Hitler's Expansion: Justifying Annexation Of Austria And Sudetenland

Hitler justified the annexation of Austria and the Sudetenland by claiming that Austria had descended into chaos. The Nazis circulated fake reports of rioting in Vienna and street fights caused by Communists. German newspapers printed a phony telegram supposedly from the new Austrian chancellor saying that German troops were necessary to restore order. Hitler also celebrated the annexation of Austria in a speech to a huge crowd in Vienna's Heldenplatz, which was filmed and printed in German newsreels and newspapers to demonstrate Austrian enthusiasm for the Anschluss and justify the illegal takeover of another country.

Hitler justified the annexation of Austria by claiming the country had descended into chaos

Hitler's first objective was the annexation of Austria. After the unsuccessful putsch of 1934, Hitler had to proceed carefully. However, closer cooperation with Mussolini, who had hitherto been the most determined opponent of an Anschluss, opened up new possibilities. On July 11, 1936, a so-called gentlemen’s agreement was concluded between Germany and Austria, which was used by the German government as a means of exercising pressure on Kurt von Schuschnigg’s government in Vienna. Hitler sought to preserve the facade of legality while applying political pressure under the threat, but without the overt use, of force. On February 12, 1938, Schuschnigg, the Austrian chancellor, was bullied into accepting far-reaching demands during an interview with Hitler at Berchtesgaden.

The Anschluss was the Nazi regime’s first act of territorial aggression and expansion. It was a watershed moment in Nazi Germany’s foreign policy. The international community did not intervene to try and stop the Anschluss. Nor did they punish Nazi Germany for violating international treaties. Thus, the Anschluss is one of the earliest and most significant examples of the international community’s appeasement of Adolf Hitler’s aggressive foreign policy.

Hitler also sought to justify the annexation of the Sudetenland, a region of Czechoslovakia with a predominantly ethnic German population.

Fake reports of rioting in Vienna were circulated

The Nazis justified the invasion of Austria by claiming that the country had descended into chaos. Fake reports of rioting in Vienna were circulated, along with stories of street fights caused by Communists. German newspapers printed a phony telegram supposedly from the Austrian chancellor, which said that German troops were necessary to restore order. Hitler accompanied his troops to his birthplace at Braunau am Inn on the south bank of Austria’s Inn River, and then on to Linz, where he had attended school. There, he called for an immediate Anschluss. The next day, Austria’s parliament formally approved the annexation.

Hitler's first objective was the annexation of Austria. After the unsuccessful putsch of 1934, Hitler had to proceed carefully, but closer cooperation with Mussolini opened up new possibilities. On July 11, 1936, a so-called gentlemen’s agreement was concluded between Germany and Austria, which was used by the German government as a means of pressuring Kurt von Schuschnigg’s government in Vienna. Hitler sought to preserve the facade of legality while applying political pressure under the threat, but without the overt use, of force. On February 12, 1938, Schuschnigg, the Austrian chancellor, was bullied into accepting far-reaching demands during an interview with Hitler at Berchtesgaden.

The Anschluss was the Nazi regime’s first act of territorial aggression and expansion. It was a watershed moment in Nazi Germany’s foreign policy. The international community did not intervene to try and stop the Anschluss, nor did they punish Nazi Germany for violating international treaties. Thus, the Anschluss is one of the earliest and most significant examples of the international community’s appeasement of Hitler’s aggressive foreign policy.

After the annexation of Austria, Hitler targeted Czechoslovakia, provoking an international crisis which led to the Munich Agreement in September 1938, giving Nazi Germany control of the industrial Sudetenland, which had a predominantly ethnic German population.

Hitler celebrated the annexation of Austria in a speech to a huge crowd in Vienna's Heldenplatz

On March 15, Hitler celebrated the annexation of Austria in a speech to a huge crowd in Vienna's Heldenplatz. The Nazis justified their invasion by claiming that Austria had descended into chaos, circulating fake reports of rioting in Vienna and street fights caused by Communists. German newspapers printed a phony telegram supposedly from the new Austrian chancellor, saying that German troops were necessary to restore order. This was Hitler's first objective, and the Anschluss was the Nazi regime's first act of territorial aggression and expansion. It was a significant breach of the post-World War I international order, and the international community did not intervene to try and stop it.

The Nazis used the Austrian plebiscite as a propaganda opportunity

Hitler's speech in Vienna's Heldenplatz was another propaganda opportunity. Film footage and photographs of the crowds appeared in German newsreels and newspapers. Their goal was to demonstrate Austrian enthusiasm for the Anschluss and thus justify the illegal takeover of another country. When Hitler returned home to Berlin, he was greeted as a hero. The plebiscite was another propaganda opportunity. The Nazi propaganda offensive in support of the vote co-opted and mobilized a wide variety of Austrian institutions and leaders.

Hitler's annexation of Austria was his first objective

Hitler’s annexation of Austria was his first objective. After the unsuccessful putsch of 1934, Hitler had to proceed with caution. However, closer cooperation with Mussolini, who had previously been the most determined opponent of an Anschluss, presented new opportunities. On July 11, 1936, a so-called gentlemen's agreement was concluded between Germany and Austria, which the German government used to pressure Kurt von Schuschnigg's government in Vienna. Hitler wanted to maintain the appearance of legality while applying political pressure under the threat of force.

On February 12, 1938, Austrian chancellor Schuschnigg was forced to accept far-reaching demands during an interview with Hitler at Berchtesgaden. The Nazis justified the invasion by claiming that Austria had descended into chaos, spreading fake reports of rioting in Vienna and street fights caused by Communists. German newspapers printed a phony telegram supposedly from the new Austrian chancellor, stating that German troops were necessary to restore order. Hitler accompanied his troops to his birthplace at Braunau am Inn on the south bank of Austria's Inn River and then on to Linz, where he called for an immediate Anschluss. The next day, Austria's parliament formally approved the annexation.

Hitler's annexation of Austria marked a significant breach of the post-World War I international order. The international community did not intervene to stop the Anschluss or punish Nazi Germany for violating international treaties. This appeasement of Hitler's aggressive foreign policy set a precedent for further expansionist actions. Indeed, just six months after the annexation of Austria, Nazi Germany manufactured a crisis in the Sudetenland, a region of Czechoslovakia with a predominantly ethnic German population. This led to the Munich Agreement in September 1938, which gave Nazi Germany control of the Sudetenland.

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