In 1938, the Munich agreement established the independent Slovak state, led by Jozef Tiso. In June 1944 Tiso declared martial law allowing the German army to occupy the country on August 29th. 

Up to that point, there had been limited and sporadic guerrilla resistance operations across Slovakia. To counteract the planned occupation, a formal military plan was put in action by the exiled Czechoslovak government, Slovak partisans and deserters from the Slovak army. Headquartered in central Slovakia, the forces of the uprising consisted of several armoured units as well as part of the Slovak Air Force. 

Despite some limited support from the allies, the uprising was crushed by the German forces before the end of October 1944. After the defeat, the remaining forces of the uprising continued with small guerrilla actions until the end of the war.