Hitler's Conquest Of Austria: A Historical Overview

On March 12, 1938, Adolf Hitler annexed Austria into the German Reich. This was known as the Anschluss, or union in German. The annexation was the culmination of years of political tension and upheaval in Austria, which had been destabilised by pro-Nazi agitators since Hitler's rise to power in 1933. The invasion was also the result of Hitler's expansionist policies and his desire to incorporate all German-speaking nations into Germany.

Hitler's annexation of Austria was called the Anschluss

After Hitler rose to power in 1933, unification became associated with the Nazis and their concept of "Heim ins Reich" ("back home to the realm"), which aimed to incorporate as many ethnic Germans outside Germany as possible into a "Greater Germany". Hitler himself, an Austrian German by birth, had expressed his intention to unite Austria and Germany in his 1925 book, "Mein Kampf".

In July 1934, a pro-Nazi group attempted a coup in Austria, which failed due to a lack of support from the Austrian military. Despite this, Hitler continued to pursue unification and, in February 1938, he met with the Austrian chancellor, Kurt von Schuschnigg, demanding that members of the Austrian Nazi Party be appointed to his cabinet and given full political rights. Fearing a German invasion, Schuschnigg called for a national plebiscite to allow Austrians to vote on their nation's independence. Hitler, determined to prevent this vote, decided to invade Austria immediately.

On March 11, 1938, Schuschnigg cancelled the plebiscite and offered to resign. Hitler demanded that the Austrian president, Wilhelm Miklas, appoint an Austrian Nazi leader, Arthur Seyss-Inquart, as the new chancellor. When Miklas refused, Hitler ordered the invasion to commence at dawn on March 12. German soldiers crossed the border, encountering no resistance, and Austria was annexed into the German Reich.

A controlled plebiscite was held on April 10, 1938, which showed a 99.7% approval for the Anschluss. However, this vote was neither free nor secret, and the true opinions of the Austrian population are uncertain. While there was genuine enthusiasm among some Austrians for the union, others welcomed it as a chance to put an end to the "Jewish Question", leading to an outbreak of anti-Jewish violence.

Hitler's goal was to unite all German-speaking nations

The idea of a union between Austria and Germany, known as the "Anschluss", was not new. After the unification of Germany in 1871, which excluded Austria, the idea gained support in both nations, especially among Austrian citizens of the political left and centre. The proposal was also supported by prominent figures, such as Otto Bauer, a Social Democrat leader and Austria's Foreign Minister after the war. However, support for unification gradually faded over time, although it remained a concept in Austrian political discourse.

Hitler, being an Austrian himself, shared this desire for unification. In Mein Kampf, he wrote about his intention to "incorporate the ten million German-Austrians in the Empire and dethrone the Habsburgs". He argued that the German Reich's task was to unite all Germans, whether they lived within the Reich or outside it, to create an "all-German Reich".

Hitler's rise to power in Germany made the idea of unification less attractive to many Austrians. In the 1930s, the Austrian government, led by Engelbert Dollfuss, opposed unification. Dollfuss tried to ban the Nazi Party in Austria and attempted to crack down on the Socialists, who he believed were tearing the country apart. In 1934, Hitler ordered the Austrian Nazis to create havoc, and this turned into an attempt to overthrow the government. Although they assassinated Dollfuss, the coup failed due to the Austrian military's intervention.

Despite this setback, Hitler continued to pursue his goal of uniting all German-speaking nations. In 1938, he invited the new Austrian Chancellor, Kurt von Schuschnigg, to his retreat and forced him to agree to give the Austrian Nazis a free hand. Hitler demanded that Nazis be appointed to key government posts in Austria, and Schuschnigg eventually compromised, appointing the Nazi member Arthur Seyss-Inquart as Minister of the Interior.

Hitler then ordered the Austrian Nazis to create chaos and destruction to put pressure on Schuschnigg. He wanted to be able to justify marching German troops into Vienna by claiming that Austrian law and order had broken down. Schuschnigg, realising the threat, announced a referendum to allow Austrians to decide if they wanted to be part of Hitler's Germany. However, Hitler was furious with this decision, as it could ruin his excuse for an invasion. He immediately ordered his generals to prepare for the invasion of Austria, and Schuschnigg, knowing he had no support from Italy, France, or Britain, was forced to cancel the referendum and resign.

On March 12, 1938, German troops marched into Austria unopposed and were often greeted with cheering crowds. Hitler himself accompanied the soldiers into his birthplace, and the next day, Austria's parliament formally approved the annexation. Austria had ceased to exist as a nation and was now a province of Germany.

Hitler's goal of uniting all German-speaking nations was thus achieved in Austria, and he went on to pursue similar ambitions in other regions, such as the Sudetenland within Czechoslovakia.

The Treaty of Versailles forbade unification of Germany and Austria

The unification of Germany and Austria had been a topic of debate since the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806. Austria had wanted a "Greater Germany" solution, which would see the German states unite under the leadership of the Austrian House of Habsburg. However, this was not to be, as the Kingdom of Prussia defeated the Austrian Empire in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, excluding Austria from Germany.

