Austria's Longing For Anschluss: A Complex Historical Question

The Anschluss, or the union of Austria and Germany, was a complex event with a range of factors influencing the outcome. Initially, the idea of Anschluss was proposed by Austria in 1919, and it remained an aspiration for Austrian Social Democrats until 1933. However, Hitler's rise to power made the prospect less appealing. Despite this, in July 1934, Austrian and German Nazis attempted a coup, which ultimately failed. This led to an authoritarian right-wing government taking power in Austria, suppressing dissent and preventing unified resistance to the eventual annexation. In 1938, Hitler pressured the Austrian chancellor, Kurt von Schuschnigg, into agreeing to pro-Nazi concessions, and with the loss of Italian support, Austria's independence was threatened. Although Schuschnigg attempted to assert independence through a plebiscite, he was forced to cancel it and resign. On March 12, 1938, German troops invaded Austria, and the country was incorporated into Germany the following day. The annexation was met with enthusiasm by many Austrians, and a controlled plebiscite in April 1938 showed 99.7% approval, although there were claims of vote-rigging. The debate continues as to whether Austrians were victims or willing accomplices of the Third Reich.

Hitler's Mein Kampf

In his 1925 book Mein Kampf, Adolf Hitler wrote about his country of birth, Austria, and his desire to see it "return to the great German motherland". He believed that "common blood belongs in a common Reich", and that the unification of Austria and Germany was necessary for the formation of a Greater Germany. Hitler's nationalist ideas were formed at a young age, and he joined the German Workers' Party (DAP) in 1919, later becoming the leader of the renamed National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP).

In Mein Kampf, Hitler outlined his political beliefs, ideology, and future plans for Germany and the world. He identified "the Jewish peril" as the main thesis of his book, positing a Jewish conspiracy to gain world leadership. Hitler's antisemitism intensified during his time in Vienna, and he wrote of his disgust at the mixture of races he encountered there. He also expressed his desire to acquire foreign soil and territory, foreshadowing his future expansionist policies.

Hitler's book became a bestseller in Germany following his rise to power in 1933. It was given to newlywed couples and soldiers, and by 1939, it had sold 5.2 million copies in eleven languages. Mein Kampf laid out the ideological program for the Holocaust, identifying Jews and "Bolsheviks" as racially inferior and threatening, and "Aryans" and National Socialists as racially superior.

Hitler's desire for an Anschluss (union) with Austria was well-known, and in 1938, he achieved this through the annexation of the Federal State of Austria into the German Reich. This fulfilled his long-held ambition for a "Greater Germany" and was met with genuine support from Germans in both Austria and Germany. However, the annexation was also met with international condemnation and was seen as an act of open aggression.

Austrian chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg

Schuschnigg considered Austria a "German state" and Austrians to be Germans, but he was strongly opposed to Adolf Hitler's goal of absorbing Austria into the Third Reich, wishing instead for Austria to remain independent. Schuschnigg attempted to counterbalance the German threat by aligning himself with Austria's southern and eastern neighbours—the Kingdom of Italy under Benito Mussolini and the Kingdom of Hungary. However, this policy was doomed to failure after Mussolini sought Hitler's support in the Second Italo-Ethiopian War, leaving Austria under increasing pressure from a rearmed Third Reich.

In July 1936, Schuschnigg signed an Austro-German Agreement, which allowed for the release of imprisoned Nazi insurgents and the inclusion of Nazis in the Austrian cabinet. In January 1938, he publicly declared:

> There is no question of ever accepting Nazi representatives in the Austrian cabinet. An absolute abyss separates Austria from Nazism... We reject uniformity and centralization... Catholicism is anchored in our very soil, and we know but one God: and that is not the State, or the Nation, or that elusive thing, Race.

In an attempt to smooth worsening relations between Austria and Germany, Schuschnigg met with Hitler at his Berghof residence on 12 February 1938. However, Hitler presented him with an ultimatum, demanding the handing over of power to the Austrian Nazis. Schuschnigg was coerced into signing the agreement, which stipulated the appointment of Nazi sympathisers to key government positions.

To resolve the political uncertainty and to demonstrate that the people of Austria wished to remain independent, Schuschnigg called for a plebiscite to be held on 13 March 1938. However, on 11 March, just two days before the plebiscite was due to take place, German troops invaded Austria. Schuschnigg cancelled the plebiscite and offered to resign to avoid bloodshed. Hitler demanded that the president of Austria, Wilhelm Miklas, appoint an Austrian member of the Nazi Party as the nation's next chancellor. When Miklas refused, Hitler ordered the invasion to begin at dawn the next day.

Schuschnigg was placed under house arrest and spent the duration of World War II in concentration camps. He was liberated in 1945 by the advancing United States Army and later became a professor of political science at Saint Louis University. He gained American citizenship in 1956 and died in 1977.

