Austria-Germany Unification: Is It Legally Possible?

The unification of Austria and Germany has been a topic of discussion since the 19th century. The idea of a union, also known as the Anschluss, gained support after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918. However, the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, created by the winners of World War I, forbade the unification of the two countries. Despite this, in 1938, Nazi Germany, led by Austrian-born Adolf Hitler, annexed Austria into Germany in what became known as the Anschluss. This act of aggression was widely popular in both countries but was also the first step in Hitler's plan to take over Europe, leading to World War II. After World War II, there have been no serious efforts to unite Germany and Austria, and such a union is forbidden by the Austrian State Treaty.

The Treaty of Versailles and Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye forbid the unification of Germany and Austria

The Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye were signed after World War I to officially conclude the war and bring peace between the Allied Powers and Germany and Austria, respectively. The Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, signed on September 10, 1919, recognised the independence of several new states that emerged from the breakup of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, including Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, and Yugoslavia. The treaty also expressly forbade the unification of Austria and Germany without the consent of the Council of the League of Nations, as outlined in Article 88. This was a significant point of contention for Austrian officials, who protested this clause as a violation of the principle of self-determination.

The Treaty of Versailles, signed with Germany on June 28, 1919, officially ended the war between Germany and the Allied Powers. However, it did not end peace negotiations, as treaties still needed to be signed with Germany's partners in the Central Powers, including Austria. The Treaty of Versailles also included the covenant establishing the League of Nations, which is why the United States did not sign it and instead established the US-Austrian Peace Treaty in 1921.

The prohibition of unification between Germany and Austria was a concern for European leaders, who worried that a united Germany and Austria would be too large and powerful. This concern was reflected in subsequent international financial agreements, which required Austria to remain independent from Germany. Despite these treaties, the idea of unification between Germany and Austria persisted, and discussions and debates about Austria's role in a German nation-state dated back to the 19th century.

In the 1920s, many Austrians questioned their country's economic viability without the lands previously held by the Austro-Hungarian Empire. This sentiment fuelled the desire for unification with Germany. However, the peace treaties that ended World War I, specifically the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, expressly forbade such a union.

The prohibition on unification was later violated in 1938 when Nazi Germany, led by Austrian-born Adolf Hitler, annexed Austria in what became known as the Anschluss. This act of territorial expansion was widely popular in both Germany and Austria and marked a significant breach of the post-World War I European order. The other European powers did not intervene or punish Nazi Germany for violating international treaties, which allowed Hitler to continue his expansionist policies unchecked.

The Austrian State Treaty of 1955 also interdicts a union between the two countries

The Austrian State Treaty of 1955 interdicts a union between Austria and Germany. This treaty, also known as the Austrian Independence Treaty, was signed on May 15, 1955, in Vienna, at the Schloss Belvedere by the Allied occupying powers (France, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Soviet Union) and the Austrian government. The treaty's full title is "Treaty for the re-establishment of an independent and democratic Austria, signed in Vienna on 15 May 1955."

The Austrian State Treaty of 1955 established Austria as a sovereign state, officially coming into force on July 27, 1955. This treaty was based on the Moscow Declaration of October 30, 1943, in which the Allies agreed to treat Austria as a liberated and independent country after the war, recognising it as the first victim of Nazi aggression. The treaty included nine parts, covering political and territorial provisions, military and air travel provisions, ownership, law, and interests, as well as the minority rights of the Slovene and Croat minorities.

The interdiction of a union between Austria and Germany in the Austrian State Treaty of 1955 is a continuation of the stance taken by the Allied Powers after World War I. The Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain, created by the winners of World War I, expressly forbade the unification of Austria and Germany. This interdiction was violated in 1938 when Nazi Germany, led by Austrian-born Adolf Hitler, annexed Austria in what became known as the Anschluss. This act of territorial aggression was widely popular in both Germany and Austria, but it was also the first step in Hitler's takeover of Europe, leading to World War II.

