14th August
In accordance with his priestly training Tiso declined to do any government business on Sunday if at all possible. While he was a little hazy on some bits of his training, he was never sure if he was supposed to covet or falsely witness graven images, he did remember the importance of having a day off. In contrast Tuka just enjoyed giving his vocal chords a rest. Alas it was soon Monday and they were back in Bratislava.
Looking around the room Tiso noticed the ominous sight of a map board, resolving to get the horror over and done with he started on military matters.
"With the Slovak Combat Group HQ destroyed what is the situation in Italy?" He asked.
"Ordinarily the 1st Division (Original and Best) would rally at the fallback position and try to hold the line there." Catlos said.
"Ordinarily?" Tuka queried.
"There is the minor issue that Montalcino was the designated fallback position and we just lost control of it. Our HQ never got a chance to designate a new fallback position before it was destroyed." Viest explained.
"So what are the default orders if there is no fallback position?" Tiso asked.
"Panic?" Catlos suggested.
At this point several of the Slovak General Staff junior officers, believing this was an order, began running in little circles around the bunker while waving their hands in the air and shouting. After they are eventually calmed down and led back to their desks, the meeting continues.
"Why is it we can't afford a new HQ?" Tiso asked. "Is it the manpower?"
All eyes turned to Armaments Minister Pruzinksy who, for reasons that probably made no sense at all, was responsible for the census and marshalling Slovakia's manpower.
"Well we still haven't completed the census." Pruzinksy started.
Tuka muttered under his breath about useless fire and steam producing machines.
"However I am fairly confident that, given the current rate of enthusiastic volunteers being forcibly collected by our recruting parties, we could fully staff a new HQ in a few months." He finished.
"So it's an equipment problem?" Tuka asked.
"Basically yes." General Catlos confirmed.
"We got the list from the Slovak General Staff and it's quite extensive - the white tents, maps, rickety tables, parking spaces for horses, it all adds up." Pruzinksy said.
The Slovak General Staff's idea of a modern and fully equipped mobile head quarters unit. While the furry hats were optional, the moustaches were compulsory and those who couldn't grow a proper facial hair were made to wear different coloured uniforms and carry large trays of shame.
Deciding that the Slovak Army could probably manage without a Napoleonic tent full of outdated maps, Tiso and Tuka decided to agree with the General Staff and not order a new HQ unit be formed.
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Note: Slovakia actually has some manpower reserves and gets a whole 0.5MP a month. It just lacks the technological or industrial base to do anything useful with that manpower.
While that obviously isn't a real Slovak HQ it is still a magnificently appropriate picture.