Austria's Annexation: Did They Want German Unification?

The annexation of Austria by Germany, known as the Anschluss, was the culmination of almost two decades of Austrian dissatisfaction with the Treaty of Saint Germain, a lack of consistent political and economic support from Western democracies, and international instability in the 1930s. The idea of a united Austria and Germany, forming a Greater Germany, gained support after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918. By the 1920s, the proposal had strong support in both countries, particularly among Austrian citizens of the political left and centre. However, popular support for unification faded over time. When Adolf Hitler rose to power in Germany in 1933, the desire for unification became associated with the Nazis, for whom it was an integral part of their Heim ins Reich concept. In early 1938, Austrian Nazis conspired to seize the Austrian government and unite the nation with Nazi Germany. Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg met with Hitler, but was coerced into naming several top Austrian Nazis to his cabinet. On March 9, Schuschnigg called for a national vote to resolve the question of the Anschluss once and for all. However, before the vote could take place, Schuschnigg gave in to pressure from Hitler and resigned on March 11. The next day, German troops marched into Austria, encountering no resistance, and Austria was incorporated into Germany.

The annexation of Austria into the German Reich

By the 1920s, the proposal for a union had strong support in both Austria and Germany, particularly among Austrian citizens of the political left and centre, who believed that Austria, stripped of its imperial land, was not economically viable. However, popular support for unification faded over time, and by the early 1930s, regional patriotism was stronger than pan-German sentiment.

When Adolf Hitler rose to power in Germany in 1933, the desire for unification could be identified with the Nazis, for whom it was an integral part of their "Heim ins Reich" ("back home to the realm") concept. Hitler himself was Austrian-born, and he wrote in his 1925 book, Mein Kampf, that "German-Austria must return to the great German motherland". In July 1934, a pro-Nazi group tried to overthrow the Austrian government with Hitler's approval and assistance from German officials. However, the coup failed when Austrian military leaders did not support it.

In February 1938, Hitler arranged a meeting with the Austrian chancellor, Kurt von Schuschnigg, and demanded that he appoint members of Austria's Nazi Party to his cabinet and give full political rights to the party, or face an invasion by the German army. Schuschnigg called for a national plebiscite to take place on March 13, so that Austrians could decide whether they wished their nation to remain independent or become part of the Third Reich. Hitler decided to invade Austria immediately to prevent the vote. On March 11, 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, and when Miklas refused, Hitler ordered the invasion to begin at dawn on March 12.

On the morning of March 12, German soldiers in tanks and armoured vehicles crossed the border into Austria, encountering no resistance. Hitler accompanied the troops into his birthplace of Braunau am Inn and then on to Linz, where he had attended school. There, he called for an immediate Anschluss. The next day, Austria's parliament formally approved the annexation, and Austria became a province of Germany.

On April 10, Austrians were asked whether they supported the Anschluss, and 99.75% of voters said they supported the union with Germany. However, the plebiscite was manipulated, and neither Jews nor Roma were allowed to vote. The annexation set off a wave of antisemitic actions and political violence, with Austrian politicians imprisoned and anyone opposing Nazi rule subject to arrest, torture, and death.

The Austrian Nazi Party

In 1938, Austrian Nazis conspired to seize the Austrian government by force and unite the nation with Nazi Germany. This plot led to Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg meeting with Hitler, but instead of reasserting Austria's independence, he was coerced into appointing top Austrian Nazis to his cabinet. When Schuschnigg called for a national vote on the issue of annexation, Hitler pressured him to resign, which he did on March 11, 1938.

The Austrian government's resistance to annexation

In 1933, Dollfuss banned the Austrian Nazi Party and its affiliates, making it illegal in Austria. However, Austrian Nazis continued to operate illegally and carried out a terror campaign, staging disruptive protests, brawls, and bombings. In response to a fatal bombing in June 1933, Dollfuss banned the Austrian Nazi Party and its affiliates, making it illegal in Austria. Despite this, Austrian Nazis continued to operate illegally within the country and carried out a terror campaign, staging disruptive protests, brawls, and bombings.

In July 1934, Austrian Nazis attempted a coup, assassinating Dollfuss. However, the majority of Austrians remained loyal to the government, and the coup failed. Dollfuss was succeeded by Kurt Schuschnigg, who continued his predecessor's authoritarian policies. Schuschnigg used the police to suppress Nazi supporters and gathered them in internment camps.

