Austria To Germany: The Unlikely Rise Of A Chancellor

Adolf Hitler was born in Austria but became chancellor of Germany. He moved from Vienna to Munich in 1913, possibly to evade Austrian conscription, but was sent back to Austria by the police. He failed his physical exams and was allowed to return to Munich without serving. When World War I broke out, he enthusiastically volunteered for the Bavarian army, and was granted special permission to join despite his Austrian citizenship.

Hitler's Austrian citizenship

Although Hitler was born in Austria, he moved to Munich in 1913, possibly to avoid conscription into the Austrian army. However, the police sent him back to Austria, where he failed his physical exams and was allowed to return to Munich without serving. When World War I broke out, he volunteered for the Bavarian army, but because he was still an Austrian citizen, he needed special permission to join. This was granted, and Hitler fought in the German army while still an Austrian citizen.

Hitler's rise to power as chancellor was a consequence of the weakness of the Weimar Republic, with its political instability, backroom deals and overreliance on presidential powers.

Hitler's failed attempt to join the Austrian army

Hitler moved from Vienna to Munich in 1913 to evade Austrian conscription. However, the police sent him back to Austria, where he failed his physical exams and was allowed to return to Munich without serving. When World War I broke out, he enthusiastically volunteered for the Bavarian army. Because he was still an Austrian citizen, he needed special permission to join, which he was granted.

Afterwards, the authorities wondered why he wasn't deported back to Austria to be enlisted in the Austrian army. None of the bureaucrats working on his application could say why. Most likely, the authorities simply missed the fact that he was still Austrian and signed him up in error. And that's how Hitler fought in the German army while still being an Austrian citizen.

In the context of the general turmoil in society before and after World War I, this story may not seem so unusual. However, the fact that it involves Hitler, one of the most infamous people in history, makes it sound crazier than it actually is.

Hitler's service in the German army

Hitler was able to serve in the German army during World War One despite being an Austrian citizen. In 1913, he moved from Vienna to Munich, possibly to avoid conscription in Austria. However, the police sent him back to Austria, where he failed his physical exams and was allowed to return to Munich without serving.

When World War One broke out, Hitler enthusiastically volunteered for the Bavarian army. Because he was still an Austrian citizen, he needed special permission to join, which he was granted. After the war, authorities were puzzled as to why he had not been deported back to Austria to be enlisted in the Austrian army. It seems likely that the authorities simply missed the fact that he was still Austrian and signed him up in error.

Hitler's rise to power in Germany

Hitler was born in Austria, but moved to Munich in 1913, possibly to evade Austrian conscription. He was sent back to Austria, where he failed his physical exams and was allowed to return to Munich without serving. When World War I broke out, he enthusiastically volunteered for the Bavarian army, but because he was still an Austrian citizen, he had to get special permission to join. The authorities later wondered why he wasn't deported back to Austria to be enlisted in the Austrian army, and none of the bureaucrats working on his application could say why. It seems likely that the authorities simply missed the fact that he was still Austrian and signed him up in error.

Hitler's path to becoming chancellor was legal, but how he gained dictatorial power afterwards was not.

The weakness of the Weimar Republic

Hitler was Austrian and became chancellor of Germany due to the weakness of the Weimar Republic. The Weimar Republic was the name given to the German republic between 1919 and 1933. It was a representative democracy, which tried to give genuine power to all German adults. However, it had major flaws that contributed to its downfall.

Firstly, the Weimar Republic suffered from political instability. This was partly due to the system of proportional representation, which resulted in the formation of coalition governments comprising many parties. When parties disagreed, the government often collapsed, and fresh elections were needed. This meant that it was difficult for one party to gain a majority, and the country was run by a series of coalitions.

Secondly, the Weimar Republic was overly reliant on presidential powers. The constitution included emergency powers, established under Article 48, which enabled the President to rule by decree rather than consulting the Reichstag. This meant that the Chancellor would present laws to the President, who would simply issue them without proper democratic debate.

Thirdly, the Weimar Republic lacked popular support. The German people had no tradition of parliamentary democracy, and there was no general support for the new republic. The ruling Social Democrats were linked to the Treaty of Versailles, which punished Germany severely, and they were nicknamed the 'November criminals'.

Finally, the Weimar Republic suffered from security risks. The new government first met in Weimar because there were security risks in Berlin. This lack of security may have contributed to the instability and eventual downfall of the Weimar Republic.

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