Ruqayyah Snyder
Austria was invaded by Nazi Germany in March 1938, in an event known as the Anschluss. This annexation was the culmination of years of Nazi terrorist attacks in Austria, and it was met with little resistance from the Austrian government or military. The invasion was accompanied by widespread looting and sexual assaults committed by the German troops, as well as attacks on civilians by liberated Soviet prisoners of war and slave labourers seeking revenge on the Germans. The Soviet Union would later play a role in liberating Austria from Nazi rule, with Soviet troops approaching Austria's border from Hungary in the winter of 1945.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Nation that attacked Austria in WWII | Nazi Germany |
| Date of attack | 12 March 1938 |
| Reason for attack | Annexation of Austria into the Third Reich |
| Nazi Germany's leader | Adolf Hitler |
| Austrian Chancellor at the time | Kurt von Schuschnigg |
| Austrian Nazi leader | Anton Rintelen |
| Number of troops | 700,000 during the Vienna Strategic Offensive |
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What You'll Learn
Nazi Germany annexes Austria in 1938
In 1938, Nazi Germany annexed Austria, incorporating the country into the German Reich. This event, known as the Anschluss, took place on March 12, 1938, when German troops marched into Austria. The annexation was the culmination of a conspiracy by Austrian Nazis to seize control of the Austrian government and unite with Nazi Germany.
In the years leading up to the Anschluss, Austria experienced political turmoil and economic challenges. The First Austrian Republic faced opposition from Austrian pan-Germans, who advocated for unification with Germany. The country was also dealing with serious economic problems, hyperinflation, and increasing tension between various political groups, including the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SDAP), the Christian Social Party (CS), and the nationalist Great German Union.
Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg attempted to maintain Austria's independence and met with Adolf Hitler in February 1938. However, he was coerced into appointing several top Austrian Nazis to his cabinet and calling off a national vote on the question of annexation. On March 11, 1938, Schuschnigg resigned under pressure and pleaded with Austrian forces not to resist the German advance.
The annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany was met with enthusiasm, and a controlled plebiscite on April 10, 1938, resulted in a 99.7% approval rating. The Anschluss marked the beginning of a wave of street violence against Jewish people and property in Vienna and other cities, leading to the Kristallnacht riots in November 1938.
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Austrian Nazis attack political opponents and Jews
Austria was annexed by Germany in March 1938, in what became known as the Anschluss. This annexation was the culmination of a propaganda and terror campaign waged by Austrian Nazis, which began in May 1933. The Nazis targeted government institutions and individuals, including political opponents and Jews.
Austrian Nazis staged disruptive protests, brawls, and attacks on public places and Jewish-owned businesses. They set off explosives and tear gas bombs, and in one instance, a group of Nazis forced their way into the Chancellor's office in Vienna, killing Dollfuß. Another group occupied the building of the Austrian National Radio and forced a statement that the Government of Dollfuß had fallen and that Anton Rintelen, a suspected Nazi sympathizer, was the new head of government. This false report was intended to spark a Nazi uprising, and it did indeed lead to considerable fighting in parts of Carinthia, Styria, and Upper Austria.
After the German annexation, Austrian Nazis seized power without resistance, dominating the streets with parades, chants, and salutes to Hitler. They also attacked their political opponents and Jews, forcing Jews to perform humiliating tasks like scrubbing the streets of Vienna. Soon, Austria's Jews were subjected to the same discriminatory laws and restrictions as Jews in Nazi Germany, leading many to try to leave the country.
The Mauthausen concentration camp was established in the summer of 1938, and the Viennese events during Kristallnacht in November 1938 proved that antisemitism was more virulent and violent in Austria than in most other German areas. Many Austrians, especially those of Jewish origin, were forced into exile. Tens of thousands of Austrians were arrested for political reasons during the war, and many died in concentration camps or prisons, with about 2,700 executed.
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Soviet Union troops invade Austria in 1945
Germany annexed Austria in 1938, and for the majority of World War II, Austria was considered part of Nazi Germany. However, in November 1943, the Allies agreed in the Declaration of Moscow that Austria would be regarded as the first victim of Nazi aggression and treated as a liberated and independent country after the war.
In the winter of 1945, troops from the 3rd and 2nd Ukrainian Fronts, the two army groups at the southern end of the Soviet-German frontline, approached Austria's border from Hungary. The fighting in Hungary was some of the bloodiest of the war, with the two Red Army groups suffering 484,300 losses, including 140,000 killed or captured. As the Soviets regrouped to invade Austria, the Germans launched their final major offensive of the war at Lake Balaton in March 1945, aimed at halting the Soviet advance into the Third Reich.
The Soviet commander Fyodor Tolbukhin's troops crossed into Austria on 29 March 1945. On 4 April 1945, a directive was issued to all soldiers on the front lines, declaring that the Red Army had entered the country to liberate it and destroy the German Army. The directive also instructed soldiers to respect Austrian civilians, their traditions, families, and private property. By this time, the war was taking a heavy toll on the Austrian population, with American and British bombings becoming increasingly devastating. More than 20,000 Austrians were killed and 67,000 wounded in over 1,000 aerial attacks.
The Soviets pushed the Nazis out of Austria in April 1945, and the country was jointly occupied by the Western Allies and the Soviet Union until 1955. The Soviets engaged in looting and pillaging, and there were numerous reports of sexual assaults by Soviet soldiers. The Soviet Union also deployed NKVD (secret police) teams of professional looters to extract reparations through requisitions, seizing industrial plants, production installations, and goods. The occupation was a significant financial burden for Austria, with the country paying the Soviet Union an estimated 36.8 billion Schillings between 1946 and 1955.
