Hitler's Vision: United Austria-Germany Dream

The unification of Austria and Germany, also known as the Anschluss, was a significant event in the lead-up to World War II. The idea of a united Austria and Germany, or Greater Germany, gained support after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918. Adolf Hitler, an Austrian-born German nationalist, shared this desire for unification. In his book Mein Kampf, Hitler wrote about his country of birth, stating that German-Austria must return to the great German motherland. He saw this union as a way to incorporate all Germans into a single state, regardless of their place of birth.

Hitler's determination to destabilise Austria and undermine its independence led to a failed coup attempt in 1934, which resulted in the assassination of Austrian Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss. Despite this setback, Hitler continued to pursue his goal of unification. In 1938, he met with the new Austrian Chancellor, Kurt von Schuschnigg, and demanded that members of the Austrian Nazi Party be appointed to his cabinet. When von Schuschnigg called for a national plebiscite to decide on Austria's independence, Hitler decided to invade immediately to prevent the vote. On March 12, 1938, German soldiers crossed the border into Austria, encountering no resistance. The annexation of Austria was the first act of territorial aggression by Nazi Germany and a significant step towards World War II.

Hitler's Austrian roots

Adolf Hitler was born on 20 April 1889 in Braunau am Inn, a town in Austria-Hungary (present-day Austria). He was the fourth of six children born to Alois Hitler and his third wife, Klara Pölzl. The family moved to Passau, Germany, when Hitler was three, before returning to Austria and settling in Leonding in 1894. Hitler's father, Alois, was a successful customs official, and the family lived a comfortable life. However, Hitler had a difficult relationship with his father, who tried to force him to conform to strict discipline.

Hitler's early life was marked by tragedy, with three of his siblings—Gustav, Ida, and Otto—dying in infancy, and his younger brother Edmund dying from measles in 1900. Hitler was deeply affected by Edmund's death, and his personality changed from that of a confident, outgoing student to a morose and detached boy who frequently fought with his father and teachers.

Hitler's nationalist ideas and loyalty to Germany also began to develop during his youth. He expressed disdain for the declining Habsburg monarchy and its rule over an ethnically diverse empire, instead espousing German nationalist notions and singing the "Deutschlandlied" instead of the Austrian Imperial anthem.

In 1907, Hitler left Linz to study fine art in Vienna, financed by orphan's benefits and support from his mother. However, he was rejected twice by the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. After his mother's death in 1907, Hitler ran out of money and lived a bohemian life in homeless shelters and dormitories. He earned money through casual labour and by painting and selling watercolours of Vienna's sights. During this time, he also developed a passion for architecture and music, attending ten performances of his favourite Wagner opera, "Lohengrin".

It was also in Vienna that Hitler was first exposed to racist rhetoric and anti-Semitic sentiment, which was prevalent in the city. Populist politicians, such as Mayor Karl Lueger, exploited this sentiment for political gain, and German nationalism was particularly widespread in the Mariahilf district where Hitler lived. Hitler began to read local newspapers that promoted prejudice and utilised Christian fears of Eastern European Jews. He also encountered the writings and ideas of influential philosophers and theoreticians such as Houston Stewart Chamberlain, Charles Darwin, Friedrich Nietzsche, Gustave Le Bon, and Arthur Schopenhauer.

In May 1913, after receiving the final part of his father's estate, Hitler moved to Munich, Germany. However, he was deemed unfit for military service and returned to Munich, where he voluntarily enlisted in the Bavarian Army at the outbreak of World War I in August 1914. Hitler's experiences during the war reinforced his German patriotism, and he was shocked by Germany's capitulation in November 1918. He embraced the Dolchstoßlegende (stab-in-the-back myth), which claimed that the German army had been "stabbed in the back" by civilian leaders, Jews, Marxists, and those who signed the armistice.

Hitler's nationalism and anti-Semitic views continued to develop in the post-war years, and in 1919, he joined the German Workers' Party (DAP), the precursor to the Nazi Party. He quickly rose through the ranks, becoming the leader of the Nazi Party in 1921. He gained popularity by attacking the Treaty of Versailles and promoting pan-Germanism, antisemitism, and anti-communism.