After World War II, the Allies entered Austria and removed the country from the Third German Reich. A provisional Austrian government, led by Karl Renner, declared the country's regained independence. Austria's democratic constitution was reinstated, and elections paved the way for a new federal government with Leopold Figl as the first Chancellor. The Austrian State Treaty of 1955 further solidified Austria's independence and sovereignty, forbidding any future reunification with Germany. This treaty also addressed other important issues, such as the transfer of assets, minority rights, and the prohibition of Nazi and fascist organisations.

Since the Austrian State Treaty of 1955, there has been no serious effort among citizens or political parties to unite Germany and Austria. Austria has developed a separate national identity from Germany, and both countries have strong and amicable political relations. Additionally, Austria's constitution requires the country to maintain neutrality, which further distances it from Germany, a member of NATO.

The unification of Germany and Austria was widely popular in both countries

The unification of Germany and Austria, known as the Anschluss, was widely popular in both countries. The idea of a united Austria and Germany that would form a "Greater Germany" had been a subject of debate since the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806. The unification gained support after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918, as the new Republic of German-Austria attempted to form a union with Germany. The unification was seen as a way to ensure the economic viability of Austria, which had been stripped of its imperial land.

The unification was also an integral part of the Nazi "Heim ins Reich" ("back home to the realm") concept, which sought to incorporate as many Volksdeutsche (ethnic Germans outside Germany) as possible into a "Greater Germany". The Nazis cultivated pro-unification tendencies in Austria and sought to undermine the Austrian government, which was controlled by the Austrofascist Fatherland Front, which opposed unification. The Nazis used propaganda slogans such as "Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Führer" ("One People, One Empire, One Leader") to convince Austrians to advocate for an Anschluss to the German Reich.

The unification was also supported by prominent individuals and organisations in both countries. Otto Bauer, the prominent Social Democrat leader who served as Austria's Foreign Minister after the war, was a vehement supporter. Robert Kauer, president of the minority Lutheran Church in Austria, greeted Hitler and described him as the "saviour of the 350,000 German Protestants in Austria and liberator from a five-year hardship". Karl Renner, the most famous Social Democrat of the First Republic, also announced his support for the unification and appealed to all Austrians to vote in favour of it.

The unification was also widely popular among the general population in both countries. In the aftermath of the prohibition of an Anschluss, Germans in both Austria and Germany pointed to a contradiction in the national self-determination principle, as the treaties failed to grant self-determination to ethnic Germans outside of the German Reich. In plebiscites held in the Austrian border provinces of Tyrol and Salzburg in the early 1920s, majorities of 98% and 99% voted in favour of a unification with the Weimar Republic. Further plebiscites were forbidden, but it is estimated that about 70% of Austrians would have voted to preserve Austrian independence.

The unification was also supported by the majority of the population in Germany. In 1938, Hitler's forces suppressed all opposition in Austria and held a referendum on unification, which was subject to large-scale Nazi propaganda and the abrogation of the voting rights of around 360,000 people. The referendum officially recorded a support of 99.7% of the voters. While historians agree that the votes were accurately counted, the process was neither free nor secret. It is estimated that, in a fair referendum, the unification would have been supported by only 20% of the Austrian population.

The unification of Germany and Austria was the first step in Hitler's plan to take over Europe

The unification of Germany and Austria, known as the Anschluss, was the first step in Hitler's plan to take over Europe. The annexation of Austria was the first act of territorial aggression and expansion by Nazi Germany. Hitler's intention to unite all Germans in a "Greater Germany" was well-known, as it was the first point of the Nazi Party Platform in 1920. Austria, with its population of approximately 6.5 million people, most of whom considered themselves ethnically German, was an obvious target.

Hitler expressed his desire for an Austro-German union in his earliest writings and speeches. In his autobiography, Mein Kampf, he wrote:

> "The reunification [of Germany and Austria] is a life task to be carried out by all means! German-Austria must be restored to the great German Motherland... People of the same blood should be in the same REICH."

