Leslie Massey
Austria and Germany have a long history of complex relations. In the 18th century, Prussia rose as a rival power to Austria within the Holy Roman Empire, leading to a series of wars over the province of Silesia. After the fall of the Holy Roman Empire during the Napoleonic Wars, Austria and Prussia maintained an alliance but competed for dominance over their neighbouring German states. The idea of Pan-Germanism, or the unification of all Germans into a single nation, gained traction in the 19th century and was a key element of Nazi ideology. Despite attempts to block unification, Austria and Germany were forcibly united in 1938 under Nazi rule, with Hitler's troops annexing Austria for the Third Reich.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of Annexation | 12 March 1938 |
| Reason | To unite German-speaking nation with Nazi Germany |
| People Involved | Austrian Nazis, Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg, Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, Austrian chancellor Schuschnigg, German generals, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, Austrian Nazi Arthur Seyss-Inquart, Austrian chancellor Dollfuss, Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, Wilhelm Miklas, Joseph Stalin, Karl Renner |
| Events Leading Up to Annexation | Austrian Nazis conspired to seize the Austrian government; Austrian chancellor Schuschnigg met with Hitler to discuss tensions between the two countries; Hitler made demands that included coordinating Austria's foreign and military policies with Germany's, placing Austrian Nazi Arthur Seyss-Inquart in charge of policing and security matters, and amnestying imprisoned Austrian Nazis; Schuschnigg signed the agreement (Berchtesgaden Agreement); Schuschnigg called for a plebiscite on the question of Anschluss, but resigned before it could take place due to pressure from Hitler; Hitler responded by mobilizing the 8th Army for a planned invasion; Hitler demanded Schuschnigg's resignation, which occurred on 11 March 1938; Hitler appointed a new Nazi government and the Anschluss was proclaimed on 13 March |
| International Response | The international response was publicly moderate; the British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain spoke about the "Austrian situation" in the House of Commons, acknowledging the use of "coercion, backed by force" that undermined Austria's independence |
| Previous Attempts at Union | The idea of a union between Austria and Germany was included in the 1920 National Socialist Program and Hitler's writings and speeches; the Austrian provisional national assembly drafted a provisional constitution stating that "German Austria is a component of the German Republic"; plebiscites in Austrian border provinces yielded majorities in favor of unification with the Weimar Republic; the Weimar Republic and Austria concluded an economic agreement in 1920; Hitler demanded the right to Anschluss when he came to power in Germany in 1933, but this was initially blocked by the Italian Fascist government under Benito Mussolini; Austrian Nazis attempted a coup d'etat in 1934 but failed due to loyal police and army units and Italian support for Austrian independence |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
Austria and Germany's history of conflict
Austria and Germany have a long history of conflict, dating back to the early 18th century. Prussia and Austria fought a series of wars over the province of Silesia (now southwestern Poland) between 1740 and 1763. The two nations also collaborated in annexing Polish and Danish territories during the Partitions of Poland and the Second Schleswig War.
During the Napoleonic Wars in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Austria and Prussia allied against the French Empire but were ultimately defeated. After Napoleon's defeat in 1815, Austria created the German Confederation, reuniting the two nations. However, this union lacked central authority, leading to diplomatic tensions between Prussia and Austria, both aiming to create a unified Germany under their respective proposals. Prussia sought to exclude Austria from its affairs, while Austria envisioned a union centred on the Habsburgs.
In the 20th century, the rise of Nazism in Germany and the question of Anschluss (union) with Austria became a significant source of conflict. Adolf Hitler, an Austrian-born German chancellor, had expressed his desire for an Austro-German union in his writings, speeches, and the Nazi Party Platform. He argued for the incorporation of German-Austrians into the German Reich and the dethroning of the Habsburgs.
Austrian Nazis attempted a coup in 1934, killing Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss. However, the coup was thwarted by loyal government forces and Italian support. In 1938, Hitler mobilised troops for a planned invasion of Austria, and Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg resigned under pressure. German troops marched into Austria, annexing the nation for the Third Reich. Austria remained a federal state of Germany until World War II, when the Allied powers reestablished its independence.
