Mulroney and Ontario Premier its preparatory meeting in New York, the to death in absentia by Czechoslovakia’s Bill Davis). Denying the Tiso regime’s role elder Kirschbaum became SWC’s executive elected communist government.21 Like Kir- in decimating Slovak Jewry, it pushed the vice president. Once affirmed at the SWC’s schbaum, Durcansky was key to creating the myth that this genocide was the fault of “mis- first assembly in Toronto (1971), he kept this SWC and was “one of its main members.”22 guided individuals of the Slovak regime.”7 position until 198813 when two Canadian “Secret” US government files, de- 40 Press for Conversion! Issue # 70 Spring 2021 classified by the 1998 Nazi War Crimes Dis- the ABN Peoples’ Council, was their main and worked for the US State Department.46 closure Act, reveal Durcansky’s work with speaker in Munich and Stuttgart.31 When Catholic priest/academic Milan Dur- the Nazis and CIA.23 A 1959 document call- founded in 1967, Durcansky was on the ica was a lifetime SWC member who served ing him “an outspoken opponent against European Freedom Council (EFC) Informa- on its Advisory Board.47 In 1997 the Slovak Communism and a reliable member of West- tion Cttee. This ABN/OUN(B) front promot- Academia of Sciences criticized his EU- ern ideals,” said they had “no derogatory in- ed armed attacks inside the USSR. EFC funded, Slovak history text. They were out- formation” about him.24 A 1954 document leaders included ABN president Yaroslav raged that he depicted Tiso’s regime as “sav- however detailed how in 1939, Durcansky Stetsko.32 Durcansky also attended CSL iours of the Jewish population” who ensured “placed himself at disposal of Hitler” by events, like its 1969 convention banquet, “daily life in the Jewish work camps” was sending forced labourers to Germany, sur- where he sat at its “head table.”33 filled with “gaiety and happiness.”48 Durica, rendering factories and mineral resources to Jozef Kirschbaum’s SWC-publica- who said Kirschbaum was “a man with a the Nazis, and allowing them to build army tions concealed the ties of Slovak national- clean record as a Slovak patriot,”49 supported bases in Slovakia for the Operation-Bar- ists with Nazis and the CIA. One collected the movement to canonize Tiso as a saint.50 barossa invasion of the USSR. After joining talks from the conference he organised for John Hvasta was the Slovak delegate the Hlinka Party in 1927, he created “fas- the SWC’s founding event in Toronto to the ABN’s US chapter (1966)51 and Gen. cist, antisemitic” Nazi-funded publications (1971).34 Durcansky’s talk called for creat- Secretary of the SWC’s American Council (1936-38) and led the Hlinka Guard. While ing a Slovak state along “ethnogenetical” (1981).52 After WWII he worked for the US his cabinet posts included Justice, Health, lines.35 Kirschbaum also organized a con- consulate in Prague and was sentenced to Transportation and Public Works, he rose ference at the SWC’s 1975 congress in 25 years for espionage. After escaping pris- to be Nazi Slovakia’s Foreign Minister and Rome which the ABN praised as a “very well on he fled to the US, studied filmmaking Deputy PM. Durcansky also owned drug organized,” “brilliant symposium.”36 and became an anticommunist propagandist.
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