In 1938, Hitler and the Nazis took control of Austria. On March 11, Hitler gave the Austrian government a series of ultimatums: Chancellor Schuschnigg must call off the plebiscite; Schuschnigg must resign as chancellor; Austrian president Wilhelm Miklas must appoint Austrian Nazi Arthur Seyss-Inquart as the new Austrian chancellor. If these demands were not met, the German military would invade Austria.

Hitler accompanied German troops into Austria on March 12, where they were met with cheering crowds. Hitler appointed a new Nazi government, and on March 13, the annexation of Austria was proclaimed. Austria became a province of Germany, and the Nazis quickly began to erase any traces of a separate Austrian identity.

The unification of Germany and Austria was a significant breach of the post-World War I international order. The international community did not intervene to stop the Anschluss or punish Nazi Germany for violating international treaties. This act of appeasement allowed Hitler to continue his expansionist policies unchecked. Just six months later, Nazi Germany manufactured a crisis in the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia, which was also home to many ethnic Germans. In September 1938, world leaders met with Hitler in Munich and ceded the region to Nazi Germany on the condition that the rest of Czechoslovakia remained off-limits. This concession further emboldened Hitler, and in March 1939, he broke the agreement and occupied the Czech lands, including Prague. Finally, in September 1939, Nazi Germany invaded Poland, starting World War II.

The unification of Germany and Austria was the first act of territorial aggression and expansion by Nazi Germany

The unification of Germany and Austria, known as the Anschluss, was the first act of territorial aggression and expansion by Nazi Germany. The annexation of Austria was the culmination of an aggressive foreign policy pursued by the Nazis throughout the 1930s.

The idea of a unified Germany and Austria, or Anschluss, was not new. It had been a subject of debate since the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806. However, the unification of Germany in 1871, under the leadership of Prussia's Otto von Bismarck, explicitly excluded Austria. This exclusion preserved a substantial Protestant majority in the unified German state and ensured Prussian dominance.

Following the end of World War I, the Republic of German-Austria attempted to unite with Germany. However, the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, created by the victors of the war, expressly forbade the unification of the two countries. Despite this, the idea of unification continued to gain support in both Austria and Germany in the 1920s and 1930s, particularly among those who believed that Austria was not economically viable without its imperial lands.

When Adolf Hitler, an Austrian-born German nationalist, rose to power in 1933, he demanded the right to the Anschluss. The unification of Germany and Austria was an integral part of the Nazi concept of "Heim ins Reich" ("back home to the realm"), which sought to incorporate as many ethnic Germans as possible into a "Greater Germany". Hitler himself had expressed his desire for an Austro-German union in his earliest writings and speeches, including in his autobiography, Mein Kampf.

Hitler's plans for Austria were aided by the Austrian Nazi Party, which sought to undermine the Austrian government and promote unification. In 1934, Austrian Nazis attempted a coup, assassinating Austrian chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss. However, the coup failed, and many leading Austrian Nazis fled to Germany, where they continued to push for unification.

In early 1938, Austrian chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg announced a referendum on unification, to be held on March 13. Hitler, threatening an invasion, pressured Schuschnigg to resign and appoint Austrian Nazi Arthur Seyss-Inquart as chancellor. On March 11, the German army crossed the border into Austria, unopposed by the Austrian military. The annexation of Austria was formalized on March 13, 1938, when Seyss-Inquart signed the "Reunification of Austria with Germany" law.

The unification of Germany and Austria was a significant breach of the post-World War I European order. By annexing Austria, Nazi Germany violated international treaties and demonstrated its disdain for the existing international system. The failure of the international community to intervene or punish Nazi Germany for this violation was a significant act of appeasement, allowing Hitler to continue his expansionist policies unchecked.

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