Austria's Annexation: A Historical Overview

On March 12, 1938, German troops marched into Austria to annex the German-speaking nation for the Third Reich. This event, known as the Anschluss, was the first act of territorial aggression and expansion committed by Nazi Germany. The idea of a unified Austria and Germany dated back to the 1871 unification of Germany, which excluded Austria and the German Austrians from the Prussian-dominated German Empire. When Adolf Hitler rose to power in Germany, the desire for unification was linked to the Nazis, who sought to incorporate as many ethnic Germans outside Germany as possible into a Greater Germany. The annexation of Austria was met with international condemnation, with the British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, noting that nothing could have stopped it unless countries were prepared to use force.

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The Anschluss

In the early 20th century, the desire for unification was adopted by the Nazis, for whom it was an integral part of the "Heim ins Reich" concept, which sought to incorporate as many ethnic Germans outside Germany as possible into a "Greater Germany". By 1937, rapid German rearmament increased Berlin's interest in annexing Austria, which was rich in raw materials and labour.

In 1938, Austrian Nazis conspired to seize the Austrian government and unite with Germany for the second time in four years. Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg, learning of the conspiracy, met with Nazi leader Adolf Hitler to reassert his country's independence. However, he was pressured by Hitler to name several top Austrian Nazis to his cabinet and, on March 9, to call a national vote to resolve the question of annexation. Before the vote could take place, Schuschnigg gave in to pressure and resigned on March 11, pleading with Austrian forces not to resist a German "advance" into the country. On March 12, German troops marched into Austria, unopposed by the Austrian military, and Hitler appointed a new Nazi government. A referendum was held on April 10, with threats and coercion employed to manipulate the vote, resulting in 99.7% approval for the Anschluss.

The annexation of Austria was the first act of territorial expansion committed by Nazi Germany, violating the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain, which expressly forbade the unification of the two countries. The other European powers did not punish the Nazis for violating these international treaties, allowing Hitler to continue his expansionary policies unchecked. The Anschluss transformed Austria, and the country ceased to exist overnight as Austrian and German Nazis carried out the Nazification of all aspects of Austrian life. This included a campaign of street violence against the country's Jewish population, which culminated in the Kristallnacht pogrom of November 9–10, 1938, when all synagogues and prayer houses in Vienna were destroyed and over 6,000 Jews were arrested.

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The violation of the Treaty of Versailles

The Treaty of Versailles, signed in 1919, was a peace treaty that imposed strict terms on Germany, which was deemed responsible for starting World War I. The treaty led to the loss of 13% of Germany's pre-war territories, including the provinces of Alsace-Lorraine, which were restored to France, and the Sudetenland, which was stripped from Austria. Germany was also burdened with reparations and limited in its military capabilities.

The Treaty of Versailles, along with the Treaty of Saint-Germain, expressly forbade the unification of Austria and Germany. However, the idea of an Anschluss, or "joining," gained support after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918. The notion of a united Austria and Germany to form a "Greater Germany" was appealing to many, especially after the economic turmoil of the Great Depression.

In the 1930s, Nazi Germany, led by Adolf Hitler, pursued an aggressive foreign policy with the aim of redrawing the map of post-World War I Europe. Hitler, an Austrian himself, had expressed his desire for an Austro-German union in his early writings and speeches. He sought to overturn the military and territorial provisions of the Treaty of Versailles, considering the postwar international borders unfair and illegitimate.

On March 12, 1938, German troops, accompanied by Hitler, marched into Austria, receiving an enthusiastic welcome from the crowds. The Austrian Nazis had already been working to seize the Austrian government and unite with Nazi Germany. The Austrian Chancellor, Kurt von Schuschnigg, tried to negotiate with Hitler but was coerced into naming top Austrian Nazis to his cabinet and eventually resigning. The annexation was complete, and the following day, Hitler proclaimed the Anschluss, declaring the unification of Austria and Germany.

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German troops invade

On March 11, 1938, German troops invaded Austria, marking the beginning of the annexation of the Federal State of Austria into Nazi Germany, an event known as the Anschluss. The invasion occurred after Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg resigned on March 11 due to pressure from Hitler, who had bullied him into naming several top Austrian Nazis to his cabinet. The German troops were accompanied by Hitler himself, and they were met with enthusiastic crowds.

