Hitler's Annexation Of Austria: Prelude To War

On March 12, 1938, German troops marched into Austria to annex the German-speaking nation for the Third Reich. The annexation, known as the Anschluss, was the culmination of years of Nazi agitation in Austria and several failed attempts by Austrian Nazis to seize the Austrian government.

In 1938, Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg, aware of a plot by Austrian Nazis to seize power, met with Adolf Hitler in an attempt to assert his country's independence. However, he was coerced into naming several Austrian Nazis to his cabinet.

On March 9, Schuschnigg called for a national vote on the question of Anschluss. Before the vote could take place, however, he resigned on March 11, pleading with Austrian forces not to resist a German invasion.

Hitler accompanied German troops into Austria the next day, where they were met by enthusiastic crowds. Hitler appointed a new Nazi government, and on March 13, the Anschluss was proclaimed. Austria remained a federal state of Germany until the end of World War II, when the Allied powers declared the annexation void and re-established an independent Austria.

Hitler's annexation of Austria was the first major step in his desire to create a Greater German Reich that was to include all ethnic Germans and lands lost after World War I

On March 12, 1938, German troops marched into Austria to annex the German-speaking nation for the Third Reich. This annexation, known as the Anschluss, was the culmination of almost two decades of Austrian dissatisfaction with the Treaty of Saint Germain, the lack of consistent political and economic support by the western democracies, and the international instability of the 1930s.

The idea of the Anschluss dated back to the unification of Germany in 1871, which excluded Austria and the German Austrians from the Prussian-dominated German Empire. The proposal gained support after World War I, when the Austro-Hungarian Empire fell and the new Republic of German-Austria attempted to unite with Germany. However, the Treaty of Saint Germain and the Treaty of Versailles forbade this union and stripped Austria of some of its territories.

Adolf Hitler, an Austrian-born German nationalist, rose to power in Germany in 1933 and drastically changed German policy towards Austria. He saw the annexation of Austria as a vital step towards creating a Greater German Reich that would include all ethnic Germans and lands lost after World War I. 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 his cabinet. When Schuschnigg later announced a plebiscite on the annexation, Hitler threatened an invasion and pressured him to resign.

On March 12, 1938, German soldiers crossed the border into Austria, unopposed by the Austrian military. Hitler accompanied the troops to his birthplace at Braunau am Inn and then travelled to Linz, where he had attended school. The next day, Austria's parliament formally approved the annexation. Austria ceased to exist as a nation and became a province of Germany.

A controlled plebiscite held on April 10, 1938, gave a 99.7% approval for the annexation. However, historians caution that the result needs to be taken with \"great caution\" due to the presence of Nazi propaganda and the abrogation of the voting rights of many political dissidents. While the true opinions of the Austrian population are unknown, it is estimated that about 70% would have voted to preserve Austrian independence.

The annexation of Austria was among the first major steps in Hitler's desire to create a Greater German Reich. It was followed by the remilitarization of the Rhineland and the annexation of the Saar region. Hitler's aggressive territorial ambitions demonstrated his willingness to violate the Versailles Treaty and the failure of the British and French to take action against him emboldened his further aggression.

Hitler bullied Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg into accepting his demands, including appointing Nazis to his cabinet

In 1938, Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg found himself in a difficult position. He was strongly opposed to Adolf Hitler's goal of absorbing Austria into the Third Reich and wished for it to remain independent. However, in early 1938, Austrian Nazis conspired to seize the Austrian government by force and unite their nation with Nazi Germany. Schuschnigg, learning of the conspiracy, met with Hitler in the hopes of reasserting his country's independence but was bullied into accepting Hitler's demands.

Hitler demanded that Schuschnigg appoint members of the Austrian Nazi Party to his cabinet and grant them full political rights. Schuschnigg was also pressured to appoint Arthur Seyss-Inquart as Minister of Public Security, giving him control of the police. In return, Hitler would publicly reaffirm Austria's sovereignty. Faced with the threat of invasion by the German army, Schuschnigg reluctantly agreed to these demands.

Despite his concessions, Schuschnigg still sought to preserve Austria's independence. He called for a national plebiscite, or vote, to take place on March 13, 1938, to allow Austrians to decide whether they wished to remain independent or become part of the Third Reich. However, Hitler was determined to prevent this vote and decided to invade Austria immediately. By March 11, Schuschnigg was aware of the imminent invasion and cancelled the plebiscite, offering to resign to avoid bloodshed.

Hitler responded by demanding that the President of Austria, Wilhelm Miklas, appoint an Austrian Nazi as the nation's next chancellor. When Miklas initially refused, Hitler ordered the invasion to commence at dawn on March 12. Facing the threat of armed intervention, Miklas eventually gave in to Hitler's demands, and Schuschnigg was placed under house arrest.

On March 12, German soldiers crossed the border into Austria, encountering no resistance. Hitler himself joined the troops as they entered his birthplace, and the invading forces were greeted by cheering Austrians. The next day, Austria's parliament formally approved the annexation, and Austria ceased to exist as an independent nation.

Hitler invaded Austria on March 12, 1938, to prevent a national plebiscite on Austrian independence

On March 12, 1938, Hitler invaded Austria, accompanied by German troops, to annex the German-speaking nation for the Third Reich. This invasion was the culmination of a series of events that began with Austrian Nazis conspiring to seize the Austrian government and unite with Nazi Germany. When Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg learned of the plot, he met with Hitler, hoping to reassert his country's independence. Instead, he was coerced into appointing Austrian Nazis to his cabinet.

