Hitler's Annexation Of Austria: A Deadly Decision

Hitler's annexation of Austria was a key moment in his expansion of the Third Reich. The Nazis' anti-Romanyism was initially implemented most harshly in Austria, with around 2,000 Gypsy men and 1,000 Gypsy women arrested and sent to concentration camps. Overall, 200,000 people were killed at the Mauthausen concentration camp.

200,000 people were killed at Mauthausen concentration camp

In March 1938, Hitler completed the annexation of Austria to form a Greater German Reich. In a speech in Vienna, he said:

> The oldest eastern province of the German people shall be, from this point on, the newest bastion of the German Reich.

The Mauthausen concentration camp was opened around the time of the annexation, and 200,000 people were killed there. The Nazis' anti-Romanyism was initially implemented most harshly in annexed Austria, with 2,000 Gypsy men sent to Dachau and 1,000 Gypsy women sent to Ravensbrück between 1938 and 1939.

2,000 Gypsy men were arrested and sent to Dachau

In 1938, Hitler annexed Austria, declaring that the country was now part of a Greater German Reich. In the lead-up to the annexation, the Nazi regime had campaigned for a 'Yes' vote in a referendum on the reunification of Germany and Austria. The referendum was supported by prominent Austrians, including Cardinal Theodor Innitzer, who signed a declaration with 'Heil Hitler', and the Social Democrat Karl Renner. The day before the referendum, all the churches in Austria rang their bells in support of Hitler, and the official records showed that 99.73% of Austrians voted 'Yes'.

The annexation of Austria was the first step in Hitler's expansionist agenda, and it was met with widespread support from the Austrian people. On 15 March 1938, around 200,000 German Austrians gathered in Vienna's Heldenplatz (Square of Heroes) to hear Hitler declare the unification of Austria and Germany.

However, the annexation also marked the beginning of a harsh crackdown on Austria's Gypsy population. Between 1938 and 1939, the Nazis arrested around 2,000 Gypsy men and sent them to the Dachau concentration camp. This was part of the Nazi regime's Anti-Romanyism sentiment, which was implemented most harshly in newly annexed Austria. The men were likely subjected to forced labour, inhumane living conditions, and brutal treatment at the hands of their captors.

In addition to the arrests of Gypsy men, the Nazis also arrested 1,000 Gypsy women during this period and sent them to the Ravensbrück concentration camp. The total number of people killed at the Mauthausen concentration camp, which was opened in Austria around the time of the annexation, is estimated to be 200,000.

1,000 Gypsy women were arrested and sent to Ravensbrück

When Hitler annexed Austria in 1938, he was greeted by 200,000 cheering German Austrians in Vienna's Heldenplatz (Square of Heroes). The annexation was supported by prominent Austrians, including Cardinal Theodor Innitzer and the Social Democrat Karl Renner, and the Austrian bishops. The Austrian press and radio also campaigned for a Yes vote. The official records show that 99.73% of Austrians voted for the annexation.

Hitler's annexation of Austria was the first step in his plan to form a Greater German Reich. The Anti-Romanyism sentiment of Nazi Germany was initially implemented most harshly in newly annexed Austria. Between 1938 and 1939, the Nazis arrested around 2,000 Gypsy men who were sent to Dachau and 1,000 Gypsy women who were sent to Ravensbrück.

Ravensbrück was a concentration camp designed to accommodate 6,000 prisoners. The number of inmates grew from 2,000 in 1939 to 10,800 in 1942. By 1945, about 5,000 Romani women had passed through the camp. The SS conducted the first documented gassing in the women's camp at Ravensbrück, using Zyklon B, crystalline hydrogen cyanide gas, as the killing agent.

In 1942, prisoners sentenced to death were sent to separate institutions or death camps. Some women, including those incapable of work and Jewish political prisoners, were gassed at a euthanasia centre set up in the psychiatric facility of Bernberg. By 1943, a crematorium was built at Ravensbrück, near the camp for minors, which housed about 1,000 girls. An estimated 106,000 female prisoners passed through Ravensbrück by 1945.

The Austrian government endorsed the Anschluss

The controlled press and radio in Austria campaigned for a Yes vote to the "Reunion of Germany and Austria". Many prominent Austrians, such as Cardinal Theodor Innitzer, who signed a declaration of the bishops with Heil Hitler, and the Social Democrat Karl Renner, promoted the approval. Austria's bishops also endorsed the Anschluss. In response to a request from the Nazi government, all the churches in Austria tolled their bells in support of Hitler on the day before the referendum.

Official records show that 99.73% of Austrians voted Yes to the annexation, and 99.08% of Germans voted for it. Hitler himself, along with other leading figures of the Nazi regime, held speeches during his triumphal tour of Austria, which culminated in Vienna on 15 March 1938, when around 200,000 German Austrians gathered to hear him declare the completion of the annexation.

The Mauthausen concentration camp was opened in Austria after the annexation, and 200,000 people were killed there. The Anti-Romanyism sentiment of Nazi Germany was initially implemented most harshly in newly annexed Austria, with around 2,000 Gypsy men and 1,000 Gypsy women being arrested and sent to concentration camps between 1938 and 1939.

99.73% of Austrians voted in favour of the annexation

The annexation of Austria by Hitler was the first objective of the Third Reich. In March 1938, Hitler gave a speech in Vienna's Heldenplatz (Square of Heroes) to 200,000 cheering German Austrians, declaring the annexation of Austria and the formation of a Greater German Reich.

The annexation was preceded by a referendum, in which 99.73% of Austrians voted in favour. The referendum was heavily influenced by the Nazi regime, with prominent Austrians such as Cardinal Theodor Innitzer and the Social Democrat Karl Renner promoting its approval. The controlled press and radio also campaigned for a Yes vote, and Austria's bishops endorsed the annexation.

The day before the referendum, all the churches in Austria tolled their bells in support of Hitler. This show of support was not without consequence, as the Anti-Romanyism sentiment of Nazi Germany was initially implemented most harshly in newly annexed Austria. Between 1938 and 1939, the Nazis arrested around 2,000 Gypsy men who were sent to Dachau and 1,000 Gypsy women who were sent to Ravensbrück.

The Mauthausen concentration camp, opened in Austria following the annexation, saw the deaths of 200,000 people.

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