An uprising was in progress at the time in her native Slovakia against the Axis-installed "Hlinkova Slovenská Ľudová Strana" (Slovak People's Party of Hlinka; HSLS). Centered around the Banská Bystrica region, the revolt had begun in the spring of 1944, initiated by the Czechoslovak Agrarian party, part of the Social Democratic party, the Communist party, sectors of the Slovak nationalists, and army officers. In late December 1943 these groups had aligned with the Slovak National Council. The uprising sought to overthrow the German collaborationist government and detach Slovakia from the Axis.