Leslie Massey
The political union of Germany and Austria has been referred to as the Anschluss, which translates to joining or connection. The idea of the Anschluss, a united Austria and Germany, first arose after the 1871 unification of Germany, which excluded Austria and German Austrians from the Prussian-dominated German Empire. The political union was achieved through annexation by Adolf Hitler in 1938.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Anschluss |
| Translation | Joinder, connection, unification, or political union |
| Date | 12 March 1938 |
| Type | Annexation of the Federal State of Austria into Nazi Germany |
| Leader | Adolf Hitler |
| Plebiscite | 99.7% approval |
| Austrian Nazis | Gained supporters in 1931-1932 |
| Austrian Politics | Characterized by infighting and political violence |
| Austrian Chancellor | Kurt von Schuschnigg |
| German Chancellor | Adolf Hitler |
| German Minister of Foreign Affairs | Gustav Stresemann |
| Austrian Chancellor Opposed to Anschluss | Ignaz Seipel |
| Pro-Germany Austrian Chancellor | Johannes Schober |
| German Foreign Affairs Minister | Julius Curtius |
| Austrian Nazi Leader | Arthur Seyss-Inquart |
| Austrian Nazi Politician and Minister of Police | Arthur Seyss-Inquart |
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What You'll Learn
- The political union of Germany and Austria was called the 'Anschluss'
- The Anschluss was the annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany
- The idea of the Anschluss was first proposed in 1919
- The union was achieved through annexation by Adolf Hitler in 1938
- The union was prohibited by the Versailles and St. Germain treaties
The political union of Germany and Austria was called the 'Anschluss'
The political union of Germany and Austria was called the Anschluss, which is German for "joining" or "connection". The idea of the Anschluss, a united Austria and Germany that would form a "Greater Germany", arose after the 1871 unification of Germany, which excluded Austria and the German Austrians from the Prussian-dominated German Empire.
The First Austrian Republic was created in 1920, and the union with Germany was forbidden in the Treaty of Versailles. However, the desire for unification persisted, and the word "Anschluss" was widespread before 1938, describing an incorporation of Austria into Germany. The annexation of Austria was achieved by Adolf Hitler in 1938, and it was the first step in the Nazis' goal of creating a "Greater Germany".
Hitler expressed his desire for an Austro-German union in his earliest writings and speeches. When he became Chancellor of Germany in 1933, he intended to bring about this union. 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. On March 11, 1938, the Germans pressured Schuschnigg to cancel a plebiscite on Austrian independence and to resign. The next day, Germany invaded Austria, and on March 13, Hitler annexed Austria outright. A controlled plebiscite on April 10 gave a 99.7% approval.
The annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany was met with little resistance from the international community. The British and French policies of appeasement, coupled with the Soviet Union's focus on stopping further German aggression, allowed the union to proceed. The government of Mexico was the only government to lodge a protest with the League of Nations, but it was futile. As a result of the Anschluss, Austria was completely absorbed into Germany, and any official memory of Austrian existence was destroyed and suppressed. Austria was renamed Ostmark, and Upper and Lower Austria became Upper and Lower Danube.
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The Anschluss was the annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany
In the early 1930s, Austrian politics were marked by infighting and political violence, with the rise of the Nazis further destabilizing the situation. Austrian chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss transformed the country into a right-wing authoritarian regime, known as the Corporate State or the Austrofascist state. Despite this, Austrian Nazis gained supporters, particularly after Hitler's appointment as German chancellor in 1933. In 1934, Austrian Nazis attempted a coup, killing Dollfuss, but ultimately failed due to Italian support for Austrian independence.
By 1937-1938, Austria was diplomatically isolated, facing an increasingly aggressive Nazi Germany. On February 12, 1938, Austrian chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg met with Hitler, who demanded control over Austria's foreign and military policies and the placement of Austrian Nazi Arthur Seyss-Inquart as head of policing and security matters. Schuschnigg called for a plebiscite on Austrian independence, but was pressured to cancel it and resign on March 11, 1938. The next day, Germany invaded, and Hitler annexed Austria outright, marking the culmination of the Anschluss.
The annexation was met with enthusiasm by many Austrians, with a controlled plebiscite on April 10, 1938, showing a 99.7% approval rating. Austria was renamed Ostmark, and any official memory of its previous existence was suppressed. The Nazis arrested leaders of anti-Nazi Austrian political parties and persecuted Jews, Roma, and Austrians with disabilities. During World War II, hundreds of thousands of Austrians fought as German soldiers, and after the war, Austria claimed independence from Germany. The Austrian State Treaty of 1955 banned the reunification of the two nations, and Austria developed a separate national identity.
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The idea of the Anschluss was first proposed in 1919
The political union of Germany and Austria is called the Anschluss. The idea of the Anschluss was first proposed in 1919, after the 1871 unification of Germany excluded Austria and Austrian Germans from the Prussian-dominated German Empire. The Austro-Hungarian Empire fell in 1918, and the new Republic of German-Austria attempted to unite with Germany. However, the Treaty of Saint Germain and the Treaty of Versailles, both signed in 1919, forbade the union and the continued use of the name "German-Austria". The treaties also stripped Austria of some of its territories, such as the Sudetenland.