Hitler's desire to unite Germany with his native homeland, Austria, was a key aspect of his ideology and foreign policy goals. He saw the unification of all Germans in a Greater Germany as a means to achieve Lebensraum ("living space") in Eastern Europe. This ambition was informed by his racist beliefs and desire for racial supremacy, which would ultimately lead to the Holocaust and the state-sponsored killing of six million Jews and millions of others.

The Treaty of Versailles

The treaty required Germany to disarm, make territorial concessions, extradite alleged war criminals, put Kaiser Wilhelm on trial, recognise the independence of states whose territory had previously been part of the German Empire, and pay reparations to the Entente powers.

The most critical and controversial provision in the treaty was:

> The Allied and Associated Governments affirm and Germany accepts the responsibility of Germany and her allies for causing all the loss and damage to which the Allied and Associated Governments and their nationals have been subjected as a consequence of the war imposed upon them by the aggression of Germany and her allies.

This article, Article 231, became known as the "War Guilt" clause.

The treaty stripped Germany of 65,000 km2 (25,000 sq mi) of territory and 7 million people. It also required Germany to give up the gains made via the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk and grant independence to the protectorates that had been established. In Western Europe, Germany was required to recognise Belgian sovereignty over Moresnet and cede control of the Eupen-Malmedy area. Within six months of the transfer, Belgium was required to conduct a plebiscite on whether the citizens of the region wanted to remain under Belgian sovereignty or return to German control.

The treaty restored the provinces of Alsace-Lorraine to France by rescinding the treaties of Versailles and Frankfurt of 1871 as they pertained to this issue. France was able to make the claim that the provinces of Alsace-Lorraine were indeed part of France and not part of Germany by disclosing a letter sent from the Prussian King to the Empress Eugénie that stated that the territories of Alsace-Lorraine were requested by Germany for the sole purpose of national defence and not to expand the German territory.

In Central Europe, Germany was to recognise the independence of Czechoslovakia and cede parts of the province of Upper Silesia to them. Germany had to recognise the independence of Poland, renounce "all rights and title" over Polish territory, and grant Poland portions of Upper Silesia, Pomerelia (Eastern Pomerania), and the Province of Posen (now Poznań). The sovereignty of part of southern East Prussia was to be decided via plebiscite, while the East Prussian Soldau area was transferred to Poland outright without plebiscite. An area of 51,800 square kilometres (20,000 square miles) was transferred to Poland under the agreement.

Article 119 of the treaty required Germany to renounce sovereignty over former colonies, and Article 22 converted the territories into League of Nations mandates under the control of Allied states. Togoland and German Kamerun (Cameroon) were transferred to France, aside from portions given to Britain, British Togoland and British Cameroon. Ruanda and Urundi were allocated to Belgium, while German South-West Africa went to South Africa and German East Africa went to Britain.

The treaty was comprehensive and complex in the restrictions imposed upon the post-war German armed forces (the Reichswehr). The provisions were intended to make the Reichswehr incapable of offensive action and to encourage international disarmament. Germany was to demobilise sufficient soldiers by 31 March 1920 to leave an army of no more than 100,000 men in a maximum of seven infantry and three cavalry divisions. The treaty laid down the organisation of the divisions and support units, and the General Staff was to be dissolved. Military schools for officer training were limited to three, one school per arm, and conscription was abolished. Private soldiers and non-commissioned officers were to be retained for at least twelve years and officers for a minimum of 25 years, with former officers being forbidden to attend military exercises. To prevent Germany from building up a large cadre of trained men, the number of men allowed to leave early was limited.

The number of civilian staff supporting the army was reduced, and the police force was reduced to its pre-war size, with increases limited to population increases; paramilitary forces were forbidden. The Rhineland was to be demilitarised, all fortifications in the Rhineland and 50 kilometres (31 miles) east of the river were to be demolished, and new construction was forbidden. Military structures and fortifications on the islands of Heligoland and Düne were to be destroyed. Germany was prohibited from the arms trade, limits were imposed on the type and quantity of weapons, and it was prohibited from the manufacture or stockpile of chemical weapons, armoured cars, tanks, and military aircraft. The German navy was allowed six pre-dreadnought battleships and was limited to a maximum of six light cruisers, twelve destroyers, and twelve torpedo boats; it was forbidden submarines. The manpower of the navy was not to exceed 15,000 men. Germany surrendered eight battleships, eight light cruisers, forty-two destroyers, and fifty torpedo boats for decommissioning.

