Austria's Boycott: How Long Did It Last?

The boycott against Austria was part of a nationwide campaign by the Nazi Party against Jews in Germany. It lasted only one day, but marked the beginning of a series of attacks on the Jewish community that would eventually lead to the Holocaust. By 1936, the damage to Austria from the German boycott was too great, and the country was forced to come to an agreement with Germany, signing an Austro-German treaty that declared Austria a German state. Despite the extensive participation of numerous Austrians in Nazi crimes, Austria has been criticised for its historical and ongoing unwillingness to pursue investigations and trials against Nazis for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The boycott against Austria was led by Germany

The Simon Wiesenthal Center has criticised Austria for its alleged historical and ongoing unwillingness to pursue investigations and trials against Nazis for war crimes and crimes against humanity. The Center's 2001 report noted that, given the extensive participation of numerous Austrians in the implementation of the Final Solution and other Nazi crimes, Austria should have been a leader in the prosecution of Holocaust perpetrators. However, relatively little has been achieved by the Austrian authorities in this regard.

The boycott lasted until 1936 when the damage to Austria was too great

The boycott against Austria lasted until 1936 when the damage to the country was too great. The boycott was part of a nationwide campaign by the Nazi Party against Jews in Germany, which would eventually culminate in the Holocaust.

Nazi Storm Troopers stood outside Jewish-owned department stores and retail establishments, shouting slogans such as "Don't Buy from Jews" and "The Jews Are Our Misfortune". The national boycott campaign lasted only one day, but it marked the beginning of a sustained campaign against Jews in Germany.

By 1936, the boycott had caused significant damage to Austria, and the country was forced to come to an agreement with Germany. On 11 July 1936, Austrian chancellor Schuschnigg signed an agreement with German ambassador Franz von Papen, in which Austria agreed to release Nazis imprisoned in the country and follow Germany's lead in foreign policy. In exchange, Germany promised to respect Austrian sovereignty and cease terrorist attacks against the government.

Despite this agreement, Austria's role in the implementation of the Final Solution and other Nazi crimes has been criticised in recent years. The Simon Wiesenthal Center has argued that Austria should have been more aggressive in pursuing investigations and trials against Nazis for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The boycott was a reprisal for the bad international press against Germany

The boycott against Austria lasted three years, from 1933 to 1936, and was a reprisal for the bad international press against Germany since the appointment of Hitler's government. The Nazis claimed that German and foreign Jews were spreading "atrocity stories" to damage Germany's reputation. Nazi Storm Troopers stood menacingly in front of Jewish-owned department stores and retail establishments, and outside the offices of Jewish professionals, holding signs and shouting slogans such as "Don't Buy from Jews" and "The Jews Are Our Misfortune". The national boycott campaign lasted only one day and was ignored by many individual Germans who continued to shop in Jewish-owned stores and seek the services of Jewish professionals. However, the boycott marked the beginning of a nationwide campaign by the Nazi Party against Jews in Germany that would culminate in the Holocaust. By 1936, the damage to Austria from the German boycott was too great. That summer, Schuschnigg told Mussolini that his country had to come to an agreement with Germany. On 11 July 1936, he signed an agreement with the German ambassador, Franz von Papen, in which Schuschnigg agreed to the release of Nazis imprisoned in Austria and Germany promised to respect Austrian sovereignty. Under the terms of the Austro-German treaty, Austria declared itself a "German state" that would always follow Germany's lead in foreign policy, and members of the "National Opposition" were allowed to enter the cabinet, in exchange for which the Austrian Nazis promised to cease their terrorist attacks against the government.

The boycott was led by Nazi Storm Troopers

The boycott against Austria lasted from 1933 to 1936. It was led by Nazi Storm Troopers who stood menacingly outside Jewish-owned department stores and retail establishments, holding signs and shouting slogans such as "Don't Buy from Jews" and "The Jews Are Our Misfortune". The boycott was presented to the German people as a reprisal for the bad international press against Germany since the appointment of Hitler's government in January 1933. The Nazis claimed that German and foreign Jews were spreading "atrocity stories" to damage Germany's reputation. Although the national boycott campaign lasted only one day, it marked the beginning of a nationwide campaign by the Nazi Party against Jews in Germany that would culminate in the Holocaust.

By 1936, the damage to Austria from the German boycott was too great. That summer, Schuschnigg told Mussolini that his country had to come to an agreement with Germany. On 11 July 1936, he signed an agreement with the German ambassador, Franz von Papen, in which Schuschnigg agreed to the release of Nazis imprisoned in Austria and Germany promised to respect Austrian sovereignty. Under the terms of the Austro-German treaty, Austria declared itself a "German state" that would always follow Germany's lead in foreign policy, and members of the "National Opposition" were allowed to enter the cabinet, in exchange for which the Austrian Nazis promised to cease their terrorist attacks against the government.

Despite the agreement, Austria's involvement in the Final Solution and other Nazi crimes has been well-documented. The Simon Wiesenthal Center has criticised Austria for its alleged historical and ongoing unwillingness to pursue investigations and trials against Nazis for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The boycott was against Jewish-owned department stores and retail establishments

The boycott against Jewish-owned department stores and retail establishments in Austria was part of a nationwide campaign by the Nazi Party against Jews in Germany. Although the national boycott campaign only lasted one day, it marked the beginning of a series of actions that would lead to the Holocaust. The boycott was presented to the German people as a reprisal for the bad international press against Germany since the appointment of Hitler's government in January 1933. Nazi Storm Troopers stood outside Jewish-owned businesses, holding signs and shouting slogans such as "Don't Buy from Jews" and "The Jews Are Our Misfortune."

The boycott had a significant impact on Austria, and by 1936, the damage was too great. That summer, Schuschnigg told Mussolini that his country had to come to an agreement with Germany. On 11 July 1936, he signed an agreement with the German ambassador, Franz von Papen, in which Austria declared itself a "German state" and agreed to follow Germany's lead in foreign policy. In exchange, Germany promised to respect Austrian sovereignty and cease terrorist attacks by Austrian Nazis against the government.

Despite the agreement, Austria's involvement in the implementation of the Final Solution and other Nazi crimes has been well-documented. However, relatively little has been achieved by the Austrian authorities in terms of prosecuting Nazi war criminals in the decades since.

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