11th March 1945. Still.
The Slovak Cabinet and General Staff had stopped for lunch. But the Sub-Total Race for Bratislavan Total War did not stop for lunch, possibly because it was total but possibly because it only existed in the fevered imagination of the Slovak leadership. Either way there was still much to discuss when they returned.
"What is so urgent Fritz?" Tiso asked.
"We have some terrible news, some catastrophic news and a rather polite note requiring us to make an existential choice." Fritz read from his agenda.
"Is the last one from Janko Jesenky?" Tuka asked the obvious question.
"Sadly not." Fritz said.
There was a brief horrified pause as the room contemplated something worse than another socially realistic spy catching limerick.
This continued until Tiso prodded Kubela into action.
"The mystic and mighty forest fortress of Banska Bystrica has fallen under the boot of the dictatorship of the proletariat." He announced.
Banská Bystrica and it's famed castle/fortress started out a copper mining town ringed by mountains that eventually grew into a city, surviving even the efforts of the Mongols to destroy it. If it can get through that, and the regime of Tiso and Tuka, it can survive the Soviets. Probably. Hopefully.
There was much rending of teeth and gnashing of garments as the cabinet and staff dealt with this news.
"Do we have a new national redoubt to fall back to?" Tiso asked.
Kubela and Malar sadly shook their heads.
"So we are depending upon General Jurech and the (2nd) Legendary Heroes (of Paris) Division to continue holding the line?" Tuka asked.
Kubela and Malar looked awkward and then once again shook their heads.
The casualty figures shown are another triumph of counting and basic common sense from the Slovak General Staff and their Swedish advisors.
"I thought it was suspiciously quiet." Tuka admitted sadly.
"Therefore the polite note must be from the British Army?" Tiso asked.
Fritz nodded and handed over the note.
--
Notes:
Not completely sure why no-one died in the final Battle of Bratislava, but one should never be surprised when Paradox's legendary work ethic and commitment to quality and detail produces such results. It is part of the charm. allegedly.
Banská Bystrica should be a mountain province but is shown as forest, because Paradox paid that much attention to even basic geography when doing Slovakia.