In 1945, there were around 700,000 Soviet troops in Austria, which decreased to 150,000 in 1946 and 50,000 by the time the occupation ended in 1955. Austria was granted full independence on 15 May 1955, and the last occupation troops departed on 25 October that year.
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The Soviet occupation of Austria and its consequences
During World War II, Nazi Germany was the nation that attacked Austria, annexing the country in 1938. However, in 1945, Soviet troops from the 3rd and 2nd Ukrainian Fronts crossed into Austria from Hungary, marking the beginning of the Soviet occupation of the country.
The Soviet Occupation of Austria:
The Soviet Union's occupation of Austria began in 1945, as Soviet troops advanced towards the country's capital, Vienna, from the south. This offensive, known as the Vienna Strategic Offensive Operation, resulted in the elimination of German forces in southern Austria and the capture of Vienna. The Soviet troops then continued their advance towards other cities, such as Linz and Graz, in early May. The Red Army suffered significant casualties during these battles, with 94,185 killed or wounded.
The Soviet occupation of Austria was shaped by the Moscow Declaration of 1943, in which the Allies proclaimed that Austria was Germany's first victim but would also be held accountable for its participation in Nazi aggression. The Soviets viewed Austria as a "western-minded" country and sought to establish a friendly or communist regime there. They also recognised the strategic importance of Vienna in Central Europe.
Consequences of the Soviet Occupation:
The Soviet occupation of Austria had several consequences, including:
- Looting and Crimes: There were reports of wild looting, particularly by liberated slave labourers and prisoners of war, as well as sexual assaults by Soviet troops. While orders were issued reminding troops that attacking civilians was impermissible, officers often led the way in plundering and sympathised with their soldiers.
- Austrian Independence: Austria remained under joint occupation by the Western Allies and the Soviet Union until 1955. During this period, the country was gradually emancipated, and talks on Austrian independence began in 1947. Austria promised perpetual neutrality, and on May 15, 1955, it gained full independence, with the last occupation troops departing by October 25, 1955.
- Economic and Political Influence: The Soviet Union sought to exert economic and political influence in Austria, particularly through control of the country's oil fields and heavy industry. The Marshall Plan, primarily deployed against the Soviet zone, provided aid to Austria, contributing to the country's recovery and development.
- Austrian Resistance: Austrians resisted Soviet pressure, and the increasing support of Western Powers influenced Soviet tactics and delayed their plans to absorb Austria.
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Austrian Nazis seize power and establish a Nazi government
Austrian politics in the early 20th century was marked by serious economic problems, hyperinflation, and constant tension between different political groups. The Social Democratic Party of Austria (SDAP), Christian Social Party (CS), and the nationalist Great German Union (Großdeutsche Vereinigung) were the three major political groups competing with one another. Smaller parties included the Austrian National Socialists (Deutsche Nationalsozialistische Arbeiterpartei, or DNSAP). The DNSAP stood for making Austria and Austrian Germans part of Germany. In 1920, the DNSAP began to cooperate closely with the German Workers' Party (DAP) and then the National Socialist German Workers' Party (Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, or NSDAP), which Adolf Hitler led after 1921.
In 1933, Hitler was appointed chancellor of Germany following a series of electoral victories by the Nazi Party. The rise of the Nazis in 1933 further destabilized Austrian politics, and Austrian chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss transformed Austria from a democratic republic into a right-wing authoritarian regime under his control. This government was known as the Corporate State (Ständestaat) or the Austrofascist state. Dollfuss was committed to crushing the political left in Austria, but he and the Austrofascists were not Nazis. Beginning in May 1933, the Austrian Nazis waged a propaganda and terror campaign funded by Germany, with the goal of undermining the Dollfuss regime.
On July 25, 1934, Austrian Nazis attempted to overthrow the Austrian government. Members of the Vienna SS took control of the Austrian chancellery, where the cabinet was meeting, and shot and killed Chancellor Dollfuss. Other plotters seized control of the state radio station in Vienna and announced the coup. Outside Vienna, other Austrian Nazis also revolted against the government. However, the majority of Austrians remained loyal to the government, and the Austrian military and police forces quickly defeated the conspirators. The coup attempt failed, and Italian dictator Benito Mussolini sent troops to the Austro-Italian border to defend Austrian sovereignty.
In early 1938, Austrian Nazis conspired for the second time in four years to seize the Austrian government by force and unite their nation with Nazi Germany. Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg, learning of the conspiracy, met with Hitler in the hopes of reasserting his country’s independence but was instead coerced into naming several top Austrian Nazis to his cabinet. On March 9, 1938, Schuschnigg called a national vote to resolve the question of Anschluss, or “annexation,” but before the plebiscite could take place, he 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 “advance” into the country. The next day, German troops marched into Austria, and enthusiastic crowds met them. Austrian Nazis seized power in government buildings and dominated the streets with torchlight parades, chants, and salutes to Hitler. They took over the country without firing a single shot.
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Frequently asked questions
Germany attacked Austria in World War II. German troops marched into Austria on March 12, 1938, to annex the German-speaking nation for the Third Reich.
Yes, the Soviet Union also attacked Austria during World War II. In the winter of 1945, Soviet troops approached Austria's border from Hungary. The Soviets launched the Vienna Strategic Offensive Operation, which resulted in the capture of the Austrian capital.
The German annexation of Austria, known as the Anschluss, had far-reaching consequences. 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. The Nazis arrested leaders of anti-Nazi Austrian political parties, particularly communists and socialists, and many Austrians were forced into exile, especially those of Jewish origin.