In 1938, Schuschnigg attempted to assert Austrian independence by calling for a plebiscite on the issue. However, he faced increasing pressure from pro-unification activists and ultimately gave in to Hitler's demands, cancelling the plebiscite and resigning on March 11, 1938. In his resignation address, he pleaded with Austrian forces not to resist a German "advance" into the country. Despite Schuschnigg's efforts to resist annexation, he was ultimately unable to prevent the unification of Austria and Germany.

The international response to the annexation

The loudest verbal protest came from the Mexican government, who denounced the annexation. The United States also objected to the annexation, with Secretary of State Hull stating that America opposed international lawlessness and blind isolationism, and supported rearmament and cooperation with governments who opposed blatant violators of treaties and human rights.

The British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, noted that the British ambassador in Berlin objected to the use of "coercion, backed by force" that undermined Austria's independence. He also acknowledged that nothing could have stopped the annexation unless Britain and other countries had been prepared to use force.

The French sought to prevent a union between Austria and Germany during the Paris Peace Conference, with French Minister of Foreign Affairs Stephen Pichon stating:

> [We] must see that Germany is not given an opportunity to rebuild her strength by utilizing the Austrian populations which remain outside of Czechoslovakia, Poland, and Jugoslavia.

However, a compromise was reached, and Article 80 of the Treaty of Versailles stated that Germany acknowledged and would respect Austria's independence.

Despite commitments to uphold the terms of the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint Germain, which specifically prohibited the union of Austria and Germany, the Allied reaction was moderate.

The persecution of Jews and Romani people

The Persecution of Jews:

The Jewish community in Austria faced severe persecution following the Anschluss. The Nazis quickly extended their anti-Jewish legislation to Austria, and the Mauthausen concentration camp, established near Linz, became the main site of Nazi terror in the country. The Kristallnacht pogroms in November 1938 were particularly brutal in Austria, with most synagogues in Vienna destroyed as fire departments and the public looked on. Jewish-owned businesses were vandalised and ransacked, and thousands of Jews were arrested and deported to concentration camps. The Nazis systematically looted and plundered Jewish properties, forcing Jewish men and women to perform degrading tasks such as washing away pro-independence slogans painted on the streets of Vienna. Jewish actresses were subjected to humiliating treatment, such as being forced to clean toilets by the SA.

The Nuremberg Laws, which stripped Jews of their rights and freedoms, were applied in Austria from May 1938, and numerous anti-Semitic decrees further tightened the noose around the Jewish community. Jews were barred from almost all professions, shut out of schools and universities, and forced to wear the Yellow badge from September 1941, marking them for discrimination and violence. The Nazis also dissolved Jewish organisations and institutions, aiming to force Jews to emigrate. By the end of 1941, 130,000 Jews had fled Vienna, with 30,000 emigrating to the United States. However, the majority of those who remained in Austria eventually became victims of the Holocaust.

The Persecution of Romani People:

The Romani people, also known as Roma, Sinti, or "Gypsies," suffered terribly under Nazi rule. The Nazis systematically persecuted them through forcible internment, compulsory sterilisation, incarceration, forced labour, deportation, and mass murder. The Romani were classified as "'enemies of the race-based state' under the Nuremberg Laws, placing them in the same category as Jews. A supplementary decree issued in November 1935 further solidified their status as targets of Nazi persecution.

The Nazis experimented on Romani individuals to determine criteria for their racial classification, reflecting their obsession with racial purity. Romani people were herded into ghettos and subjected to mass roundups, with their movements restricted and regulated. They were branded as "'asocials' and 'criminals,' and thousands were sent to concentration camps, including Dachau, Dieselstrasse, Marzahn, and Vennhausen. The Romani were often singled out for especially cruel treatment, as seen in the case of the "'Gypsy family camp' in Auschwitz, where nearly all inmates were murdered in the gas chambers.

The Romani Holocaust, or Porajmos, resulted in the deaths of an estimated 250,000 to 500,000 Romani people across Europe, with some estimates placing the toll even higher. It is important to note that the persecution and extermination of the Romani was not consistent across all regions, with some countries offering resistance or refusing to cooperate with the Nazis in their genocidal plans.

A Shared Tragedy:

Both the Jewish and Romani communities endured unimaginable suffering during the Anschluss and the broader Nazi regime. The persecution they faced was driven by racist ideology, with both groups deemed inferior and worthy of extermination in the Nazis' warped vision of racial purity. The legacy of this shared tragedy is a somber reminder of the dangers of hatred and intolerance, and it serves as a call for vigilance to ensure that such atrocities never happen again.

Frequently asked questions