Hitler's Annexation Of Austria: Prelude To War

The annexation of Austria, also known as the Anschluss, was the incorporation of Austria into the German Reich by Nazi Germany. This event, which took place from March 11-13, 1938, marked the first act of territorial aggression and expansion by the Nazi regime. The idea of a union between Austria and Germany, resulting in a Greater Germany, had been proposed since the unification of Germany in 1871, which excluded Austria. While the Anschluss was widely popular in both Germany and Austria, it was also met with international condemnation for violating the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain, which expressly forbade such a unification. The annexation of Austria was a significant step in Hitler's desire to create a Greater German Reich and led to further aggression in Europe, including the invasion of Czechoslovakia and Poland, setting the stage for World War II.

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

The annexation of Austria, known as the Anschluss, was the first step in Hitler's takeover of Europe. It was the first act of territorial aggression and expansion by the Nazi German regime. The Anschluss was the realisation of a long-held dream for many Austrians and Germans, and for Hitler, who was Austrian himself.

The idea of a union between Austria and Germany, or Anschluss, had been around since the unification of Germany in 1871, which excluded Austria. The creation of the Prussian-dominated German Empire left many Austrians and Germans feeling that a Greater Germany should include Austria. This idea gained support after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918, and the subsequent Treaty of Versailles and Treaty of Saint-Germain, which stripped Austria of some of its territories.

Hitler, who was born in Austria, shared this desire for unification. In his 1925 book, Mein Kampf, he wrote of his intention to create a "Greater Germany", stating that "German-Austria must be restored to the great German Motherland". In 1933, when Hitler rose to power in Germany, the desire for unification became synonymous with the Nazis.

In the mid-1930s, Austrian Nazis attempted to seize the Austrian government by force and unite with Germany. This failed, and the Austrofascist Fatherland Front, which opposed unification, took control of the Austrian government. However, Austrian Nazis continued to push for unification from exile in Germany, and in 1938, under pressure from pro-unification activists, Austrian chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg announced there would be a referendum on unification. Hitler threatened to invade and pressured Schuschnigg to resign, which he did on March 11, 1938.

Hitler accompanied German troops into Austria the next day. They were met with enthusiastic crowds, and Austria was incorporated into the German Reich. A plebiscite held on April 10, 1938, resulted in 99.7% approval for the Anschluss.

The annexation was a significant breach of the post-World War I international order

The annexation of Austria by Germany in 1938, known as the Anschluss, was a significant breach of the post-World War I international order. The annexation 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. This demonstrated Nazi Germany's disdain for the post-World War I European order and was enabled by the acceptance of the annexation by other European powers, which constituted a significant act of appeasement.

The idea of the Anschluss was not new and had been discussed since the 19th century. After World War I, Austria, now a much smaller state, was facing an economic crisis. Many Austrians believed that their country could not survive economically without the lands previously held by the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Some wanted to restore the empire, while others wanted to unite with Germany, forming a "Greater Germany". This desire for unification was particularly strong among Austrian citizens of the political left and center, including prominent Social Democrat leader Otto Bauer.

The Allies, however, were committed to upholding the terms of the peace treaties that ended World War I, which specifically prohibited the union of Austria and Germany. The European leaders worried that a united Germany and Austria would be too large and powerful. Additionally, subsequent international financial agreements also required that Austria remain independent. Despite this, the Allies only reacted verbally and moderately to the annexation, and no military confrontation took place. Their lack of will emboldened Hitler towards further aggression.

The annexation of Austria was enabled by a series of events and factors. Firstly, the Austrian Nazi Party waged a propaganda and terror campaign, encouraged and funded by Germany, which destabilized the country. This campaign included disruptive protests, brawls with political opponents and the police, and bomb attacks, including the assassination of Austrian Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss in 1934. The Austrian Nazis also received support from Germany in the form of military training and the formation of a paramilitary unit known as the Austrian Legion.

