Nationalism's Grip: Austrian Influence On German Pre-Ww2 Expansion

German nationalism was a new phenomenon that emerged in the 19th century, with the unification of Germany in 1871. It became fascinated with German imperial expansion and resentful of the British Empire. In the 1930s, the Nazis came to power and sought to unify all ethnic Germans under the leadership of Adolf Hitler, which eventually led to the Holocaust during World War II. In the aftermath of World War I, significant numbers of Austria's North Tyrolese declared their intention to have North Tyrol join Bavaria. The Austrian government rejected pan-German aspirations to join Austria with Germany, but did not wholly reject a potential union. This introduction will explore the impact of Austrian nationalism on German expansion before World War II.

The German National Movement

German nationalism emerged in the 19th century, following the unification of Germany in 1871. The German National Movement (Deutschnationale Bewegung) sought the creation of a Greater Germany, which would include the Austrian Empire or its German-speaking parts. This movement was driven by a desire to entrench the German ethnic identity and implement anti-Semitic and anti-clerical policies. The movement also advocated for imperial expansion, seeking to rival the British Empire.

In the 1930s, the Nazis came to power in Germany, led by Adolf Hitler. They sought to unify all ethnic Germans, which included Austrians. However, the Fatherland Front government in Austria, led by Engelbert Dollfuss and Kurt Schuschnigg, rejected the idea of a union with Germany, citing the need for a federal state that recognised the unique identity of Austrians within a German Kulturnation.

After World War II, pan-Germanism and the idea of political union with Germany became unpopular in Austria due to their association with Nazism. Austrians began to embrace a broader Austrian identity, emphasising their non-Germanic cultural heritage. They even described themselves as "Hitler's first victim" to distance themselves from the German regime.

Overall, the German National Movement's aspirations for a Greater Germany, including Austria, faced resistance from various ethnic groups within the Austrian Empire and the Austrian government itself. The rise of Nazism and its association with German nationalism further complicated these aspirations, leading to a shift towards a distinct Austrian national identity in the post-World War II era.

The Austrian Empire's German-speaking part

The Austrian Empire was a multi-ethnic state, and many ethnic groups under its rule, including the Serbs, Czechs, Italians, Croats, Slovenes, and Poles, demanded political, economic, and cultural equality starting with the revolutions of 1848. The Austrian Empire's German-speaking part was thus a key site of tension between these competing nationalist demands.

The Austrians themselves favoured the idea of a Greater Germany unification but were not willing to give up any of the non-German-speaking land inside the Austrian Empire or take second place to Prussia. This stance contributed to the feud between Austria and Prussia, which came to a head in the German War of 1866.

In the 1930s, the Nazis came to power in Germany and sought to unify all ethnic Germans under the leadership of Adolf Hitler. However, the Fatherland Front government of Engelbert Dollfuss and Kurt Schuschnigg in Austria rejected current pan-German aspirations to join Austria with a Protestant-dominated Germany. They claimed that any unification of Austria with Germany would require a federal German state where Austria and Austrians were guaranteed privileged status.

After World War II, both pan-Germanism and the idea of political union with Germany became unpopular in Austria due to their association with Nazism and the rise of a civic Austrian national identity. Austrians began to reject the German identity, emphasising the non-Germanic heritage of Austrian culture, including Celtic, Illyrian, Roman, Slavic, and Magyar influences.

The Austrian Empire's non-German-speaking part

The Austrian Empire favoured unification with a Greater Germany but was not willing to give up any of its non-German-speaking lands. This stance contributed to the feud between Austria and Prussia, which culminated in the German war of 1866. The Austrian Empire's desire to maintain its non-German-speaking territories was a barrier to a potential union with Germany.

In the 1930s, the Fatherland Front government of Engelbert Dollfuss and Kurt Schuschnigg rejected pan-German aspirations to join Austria with a Protestant-dominated Germany. They argued that any unification would require a federal German state that recognised an Austrian nation within a German Kulturnation. This stance reflected the importance of Austria's non-German-speaking part in shaping the country's national identity and its relationship with Germany.

After World War II, Austrians began to reject the German identity altogether and embraced a broader Austrian identity that emphasised the non-Germanic heritage of Austrian culture, including Celtic, Illyrian, Roman, Slavic, and Magyar influences. This shift away from German nationalism was a reaction to the association of pan-Germanism and political union with Germany with Nazism and the atrocities committed during the war.

The Austrian Empire's rejection of unification with Germany

In the 19th century, Germans debated whether the German nation-state should comprise a "Lesser Germany" that excluded the Austrian Empire or a "Greater Germany" that included the Austrian Empire or its German-speaking parts. The Austrian Empire favoured the Greater Germany unification but was not willing to give up any of the non-German-speaking land inside of the Austrian Empire and take second place to Prussia.

In the 1930s, the Fatherland Front government of Engelbert Dollfuss and Kurt Schuschnigg rejected pan-German aspirations to join Austria with a Protestant-dominated Germany. However, they did not wholly reject a potential union, claiming that any unification of Austria with Germany would require a federal German state where Austria and Austrians were guaranteed privileged status recognising an Austrian nation within a German Kulturnation.

Following the events of World War II and Nazism, Austrians began to reject the German identity, and a broader Austrian identity replaced it. After the war, Austrians went as far as describing themselves as "Hitler's first victim". In the post-World War II period, proponents who recognise an Austrian nation have rejected a German identity of Austrians and have emphasised the non-Germanic heritage of Austrian culture, including Celtic, Illyrian, Roman, Slavic and Magyar influences.

German resentment of the British Empire

German nationalism emerged from the unification of Germany in 1871. It became fascinated with German imperial expansion and resentful of the British Empire.

The British Empire was a colonial empire that rivalled the German colonial empire. The British Empire was also the largest empire in history, and the German Empire was a relatively new phenomenon. The British Empire was also seen as a threat to the German Empire, as it was a major power that could potentially block German expansion.

The German Empire was also resentful of the British Empire because of the way it treated its colonies. The British Empire was known for its harsh treatment of the people in its colonies, and the German Empire saw itself as a more enlightened power that would treat its colonies better.

The German Empire also resented the British Empire because of the way it treated Germany during the First World War. The British Empire was one of the main Allied powers that fought against Germany, and it imposed a harsh peace treaty on Germany after the war. This peace treaty was seen as unfair by many Germans, and it contributed to the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party.

The German Empire also resented the British Empire because of the way it treated German immigrants during the First World War. Many German immigrants in Allied countries, including Canada and the United States, were detained in internment camps or forced to change their names to sound less German. This treatment of German immigrants was seen as unfair and contributed to the rise of anti-German sentiment in Allied countries.

Frequently asked questions