Slovakia declared independence on the evening of 14 March 1939; Hungary recognized the new state the next morning to the surprise of the Slovak leadership. But the ploy became obvious a few hours later when Hungarian troops crossed the border to seize a strategic hilltop on the Slovak side. The new Slovak Army would have to take a break from celebrating to throw the Hungarians back to their own side.

The Slovaks claim to have re-taken Hill 212 by the time night fell on their first day of independence; the Hungarians declared it all a misunderstanding and said their Royal Army never crossed the border at all. Wherever the truth actually lay, by the end of the day the Slovaks had secured their frontier. They would be tested in coming days.