Article 198 prohibited Germany from having an air force, including naval air forces, and required Germany to hand over all aerial-related materials. In conjunction, Germany was forbidden to manufacture or import aircraft or related material for a period of six months following the signing of the treaty.

In Article 231, Germany accepted responsibility for the losses and damages caused by the war "as a consequence of the ... aggression of Germany and her allies." The treaty required Germany to compensate the Allied powers, and it also established an Allied "Reparation Commission" to determine the exact amount Germany would pay and the form that such payment would take. The commission was required to "give to the German Government a just opportunity to be heard", and to submit its conclusions by 1 May 1921. In the interim, the treaty required Germany to pay an equivalent of 20 billion gold marks ($5 billion) in gold, commodities, ships, securities, or other forms. The money would help pay for Allied occupation costs and buy food and raw materials for Germany.

To ensure compliance, the Rhineland and bridgeheads east of the Rhine were to be occupied by Allied troops for fifteen years. If Germany had not committed aggression, a staged withdrawal would take place; after five years, the Cologne bridgehead and the territory north of a line along the Ruhr would be evacuated. After ten years, the bridgehead at Coblenz and the territories to the north would be evacuated, and after fifteen years, remaining Allied forces would be withdrawn. If Germany reneged on the treaty obligations, the bridgeheads would be reoccupied immediately.

Part I of the treaty, in common with all the treaties signed during the Paris Peace Conference, was the Covenant of the League of Nations, which provided for the

Hitler's expansionist policies

The Annexation of Austria:

Hitler's desire for an Austro-German union was expressed in his earliest writings and speeches. In his book, "Mein Kampf", Hitler wrote, "German-Austria must be restored to the great German Motherland...People of the same blood should be in the same REICH." This desire for unification was also an integral part of the Nazi "Heim ins Reich" concept, which aimed to incorporate as many Volksdeutsche (ethnic Germans outside Germany) as possible into a "Greater Germany".

In the lead-up to the annexation, Hitler destabilised Austria and undermined its independence. He ordered Austrian Nazis to create chaos, which culminated in an attempted coup in 1934 that resulted in the assassination of Austrian Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss. Despite this setback, Hitler continued to pressure the new chancellor, Kurt von Schuschnigg, to give Austrian Nazis more power. When Schuschnigg called for a plebiscite to determine if Austrians wanted to remain independent, Hitler decided to invade immediately to prevent the vote.

On March 12, 1938, German troops crossed the border into Austria unopposed and Hitler accompanied them to his birthplace, Braunau am Inn. The next day, Austria's parliament formally approved the annexation, and Austria became a province of Germany.

Appeasement by Other European Powers:

The annexation of Austria was widely popular in both Germany and Austria, and it resulted in an outburst of public violence against Austria's Jewish population. However, it also demonstrated Nazi disdain for international treaties and the post-World War I European order. The other European powers, including Britain, France, and Italy, did not intervene or punish Hitler for this violation, which was an act of appeasement. This allowed Hitler to continue his expansionist policies unchecked.

Czechoslovakia and the Sudetenland:

Following the annexation of Austria, Hitler targeted Czechoslovakia, particularly the largely German-speaking area within it called the Sudetenland, which shared a border with Austria. In September 1938, an international crisis was provoked over the Sudetenland, leading to the Munich Agreement, in which world leaders ceded the region to Nazi Germany. This further emboldened Hitler's expansionist ambitions.

Further Expansion and World War II:

In March 1939, Hitler broke the Munich Agreement by occupying the rest of Czechoslovakia, including Prague. Finally, in September 1939, Nazi Germany invaded Poland, an act of territorial aggression that started World War II.

