Austria's Dark Year: 1938'S Legacy Of Annexation And Oppression

On March 12, 1938, German troops invaded Austria, annexing the country into Nazi Germany. This event, known as the Anschluss, saw Austrian chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg resign and the formation of a new Nazi government. The invasion, which was supported by many Austrians, marked the beginning of a dark period in Austrian history, with tens of thousands of people arrested and sent to concentration camps in the first few hours of the Anschluss.

German troops invaded and annexed Austria into the German Reich

On March 12, 1938, German troops marched into Austria to annex the German-speaking nation into the German Reich. This event is known as the Anschluss, which translates to "joining" or "connection" in German. The annexation of Austria was a significant event in the lead-up to World War II and marked the beginning of a dark chapter in Austrian history.

The desire for unification between Austria and Germany had been growing for some time, especially among Austrian Nazis and supporters of Adolf Hitler. In his 1925 book, "Mein Kampf," Hitler, who was born in Austria, wrote about the need for German-Austria to return to the "great German motherland." After Hitler rose to power in Germany in 1933, the push for unification became even stronger.

In early 1938, Austrian Nazis conspired to seize the Austrian government by force and unite with Nazi Germany. Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg learned of the plot and met with Hitler to assert Austria's independence. However, Hitler coerced him into appointing several top Austrian Nazis to his cabinet. On March 9, Schuschnigg called for a national vote to decide the question of annexation once and for all.

Fearing the outcome of the vote, Hitler decided to invade Austria. By March 11, Schuschnigg was aware of the impending invasion and offered to resign to avoid bloodshed. Hitler demanded that the president of Austria, Wilhelm Miklas, appoint a member of the Austrian Nazi Party as the new chancellor. When Miklas refused, Hitler ordered the invasion to commence at dawn on March 12.

On the morning of March 12, German troops crossed the German-Austrian border, and Hitler accompanied them to his birthplace, Braunau am Inn. Later that day, senior Nazi officials Heinrich Himmler and Reinhard Heydrich arrived in Vienna, and enthusiastic crowds greeted them. Hitler appointed a new Nazi government, and on March 13, the annexation was officially proclaimed. Austria became a province of Germany, losing its independence and sovereignty until the end of World War II.

Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg resigned

Von Schuschnigg's efforts to maintain Austrian independence ultimately failed. In early 1938, Austrian Nazis conspired to seize the Austrian government and unite the nation with Germany. Von Schuschnigg met with Adolf Hitler in an attempt to reassert Austrian independence but was coerced into naming top Austrian Nazis to his cabinet. On March 9, he called for a national vote to resolve the question of the Anschluss once and for all. However, before the vote could take place, German troops mobilized along the Austrian border, and Hitler demanded von Schuschnigg's resignation in favour of his chosen successor, Arthur Seyss-Inquart.

Under threat of immediate armed intervention, von Schuschnigg resigned and pleaded with Austrian forces not to resist a German "advance" into the country. On March 12, Hitler entered Austria alongside German troops and was met with enthusiastic crowds. He appointed a new Nazi government, and on March 13, the annexation was officially proclaimed. Austria remained a federal state of Germany until the end of World War II.

After his resignation, von Schuschnigg was imprisoned and kept in solitary confinement. He was eventually interned in various concentration camps until he was liberated by the advancing United States Army in 1945. He emigrated to the United States, where he became a professor of political science at Saint Louis University and published several books on Austrian politics. He gained American citizenship in 1956.

Hitler appointed a Nazi government in Austria

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 means "joining" or "connection" in German. The idea of the Anschluss was to unite 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 Volksdeutsche (ethnic Germans outside Germany) as possible into a "Greater Germany".

In the lead-up to the Anschluss, Austrian Nazis conspired to seize the Austrian government by force and unite with Nazi Germany. Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg met with Adolf Hitler, hoping to reassert his country's independence. However, he was coerced into naming several top Austrian Nazis to his cabinet. On March 9, Schuschnigg called for a national vote to decide the question of the Anschluss once and for all. Before the plebiscite could take place, Schuschnigg gave in to pressure from Hitler and resigned on March 11. In his resignation address, he pleaded with Austrian forces not to resist a German invasion.

