Hitler's Annexation: Uniting Germany And Austria

Hitler wanted to unite Germany with his native homeland, Austria, but the Treaty of Versailles and other peace treaties expressly forbade this. Hitler wanted to redraw the map of post-World War I Europe, and considered the postwar international borders unfair and illegitimate. In 1938, Hitler met with Austrian chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg and demanded that Nazis be given key government posts in Austria. Schuschnigg compromised and appointed Seyss-Inquart, a Nazi, as Minister of the Interior. Hitler then ordered Austrian Nazis to create chaos in Austria, so that he could justify marching German troops into Vienna to restore peace.

Hitler's desire to unite all German-speaking nations in Europe

Hitler wanted all German-speaking nations in Europe to be a part of Germany. This included his native homeland, Austria, which shared a border with the largely German-speaking area within Czechoslovakia, called the Sudetenland.

The peace treaties that ended World War I, including the Treaty of Versailles, expressly forbade Germany and Austria from uniting. European leaders worried that a united Germany and Austria would be too large and powerful. Hitler considered the postwar international borders unfair and illegitimate, claiming that Germans had been denied the right of self-determination.

Hitler was determined to destabilise Austria and undermine its independence. He arranged a meeting with Austrian chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg, demanding that he appoint members of Austria's Nazi Party to his cabinet and give them full political rights, or face an invasion by the German army. Hitler ordered Austrian Nazis to create as much trouble and destruction as possible to put pressure on Schuschnigg. If he could claim that Austrian law and order had broken down, he could justify marching German troops into Vienna to restore peace.

In a desperate act, Schuschnigg announced a referendum whereby the Austrian people would decide for themselves if they wanted to be a part of Hitler's Germany. Hitler's ultimate goal was Anschluss (union) with Austria.

The Treaty of Versailles forbidding unification

The Treaty of Versailles, signed on 28 June 1919, was the primary treaty produced by the Paris Peace Conference at the end of World War I. It was signed by the Allied and associated powers and by Germany in the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles. The treaty required Germany to disarm, make territorial concessions, extradite alleged war criminals, agree to Kaiser Wilhelm being put on trial, recognise the independence of states whose territory had previously been part of the German Empire, and pay reparations. Germany was also stripped of its overseas colonies, its military capabilities were severely restricted, and it was required to pay war reparations to the Allied countries.

The Treaty of Versailles forbade the unification of Germany and Austria. European leaders worried that a united Germany and Austria would be too large and powerful. Subsequent international financial agreements also required that Austria remain independent from Germany. Hitler wanted all German-speaking nations in Europe to be a part of Germany, including his native homeland, Austria. In 1938, Hitler met with the Austrian chancellor, Kurt von Schuschnigg, and demanded that Nazis be given key government posts in Austria. Hitler ordered Austrian Nazis to create as much trouble and destruction as possible in order to put pressure on Schuschnigg. If Hitler could claim that Austrian law and order had broken down, he could justify marching German troops into Vienna to restore peace. Hitler's ultimate goal was Anschluss (union) with Austria.

Hitler's attempts to destabilise Austria

Hitler wanted to unite Germany with Austria because he wanted all German-speaking nations in Europe to be a part of Germany. He also wanted control of the Sudetenland, a largely German-speaking area within Czechoslovakia, which shared a border with Austria. Hitler's ultimate goal was Anschluss (union) with Austria.

To achieve this, Hitler attempted to destabilise Austria and undermine its independence. In 1938, Hitler met with the Austrian chancellor, Kurt von Schuschnigg, at his summer retreat near the Austrian border. Hitler demanded that Nazis be given key government posts in Austria. Schuschnigg compromised and appointed the Nazi member, Seyss-Inquart, as Minister of the Interior. Hitler also ordered Austrian Nazis to create as much trouble and destruction as possible to put pressure on Schuschnigg. If Hitler could claim that Austrian law and order had broken down, he could justify marching German troops into Vienna to restore peace.

Hitler's predecessor, Dollfuss, had tried to crack down on the Socialists and Nazis, political factions that he thought were tearing the country apart. However, after his assassination, Schuschnigg was appointed chancellor and was more willing to compromise with Hitler. Schuschnigg faced a difficult choice: either appoint members of Austria's Nazi Party to his cabinet and give them full political rights, or face an invasion by the German army.

In a desperate attempt to maintain Austria's independence, Schuschnigg announced a referendum whereby the Austrian people would decide for themselves if they wanted to be a part of Hitler's Germany. However, this referendum never took place as Hitler sent German troops into Austria in March 1938, achieving the union he had sought.

The appointment of Nazis to key government posts in Austria

Hitler wanted to unite all German-speaking nations in Europe, including Austria, his native homeland. However, the Treaty of Versailles and subsequent international financial agreements forbade Germany and Austria from uniting. Hitler wanted to redraw the map of post-World War I Europe, considering the postwar international borders unfair and illegitimate.

Hitler demanded that Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg appoint Nazis to key government posts in Austria. Schuschnigg compromised and appointed the Nazi member, Seyss-Inquart, as Minister of the Interior. Hitler also ordered Austrian Nazis to create chaos and destruction to put pressure on Schuschnigg. If Hitler could claim that Austrian law and order had broken down, he could justify marching German troops into Vienna to restore peace.

Hitler's ultimate goal was Anschluss (union) with Austria. To achieve this, he was determined to destabilise Austria and undermine its independence. He also wanted control of the largely German-speaking area within Czechoslovakia, called the Sudetenland, which shared a border with Austria. By appointing Nazis to key government posts in Austria, Hitler took a significant step towards achieving his goal of uniting Germany and Austria.

The Austrian referendum on unification

Hitler wanted to unite all German-speaking nations in Europe, including Austria, his native homeland. However, the Treaty of Versailles and other peace treaties expressly forbade Germany and Austria from uniting. European leaders feared that a united Germany and Austria would be too powerful. Hitler considered these postwar international borders unfair and illegitimate, and he wanted to redraw the map of post-World War I Europe.

Hitler's ultimate goal was Anschluss (union) with Austria. In 1938, he met with the Austrian Chancellor, Kurt von Schuschnigg, and demanded that Nazis be given key government posts in Austria. Hitler also ordered Austrian Nazis to create chaos and destruction to put pressure on Schuschnigg. If he could claim that Austrian law and order had broken down, he could justify marching German troops into Vienna to restore peace.

In a desperate act, Schuschnigg announced a referendum, whereby the Austrian people would decide for themselves if they wanted to be a part of Hitler's Germany. However, before the referendum could take place, Hitler invaded Austria and annexed it into the Third Reich.

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