Hitler's First Land Grab: Austria's Annexation

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 translates to connection or joining in German. The annexation of Austria was the first act of territorial aggression and expansion by the Nazi German regime, violating the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain, which expressly forbade the unification of Austria and Germany.

The idea of Anschluss was not new, as discussions and debates about Austria's role in a German nation-state dated back to the 19th century. However, it was Austrian-born Hitler who acted upon it, fulfilling his desire to create a Greater German Reich that would include all ethnic Germans and territories lost after World War I.

The annexation of Austria was met with enthusiasm by most Austrians, who considered themselves ethnically German. Hitler's forces were greeted with Nazi salutes, flags, and flowers as they crossed the border. The Austrian Nazi Party, which had conspired to seize the government, now occupied public buildings and dominated the streets.

The Anschluss marked a significant breach of the post-World War I international order, and the international community's failure to intervene set a precedent for Hitler's further aggressive actions, including the occupation of the Sudetenland and the invasion of Poland, which marked the start of World War II.

Hitler's annexation of Austria was the first step in his plan to redraw the map of post-World War I Europe

The idea of the Anschluss was not new. The unification of Austria and Germany had been a topic of debate since the 19th century, as many Austrians did not believe their country could survive economically without the lands previously held by the Austro-Hungarian Empire. However, the peace treaties that ended World War I expressly forbade Germany and Austria from uniting.

Hitler, an Austrian himself, had expressed his desire for an Austro-German union in his earliest writings and speeches. He believed that the international borders drawn after World War I were unfair and illegitimate, and that Germans had been denied the right of self-determination. By annexing Austria, Hitler would be able to unite all Germans in a Nazi German empire and acquire Lebensraum ("living space") in Eastern Europe.

Hitler's plan for the Anschluss began in the late 1920s and early 1930s with the formation of the Austrian Nazi Party, which aimed to gain power in Austria. However, the party was initially weak, divided, and ineffective. It was not until 1931 that the bulk of Austrian Nazis recognized Hitler as their leader.

In 1933, Hitler became Chancellor of Germany and began planning for territorial expansion and a European war. Around the same time, the Austrian Nazi Party gained supporters as Hitler's popularity in Germany grew. However, the Austrian government, led by Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss, was committed to maintaining Austrian independence and opposed unification with Germany.

In 1934, Austrian Nazis attempted a coup, assassinating Dollfuss. The coup failed, and many leading Austrian Nazis fled to Germany, where they continued to push for unification. Despite this setback, Hitler remained determined to gain control of Austria.

In 1938, Austrian Chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg, who had taken over after Dollfuss's assassination, attempted to assert Austrian independence by calling for a referendum on the issue. Hitler responded by mobilizing the German army and demanding Schuschnigg's resignation. On March 12, 1938, German troops crossed the border into Austria, unopposed by the Austrian military. The annexation was complete, and Austria became a province of Nazi Germany.

The Anschluss was a significant breach of the post-World War I international order and a watershed moment in Nazi Germany's foreign policy. It demonstrated Hitler's aggressive territorial ambitions and the failure of the British and French to take action against him. The international community's acceptance of the Anschluss allowed Hitler to continue his expansionary policies unchecked, leading to the invasion of Czechoslovakia and the start of World War II.

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

The annexation of Austria was the first step in Hitler's plan to redraw the map of post-World War I Europe. Hitler and the Nazis considered the postwar international borders unfair and illegitimate, and they claimed that Germans had been denied the right of self-determination. By annexing Austria, the Nazis achieved their goal of uniting all Germans in a Nazi German empire.

The idea of the Anschluss was not new. Discussions and debates about Austria's role in a German nation-state dated back to the 19th century. However, the peace treaties that ended World War I expressly forbade Germany and Austria from uniting. European leaders worried that a united Germany and Austria would be too large and powerful.

Hitler's desire for an Austro-German union was expressed in his earliest writings and speeches. The first point of the Nazi Party Platform (1920) stated: "We demand the union of all Germans in a Greater Germany (Großdeutschland) on the basis of the right of national self-determination."

Hitler's annexation of Austria was an act of aggression and a violation of international treaties. By annexing Austria, Hitler demonstrated his disdain for the post-World War I European order and his aggressive territorial ambitions. The other European powers did not punish the Nazis for violating international treaties, and their acceptance of the Anschluss allowed Hitler to continue his expansionary policies unchecked.