The Austrian Nazi Party

In the early years, the Austrian Nazi Party faced suppression and was banned under the leadership of Engelbert Dollfuss from 1932 to 1934. However, it continued to operate illegally, and many of its members fled to Germany, where they formed the paramilitary group known as the Austrian Legion. In 1934, the Austrian Nazis, under Hitler's orders, attempted to overthrow the Austrian government, but the coup failed due to the intervention of the Austrian military.

Despite the failed coup, Hitler remained determined to destabilize Austria and achieve the desired Anschluss (union). The Austrian Nazi Party gained support as Hitler's popularity in Germany increased, especially after he became Chancellor in 1933. In 1936, the Austrian Chancellor, Schuschnigg, signed an agreement with Germany, which allowed Nazis to hold official posts in Austria. However, Hitler was not satisfied, and he continued to pressure Schuschnigg.

In February 1938, Hitler demanded that key government posts in Austria be given to Nazis, and Schuschnigg was forced to compromise. As the tension escalated, Schuschnigg attempted to assert Austrian independence by calling for a referendum. Hitler responded by mobilizing his army and demanding Schuschnigg's resignation. On March 11, 1938, Schuschnigg resigned, and German troops marched into Austria on March 12, unopposed and even welcomed by many Austrians.

The Austrian public's support

Support for the Anschluss

The idea of uniting Austria and Germany (Anschluss) was first proposed in 1919 by Austria, and it gained support after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918. By the 1920s, the proposal had strong support in both Austria and Germany, particularly among Austrian citizens of the political left and centre. One of the most prominent supporters was Otto Bauer, a Social Democrat leader who served as Austria's Foreign Minister after the war. Support for unification was largely driven by the belief that Austria, having lost its imperial land, was not economically viable on its own.

In the 1930s, the Nazi Party in Austria gained supporters as Hitler's popularity in Germany increased. The idea of Austria joining Germany also became more popular, partly due to a Nazi propaganda campaign that used slogans such as "Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Führer" ("One People, One Empire, One Leader") to convince Austrians to advocate for Anschluss. According to John Gunther, in 1936, "Austrian public opinion about German annexation was at least 60% against", but by 1938, he estimated that "Austria was probably eighty percent pro-Anschluss".

On March 12, 1938, when German troops invaded Austria, they were greeted by cheering Austrians with Nazi salutes, Nazi flags, and flowers. Hitler's journey through Austria became a triumphal tour, and in Vienna, around 200,000 Austrian Germans gathered to hear him speak, demonstrating their support for the unification.

Opposition to the Anschluss

Despite the show of support, there was also significant opposition to the Anschluss among the Austrian public. In the 1920s, while many Austrians hoped to unite with Germany, others remained loyal to the Habsburg monarchy and wished for Austria to remain an independent country.

In the 1930s, the Austrian Nazi Party failed to win any seats in the November 1930 general election, indicating a lack of widespread support for the party and its goals at that time. After Hitler rose to power in Germany in 1933, the Austrian government withdrew from economic ties, and Austrian Nazis began a campaign of terrorism, which caused many leading Austrian Nazis to flee to Germany.

In 1934, Engelbert Dollfuss, the Austrian chancellor, was assassinated by Austrian Nazis in a failed coup attempt. This act of violence turned many Austrians against the idea of unification. Kurt Schuschnigg, who became chancellor after Dollfuss' death, followed a similar political course and used the police to suppress Nazi supporters, gathering them in internment camps.

In 1938, when Schuschnigg announced a referendum on the issue of unification, he believed that the results would show 65% in favour of independence and 35% against. However, he was pressured to cancel the referendum and resign by Hitler, who threatened to invade Austria if his demands were not met.

While the official plebiscite held on April 10, 1938, showed 99.7% approval for the Anschluss, this vote was subject to large-scale Nazi propaganda and the abrogation of the voting rights of around 360,000 people, mainly political enemies and Austrian citizens of Jewish or Romani origin. According to estimates, if a fair referendum had been held, only about 20-25% of the Austrian population would have supported the Anschluss, while 70-75% would have voted to preserve Austrian independence.

Overall, while there was a significant portion of the Austrian public that supported the unification of Austria and Germany, there was also strong opposition. The show of support for Hitler during his triumphal tour and the official plebiscite results were not indicative of the true extent of Austrian public opinion, which was likely more divided.

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