Secondly, the failed coup attempt by Austrian and German Nazis in July 1934 led to the establishment of an authoritarian right-wing government in Austria, which kept dissent at bay and prevented concerted resistance to the annexation. This government, known as the Corporate State or the Austrofascist state, was diplomatically aligned with Fascist Italy and authoritarian Hungary. However, by 1937-1938, Austria found itself diplomatically isolated as Italy moved closer to Germany, and other European powers showed little interest in maintaining Austrian independence.

Finally, the annexation was facilitated by the actions of Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg, who, facing increasing pressure from pro-unification activists and threats of invasion by Hitler, attempted to assert Austrian independence by calling for a plebiscite on March 13, 1938. However, he was bullied into canceling the plebiscite and resigning, and the German army crossed the border on March 12, unopposed by the Austrian military.

The annexation of Austria had far-reaching consequences. It transformed Austria overnight, as Austrian and German Nazis carried out the Nazification of all aspects of Austrian life. Austrians participated in the persecution of the country's Jewish population, enacted Nazi policies, and fought in World War II. The annexation also marked a significant breach of the post-World War I international order, setting a precedent for further territorial aggression by Nazi Germany, including the occupation of the Sudetenland and the invasion of Poland, which started World War II.

The Nazis justified the invasion by claiming that Austria had descended into chaos

The Nazis justified their invasion of Austria by claiming that the country had descended into chaos. They circulated fake reports of rioting in Vienna and street fights caused by Communists. German newspapers printed a phony telegram, supposedly from the new Austrian chancellor, stating that German troops were necessary to restore order.

The reality was that the Austrian government was trying to maintain its power and sovereignty in the face of Nazi terrorism. In June 1933, the Dollfuss regime banned the Austrian Nazi Party and its affiliates in response to a fatal bombing. The Nazi movement became illegal in Austria, but its members continued to operate underground and delight in subverting the ban. They also fled across the border into Germany, where they formed a paramilitary unit known as the Austrian Legion.

Austrian chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss was assassinated by Austrian Nazis in July 1934. His successor, Kurt von Schuschnigg, continued Dollfuss' authoritarian policies and arrested thousands of Austrian Nazis, including some of the conspirators. However, by 1937, the Austrian government was diplomatically isolated and facing an increasingly aggressive Nazi Germany. The international community showed little interest in maintaining Austrian independence.

In February 1938, Hitler invited Schuschnigg to Germany and forced him to agree to give the Austrian Nazis a free hand. Schuschnigg later tried to repudiate the agreement and announced a plebiscite on the question of the Anschluss. However, he was bullied into cancelling the plebiscite and resigned, ordering the Austrian Army not to resist the Germans.

On March 12, 1938, German soldiers crossed the border into Austria, encountering no resistance. The next day, Austria's parliament formally approved the annexation, and the country ceased to exist as a sovereign nation. It became a province of Germany, initially referred to as the Ostmark.

The annexation was the first act of territorial expansion committed by Nazi Germany

The annexation of Austria, also known as the Anschluss, was the first act of territorial expansion committed by Nazi Germany. On March 12, 1938, German troops marched into Austria to annex the German-speaking nation for the Third Reich. The idea of a union between Austria and Germany, or a "Greater Germany", had been proposed after the 1871 unification of Germany, which excluded Austria and the German Austrians from the Prussian-dominated German Empire.

In the early 20th century, the movement for unification gained support in both Austria and Germany, particularly among Austrian citizens of the political left and center. However, the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain, which ended World War I, expressly forbade the unification of the two countries. Despite this, Adolf Hitler, who became Chancellor of Germany in 1933, had expressed his desire for an Austro-German union in his earliest writings and speeches.