After World War I, the idea of an "Anschluss" (a united Austria and Germany) gained support. The new Republic of German-Austria attempted to form a union with Germany, but the 1919 Treaty of Versailles and Treaty of Saint Germain forbade the unification and stripped Austria of some of its territories, such as the Sudetenland. The treaties also prohibited the continued use of the name "German-Austria". This left Austria without most of the territories it had ruled for centuries and amid an economic crisis.

Article 80 of the Treaty of Versailles stated that:

> Germany acknowledges and will respect strictly the independence of Austria, within the frontiers which may be fixed in a Treaty between that State and the Principal Allied and Associated Powers; she agrees that this independence shall be inalienable, except with the consent of the Council of the League of Nations.

Despite the treaties' prohibitions, there was considerable sentiment in both Austria and Germany in favour of unification. In the 1920s, the Anschluss proposal had strong support, particularly from Austrian citizens of the political left and centre. However, popular support for the unification faded over time, and by 1938, the idea of unification was not overwhelmingly popular among the Austrian population.

In 1933, when Adolf Hitler rose to power in Germany, the desire for unification became associated with the Nazis, for whom it was an integral part of their ideology. Hitler, himself an Austrian German by birth, had written in his 1925 book "Mein Kampf" about his desire to see German-Austria return to the "great German motherland". Despite his public statements to the contrary, Hitler planned to invade Austria to prevent a plebiscite on unification and to install a pro-Nazi government. On March 12, 1938, German soldiers crossed the border into Austria, encountering no resistance. The next day, Austria's parliament formally approved the annexation, and Austria became a province of Germany.

Hitler bullied Austrian chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg into agreeing to his demands

In February 1938, Hitler summoned Austrian chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg to his residence in Berghof. There, Hitler presented Schuschnigg with a set of demands, which amounted to an ultimatum. Schuschnigg was bullied into agreeing to the demands, which included the appointment of Arthur Seyss-Inquart, a Nazi sympathiser, as Minister of Security, which controlled the police. Another pro-Nazi, Dr Hans Fischböck, was to be named Minister of Finance to prepare for economic union between Germany and Austria. Hitler also demanded the release and reinstatement of imprisoned Nazis, and the exchange of 100 officers between the Austrian and German armies.

Hitler's demands were designed to give the Austrian Nazis virtually a free hand in the country. In return, Hitler would publicly reaffirm the treaty of 11 July 1936 and Austria's national sovereignty. Schuschnigg was bullied into agreeing to these demands, and he put them into effect. However, he later tried to reassert Austrian independence by calling for a plebiscite on 13 March 1938. Hitler responded by invading Austria on 12 March, and Schuschnigg was forced to resign.

Hitler invaded Austria on March 12, 1938

On March 12, 1938, Hitler invaded Austria, marking the beginning of the end of Austrian independence. The invasion was the culmination of years of political tension and power plays between the two nations.

Hitler, who was born in Austria, had long desired to unite his birth country with Germany. In his 1925 book, Mein Kampf, he wrote, "German-Austria must return to the great German motherland... Common blood belongs in a common Reich." However, the Treaty of Versailles explicitly prohibited the unification of Austria and Germany.

In July 1934, a pro-Nazi group attempted to overthrow the Austrian government, with Hitler's approval and assistance from German officials. The coup failed, but it signalled Hitler's intentions towards Austria. Despite this, Hitler publicly denied any intention to annex Austria, stating in a 1935 speech, "Germany neither intends nor wishes to interfere in the internal affairs of Austria, to annex Austria, or to conclude an Anschluss [union with Austria]."

However, in February 1938, Hitler changed course. He summoned the Austrian chancellor, Kurt von Schuschnigg, to a meeting and demanded that members of the Austrian Nazi Party be appointed to his cabinet and given full political rights. Fearing a loss of Austrian independence, von Schuschnigg called for a national plebiscite to take place on March 13, 1938, to allow Austrians to vote on whether they wished to remain independent or join the Third Reich. Hitler, determined to invade Austria and prevent the vote, ordered his troops to cross the border on March 12, encountering no resistance.

Hitler justified the invasion by claiming that Austria was in a state of chaos and civil unrest, circulating fake reports of rioting and street fights caused by Communists in Vienna. He also presented a phony telegram, supposedly from the new Austrian chancellor, requesting German military aid to restore order.

On March 13, 1938, the day after the invasion, Austria's parliament formally approved the annexation, and Austria ceased to exist as a sovereign nation. It became a province of Germany, known as Ostmark. A month later, on April 10, a controlled plebiscite was held, with 99.7% of voters approving the union with Germany.

Hitler's invasion of Austria was met with little resistance, and the international response was muted. Britain and France, facing internal political problems, did not intervene. Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, who had previously defended Austrian independence, now supported Hitler. Only Winston Churchill, then a member of the British Parliament, spoke out against the invasion, declaring:

> The gravity of the event of March 12 cannot be exaggerated. Europe is confronted with a program of aggression... unfolding stage by stage, and there is only one choice open, not only to us but to other countries who are unfortunately concerned—either to submit, like Austria, or to else take effective measures while time remains to ward off the danger and, if it cannot be warded off, to cope with it.

Hitler's annexation of Austria, known as the Anschluss, was the first step in his plan to create a Greater German Reich, and it set the stage for further aggression and the eventual outbreak of World War II.

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