The Duration Of Austria's Control Under German Rule

Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany on 12 March 1938. This event is known as the Anschluss, which means 'joining' or 'connection' in German. The Anschluss was the Nazi German regime's first act of territorial aggression and expansion. Austria remained under German control until 27 April 1945, when a provisional government in Allied-occupied Austria declared the Anschluss 'null and void'. Austria remained divided into occupation zones and controlled by the Allied Commission until 1955, when the Austrian State Treaty restored its sovereignty.

The Anschluss

The idea of a union between Austria and Germany, or a 'Greater Germany', had been around since the 1871 unification of Germany, which excluded Austria and German Austrians from the Prussian-dominated German Empire. Support for the idea grew after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918, and the new Republic of German-Austria attempted to form a union with Germany. However, the 1919 Treaty of Saint Germain and Treaty of Versailles prohibited the union and the use of the name 'German-Austria'.

Austrian politics in the 1930s was characterised by infighting and political violence. The rise of the Nazis in 1933 further destabilised the situation, and Austrian chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss transformed Austria into a right-wing authoritarian regime under his control. This government was diplomatically aligned with Fascist Italy and authoritarian Hungary.

Hitler's popularity in Germany increased after he was appointed chancellor in January 1933, and he gained supporters in Austria. Within two days of the Nazis taking power in Germany, Wehrmacht troops entered Austria to enforce the Anschluss. The Nazis held a controlled plebiscite in the whole Reich within the following month, asking the people to ratify the annexation, and claimed that 99.7561% of votes cast in Austria were in favour. Although the Allies were committed to upholding the terms of the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint Germain, which specifically prohibited the union of Austria and Germany, their reaction was only verbal and moderate. No military confrontation took place, and even the strongest voices against the annexation, such as Fascist Italy, France, and Britain, remained at peace.

The rise of Austrian Nazis

Austrian Nazism, or Austrian National Socialism, was a pan-German movement that began at the start of the 20th century. The movement took a concrete form on 15 November 1903 when the German Worker's Party (DAP) was established in Austria. In 1918, the DAP changed its name to the Deutsche Nationalsozialistische Arbeiterpartei (DNSAP) and adopted the swastika as its symbol.

In the late 1920s and early 1930s, the Austrian Nazi Party was weak, divided, and ineffective. However, in 1931, the bulk of Austrian Nazis recognised Hitler as their leader, and the party began to gain supporters as Hitler's popularity in Germany increased. In 1932, Engelbert Dollfuss became chancellor of Austria and suppressed the DNSAP, banning it in early 1933. However, this did not stop the rise of Austrian Nazis, and in 1934, Austrian Nazis assassinated Dollfuss. Many leading Austrian Nazis went into exile in Germany, where they continued to push for unification with Austria.

In 1938, under increasing pressure from pro-unification activists, Austrian chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg announced a referendum on unification with Germany. This led to the Anschluss, or unification, of Austria with Germany, and the country of Austria ceased to exist. Austrian and German Nazis carried out the Nazification of all aspects of Austrian life, with many Austrians participating enthusiastically. Austrians enacted Nazi policies, persecuted the country's Jewish population, and fought in World War II.

The Austrofascist state

Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany on 11-13 March 1938. This was known as the Anschluss, which is German for 'joining' or 'connection'. The Anschluss was the Nazi German regime's first act of territorial aggression and expansion. It was the annexation of the Federal State of Austria into Nazi Germany.

The idea of a union between Austria and Germany had been around since the 1871 unification of Germany, which excluded Austria and German Austrians from the Prussian-dominated German Empire. Support for the idea grew after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918, when the new Republic of German-Austria attempted to form a union with Germany. However, the 1919 Treaty of Saint Germain and Treaty of Versailles forbade the union and the continued use of the name 'German-Austria'. The treaties also stripped Austria of some of its territories.

The rise of the Nazis in 1933 further destabilised Austrian politics, which had been characterised by infighting and political violence. Seizing the moment, Austrian chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss transformed Austria from a democratic republic into a right-wing authoritarian regime under his control. This government is known as the Austrofascist state or the Dollfuss-Schuschnigg regime. Dollfuss's government was diplomatically aligned with Fascist Italy and authoritarian Hungary.

The Anschluss was widely popular in both Germany and Austria. However, it resulted in an outburst of public violence against Austria's Jewish population. Within two days of the Anschluss, the Nazis transferred power to Germany, and Wehrmacht troops entered Austria to enforce the union. The Nazis held a controlled plebiscite (Volksabstimmung) in the whole Reich within the following month, asking the people to ratify the fait accompli. They claimed that 99.7561% of the votes cast in Austria were in favour. Although the Allies were committed to upholding the terms of the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint Germain, which specifically prohibited the union of Austria and Germany, their reaction was only verbal and moderate. No military confrontation took place, and even the strongest voices against the annexation, particularly Fascist Italy, France, and Britain (the 'Stresa Front') remained at peace.

A provisional government in Allied-occupied Austria declared the Anschluss "null und nichtig" (null and void) on 27 April 1945. Henceforth, Austria was recognised as a separate country, although it remained divided into occupation zones and controlled by the Allied Commission until 1955, when the Austrian State Treaty restored its sovereignty.

Austria's Jewish population

Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany on 12 March 1938, an event known as the Anschluss. The country remained under German control until 27 April 1945, when a provisional government in Allied-occupied Austria declared the Anschluss 'null und nichtig' (null and void). Austria remained divided into occupation zones and controlled by the Allied Commission until 1955, when the Austrian State Treaty restored its sovereignty.

The Treaty of Versailles

Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany on 11-13 March 1938. This annexation, known as the Anschluss, was the first act of territorial aggression and expansion by the Nazi regime. The idea of uniting Austria and Germany to form a 'Greater Germany' had been around since the unification of Germany in 1871, which excluded Austria and the German Austrians from the Prussian-dominated German Empire. The Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint Germain, signed in 1919, specifically prohibited the union of Austria and Germany and stripped Austria of some of its territories.

The rise of the Nazis in Germany in 1933 further destabilised Austrian politics, which had been characterised by infighting and political violence. Austrian chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss transformed Austria from a democratic republic into a right-wing authoritarian regime under his control. This government, known as the Corporate State or Austrofascist state, was diplomatically aligned with Fascist Italy and authoritarian Hungary.

In 1938, the Nazis held a controlled plebiscite in the whole Reich, asking the people to ratify the annexation of Austria. They claimed that 99.7561% of the votes cast in Austria were in favour. Although the Allies were committed to upholding the terms of the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint Germain, their reaction was only verbal and moderate. No military confrontation took place, and even the strongest voices against the annexation, such as Fascist Italy, France, and Britain (the 'Stresa Front'), remained at peace.

A provisional government in Allied-occupied Austria declared the Anschluss "null und nichtig" (null and void) on 27 April 1945. Austria was recognised as a separate country, but it remained divided into occupation zones and controlled by the Allied Commission until 1955, when the Austrian State Treaty restored its sovereignty.

Frequently asked questions