How Germany's Annexation of Austria Fueled WW2
You may want to see also
Explore related products
The rise of Pan-Germanism
The Austrian Empire, like the Holy Roman Empire, was a multi-ethnic state, and the German-speaking people did not have a numerical majority. As a result, the growing nationalism of other ethnicities, particularly the Hungarians, led to the reshaping of the empire into the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Under Prussian leadership, Otto von Bismarck united all the northern German lands, excluding Austria and the German Austrians from Germany in the German War of 1866. This eventually led to the unification of Germany and the establishment of the Prussian-dominated German Empire in 1871, with the proclamation of Wilhelm I as head of a union of German-speaking states.
The Pan-German Movement was officially organised in 1894 by Ernst Hasse, a professor at Leipzig and a member of the Reichstag (parliament). The movement was a response to the growing desire for German colonial expansion, which gained traction in the 1880s. The first official meeting of the organisation that became the Pan-German League took place in Frankfurt am Main in 1890, with subsequent meetings in Berlin in 1893 and 1894. The purpose of the league was to nurture and protect the ethos of German nationality as a unifying force, and by 1922, it had grown to over 40,000 paying members.
After World War I, the Pan-Germanist philosophy changed drastically during Adolf Hitler's rise to power. Hitler and the Nazi Party became the most articulate and active force in pressing for German expansionism. The concept of a Greater Germany was attempted to be realised as the Greater Germanic Reich, and the foreign policy of "Heim ins Reich" pursued by Nazi Germany under Hitler from 1938 was one of the primary factors leading to the outbreak of World War II.
Travel to Austria: US Tourist Entry Requirements
You may want to see also
Explore related products
![The Oresteia of Aeschylus, Tr. and Explained by George C. W. Warr 1900 [Leather Bound]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/617DLHXyzlL._AC_UY218_.jpg)
Hitler's pursuit of Anschluss
The Anschluss, meaning "union" or "connection" in German, was the annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany in 1938. The idea of a union between Austria and Germany was not new and had been proposed in various forms since the end of World War I. However, it was Adolf Hitler's rise to power in Germany that brought the prospect of annexation to the fore.
Hitler's ultimate goal was the unification of all German-speaking nations in Europe under Nazi rule. He saw Austria, the country of his birth, as an essential part of his plan to establish a "Greater Germany". In pursuit of this goal, Hitler demanded that Nazis be given key government posts in Austria. Kurt von Schuschnigg, the Austrian Chancellor, compromised, and the Nazi member Arthur Seyss-Inquart was made Minister of the Interior. Hitler also ordered Austrian Nazis to create chaos and pressure the Austrian government, hoping to justify a German invasion to "restore peace".
On March 11, 1938, Hitler gave the Austrian government a series of ultimatums: Schuschnigg must call off a planned plebiscite on Austrian independence, and Austrian President Wilhelm Miklas must appoint Seyss-Inquart as the new Austrian chancellor. These demands were backed by the threat of a German military invasion. Schuschnigg gave in, and that evening, he announced his resignation in a radio address to the nation.
German troops crossed the border and were met not with resistance but with cheers and flowers. Hitler travelled to Linz and then Vienna, welcomed warmly by many Austrians. On March 13, Seyss-Inquart signed the "Reunification of Austria with Germany" law, formally incorporating Austria into Nazi Germany. The Anschluss transformed Austria; Austrian Nazis carried out the rapid Nazification of all aspects of Austrian life, and the country's Jewish population was persecuted.
The reaction of world powers to the annexation was muted, with most governments voicing only dissatisfaction with Hitler's methods. This acceptance was a significant act of appeasement that allowed Hitler to continue his expansionist policies unchecked.
The Complex Ethnic Roots of the Habsburgs
You may want to see also
Explore related products
$12.93 $19.99
Austria's isolation and German annexation
In the years following World War I, Austria experienced economic turmoil and high unemployment, similar to Germany. During this time, many Austrian pan-Germans advocated for Austria to rejoin Germany, as it had been during the German Confederation of 1815–1866. The idea of a union between Austria and Germany was also promoted by Hitler in his earliest writings and speeches, including his autobiography, Mein Kampf. He saw the reunification of the two countries as a way to unite all Germans and create an "all-German Reich."
