Austria's Unfortunate Wwii Alliance: Germany's Invasion

On March 12, 1938, German troops marched into Austria to annex the German-speaking nation for the Third Reich. This event is known as the Anschluss, which means 'joining' or 'connection' in German. The annexation of Austria was the first act of territorial aggression and expansion by Nazi Germany, violating the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain, which expressly forbade the unification of Austria and Germany. The Anschluss was widely popular in both Germany and Austria, with Austrian Nazis conspiring to seize the Austrian government and unite with Nazi Germany. Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg attempted to reassert his country's independence but was pressured into naming top Austrian Nazis to his cabinet and ultimately resigned. The annexation of Austria demonstrated Hitler's aggressive territorial ambitions and was a significant breach of the post-World War I international order.

The Anschluss

The idea of a union was supported by many Austrian citizens, particularly those on the political left and centre, who believed that Austria was not economically viable without its imperial land. However, support for unification faded over time.

In 1933, when Hitler rose to power in Germany, the desire for unification became synonymous with the Nazis, for whom it was an integral part of their ideology. Hitler, himself an Austrian, had written in his book 'Mein Kampf' that he would unite Austria and Germany by any means possible.

Hitler began to put his plan into action in 1938, when he invited Austrian chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg to Berchtesgaden, where he presented Schuschnigg with a set of demands, including the appointment of Arthur Seyss-Inquart, a supporter of unification, as Minister of Public Security. Hitler also threatened to invade Austria if a referendum on unification, planned for 13 March, went ahead. Schuschnigg cancelled the referendum and resigned, and on 12 March, German troops crossed the Austrian border.

Hitler's journey through Austria became a triumphal tour, and he was greeted by enthusiastic crowds in Linz and Vienna. On 13 March, Seyss-Inquart announced the abrogation of Article 88 of the Treaty of Saint-Germain, which prohibited the unification of Austria and Germany, and approved the replacement of the Austrian states with Reichsgaue. A plebiscite held on 10 April recorded a 99.7% vote in favour of the union.

Austria remained part of Germany until the end of World War II, when a provisional government declared the Anschluss 'null and void'.

The Austrian Resistance

One of the most spectacular individual groups of the Austrian Resistance was the group led by the priest Heinrich Maier. This resistance group sought to re-establish a Habsburg monarchy after the war and played a large role in providing the Allies with information on the production sites of weapons and aircraft. The intelligence they provided was necessary in enabling the Allies to conduct precise airstrikes and minimize civilian casualties. The Maier group was also one of the earliest to report the mass murder of Jews, utilizing contacts at the Semperit factory near Auschwitz.

Other notable Austrian Resistance groups and organizations included New Free Austria, Helfenberg, Prinz Eugen, Carinthian Slovenes as partisans of Carinthia, and the partisan Austrian Freedom Front.

The Austrian Civil War

The conflict began when Republican Protection League members fired on Austrian police who were attempting to enter the Social Democrats' party headquarters in Linz to search for weapons. The fighting quickly spread to Vienna and other industrial centres in eastern and central Austria. The Austrian police and Federal Army, who had superior numbers and firepower, quickly put an end to the uprising. The overall death toll is estimated at 350, with thousands more injured.

The socialists' defeat led to arrests, executions, and the banning of the Social Democratic Party. In May 1934, Austria's democratic constitution was replaced by an Austrofascist constitution, with the Fatherland Front as the only legal party. This marked a significant shift in the country's political landscape, setting the stage for further turmoil and ultimately, the annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938.

The Austrian Nazi Party

Austrian Nazis gained support in 1931-1932 as Hitler's popularity in Germany increased, and this was even more noticeable across Austria after Hitler became chancellor in January 1933. The Austrian Nazis waged a propaganda and terror campaign, staging disruptive protests, brawls with political opponents, and setting off explosives and tear gas bombs in public places and Jewish-owned businesses. The Austrian government banned the Austrian Nazi Party and its affiliates in June 1933 in response to a fatal bombing, but the party continued to operate illegally, and many members fled to Germany, where they formed the paramilitary unit known as the Austrian Legion.

On July 25, 1934, Austrian Nazis attempted a coup, during which they shot and killed Chancellor Dollfuss. However, the majority of Austrians remained loyal to the government, and the coup was defeated. After Dollfuss's death, Kurt von Schuschnigg became chancellor and continued his predecessor's authoritarian policies.

In February 1938, Schuschnigg met with Hitler and was presented with a series of demands, including coordinating Austria's foreign and military policies with Germany and appointing Austrian Nazi Arthur Seyss-Inquart to a position of power. Schuschnigg gave in to these demands, signing the Berchtesgaden Agreement. However, this did not satisfy Hitler, and he continued to pressure Schuschnigg, ultimately leading to the annexation of Austria in March 1938.

The Austrian Legion

In practice, the Legion was used to cause concern in the Vienna government about potential military action from Bavaria and to smuggle Nazi propaganda into Austria. The Legion posed a significant threat, with over 14,000 members, more than 1,500 motorcars, and the ability to reach the Austrian border within 24 hours. However, this threat was minimised when the Legion was ordered to surrender its arms to the Wehrmacht following Hitler's purge of the SA.

When the Anschluss occurred in March 1938, the Legion was blocked from participating and was later disbanded. Most of its members returned to Germany, while those who remained in Austria faced poor job prospects. Despite receiving significant support from Berlin, including 24 million Reichsmark in 1935, the Austrian Legion had mixed success. Its members often angered German and Austrian nationals due to their lack of discipline and violent, ill-advised agitation, particularly against the Catholic Church. The Legion's activities, amounting to state-sponsored terrorism in a sovereign state, also angered Benito Mussolini.

The Legion's geopolitical consequences extended beyond Austria. Mussolini assured the Dollfuss government that Italy would come to Austria's aid in the event of any attack from Germany or the Austrian Legion. This assurance led Dollfuss to agree to a military convention with Italy.

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