Austrian Nazi Party

The Austrian Nazi Party, also known as the Austrian National Socialist Party, was a pan-German movement that formed in the early 20th century. It was established as the German Worker's Party (DAP) in Austria on November 15, 1903, with its secretariat in Aussig (now Ústí nad Labem in the Czech Republic). The party's ideology was rooted in German nationalism and anti-clericalism, and it advocated for the unification of Austria and Austrian Germans with Germany.

In 1918, the party changed its name to the Deutsche Nationalsozialistische Arbeiterpartei (DNSAP) and adopted a National Socialist Program, which is thought to have influenced the German Nazi manifesto. The swastika became the party's symbol in 1920. The Austrian DNSAP underwent several splits and factions throughout the 1920s and early 1930s, with members such as Dr. Walter Riehl and Karl Schulz leading their splinter groups. Despite this, the Austrian Nazi Party gained support, and by 1933, it was estimated that they could have mustered around 25% to 50% of the votes in elections.

The Austrian Nazi Party played a significant role in the pro-Nazi coup of 1938 that resulted in the annexation of Austria by Germany, known as the Anschluss. The party was banned in early 1933 under the rule of Engelbert Dollfuss but was revived and integrated into the German Nazi Party following the annexation. After the annexation, many Austrians who were members of the Austrian Nazi Party participated in the Nazi administration and occupied important positions within the Nazi regime.

The origins of Austrian Nazism and its relationship to German Nazism are still debated by scholars. Some, like Professor Andrew Gladding Whiteside, argue that Austrian Nazism emerged from the German-Czech conflict within the multi-ethnic Austrian Empire and was distinct from German Nazism. However, others view Austrian Nazism as a precursor or variant of German Nazism.

German invasion

The German invasion of Austria, also known as the Anschluss, took place on March 12, 1938. German troops entered Austria, encountering no resistance, and the country was incorporated into Germany the following day. This event marked the political union of Austria with Germany, which had been a hope for many Austrians, particularly Austrian Social Democrats, since 1919.

The invasion was preceded by a period of political instability and economic stagnation in Austria, which allowed Nazi propaganda to gain a foothold within the country. As early as 1934, a group of Nazis seized the Austrian chancellery and assassinated the chancellor, Engelbert Dollfuss. This coup was planned in Germany with Hitler's approval, and while it ultimately failed, it set the stage for the eventual German invasion.

Hitler's intentions towards Austria were ambiguous, and he often changed his stance. In his book "Mein Kampf", Hitler wrote about the need for German-Austria to return to the German motherland, regardless of economic considerations. However, in a 1935 speech to the Reichstag, he denied any intention to interfere in Austrian affairs or to annex the country.

In February 1938, Hitler invited the Austrian chancellor, Kurt von Schuschnigg, to Germany and forced him to agree to give the Austrian Nazis a free hand in the government. Schuschnigg attempted to resist by calling for a national plebiscite to determine if Austrians wanted to remain independent. However, fearing that Hitler would invade, he eventually cancelled the plebiscite and resigned.

Hitler ordered the invasion of Austria to prevent the vote from taking place, and German troops entered the country on March 12. The Nazis justified their actions by claiming that Austria was in a state of chaos, spreading fake reports of rioting and street fights caused by Communists. They also circulated a phony telegram supposedly from the new Austrian chancellor, Arthur Seyss-Inquart, requesting German military aid.

The German invasion was met with enthusiasm by many Austrians, and Hitler used this support to annex Austria outright on March 13. A controlled plebiscite was held on April 10, with manipulated results indicating that 99.7% of Austrians were in favour of the union with Germany. While later research suggested that the actual number was lower, it is clear that a significant portion of the Austrian population supported the annexation.

Austrian support

The Anschluss—Nazi Germany's annexation of Austria in 1938—was supported by most Austrians. In April 1938, 99.75% of Austrian voters supported a union with Germany. This support can be attributed to four main reasons:

First, Austrians genuinely and spontaneously welcomed the union. Second, they were relieved that bloodshed had been avoided. Third, they hoped for improved economic conditions under Hitler. Fourth, Austrians wanted to put an end to the "Jewish Question", and the union with Germany offered a chance to do so.

Hitler's popularity in Austria is also evidenced by the fact that he was welcomed as a "successful Austrian" returning home. Hitler was born in Austria, and his annexation of the country was justified by his belief that "common blood belongs in a common Reich".

However, it is important to note that Jews and Roma (Gypsies) were not allowed to vote in the plebiscite, and the results may have been manipulated to indicate overwhelming support for the union. Recent research suggests that the actual number in favour of Nazi rule was still about two-thirds of the electorate.

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