The Anschluss was widely popular in both Germany and Austria. Many Austrians participated enthusiastically in the Nazification of their country, and Austrians also fought in World War II and participated in the mass murder of Europe's Jews. However, it is important to note that the plebiscite that approved the Anschluss excluded Austrian Jews, Roma, and political opponents of the Nazis, and the vote was not secret, with threats and coercion employed to manipulate the outcome.

Hitler's Austrian and German armies were fully integrated after the annexation

The annexation of Austria, also known as the Anschluss, was the first act of territorial expansion committed by Nazi Germany. On 12 March 1938, German troops crossed the Austrian border, greeted by cheering Austrians with Nazi salutes, Nazi flags, and flowers. The Austrian government had ordered the Austrian Bundesheer not to resist. Hitler, riding in a car, crossed the border at his birthplace, Braunau am Inn, with a 4,000-man bodyguard.

The integration of the Austrian and German armies was a significant development in the expansion of Nazi Germany's military power. The Wehrmacht was the most powerful military force in Europe at the time, and its integration with the Austrian army provided additional resources and manpower to the Nazi war machine. This integration also sent a strong signal to other European countries, demonstrating Hitler's determination to pursue his expansionist agenda.

The annexation of Austria was a complex process that involved political negotiations, propaganda campaigns, and military actions. It was a watershed moment in Nazi Germany's foreign policy and a crucial step towards the outbreak of World War II.

Hitler's invasion of Austria was the first of several diplomatic coups at Berchtesgaden

The Berchtesgaden Agreement undermined Austrian sovereignty and independence and set the stage for Hitler's annexation of Austria, known as the Anschluss, on March 12, 1938. The Anschluss was the first act of territorial expansion committed by Nazi Germany and a significant breach of the post-World War I international order. It transformed Austria almost overnight, as Austrian and German Nazis carried out the Nazification of all aspects of Austrian life.

Hitler's invasion of Austria was the culmination of his long-standing desire to unite all Germans in a Greater Germany. He had expressed his desire for an Austro-German union in his earliest writings and speeches, and the annexation of Austria was a key step in achieving this goal. The Anschluss was widely popular in both Germany and Austria, and many Austrians participated enthusiastically in the Nazification of their country.

The Berchtesgaden Agreement was the first of several diplomatic coups orchestrated by Hitler at Berchtesgaden. The town, located in the Bavarian Alps, became a favourite retreat for Hitler and other top Nazi leaders. Hitler's holiday home, the Berghof, was located in the Obersalzberg area above Berchtesgaden, and he spent more time there than anywhere else during his rule.

Berchtesgaden became a centrepiece of Nazi propaganda, as the Nazi-controlled press portrayed Hitler's life at his mountain retreat in a positive light, softening his image and portraying him as a man of culture. The town also became a German tourist attraction during the mid-1930s, as visitors flocked to the area in the hope of catching a glimpse of Hitler.

In addition to the Berchtesgaden Agreement and the annexation of Austria, Berchtesgaden was the site of several other significant events during the lead-up to World War II. In September 1938, Hitler met with British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain at the Berghof for their first face-to-face discussion of his demands on Czechoslovakia, which ultimately led to the Munich Agreement and the German occupation of the Sudetenland.

Berchtesgaden also played a role in British plans to assassinate Hitler. The British developed a plan called Operation Foxley, which involved a German-speaking Pole and a British sniper killing Hitler during his daily walk from the Berghof to the Teehaus on the Mooslahnerkopf Hill. However, the plan did not proceed due to a lack of intelligence about Hitler's exact daily routine, and Hitler stopped visiting Berchtesgaden in July 1944.

The Anschluss was the first step in Hitler's takeover of Europe

The annexation of Austria was not inevitable. However, certain historical factors and events facilitated the process. The idea of Anschluss (a united Austria and Germany that would form a "Greater Germany") arose after the 1871 unification of Germany excluded Austria and the German Austrians from the Prussian-dominated German Empire. The new Republic of German-Austria attempted to form a union with Germany, but the 1919 Treaty of Saint Germain and Treaty of Versailles forbade both the union and the continued use of the name "German-Austria". The treaties also stripped Austria of some of its territories, such as the Sudetenland. This left Austria without most of the territories it had ruled for centuries and amid an economic crisis.

