Ruqayyah Snyder
On February 12, 1938, Austrian chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg met with Hitler to discuss the tensions between Austria and Germany. Hitler, however, was ready to take full control of Austria and presented Schuschnigg with a series of demands, including the appointment of Austrian Nazi Arthur Seyss-Inquart as Minister of Public Security, with full, unlimited control of the police. Schuschnigg gave in and signed the agreement, and in March 1938, Hitler's regime began to tighten its grip on every aspect of Austrian society, beginning with mass arrests as thousands of Austrians tried to escape.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | 12 February 1938 |
| Location | Berchtesgaden |
| Austrian Chancellor | Kurt von Schuschnigg |
| Demands | Austrian foreign and military policies coordinated with Germany's; Austrian Nazi Arthur Seyss-Inquart placed in charge of policing and security matters; amnesty for imprisoned Austrian Nazis |
| Outcome | Schuschnigg agreed to demands; Austria annexed by Nazi Germany |
What You'll Learn
Hitler's demands for Austria to agree to a union
On 12 February 1938, Austrian chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg met with Hitler to discuss the tensions between Austria and Germany. However, Hitler was ready to take full control of Austria and presented Schuschnigg with a series of demands. These included:
- Austria's foreign and military policies were to be coordinated with Germany's
- Austrian Nazi Arthur Seyss-Inquart was to be placed in charge of policing and security matters
- Austrian Nazis who had been imprisoned by the Austrian government were to be amnestied
- Nazi sympathisers were to be appointed to positions of power in the government
Schuschnigg gave in to these demands and signed the agreement. Following this, Hitler began to tighten his grip on every aspect of Austrian society, beginning with mass arrests as thousands of Austrians tried to escape.
Austria-Hungary's War Declaration: Who Was Their Target?
You may want to see also
The appointment of Arthur Seyss-Inquart as Minister of Public Security
On 12 February 1938, Austrian chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg met with Hitler to discuss the tensions between Austria and Germany. However, Hitler was ready to take full control of Austria and presented Schuschnigg with a series of demands, including the appointment of Austrian Nazi Arthur Seyss-Inquart as Minister of Public Security.
Hitler's demands also included coordinating Austria's foreign and military policies with Germany's and amnestying Austrian Nazis who had been imprisoned by the Austrian government. Schuschnigg was intimidated by the presence of several German generals and agreed to the demands, signing an agreement.
The appointment of Seyss-Inquart was part of a broader strategy by Hitler to place Nazi sympathisers in positions of power within the Austrian government. By doing so, Hitler was able to exert influence and gain control over key aspects of Austrian society. This included tightening his grip on every aspect of Austrian life, beginning with mass arrests as thousands of Austrians tried to escape.
State Elections in Austria: Understanding the Unique System
You may want to see also
The annexation of Austria
On February 12, 1938, Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg met with Hitler to discuss the tensions between their two countries. Hitler, however, was ready to take full control of Austria and presented Schuschnigg with a series of demands. These included coordinating Austria's foreign and military policies with Germany, appointing the Austrian Nazi Arthur Seyss-Inquart to a position of power over policing and security matters, and granting amnesty to Austrian Nazis imprisoned by the Austrian government. Hitler intimidated Schuschnigg by having several German generals present at the meeting. Faced with these demands and threats, Schuschnigg gave in and signed the agreement, effectively ceding control of Austria to Hitler.
Following the annexation, Hitler's regime quickly moved to consolidate its power in Austria. Mass arrests were carried out, and Austrians who tried to escape were threatened with imprisonment in the newly opened Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp, which became notorious for its cruelty. The annexation of Austria was followed by similar actions in Czechoslovakia, leading to an international crisis and the Munich Agreement in September 1938, which gave Nazi Germany control of the Sudetenland.
Jews in Austria: A Community Under Threat?