In the mid-1930s, Austria found itself increasingly isolated diplomatically, with both France and Britain accepting the idea of an Austro-German union as inevitable. At the same time, Nazi Germany became more aggressive in its pursuit of annexation. On July 25, 1934, Austrian Nazis attempted to overthrow the Austrian government, resulting in the assassination of Chancellor Dollfuss. This coup attempt failed, but it further strained Austro-German relations and led to the imprisonment of thousands of Austrian Nazis.
However, by 1937-1938, the pressure from Nazi Germany intensified, and the Austrian government, led by Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg, struggled to maintain its independence. Schuschnigg attempted to negotiate with Hitler, but on February 12, 1938, he was coerced into signing the Berchtesgaden Agreement, which undermined Austrian sovereignty. Despite this, Schuschnigg called for a national vote on the question of annexation on March 9, 1938. Before the vote could take place, he resigned under pressure from Hitler, and German troops marched into Austria on March 12, 1938, marking the annexation of the country into the German Reich.
Austria's Annual Asylum Acceptance: The Numbers Explained
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Soviet occupation of Austria
Austria was annexed by Germany in 1938, and it remained a federal state of Germany until the end of World War II. In the immediate aftermath of the war, Austria was jointly occupied by the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, the United States, and France. Vienna, the capital, was similarly subdivided, with the central district under the collective administration of the Allied Control Council.
The Soviet occupation of Austria lasted from 1945 to 1955. Soviet troops engaged in systematic sexual violence against women, beginning in the first days and weeks after their victory. Repression against civilians harmed the Red Army's reputation, and Moscow issued an order forbidding violent interrogations in September 1945. Throughout 1945 and 1946, the Soviet command tried to contain desertion and plunder by rank-and-file soldiers. In July and August, the Soviets brought in four regiments of NKVD troops to "mop up" Vienna and seal the Czechoslovak border.
The Soviets assumed control over Austrian oil fields in their zone, and the Americans and British objected to this. The Soviets also pressured Renner to surrender Austrian oil fields, but the Americans blocked the deal. The Soviets had a significant interest in exploiting Austrian economic resources, irrespective of possible political destabilization.
The Soviet Union, United States, and United Kingdom agreed in 1941 that Austria would be restored as an independent state within its pre-1938 boundaries, separate from Germany. This position was confirmed in the Moscow Declaration of 1943, and the German annexation of Austria was considered "null and void". Austria was to be demilitarized, denazified, and democratically reconstructed. After Austrian promises of perpetual neutrality, Austria was granted full independence on 15 May 1955, and the last occupation troops left on 25 October that year.
Stream Game of Thrones in Austria: Easy Guide
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Austria and Germany united in 1938, after German troops marched into Austria to annex the German-speaking nation for the Third Reich. This was known as the Anschluss, which means 'union' in German.
There was a lot of support for unification among the Austrian people, with 98% and 99% majorities in Tyrol and Salzburg voting in favor of a unification with the Weimar Republic. However, there were also Austrians who wanted to maintain their independence, and the Austrian government arrested thousands of Austrian Nazis who attempted a coup in 1934.
The international community showed little interest in maintaining Austrian independence. The French and the British accepted the union as inevitable, and the British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain spoke of the "coercion, backed by force" that undermined Austria's independence. Benito Mussolini, the Italian dictator, had initially supported Austrian independence but grew closer to Hitler in 1935-1936.
Austria and Germany had a complex relationship before the unification. Austria was the dominant state within the Holy Roman Empire (HRE), which included various German states that often warred against each other. In the 18th century, Prussia rose as a rival power to Austria, and the two nations fought a series of wars over the province of Silesia. After the Holy Roman Empire fell during the Napoleonic Wars, Austria and Prussia allied and proposed different visions for a unified Germany.
Hitler played a key role in the unification of Austria and Germany. He expressed his desire for an Austro-German union in his writings and speeches, and as chancellor of Germany, he demanded the right to Anschluss. He pressured the Austrian chancellor, Kurt Schuschnigg, into accepting Nazi ministers into his government and ultimately forced Schuschnigg's resignation.
