Austria's Annexation: Understanding Hitler's Expansionist Ambitions

The annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany in 1938, known as the Anschluss, was the first act of territorial aggression and expansion by the Nazi regime. The unification of Austria and Germany had been a topic of debate since the 19th century, and the idea gained support after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918. While the Anschluss was widely popular in both Germany and Austria, it was also a significant breach of the post-World War I international order, as it violated the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain, which expressly forbade the unification of the two countries. The annexation was carried out through a combination of political pressure, intimidation, and military invasion, resulting in the incorporation of Austria into the German Reich on March 12, 1938.

The Anschluss was the annexation of Austria into the German Reich

After Adolf Hitler rose to power in Germany in 1933, the desire for unification was identified with the Nazis, for whom it was an integral part of the "Heim ins Reich" concept, which sought to incorporate as many Volksdeutsche (ethnic Germans outside Germany) as possible into a "Greater Germany". In early 1938, Austrian chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg announced that there would be a referendum on a possible union with Germany, to be held on 13 March. Hitler, portraying this as defying the popular will, threatened an invasion and pressured Schuschnigg to resign. On 12 March, a day before the planned referendum, the German army crossed the border into Austria, unopposed by the Austrian military. A plebiscite was held on 10 April, in which the ballot was not secret, and threats and coercion were used to manipulate the vote, resulting in 99.7% approval for the Anschluss.

The annexation of Austria was the first act of territorial aggression and expansion by the Nazi German regime. It was widely popular in both Germany and Austria, but it is estimated that about 70% of Austrians would have voted to preserve Austrian independence. The Anschluss was a significant breach of the post-World War I international order, as it violated the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint Germain, which expressly forbade the unification of Austria and Germany. The other European powers did not intervene or punish the Nazis for violating international treaties, allowing Hitler to continue his expansionary policies unchecked.

The annexation of Austria transformed the country. Almost overnight, Austria ceased to exist as an independent nation. Austrian and German Nazis carried out the Nazification of all aspects of Austrian life, and Austrians participated in the persecution of the country's Jewish population, the enactment of Nazi policies, and World War II. The Nazis wanted to get rid of any traces of a separate Austrian identity, initially referring to Austria as the Ostmark. The law mandating the reunification of Austria with Germany, sometimes called the Anschluss law, formally incorporated Austria into Nazi Germany, giving the annexation the air of legality.

The unification of Austria and Germany was a long-standing idea

The unification of Austria and Germany, also known as the Anschluss, was a long-standing idea that came about after the 1871 unification of Germany, which excluded Austria and Austrian Germans from the Prussian-dominated German Empire. The idea of a union between the two countries was supported by many Austrians and Germans, particularly those on the political left and centre.

The unification of Germany in 1871 was the result of a process of building the first nation-state for Germans with federal features. This process began with the adoption of the North German Confederation Treaty in 1866, which established the North German Confederation, a military alliance dominated by Prussia. The unification of Germany symbolically concluded in 1871 when most of the south German states joined the North German Confederation, forming the German Empire.

The idea of an Anschluss, or a "Greater Germany", was supported by many Austrians and Germans who believed that a union was necessary for economic reasons. After the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918, the Republic of German-Austria attempted to form a union with Germany. However, the Treaty of Saint Germain and the Treaty of Versailles, both signed in 1919, forbade the union and stripped Austria of some of its territories. This left Austria in the midst of an economic crisis.

By the 1920s, the idea of an Anschluss had strong support in both Austria and Germany, particularly among Austrian citizens of the political left and centre. One prominent supporter was Social Democrat leader Otto Bauer, who served as Austria's Foreign Minister after the war. However, support for unification began to fade over time, although it remained a concept in contemporary Austrian political discourse.

In 1933, when Adolf Hitler rose to power in Germany, the desire for unification became associated with the Nazis, who saw it as an integral part of their "Heim ins Reich" ("back home to the realm") concept. Nazi Germany's agents cultivated pro-unification tendencies in Austria and sought to undermine the Austrian government, which was controlled by the Austrofascist Fatherland Front and opposed unification. In 1934, Austrian chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss was assassinated by Austrian Nazis during an attempted coup. The defeat of the coup prompted many leading Austrian Nazis to go into exile in Germany, where they continued their efforts to unify the two countries.

In early 1938, Austrian chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg announced that there would be a referendum on a possible union with Germany, to be held on March 13, 1938. Portraying this as defying the popular will in Austria and Germany, Hitler threatened an invasion and pressured Schuschnigg to resign. On March 11, the day before the planned referendum, the German army crossed the border into Austria, unopposed by the Austrian military. A plebiscite was held on April 10, 1938, in which 99.7% of voters approved the Anschluss. While the true opinions of the population are unknown, it is estimated that about 70% of Austrians would have voted to preserve Austrian independence.

The annexation was a result of Hitler's expansionist policies

The annexation of Austria was a direct result of Hitler's expansionist policies. The annexation, known as the Anschluss, was the incorporation of the Federal State of Austria into the German Reich on March 12, 1938. The idea of a unified Austria and Germany, or a "Greater Germany," had been around since the unification of Germany in 1871, which excluded Austria. This idea gained support after World War I, when the Treaty of Versailles stripped Austria of some of its territories.