Fearing that Hitler intended to take over Austria, Schuschnigg called for a national plebiscite to take place on March 13, 1938, to allow Austrians to decide on their nation's independence. Hitler, determined to prevent this vote, decided to invade Austria immediately. By March 11, Schuschnigg cancelled the plebiscite and offered his resignation to avoid bloodshed. However, 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 commence at dawn on March 12.

Hitler's invasion of Austria was justified by claims of chaos and rioting in Vienna, with German newspapers printing a fake telegram requesting German troops to restore order. The invasion was met with no resistance, and Hitler was enthusiastically welcomed by crowds in Austria. On March 13, the annexation of Austria, known as the Anschluss, was proclaimed, and Austria became a federal state of Germany until the end of World War II.

The Anschluss was the first act of territorial aggression and expansion by Nazi Germany and a significant breach of the post-World War I international order. It demonstrated Hitler's aggressive territorial ambitions and the failure of British and French authorities to take action against him for violating the Versailles Treaty. The international community's acceptance of the Anschluss emboldened Hitler to continue his expansionist policies, leading to the Munich Agreement and the occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1938, and the invasion of Poland in 1939, marking the start of World War II.

The Nazi occupation of Austria was marked by an outbreak of anti-Jewish violence

The Nazi occupation of Austria, known as the Anschluss, was marked by an outbreak of anti-Jewish violence. On March 12, 1938, German troops entered Austria, and the country was incorporated into Germany the following day. The annexation was justified by the Nazis, who spread fake reports of rioting and street fights caused by Communists in Vienna. The Nazis also circulated a phony telegram from the Austrian chancellor requesting German troops to restore order.

The persecution of Jews was immediate and violent. They were subject to German racial laws, which disenfranchised them and restricted their movement. Jews were no longer allowed on public transport, and many were forced to wash sidewalks and public toilets, sometimes with toothbrushes or their bare hands. They were also targeted in acts of public humiliation, such as being forced to eat grass in a Viennese amusement park. Jewish faculty members of the Medical University of Vienna were dismissed, and all Jewish organizations and newspapers were closed, with their leaders imprisoned.

The Kristallnacht pogroms in November 1938 were particularly brutal in Austria. Most synagogues in Vienna were destroyed, along with Jewish businesses, which were vandalized and ransacked. Thousands of Jews were arrested and deported to concentration camps. The Mauthausen concentration camp, established in the summer of 1938, became the main Nazi camp in Austria, where thousands of prisoners were worked to death.

The annexation of Austria led to a wave of Jewish emigration. Between 1938 and 1940, approximately 117,000 Jews fled the country. By November 1942, only about 7,000 Jews remained in Austria. The Holocaust resulted in the deaths of approximately 65,000 Austrian Jews.

Hitler's invasion of Austria was met with little resistance and was not opposed by other world leaders

On March 12, 1938, German troops marched into Austria to annex the German-speaking nation for the Third Reich. This event, known as the Anschluss, was met with little resistance from the Austrian people and military.

In the years leading up to the invasion, Austrian Nazis had conspired to seize the Austrian government and unite the nation with Nazi Germany. In 1934, a pro-Nazi group tried to overthrow the Austrian government and assassinated the chancellor, Engelbert Dollfuss. However, the coup failed when Austrian military leaders did not support the coup as the Nazis had hoped. Hitler, who had approved of the coup, denied any intention to interfere in Austrian affairs or to annex the country.

In 1938, Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg met with Hitler in an attempt to reassert his country's independence. However, he was coerced into naming several top Austrian Nazis to his cabinet and, on March 9, called for a national vote to resolve the question of Anschluss. Before the vote could take place, Schuschnigg resigned on March 11, pleading with Austrian forces not to resist a German "advance" into the country.

The next day, German troops crossed the border into Austria, unopposed by the Austrian military. Hitler accompanied the troops and was met with enthusiastic crowds. A plebiscite was held on April 10, in which 99.7% of voters supported a union with Germany. While the true opinions of the population are unknown, it is estimated that about 70% of Austrians would have voted to preserve Austrian independence.

The lack of resistance to Hitler's invasion of Austria can be attributed to several factors. Firstly, the Austrian Nazis had been working to undermine the Austrian government and create pro-unification sentiments in the country. Secondly, Hitler used intimidation and bullying tactics during his meeting with Schuschnigg, demanding concessions and threatening an invasion. Thirdly, Schuschnigg himself pleaded with Austrian forces not to resist the German advance, which likely contributed to the lack of opposition from the military. Finally, many Austrians may have been relieved to avoid bloodshed and welcomed the economic improvements they hoped Hitler would bring.

Other world leaders also failed to oppose Hitler's invasion of Austria. Benito Mussolini, who had previously defended Austria's independence, now backed Hitler. Britain's Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain reminded Parliament that Britain had no treaty obligations with Austria and took no further action. Only Winston Churchill, then a member of Parliament, spoke out against the invasion, declaring that Europe was confronted with a program of aggression. The lack of response from world leaders can be attributed to a desire to avoid conflict and a belief that Austria was not worth fighting for.

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