Hitler's Annexation Of Austria: A Fateful Step

On 12 March 1938, German troops, accompanied by Hitler himself, entered Austria. This was the culmination of a series of events that began with a conspiracy by Austrian Nazis to seize the Austrian government and unite the nation with Nazi Germany. Hitler had presented Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg with a set of demands, including appointing Nazi sympathisers to positions of power in the government. Schuschnigg gave in to these demands and, on 11 March, resigned. In his resignation address, he pleaded with Austrian forces not to resist a German 'advance' into the country.

Hitler's demands for union

Schuschnigg, browbeaten and threatened, agreed to these demands and put them into effect. However, this was not enough to satisfy Hitler, who continued to apply pressure. On March 9, 1938, Schuschnigg called a national vote to resolve the question of Anschluss, or "annexation," once and for all. Before the plebiscite could take place, Schuschnigg gave in to further pressure from Hitler and resigned on March 11, 1938. In his resignation address, under coercion from the Nazis, he pleaded with Austrian forces not to resist a German "advance" into the country.

The next day, German troops, accompanied by Hitler himself, entered Austria. A Nazi government in Austria, headed by Seyss-Inquart, was established, and it collaborated with Hitler in proclaiming the Anschluss on March 13, 1938. France and Great Britain protested against Hitler's methods, but they accepted the union as a fait accompli. The United States followed a policy of appeasement, while the Soviet Union demanded only that the West should stop further German aggression and that the Anschluss be handled by the League of Nations.

Schuschnigg's resignation

In March 1938, Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg called for a national plebiscite to allow Austrians to vote on whether they wanted their country to remain independent or become part of Nazi Germany. Fearing that the vote would go against him, Hitler decided to invade Austria.

Hitler sent an ultimatum to Schuschnigg, demanding that he hand over power to the Austrian Nazis or face an invasion. Schuschnigg initially responded by denying reports of riots in Austria, but on March 11, he cancelled the plebiscite and offered to resign to avoid bloodshed. Hitler then demanded that the Austrian president, Wilhelm Miklas, appoint an Austrian Nazi as the next chancellor.

The annexation of Austria was a significant event in Hitler's rise to power and the expansion of Nazi Germany. It demonstrated Hitler's willingness to use force and intimidation to achieve his political goals. Despite his previous assurances that Germany would not interfere in Austrian affairs, Hitler's actions in March 1938 showed that he was determined to consolidate his power and expand his influence in Europe.

The plebiscite that took place under German supervision in April 1938 was a sham, with more than 99.75% of Austrian voters supporting a union with Germany. This vote was not a true reflection of the Austrian people's will, but rather a result of the intimidation and propaganda that had been employed by the Nazis.

German troops enter Austria

On 11 March 1938, two demands were made: for the postponement of the plebiscite and for the resignation of Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg. Schuschnigg gave way, and on 12 March, German troops, accompanied by Hitler himself, entered Austria.

The Austrian Nazi movement had been conspiring to seize the Austrian government by force and unite their nation with Nazi Germany. Schuschnigg had tried to resist, meeting with Hitler in February 1938 to try to avoid the takeover of Austria. However, he was bullied into naming several top Austrian Nazis to his cabinet.

On 9 March, Schuschnigg called a national vote to resolve the question of Anschluss, or 'annexation', once and for all. But before the plebiscite could take place, he gave in to pressure from Hitler and resigned on 11 March. In his resignation address, under coercion from the Nazis, he pleaded with Austrian forces not to resist a German 'advance' into the country.

A Nazi government in Austria, headed by Arthur Seyss-Inquart, was established. France and Great Britain protested against Hitler's methods but accepted the outcome. The United States followed a policy of appeasement, and the Soviet Union demanded only that the West should stop further German aggression.

Nazi government established in Austria

In early 1938, Austrian Nazis conspired to seize the Austrian government and unite the country with Nazi Germany. Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg met with Hitler to try and reassert his country's independence but was bullied into naming several top Austrian Nazis to his cabinet. Hitler also demanded that Arthur Seyss-Inquart be appointed Minister of Public Security, with full, unlimited control of the police.

On March 9, Schuschnigg called a national vote to resolve the question of Anschluss, or 'annexation,' once and for all. However, before the plebiscite could take place, Schuschnigg gave in to pressure from Hitler and resigned on March 11. In his resignation address, he pleaded with Austrian forces not to resist a German 'advance' into the country.

On March 12, German troops, accompanied by Hitler himself, entered Austria. A Nazi government in Austria, headed by Seyss-Inquart, was established and it collaborated with Hitler in proclaiming the Anschluss on March 13. France and Great Britain protested against the methods used by Hitler but accepted the fait accompli. The United States followed the British and French policy of appeasement, and the Soviet Union demanded only that the West should stop further German aggression and that the Anschluss should be handled by the League of Nations.

The Anschluss

In 1938, Austrian Nazis conspired to seize the Austrian government and unite the country with Nazi Germany. Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg met with Hitler in an attempt to reassert his country's independence, but was forced to name several Austrian Nazis to his cabinet. Schuschnigg called a national vote to resolve the question of the Anschluss, but before the plebiscite could take place, he gave in to pressure from Hitler and resigned on March 11, 1938. In his resignation address, he pleaded with Austrian forces not to resist a German "advance" into the country. German troops, accompanied by Hitler himself, entered Austria on March 12, 1938. A Nazi government in Austria, headed by Seyss-Inquart, was established; it collaborated with Hitler in proclaiming the Anschluss on March 13.

Hitler had presented Schuschnigg with a set of demands, including appointing Nazi sympathisers to positions of power in the government. The key appointment was that of Arthur Seyss-Inquart as Minister of Public Security, with full, unlimited control of the police. In return, Hitler would publicly reaffirm the treaty of 11 July 1936 and reaffirm his support for Austria's national sovereignty. Browbeaten and threatened by Hitler, Schuschnigg agreed to these demands and put them into effect.

France and Great Britain protested against the methods used by Hitler but accepted the fait accompli. The United States followed the British and French policy of appeasement, and the Soviet Union demanded only that the West should stop further German aggression and that the Anschluss should be handled by the League of Nations.

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