Hitler, an Austrian himself, had expressed his support for the unification of Austria and Germany in his 1925 book, Mein Kampf. He wrote that "common blood belongs in a common Reich." By 1938, Hitler was in power in Germany and was actively pursuing an expansionist policy. He aimed to incorporate as many ethnic Germans as possible into a "Greater Germany."

Hitler's expansionist policies were driven by his belief in Lebensraum, or "living space." This concept, adapted by Hitler from German geographer Friedrich Ratzel, held that land expansion was essential to the survival of a people. Hitler sought to expand Germany eastward, into Soviet territory, believing that the Soviet Union was run by Jews.

In addition to his ideological motivations, Hitler had practical reasons for the annexation. Austria was rich in raw materials and labour, and it had gold and foreign currency reserves. Furthermore, by 1937, Germany was facing economic difficulties, and the rapid rearmament required for Hitler's expansionist policies was straining resources. Annexing Austria would provide Germany with much-needed resources and help ensure self-sufficiency.

Hitler's expansionist policies were not a secret. In a 1937 speech, he stated that Germany needed more "living space" for "the preservation and growth of the German people." However, British and French politicians tried to avoid war through a policy of appeasement, giving in to Hitler's demands in the hope that he would be satisfied. This policy ultimately failed to prevent World War II, which began in September 1939 with the German invasion of Poland.

The annexation was a violation of the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain

The Treaty of Versailles, signed on the 28th of June, 1919, was the primary treaty produced by the Paris Peace Conference at the end of World War I. The treaty gave some German territories to neighbouring countries and placed other German territories under international supervision. In addition, Germany was stripped of its overseas colonies, its military capabilities were severely restricted, and it was required to pay war reparations to the Allied countries. The treaty also created the League of Nations.

The Treaty of Saint-Germain, signed on the 10th of September, 1919, officially registered the breakup of the Habsburg empire, recognising the independence of Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, and the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (Yugoslavia) and ceding eastern Galicia, Trento, southern Tirol, Trieste, and Istria. The treaty included war reparations of large sums of money, directed towards the Allies, as well as provisions for the liquidation of the Austro-Hungarian Bank.

The Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain both contained the Covenant of the League of Nations and were therefore not ratified by the United States. The treaties were signed by the victorious Allies of World War I on the one hand and by the Republic of German-Austria on the other.

The Treaty of Versailles was a violation of the Treaty of Saint-Germain as it stripped Germany of its overseas colonies and placed German territories under international supervision. The Treaty of Saint-Germain had recognised the independence of several countries previously under the rule of the Habsburg empire. The Treaty of Versailles, however, placed some of these countries under international supervision.

The Treaty of Versailles also required Germany to pay war reparations to the Allied countries, which was not mentioned in the Treaty of Saint-Germain. Additionally, the Treaty of Versailles restricted Germany's military capabilities, which was not included in the Treaty of Saint-Germain.

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

The annexation of Austria was the first step in Hitler's takeover of Europe. This event, known as the Anschluss, saw the Federal State of Austria annexed into the German Reich on March 12, 1938. The idea of a united Austria and Germany, or a "Greater Germany", gained support after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918. However, the Treaty of Saint Germain and the Treaty of Versailles, signed in 1919, forbade such a union.

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

> German-Austria must return to the great German motherland, and not because of economic considerations of any sort. No, no: even if from the economic point of view this union were unimportant, indeed, if it were harmful, it ought nevertheless to be brought about. Common blood belongs in a common Reich.

Hitler's plans for Austria were part of his larger goal to redraw the map of post-World War I Europe, which he and the Nazis considered unfair and illegitimate. They aimed to unite all Germans in a Nazi German empire and acquire Lebensraum ("living space") in Eastern Europe.

In the late 1920s and early 1930s, the Austrian Nazi Party was weak and ineffective. However, by 1931, the bulk of Austrian Nazis recognised Hitler as their leader. Hitler's popularity in Germany increased support for the Austrian Nazi Party, and by 1933, when Hitler became Chancellor of Germany, the Austrian Nazi Party gained further support.

In July 1934, a pro-Nazi group attempted to overthrow the Austrian government. Although the coup failed, it demonstrated Hitler's intentions towards Austria. Despite this, Hitler publicly denied any intention to annex Austria in a speech to the Reichstag in May 1935.

In early 1938, Austrian Chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg announced a referendum on a possible union with Germany, to be held on March 13. Hitler, wanting to prevent this vote, invaded Austria on March 11. The German army crossed the border unopposed by the Austrian military. Schuschnigg resigned, and a plebiscite held on April 10, 1938, showed 99.7% approval for the Anschluss, although the population's true opinions are unknown.

The annexation of Austria was the first act of territorial aggression and expansion by Nazi Germany. It was widely popular in both Germany and Austria, and it demonstrated Nazi disdain for the post-World War I European order. The international community did not intervene to stop the Anschluss or punish Nazi Germany for violating international treaties. This appeasement allowed Hitler to continue his expansionary policies unchecked.

Following the annexation of Austria, Hitler targeted Czechoslovakia, provoking an international crisis that led to the Munich Agreement in September 1938. This agreement ceded the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia to Nazi Germany. In March 1939, Hitler occupied the rest of the Czech lands, and in September, he invaded Poland, starting World War II. Thus, the annexation of Austria was indeed the first step in Hitler's takeover of Europe.

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