In the mid-1930s, Austrian Nazis attempted to seize the Austrian government by force and unite their nation with Nazi Germany. In July 1934, Austrian and German Nazis together attempted a coup, but it ultimately failed. An authoritarian right-wing government then took power in Austria, keeping perhaps half the population from voicing legitimate dissent. In February 1938, Hitler invited the Austrian chancellor, Kurt von Schuschnigg, to Germany and forced him to agree to give the Austrian Nazis a free hand. Schuschnigg, however, later called for a plebiscite on the question of unification, which was scheduled for March 13, 1938. Hitler, upon hearing this news, decided to invade Austria immediately to prevent the vote. On March 11, Schuschnigg cancelled the plebiscite and resigned, and the next day, German troops crossed the border and entered Austria, unopposed by the Austrian military.

The annexation of Austria was a significant breach of the post-World War I international order. It demonstrated Nazi Germany's aggressive foreign policy and disdain for international treaties. The other European powers did not intervene to stop the annexation or punish the Nazis for violating international agreements, which allowed Hitler to continue his expansionary policies unchecked. The annexation of Austria was soon followed by the Nazi regime's manufacturing of a crisis in the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia, leading to the Munich Agreement in September 1938, in which world leaders ceded the region to Nazi Germany. This was then followed by the occupation of the rest of Czechoslovakia in March 1939 and the invasion of Poland in September 1939, marking the start of World War II.

The Allies declared the Anschluss null and void at the end of World War II

The annexation of Austria, known as the Anschluss, took place on March 12, 1938, when German troops marched into the country and incorporated it into the German Reich. This act was the first instance of Nazi Germany's territorial aggression and expansion, violating the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain, which expressly forbade the unification of Austria and Germany. The Allies, committed to upholding these treaties, declared the Anschluss "null and void" at the end of World War II, re-establishing an independent Austria.

The idea of the Anschluss was not new and had been discussed since the 19th century. After World War I, Austria, stripped of its imperial land, faced an economic crisis, and many believed that unification with Germany was necessary for economic survival. This sentiment was particularly strong among Austrian citizens of the political left and center, including prominent Social Democrat leader Otto Bauer. However, the peace treaties that ended World War I explicitly prohibited a union between the two countries.

In the 1930s, with the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazis in Germany, the desire for unification intensified. Hitler, an Austrian himself, had expressed his support for an Austro-German union in his earliest writings and speeches. He saw this unification as a way to incorporate ethnic Germans outside of Germany into a "Greater Germany." In 1933, when Hitler became Chancellor of Germany, he fully intended to bring about the Anschluss. However, Germany was not yet militarily and diplomatically ready to carry out this goal.

In Austria, the Nazi Party struggled to gain support, and their attempts to seize power through a coup in 1934 failed. An authoritarian right-wing government, led by Engelbert Dollfuss, took power and maintained Austrian independence. However, this regime brutally repressed Austrian Social Democrats, losing them support in countries like Britain and France. By 1937, Hitler was determined to take control of Austria by force, and in early 1938, he pressured the new Austrian Chancellor, Kurt von Schuschnigg, to appoint members of the Austrian Nazi Party to his cabinet.

Fearing loss of independence, Schuschnigg called for a plebiscite on March 13, 1938, to let Austrians decide between independence and unification with Germany. Hitler, wanting to prevent this vote, invaded Austria on March 12, and Schuschnigg resigned. German troops encountered no resistance and were greeted with enthusiasm by many Austrians. On March 13, Austrian Nazi Chancellor Arthur Seyss-Inquart signed the "`Reunification of Austria with Germany`" law, formally incorporating Austria into Nazi Germany.

The Anschluss marked a terrible turning point for Austria's Jewish population, who faced public humiliation, violence, and discriminatory laws. Many Austrians participated in the Nazification of their country, expelling Jewish members from organizations and implementing Nazi policies. The international community did not intervene to stop the annexation, and their acceptance was a significant act of appeasement, allowing Hitler to continue his expansionist policies unchecked.

At the end of World War II, the Allies declared the Anschluss null and void, recognizing Austria as a separate country. This decision was in line with their commitment to uphold the treaties prohibiting the unification of Austria and Germany. Austria remained divided into occupation zones until 1955, when the Austrian State Treaty restored its full sovereignty.

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