Austria's Wwii Complicity: Hitler's First Conquest

Austria was annexed by Germany in 1938, and was therefore part of Nazi Germany from 13 March 1938 until 27 April 1945, when Allied-occupied Austria declared independence. During this time, Austrians fought loyally for the Nazi German armed forces, and many participated in the Nazi administration. However, a small minority of Austrians actively participated in the resistance against Nazism.

Austria was part of Nazi Germany from 1938 to 1945

The origins of Nazism in Austria have been disputed and continue to be debated. However, it is clear that Austrians played a significant role in the Nazi regime. Adolf Hitler, the leader of the Nazi Party and Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, was himself Austrian-born. Other prominent Austrians in the Nazi regime included Ernst Kaltenbrunner, Arthur Seyß-Inquart, Odilo Globocnik, Franz Josef Huber, August Eigruber, Alexander Löhr, Hermann Neubacher, and Lothar Rendulic, among others.

During World War II, hundreds of thousands of Austrians fought as German soldiers, and a substantial number served in the SS, the elite military corps of the Nazi Party. Approximately 250,000 Austrians were killed or missing in action by the end of the war. In addition, more than 20,000 Austrians were killed in U.S. and British bombing raids. Austrians were also overrepresented in the system of terror against Jews, with a disproportionate number involved in the Final Solution.

The Mauthausen concentration camp, established in the summer of 1938, became the main Nazi camp in Austria. Thousands of prisoners were worked to death, and the camp was the site of numerous atrocities. The Kristallnacht pogroms in November 1938 were particularly brutal in Austria, with most synagogues in Vienna destroyed and Jewish businesses vandalised and ransacked.

In 1943, the Allied powers issued the Moscow Declaration, which described Austria as "the first victim of Hitlerite aggression" and called for the reestablishment of an independent Austria. However, the declaration also held Austria liable for its participation in the war, effectively giving it the status of an enemy state. In 1945, Soviet and American forces occupied Austria, and on May 8, 1945, Germany surrendered unconditionally.

Austrians fought for the Nazi German armed forces

Austrian soldiers also served loyally as soldiers from Germany proper and were just as responsible for Nazi atrocities on the Eastern Front. Austrians were overrepresented not only in the system of terror against Jews but also on the battlefields. A substantial number of Austrians served in the SS, the elite military corps of the Nazi Party. By the end of the war, approximately 250,000 Austrians had been killed or were missing in action.

The Austrian resistance was small, but by no means negligible. Tens of thousands of Austrians were arrested for political reasons during the war; many of them died in concentration camps or prisons, and about 2,700 were executed. Additionally, a number of Austrians fought as Allied soldiers against the German army.

Austria was annexed by Germany in 1938

On March 12, 1938, Nazi Germany annexed Austria, an event known as the Anschluss, or "connection" or "political union" in German. The annexation was completed on March 13, 1938, when a law was passed by the Austrian government to ratify the reunification with Germany.

The annexation was the culmination of a series of events that began on March 11, 1938, when two demands were made by Germany for the postponement of a plebiscite on Austrian independence and the resignation of Austrian Chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg. Schuschnigg conceded, but Hitler still sent troops into Austria, accompanied by Hitler himself, on March 12. A Nazi government was established in Austria, headed by Arthur Seyss-Inquart, which collaborated with Hitler in proclaiming the annexation.

The Anschluss was met with overwhelming support from the Austrian population, with large sections of Austrians welcoming German troops with enthusiasm. This support continued after the annexation, with 99.73% of Austrians voting in favour of Hitler in a referendum held on April 10, 1938.

Austria was an integral part of the Third Reich following the annexation, with 700,000 people, or 10% of the population, joining the Nazi Party. The Wehrmacht drafted more than 1.3 million Austrians between 1938 and 1945, and many Austrians served as soldiers and committed atrocities on the Eastern Front.

The annexation of Austria had significant consequences for the country's Jewish population, who faced mass antisemitic violence, confiscation of property, and exile. By the start of World War II in 1939, more than 100,000 Jews had left Austria, and more than 65,000 Austrian Jews perished during the war, many in extermination camps.

The Anschluss was proclaimed on March 13, 1938

The Anschluss, or the annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany, was proclaimed on March 13, 1938. This event united Austria and Germany to form a Greater Germany, an idea that had been proposed after the 1871 unification of Germany, which excluded Austria. The unification proposal gained support after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918, as many believed that Austria, stripped of its imperial land, was not economically viable.

In the 1920s, the unification proposal was supported by many Austrian citizens, particularly those on the political left and center. However, popular support for unification faded over time. After Adolf Hitler rose to power in Germany in 1933, the desire for unification became associated with the Nazis, for whom it was an integral part of their ideology.

In early 1938, Austrian Chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg announced a referendum on the possible union with Germany, to be held on March 13. Hitler, portraying this as defying the popular will, threatened an invasion and pressured Schuschnigg to resign. On March 12, the German army crossed the border into Austria, unopposed by the Austrian military. The next day, on March 13, the Anschluss was proclaimed, and a plebiscite was held on April 10, resulting in a 99.7% approval.

The annexation of Austria demonstrated Hitler's aggressive territorial ambitions and the failure of Britain and France to take action against him for violating the Versailles Treaty. It also fulfilled Hitler's long-held desire to unite his birth country, Austria, with Germany, and marked a significant step in his plan to create a Greater German Reich.

Austria was divided into four occupation zones after WWII

Austria was a key player in World War II, initially as a part of Nazi Germany, but its role and the fate of its people changed as the war progressed. Austria was annexed by Germany in 1938, becoming known as the "Ostmark," and it played a significant role in Hitler's early campaigns. Austrian troops fought alongside German forces in the invasion of Czechoslovakia and Poland, and later in the Battle of France. However, as the war turned against the Nazis, Austria's role became more complex.

By the end of World War II, Austria found itself in a unique situation, neither fully considered a victim of Nazi aggression nor entirely regarded as a perpetrator. This ambiguity led to a complex political and territorial situation in the post-war years. As a result of its role in the war and its annexation by Germany, the country was divided into four occupation zones, each controlled by one of the four major Allied powers: the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and the Soviet Union. Vienna, the capital, was also subdivided into four sectors, mirroring the division of Berlin.

Each occupying power administered their zone independently, with their laws, policies, and military presence. The division was intended to ensure that no single power could dominate Austria and to provide a measure of stability and security in the fragile post-war period. The occupation also served as a microcosm of the emerging Cold War tensions between the Western powers and the Soviet Union. The four-power occupation of Austria lasted for nearly a decade, and during this time, the country underwent a process of denazification and political realignment. Efforts were made to rebuild and reshape Austrian society, with each occupying power imposing its influence and values on the zones under its control.

The division of Austria into four zones had a significant impact on the country's politics, economy, and social fabric. It also played a role in the early stages of the Cold War, with the country becoming a site of tension and competition between the Western powers and the Soviet Union. The occupation lasted until 1955 when the Austrian State Treaty was signed, officially ending the occupation and restoring Austria's sovereignty. The treaty also established Austria's permanent neutrality, which has remained a cornerstone of the country's foreign policy ever since.

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