Hitler's Annexation Of Austria: Was Permission Granted?

On March 12, 1938, German troops invaded Austria and annexed the country into the German Reich. This event, known as the Anschluss, saw Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg bullied by Hitler into naming several top Austrian Nazis to his cabinet. Hitler's actions were driven by his desire to unite all ethnic Germans into one state, as outlined in his 1925 book, Mein Kampf. The annexation was met with enthusiasm by Austrians, with a manipulated plebiscite indicating that about 99% of the Austrian people wanted the union. However, the true level of support for the annexation is unclear, as the vote was not anonymous, and opponents did not dare vote against it.

Hitler's Mein Kampf foreshadowed the annexation of Austria

In his 1925 book Mein Kampf, Hitler wrote about his country of birth, Austria, stating that:

> German-Austria must return to the great German motherland, and not because of economic considerations of any sort. No, no: even if from the economic point of view this union were unimportant, indeed, if it were harmful, it ought nevertheless to be brought about. Common blood belongs in a common Reich.

Hitler's desire for an Austro-German union was also evident in his earliest writings and speeches. The first point of the Nazi Party Platform (1920) stated:

> We demand the union of all Germans in a Greater Germany (Großdeutschland) on the basis of the right of national self-determination.

Hitler's autobiography and political treatise Mein Kampf opened with his vision for the future relationship between Austria and Germany. He wrote:

> [T]he reunification [of Germany and Austria] is a life task to be carried out by all means! German-Austria must be restored to the great German Motherland… People of the same blood should be in the same REICH.

Hitler's annexation of Austria, known as the Anschluss, was the Nazi German regime’s first act of territorial aggression and expansion. It was a significant breach of the post-World War I international order, as it violated the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain, which expressly forbade the unification of Austria and Germany.

The Anschluss was not inevitable, but certain historical factors and events facilitated the process. One such factor was the idea of an Anschluss, which gained support after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918. The new Republic of German-Austria attempted to form a union with Germany, but this was forbidden by the 1919 Treaty of Saint Germain and Treaty of Versailles. The idea of an Anschluss, or a united Austria and Germany that would form a "Greater Germany", was also a central part of the Nazi "Heim ins Reich" ("back home to the realm") concept.

Hitler's annexation of Austria was also foreshadowed by his rise to power in Germany in 1933, after which the desire for unification could be identified with the Nazis. Hitler and the Nazis wanted to redraw the map of post-World War I Europe, as they considered the postwar international borders unfair and illegitimate. They aimed to unite all Germans in a Nazi German empire and acquire Lebensraum ("living space") in eastern Europe. The annexation of Austria would help them achieve the first goal.

Hitler's intentions for Austria were further demonstrated by the rise of the Austrian Nazi Party, which gained supporters in 1931-1932 as Hitler's popularity in Germany increased. The Austrian Nazi Party failed to win any seats in the November 1930 general election, but its popularity grew in Austria after Hitler came to power in Germany. In July 1934, a pro-Nazi group tried to overthrow the Austrian government with Hitler's approval and assistance from German officials. Although the coup failed, it signalled Hitler's intentions for Austria.

In early 1938, under increasing pressure from pro-unification activists, Austrian chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg announced that there would be a referendum on a possible union with Germany versus maintaining Austria's sovereignty, to be held on March 13, 1938. Hitler threatened an invasion and secretly pressured Schuschnigg to resign. On March 11, 1938, the German Army crossed the border into Austria, unopposed by the Austrian military. A plebiscite was held on April 10, 1938, resulting in 99.7% approval for the Anschluss.

Hitler's annexation of Austria was foreshadowed by his writings in Mein Kampf, his rise to power in Germany, and the rise of the Austrian Nazi Party.

The Austrian chancellor tried to prevent the Anschluss

Austrian chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg attempted to prevent the Anschluss by meeting with Hitler and reasserting his country's independence. However, he was bullied into naming several top Austrian Nazis to his cabinet, including Arthur Seyss-Inquart as Minister of Public Security.

In early 1938, Schuschnigg called a national vote to resolve the question of Anschluss once and for all. Before the plebiscite could take place, Schuschnigg gave in to pressure from Hitler and resigned on March 11. In his resignation address, he pleaded with Austrian forces not to resist a German “advance” into the country. Hitler immediately demanded that the president of Austria, Wilhelm Miklas, appoint an Austrian Nazi as the nation’s next chancellor. When Miklas refused, Hitler ordered that the invasion begin at dawn the next day.

On March 12, German soldiers in tanks and armoured vehicles crossed the border into Austria, encountering no resistance. Hitler accompanied the troops into Austria, where enthusiastic crowds met them. The next day, Austria’s parliament formally approved the annexation. Austria no longer existed as a nation; it was now a province of Germany.

On April 10, Austrians were asked whether they supported the Anschluss. 99.75% of voters said they supported Germany’s annexation of Austria into the Third Reich. This high percentage was due in part to the vote not being anonymous, meaning opponents did not dare to vote against.

Hitler invaded Austria to stop a plebiscite

On March 11, 1938, Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg announced that a plebiscite would be held on March 13 to determine whether Austria would unite with Germany or remain sovereign. In response, Adolf Hitler threatened to invade, and the German army crossed the border into Austria on March 12. Hitler accompanied the troops and was met with enthusiastic crowds. The plebiscite was cancelled, and Austria was incorporated into the German Reich on March 13, 1938, in what became known as the Anschluss.