You may want to see also
The arrest of Austrian Nazis
On 12 February 1938, Austrian chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg met with Hitler to discuss the tensions between Austria and Germany. However, Hitler was ready to take full control of Austria and presented Schuschnigg with a series of demands, including that Austrian foreign and military policies were to be coordinated with Germany's, and that Austrian Nazi Arthur Seyss-Inquart was to be placed in charge of policing and security matters. Hitler also demanded that Austrian Nazis who had been imprisoned by the Austrian government were to be amnestied.
The Austrian government had previously arrested thousands of Austrian Nazis, including some conspirators, after the death of Dollfuss. This was part of a failed coup attempt by the Austrian Nazi movement, which Hitler denied any involvement in. However, following the meeting with Hitler, Schuschnigg gave in and signed an agreement to Hitler's demands.
Hitler's regime began to tighten its grip on every aspect of society, beginning with mass arrests as thousands of Austrians tried to escape. The local Gauleiter of Gmunden, Upper Austria, gave a speech telling Austrians that all "traitors" were to be thrown into the newly opened concentration camp at Mauthausen-Gusen, which became notorious for its cruelty and barbarism.
Following the Anschluss, the Republic of Austria ceased to exist as an independent state.
Exchange Options for Austrian Schillings
You may want to see also
The takeover of Czechoslovakia
Hitler gained control of Austria through the Anschluss. This was a process that began on 12 February 1938 when Austrian chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg met with Hitler to discuss the tensions between Austria and Germany. Hitler, however, was ready to take full control of Austria and presented Schuschnigg with a series of demands, including that Austrian foreign and military policies were to be coordinated with Germany's, and that Austrian Nazi Arthur Seyss-Inquart was to be placed in charge of policing and security matters. Schuschnigg gave in and signed the agreement.
Following the Anschluss, Hitler targeted Czechoslovakia, provoking an international crisis which led to the Munich Agreement in September 1938. This gave Nazi Germany control of the industrial Sudetenland, which had a predominantly ethnic German population. The Munich Agreement was signed by Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, French Premier Edouard Daladier, and British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain. Although the agreement was to give Hitler only the Sudetenland, that part of Czechoslovakia where 3 million ethnic Germans lived, it also handed over to the Nazi war machine 66% of Czechoslovakia's coal, 70% of its iron and steel, and 70% of its electrical power.
In March 1939, Hitler then dismantled Czechoslovakia by recognising the independence of Slovakia and making the rest of the nation a protectorate. On 14 March 1939, Slovakia declared its "independence" (in fact, complete dependence on Germany) with the threat of invasion squelching all debate within the Czech province. The following day, during a meeting with Czech President Emil Hacha, Hitler threatened a bombing raid against Prague, the Czech capital, unless he obtained free passage for German troops into Czech borders.
Hitler's forces invaded and occupied Czechoslovakia, proving the futility of the Munich Pact, an unsuccessful attempt to prevent Germany's imperial aims. Less than half a year after it was signed, Nazi Germany broke the Munich Pact. Germany invaded the Czech provinces of Bohemia and Moravia on 15 March 1939. Unlike with the Sudetenland, these provinces were not incorporated directly into the German Reich.
The Breakup of Austria-Hungary: Post-WW1 Geopolitics
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Hitler gained control of Austria through a series of demands and threats. He demanded that Austria's foreign and military policies were to be coordinated with Germany's, that Austrian Nazi Arthur Seyss-Inquart was to be placed in charge of policing and security matters, and that Austrian Nazis who had been imprisoned by the Austrian government were to be amnestied.
Austrian chancellor Schuschnigg met Hitler at Berchtesgaden to discuss the tensions between Austria and Germany. However, Hitler presented Schuschnigg with a set of demands, including the appointment of Nazi sympathisers to positions of power in the government. Schuschnigg agreed to these demands under threat.
Hitler's regime began to tighten its grip on every aspect of society, with mass arrests as thousands of Austrians tried to escape. The Republic of Austria ceased to exist as an independent state.
The international community was concerned about Austro-German relations following a failed coup attempt by the Nazis. After Hitler gained control of Austria, he targeted Czechoslovakia, provoking an international crisis which led to the Munich Agreement in September 1938.
