Very early on in the 1938 German invasion of Czechoslovakia, the Hlinka Guard sided with Germany, helping to undermine Czech resistance. While Slovaks were far from unanimously supporting the Hlinka Guard, the fact of its members fighting on the side of the Nazis caused Czech soldiers to feel doubt about the loyalty of their Slovak comrades in arms, weakening the Czechoslovak Army's ability to hold on. After Germany created the puppet Slovakia, the Hlinka guard made up the ruling class.