By the 1920s, the Anschluss proposal had strong support in both Austria and Germany, particularly from Austrian citizens of the political left and center. The idea of grouping all Germans into one nation-state had been the subject of debate in the 19th century, from the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806 until the break-up of the German Confederation in 1866.

Adolf Hitler, an Austrian German by birth, picked up his German nationalist ideas at a young age. He joined the German Workers' Party (DAP) in 1919 and soon became its leader. The first point of the 1920 Nazi Party Platform (1920) read: "We demand the union of all Germans in a Greater Germany (Großdeutschland) on the basis of the right of national self-determination." Hitler expressed his desire for an Austro-German union in his earliest writings and speeches, including in his autobiography and political treatise Mein Kampf.

Hitler planned to achieve power in Austria through the Austrian Nazi Party. However, in the late 1920s and early 1930s, the party was weak, divided, and ineffective. By 1931, the bulk of Austrian Nazis recognized Hitler as their leader. Hitler, in turn, appointed a German Nazi to bring the Austrian party in line. Austrian Nazis gained supporters in 1931-1932 as Hitler’s popularity in Germany increased, particularly after he was appointed German chancellor in January 1933.

Hitler's rise to power in Germany and the increasing influence of the Austrian Nazi Party caused political instability in Austria. In 1933, Engelbert Dollfuss transformed Austria from a democratic republic into a right-wing authoritarian regime under his control. This government is known as the Corporate State (Ständestaat) or the Austrofascist state. Dollfuss's government was diplomatically aligned with Fascist Italy and authoritarian Hungary, and he was committed to crushing the political left in Austria.

Beginning in May 1933, the Austrian Nazis waged a propaganda and terror campaign, encouraged and funded by Germany. They staged disruptive protests and brawls with political opponents and the police, and set off explosives and tear gas bombs in public places and Jewish-owned businesses. In response, the Dollfuss regime banned the Austrian Nazi Party and its affiliates in June 1933. However, the Austrian Nazis continued to operate illegally within the country, and thousands fled across the border into Germany, where they formed a paramilitary unit known as the Austrian Legion.

On July 25, 1934, Austrian Nazis attempted to overthrow the Austrian government. They shot and killed Chancellor Dollfuss, and other plotters seized control of the state radio station in Vienna and prematurely announced the coup. However, the majority of Austrians remained loyal to the government, and the military and police forces quickly defeated the conspirators. The coup attempt failed, but it further destabilized Austria. Dollfuss was succeeded as chancellor by Kurt von Schuschnigg, who continued many of his predecessor’s authoritarian policies.

In February 1938, Hitler met with Schuschnigg and demanded that he appoint members of Austria’s Nazi Party to his cabinet and give full political rights to the party or face an invasion by the German army. Fearful of an invasion, Schuschnigg called for a national plebiscite, or vote, to take place on March 13, 1938, to allow Austrians to decide whether they wished their nation to remain independent or become part of the Third Reich. Hitler decided to invade Austria immediately to prevent the vote. On March 11, Schuschnigg canceled the plebiscite and offered to resign to avoid bloodshed. Hitler demanded that the president of Austria, Wilhelm Miklas, appoint an Austrian member of the Nazi Party as the nation’s next chancellor. When Miklas refused, Hitler ordered that the invasion begin at dawn the next day.

On March 12, 1938, German soldiers crossed the border into Austria, encountering no resistance. They were met with cheering crowds, and Hitler himself accompanied the troops into his birthplace at Braunau am Inn. On March 13, Austrian Nazi Chancellor Arthur Seyss-Inquart signed the "Reunification of Austria with Germany" law, and Austria was formally incorporated into Nazi Germany. It was now a province of Germany, initially referred to as the Ostmark.

The Anschluss was a significant breach of the post-World War I international order. The international community did not intervene to stop the annexation or punish Nazi Germany for violating international treaties. This was one of the earliest and most significant examples of the international community’s appeasement of Adolf Hitler’s aggressive foreign policy. The German annexation of Austria marked the beginning of Hitler's takeover of Europe, which would lead to World War II.

Frequently asked questions