The idea of the Anschluss gained support in the 1920s, particularly among Austrian citizens of the political left and center. The constitutions of the Weimar Republic and the First Austrian Republic both included the political goal of unification. In 1931, the Austrian government considered a customs union with the German Republic, but regional patriotism ultimately prevailed over pan-German sentiment.
In the mid-1930s, Austrian politics were marked by infighting and political violence, and the rise of the Nazis further destabilized the situation. Austrian chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss transformed the country into a right-wing authoritarian regime, known as the Corporate State or the Austrofascist state. Dollfuss's brutal repression of Austrian Social Democrats in February 1934 cost him support in Britain and France. By the end of 1937, Austria was diplomatically isolated and facing an increasingly aggressive Nazi Germany.
In February 1938, Hitler was ready to take full control of Austria. He invited Austrian chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg to Germany and forced him to agree to give the Austrian Nazis a free hand. Schuschnigg called a plebiscite (referendum) on Austrian independence, but he was pressured to cancel it and resign. On March 12, Germany invaded Austria, and Hitler annexed the country outright the following day. A controlled plebiscite held on April 10 gave a 99.7% approval rating.
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The union was achieved through annexation by Adolf Hitler in 1938
The political union of Germany and Austria is called the Anschluss, which translates to "joining" or "connection". The idea of the Anschluss, a united Austria and Germany that would form a "Greater Germany", arose after the 1871 unification of Germany, which excluded Austria and the German Austrians from the Prussian-dominated German Empire.
> [t]he reunification [of Germany and Austria] is a life task to be carried out by all means! German-Austria must be restored to the great German Motherland…People of the same blood should be in the same REICH.
Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany in January 1933 and fully intended to bring about an Austro-German union. By the winter of 1937–1938, Austria was diplomatically isolated and facing an increasingly aggressive Nazi Germany. On February 12, 1938, Austrian chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg met with Hitler, who made a series of demands, including that Austria's foreign and military policies be coordinated with Germany's and that Austrian Nazi Arthur Seyss-Inquart be placed in charge of policing and security matters. Schuschnigg called a plebiscite (referendum) on Austrian independence, but on March 11, 1938, the Germans pressured him to cancel the plebiscite and resign. On March 12, Germany invaded, and the next day, Hitler annexed Austria outright. A controlled plebiscite held on April 10 gave a 99.7% approval.
The annexation of Austria was prohibited by the Versailles and St. Germain treaties. However, the international community showed little interest in maintaining Austrian independence. The French had previously attempted to prevent the Anschluss by incorporating Austria into a Danubian Confederation in 1927, but this was opposed by the German Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gustav Stresemann, who saw it as an attempt to re-form the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The British and French pursued a policy of appeasement, while the Soviet Union demanded only that the West should stop further German aggression and that the matter be handled by the League of Nations. The United States followed the British and French approach, and the only government to lodge a protest was that of Mexico.
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The union was prohibited by the Versailles and St. Germain treaties
The political union of Germany and Austria was called the Anschluss, which translates to "joining" or "connection". The idea of the Anschluss, or the union of Austria and Germany, first arose after the 1871 unification of Germany, which excluded Austria and German Austrians from the Prussian-dominated German Empire. The union was supported by Austrian Social Democrats and Adolf Hitler, who expressed his desire for an Austro-German union in his earliest writings and speeches.
Despite the prohibitions in the Versailles and St. Germain treaties, attempts to unite Germany and Austria continued. In the early 1930s, the Austrian government considered a customs union with the German Republic in 1931. However, these efforts were blocked by France, which argued that such a union would violate Article 88 of the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye. In 1934, Austrian Nazis attempted a coup d'etat, but it was unsuccessful due to the resistance of loyal police and army units, as well as Italian support for Austrian independence.
In 1938, Nazi Germany, led by Adolf Hitler, forcibly annexed Austria into Germany in what became known as the Anschluss. This annexation was achieved through a series of political maneuvers and the suppression of dissent in Austria. Despite the prohibitions in the Versailles and St. Germain treaties, the international community showed little interest in maintaining Austrian independence, and the annexation was met with enthusiasm in both countries.
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Frequently asked questions
The political union of Germany and Austria is called the Anschluss.
The term 'Anschluss' means 'joining' or connection in German.
The Anschluss occurred in 1938 when Nazi Germany, led by Adolf Hitler, annexed Austria.
The aim of the Anschluss was to unite all Germans into a "Greater Germany" based on the right of national self-determination.
No, there has been no serious effort among citizens or political parties to reunite Germany and Austria after the Second World War. Additionally, the Austrian State Treaty forbids such a union, and Austria's constitution requires the country to remain neutral.