The idea of the Anschluss, meaning "connection" or "joining" in German, was not new. It referred to the unification of Austria and Germany to form a "Greater Germany". This desire for unification was an integral part of the Nazi "Heim ins Reich" concept, which aimed to incorporate as many ethnic Germans outside Germany as possible. The concept gained support after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918, and the subsequent treaties of Versailles and Saint-Germain, which stripped Austria of some of its territories and forbade the unification of the two countries.

Hitler, an Austrian German by birth, had expressed his desire for an Austro-German union in his early writings and speeches, and it was the first point of the 1920 Nazi Party Platform. Throughout the 1930s, Nazi Germany pursued an aggressive foreign policy, and by 1937, rapid German rearmament increased Berlin's interest in annexing Austria, which was rich in raw materials and labour.

The annexation of Austria was the first act of territorial expansion committed by Nazi Germany, and it occurred without any military resistance from Austria. The Austrian Nazis had been working towards this goal for years, and the German troops were welcomed by many Austrians. The annexation transformed Austria almost overnight, as Austrian and German Nazis quickly carried out the Nazification of all aspects of Austrian life. A wave of street violence against Jewish persons and property followed the invasion, culminating in the Kristallnacht riots and violence of November 9-10, 1938.

Austrian Nazi conspiracy

The Austrian Nazi conspiracy, also known as the Anschluss, refers to the annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany in 1938. This event was the culmination of a series of political and economic manoeuvres by the Nazis, and it marked the first act of territorial expansion by Nazi Germany.

In the years leading up to the annexation, Austria experienced economic turmoil due to the Great Depression, with high unemployment and unstable commerce and industry. Germany, on the other hand, was rapidly rearming and had a growing interest in annexing Austria, which was rich in raw materials and labour. During this time, the Nazis in Austria were gaining support, and by 1933, Austrian public opinion about German annexation was at least 60% against. However, Austrian Nazis continued to push for unification, and in 1934, they assassinated chancellor Dollfuss in a failed coup. This led to a wave of terrorist attacks by remaining Austrian Nazis, causing a death toll of over 800 between 1934 and 1938.

In 1936, the damage to Austria from the German boycott was significant, and Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg was forced to sign an agreement with the German ambassador, Franz von Papen. As per the agreement, Austria declared itself a "German state" and was to follow Germany's lead in foreign policy. In return, Austrian Nazis promised to cease their terrorist attacks. However, this did not stop their political aspirations. In early 1938, Austrian Nazis conspired for the second time in four years to seize the Austrian government by force and unite with Nazi Germany. Schuschnigg, upon learning of this plot, met with Adolf Hitler to assert Austria's independence but was coerced into adding Austrian Nazis to his cabinet.

On March 9, 1938, Schuschnigg called for a national vote on the question of annexation. However, before the vote could take place, he resigned on March 11 due to pressure from Hitler. The next day, on March 12, German troops entered Austria, accompanied by Hitler, and were met with enthusiastic crowds. The annexation of Austria was proclaimed on March 13, and Austria became a federal state of Germany until the end of World War II.

Public violence against Jews

The annexation of Austria, known as the Anschluss, was the first act of territorial expansion committed by Nazi Germany. It was the culmination of years of aggressive foreign policy and a desire to redraw the map of post-World War I Europe. The annexation was also a violation of the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain, which expressly forbade the unification of Austria and Germany.

The annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany in 1938 resulted in an outburst of public violence against Austrian Jews. Austrian Nazis and their supporters carried out attacks, intimidation, and expropriation of Jewish property. This violence began on the night of March 11, 1938, and continued in the weeks that followed. Jews were beaten, attacked, and forced to perform humiliating tasks, such as cleaning public toilets and scrubbing the streets of Vienna while being mocked by jeering crowds. Religious Jews were especially targeted.

The violence against Jews in Austria was not limited to the period immediately following the annexation. In November 1938, there were violent riots, wild arrests, and the burning of synagogues and Jewish prayer houses during Kristallnacht ("the Night of Broken Glass"). Jews were sent to concentration camps, such as Mauthausen in Austria, and forced labor sites. By February 1939, the majority of "aryanization" of Jewish shops and businesses had been achieved, with most going to Nazi Party members.

The annexation of Austria transformed the country, and Austrian Jews were subjected to the same discriminatory laws and restrictions as Jews in Nazi Germany. Many Austrian Jews attempted to flee the country, but most were trapped in a rapidly Nazifying Austria. The Austrian government's post-war restitution programs were widely acknowledged as insufficient to address the country's wartime responsibility for the persecution of its Jewish community.

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