Hitler had long supported the idea of unifying Austria and Germany. In his 1925 book, Mein Kampf, he wrote that "German-Austria must return to the great German motherland". In 1938, Hitler demanded that von Schuschnigg appoint members of Austria's Nazi Party to his cabinet and give full political rights to the party or face invasion by the German army. Fearful of Hitler's intentions, von Schuschnigg called for a national plebiscite to let Austrians decide whether they wanted their nation to be independent or part of the Third Reich.

Hitler decided to invade Austria immediately to prevent the vote from taking place. By March 11, von Schuschnigg was aware of the impending invasion and cancelled the plebiscite, offering to resign to avoid bloodshed. Hitler demanded that the president of Austria, Wilhelm Miklas, appoint an Austrian Nazi as the nation's next chancellor. When Miklas refused, Hitler ordered the invasion to begin at dawn on March 12.

The Nazis justified their invasion by claiming that Austria had descended into chaos and circulated fake reports of rioting and street fights caused by Communists. They also printed a phony telegram supposedly from the new Austrian chancellor, stating that German troops were necessary to restore order. The German army encountered no resistance as they crossed the border, and Austria was annexed into the German Reich the following day.

On April 10, 1938, a plebiscite was held in which 99.75% of voters supported the annexation. However, this vote was manipulated and neither Jews nor Roma were allowed to participate. The true percentage of Austrians who supported the annexation is unknown, but it has been estimated that about 70% would have voted to preserve Austrian independence.

The German army faced no resistance in Austria

On March 12, 1938, German troops crossed the border into Austria and were met with enthusiastic crowds. Austria, or the German Republic as it was, had been a separate country for just 21 years, and many Austrians still felt a strong cultural and ethnic connection to Germany. The German army, the Wehrmacht, was ordered by Hitler to enter Austria and secure the country. The operation was code-named "Operation Otto" and was, in reality, an invasion, but one without any resistance. The Austrian government, faced with the might of the German military and the apparent support of the Austrian people, offered no opposition.

The Austrian Chancellor, Kurt Schuschnigg, had tried to maintain Austria's independence, but he was forced to resign by Hitler, who had been born in Austria and had strong support there. Schuschnigg's predecessor, Engelbert Dollfuss, had been assassinated by Austrian Nazis in 1934, and Schuschnigg himself had only narrowly escaped the same fate in a coup attempt in July 1934. With the German army on their doorstep and the threat of force, the Austrian government and military stood down.

The German troops were greeted by cheering Austrians, who saw the annexation as a liberation and an end to the economic hardships they had been facing. Many Austrians also felt a sense of national pride, believing that they were now a part of a stronger, unified Germany. The Wehrmacht marched into Vienna, and Hitler himself arrived to a hero's welcome, with huge crowds lining the streets to cheer his motorcade. This popular support was a crucial factor in the ease with which the German army was able to take control.

There was some opposition to the annexation, but it was minimal and quickly suppressed. The Nazis had a strong presence in Austria, with around 700,000 members, and they quickly moved to consolidate power, arresting political opponents and banning other political parties. The Austrian Nazis, led by Arthur Seyss-Inquart, had been working to undermine the Austrian state and had collaborated with Hitler to bring about the annexation. So, while the German army did not face military resistance, the groundwork had been laid by Nazi sympathizers within Austria, and the country was far from united in its welcome of the Germans.

The Anschluss was followed by a wave of antisemitism

The Anschluss, or the annexation of Austria into the German Reich, was followed by a wave of antisemitism. This took the form of street violence, the looting of Jewish belongings, the seizure of Jewish businesses, and the arrest of those who refused to surrender their property. Jews were attacked and humiliated in the streets and were subject to anti-Jewish legislation that forced them out of public life.

The Nazis, alongside Austrian Nazis and sympathizers, looted Jewish belongings, seized Jewish businesses, and arrested those who refused to surrender their property. Jews were driven through the streets of Vienna and forced to wash away pro-independence slogans painted on the streets ahead of the failed 13th March plebiscite. Jewish actresses from the Theater in der Josefstadt were forced to clean toilets by the SA.

The process of Aryanisation began, and Jews were quickly driven out of public life. They were forced from their positions and expelled from the country's economic, social, and cultural life. Anti-Jewish legislation was swiftly put in place, and Jews were blocked from almost all professions, shut out of schools and universities, and forced to wear the Yellow badge from September 1941.

The Kristallnacht pogrom of 9-10 November 1938 was the culmination of this antisemitic violence. All synagogues and prayer houses in Vienna were destroyed, as well as in other Austrian cities such as Salzburg. The Stadttempel was the sole survivor due to its location in a residential district, preventing it from being burned down. Most Jewish shops were plundered and closed, and over 6,000 Jews were arrested overnight, the majority deported to concentration camps in the following days.

The Nuremberg Laws, which applied in Austria from May 1938, were reinforced with innumerable anti-Semitic decrees. Jews were gradually robbed of their freedoms. By the end of 1941, 130,000 Jews had left Vienna, 30,000 of whom went to the United States. The majority of the Jews who stayed in Vienna became victims of the Holocaust. Of the more than 65,000 Viennese Jews who were deported to concentration camps, fewer than 2,000 survived.

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