Hitler then accompanied German troops into Austria, where they were met with enthusiastic crowds. Hitler appointed a new Nazi government, with Arthur Seyss-Inquart as the new Austrian Chancellor. On March 13, the Anschluss was officially proclaimed, and Austria became a federal state of Germany. Austria remained a part of Germany until the end of World War II, when the Allied powers declared the Anschluss void and reestablished an independent Austria.

Tens of thousands of people were arrested in Vienna

On March 12, 1938, German troops marched into Austria to annex the country for the Third Reich. This event, known as the Anschluss, marked the incorporation of Austria into the German Reich and the unification of the two nations under Nazi Germany.

In the lead-up to the Anschluss, there was significant tension and conflict in Austria. Austrian Nazis had conspired to seize the government by force and unite with Germany. In 1934, Austrian chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss was assassinated by Austrian Nazis in a failed coup attempt. This was followed by terrorist attacks by remaining Austrian Nazis, resulting in a death toll of over 800 between 1934 and 1938.

During this period, Jews in Austria faced increasing persecution. In 1938, Vienna had a significant Jewish population, with approximately 170,000 to 200,000 Jews living in the city. They were well-integrated into urban society and culture, with prominent roles in various professions. However, Austria also had a powerful legacy of anti-Semitism, which found full expression under Adolf Hitler.

Following the Anschluss, the Nazis quickly applied German anti-Jewish legislation to Vienna and the rest of Austria. This legislation aimed to exclude Jews from economic, cultural, and social life. Jewish community offices were closed, and their leaders were sent to concentration camps. Jewish organizations and newspapers were shut down, and their leaders imprisoned. Jews were banned from using public transport and were subjected to public humiliation, forced labor, and violent attacks.

The Kristallnacht pogrom in November 1938 was a particularly brutal episode. Mobs, comprising Nazis, civilians, and paramilitary organizations, torched synagogues and vandalized Jewish businesses. German police arrested around 6,000 Austrian Jews, deporting them to concentration camps, and offering release only to those who agreed to immediate emigration, leaving their property behind.

The Central Office for Jewish Emigration, established in August 1938 under Adolf Eichmann, facilitated the emigration of thousands of Jews from Austria. However, for those who remained, the situation grew increasingly dire, with deportations to ghettos and death camps beginning in 1941 and continuing until 1945.

Austrian Jews were persecuted and many fled the country

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. The annexation of Austria was one of Germany's foreign policy goals after Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933. Austrian Nazis had conspired to seize the Austrian government by force and unite with Nazi Germany.

The persecution of Austrian Jews was immediate and violent after the Anschluss. German racial laws were enacted, and Jews were disenfranchised. According to these laws, 220,000 people were now considered Jews in Austria, a larger figure than previously accepted. Jews were expelled from all cultural, economic, and social life in Austria. They were no longer allowed on public transport, and many regular Austrians joined the Nazis in terrorizing Jews. Jewish businesses were 'aryanised' and either sold for a fraction of their value or seized outright. Jewish citizens were humiliated and forced to perform menial tasks, regardless of age, social position, or sex.

In November 1938, anti-Jewish pogroms took place throughout Germany and Austria on "the Night of Broken Glass" (Kristallnacht). Synagogues were desecrated and destroyed, and Jewish homes and shops were looted and vandalized. In Vienna, all synagogues except one were destroyed. The first Austrian concentration camp was established at Mauthausen in August 1938, and many Jews were sent there or to firms and construction sites as forced laborers.

By the summer of 1939, 110,000 Jews had fled Austria, and the last Jews left legally in 1941. An estimated 117,000 to 126,445 Jews emigrated between 1938 and 1940. The Chinese consul to Austria, Ho Feng-Shan, risked his life and career to approve the visa applications of thousands of Jews seeking to escape. The Dutch representative of a committee for aid to Jews, Geertruida Wijsmuller-Meijer, also helped organize the transport of Jewish children out of Austria.

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