Damon Mcknight
Before World War I, Austria annexed Bosnia and Herzegovina, which were formerly a part of the Ottoman Empire. This was the second time Austria had annexed another nation, the first being the annexation of the Kingdom of Hungary in 1526. The annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina occurred in 1908 and was a significant contributor to the tensions that led to World War I. It is important to note that the term annexation refers to the forceful and illegal acquisition of territory by another state, and in the case of Austria's actions before World War I, this term is highly applicable.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of Annexation | 11-13 March 1938 |
| Nations Annexed | Austria |
| Annexing Nation | Nazi Germany |
| Annexation Term | Anschluss |
| Annexation Type | Political Union |
| Annexation Leader | Adolf Hitler |
| Annexation Support | Overwhelming Support from Austrian Population |
| Annexation Vote | 99.73% Yes Vote in Austria |
| Annexation Consequences | Outburst of Public Violence against Austrian Jews |
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What You'll Learn
Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany in 1938
Austria's annexation by Nazi Germany in 1938, known as the Anschluss, was the first act of territorial expansion committed by the Nazi regime. The unification of Austria and Germany had been a topic of discussion and debate since the 19th century. However, the peace treaties that ended World War I, including the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain, expressly forbade their unification.
In 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. Austria, weakened by a struggling economy and political strife, became a target of German investment capital during the Great Depression. The rise of Austrofascism in Austria between 1934 and 1938 opposed the absorption of the country into Nazi Germany, and Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg worked to maintain Austria's independence. However, Austrian Nazis conspired to seize the government by force, and in 1938, they succeeded in forcing Schuschnigg's resignation and "requesting" German intervention.
On March 12, 1938, German troops marched into Austria without resistance, and Hitler declared the unification of his homeland with the German Reich. The annexation was followed by a wave of violence against Jews and Jewish-owned property, and the establishment of the Mauthausen concentration camp. The Nazis quickly extended anti-Jewish legislation to Austria, and the mass deportation of Austrian Jews began in October 1941. The annexation of Austria was a significant step in Hitler's vision of creating a Greater German Reich, which included all ethnic Germans and territories lost by the German Empire after World War I.
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The unification of Germany and Austria was forbidden post-WW1
The unification of Germany and Austria was forbidden post-World War I due to several factors and events that took place before and after the war. The idea of a united Germany and Austria, known as Anschluss, first arose after the 1871 unification of Germany, which excluded Austria and German Austrians from the Prussian-dominated German Empire. While there was some support for the concept, it was not overwhelmingly popular among the Austrian population in 1919, and regional patriotism was stronger than pan-German sentiment.
One of the primary reasons for forbidding the unification was the concern among European leaders that a united Germany and Austria would create a powerful entity that could pose a significant challenge to other European powers. This concern was addressed in the 1919 Treaty of Saint Germain and the Treaty of Versailles, which expressly forbade the unification of the two countries and stripped Austria of some of its territories, such as the Sudetenland. These treaties also prohibited further plebiscites on unification after initial votes in the Austrian border provinces of Tyrol and Salzburg yielded majorities of 98% and 99% in favour of unification with Germany.
Additionally, the unification was forbidden due to the political and economic contexts of the time. With the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918, the new Republic of German-Austria sought to unite with Germany. However, the post-World War I era saw the rise of nationalism and the desire to establish independent nation-states. The unification of Germany and Austria would have contradicted this trend and potentially disrupted the balance of power in Europe. Furthermore, economic factors played a role, as Austria, facing economic turmoil during the Great Depression, became an attractive target for German investment capital in the 1920s. The prospect of annexing Austria, rich in raw materials and labour, further fuelled Berlin's interest in unification.
The forbidden unification of Germany and Austria also had ideological implications. The Nazis, led by Adolf Hitler, sought to redraw the map of post-World War I Europe, considering the international borders unfair and illegitimate. They aimed to incorporate as many ethnic Germans outside Germany as possible into a "Greater Germany". By 1938, the Nazis had risen to power in Germany and pursued an aggressive foreign policy, ultimately resulting in the annexation of Austria, known as the "Anschluss", in March of that year. This act of territorial expansion violated the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint Germain, demonstrating the Nazis' disregard for the post-World War I European order.
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Hitler's speech in Vienna celebrated the unification
Before World War I, Austria annexed Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1908, and it annexed Bosnia in 1910.
Hitler's Speech in Vienna
On March 15, 1938, two days after the annexation of Austria, Adolf Hitler gave a speech in Vienna's Heldenplatz (Square of Heroes). He spoke to a huge crowd of approximately 200,000 people from the balcony of the Neue Burg, a wing of the Hofburg palace. This balcony would later become known as the "Hitler balcony."
Hitler's speech celebrated the unification of Austria and Germany, his birth country, into the Third Reich. He proclaimed:
> The oldest eastern province of the German people shall be, from this point on, the newest bastion of the German Reich. As leader and chancellor of the German nation and Reich, I announce to German history now the entry of my homeland into the German Reich.
Hitler's visit to Vienna was part of a triumphal tour of Austria, and his speech was met with enthusiasm by Austrians, who expressed overwhelming support for the Nazi takeover of their country. The annexation of Austria was the first act of territorial expansion committed by Nazi Germany, and it allowed Hitler to continue his expansionary policies unchecked.
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The Austrian population was intimidated and suppressed
Before World War I, Austria was a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which was geographically the second-largest country in Europe and the third most populous. The Empire was a dual monarchy, a real union between the Austrian and Hungarian states, which were co-equal in power. However, the Austrian population within this empire was subjected to suppression and intimidation.
The Austro-Hungarian Empire was a multi-ethnic state, and the Austrian population was just one of many ethnic groups within it. The Austrian state had existed for 700 years but was united only by loyalty to the Habsburgs. The empire's constitution and the benevolence of Emperor Franz Joseph led to the Austrian Jews considering this era a golden era in their history. Jews made up about 5% of the population and enjoyed promotions to positions of command in the military. However, the general Austrian population was not as fortunate.
The Austrian population was suppressed by the very structure of the empire. The Austrian and Hungarian states were separate sovereign countries under international law, and the union was a real one only in diplomatic and defence matters. The Austrian population, therefore, had little say in the governance of the empire. The gap between Hungarian and Austrian interests widened over time, and the Austrian population suffered as the empire weakened.
The Austrian population was also suppressed by the economic crisis that hit the empire. The empire's multi-ethnic army suffered from low morale due to supply shortages, and the general population faced starvation. The Austrian population's support for the monarchy collapsed, and leftist and pacifist political movements organized strikes and uprisings. The Austrian population was also intimidated by the military, which routinely suspended civil rights and treated different national groups with varying degrees of contempt.
The dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire after World War I resulted in the creation of the Republic of Austria. However, discussions about Austria's unification with Germany began as early as the 19th century, and these discussions continued into the 1920s and 1930s. The Austrian population was again subjected to intimidation and suppression when Nazi Germany annexed Austria in 1938. The Austrian population was given no choice in this matter, and those who opposed the annexation, such as Jews, leftists, and supporters of Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg, tried to flee the country.
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The annexation was the first act of territorial expansion by Nazi Germany
The annexation of Austria, known as the Anschluss, was the first act of territorial expansion by Nazi Germany. The unification of Germany and Austria had been a topic of discussion and debate since the 19th century, and many Austrians supported the idea of a union. In the 1920s, smaller Austrian parties such as the Austrian National Socialists (DNSAP) and the Communist Party of Austria (KPÖ) favoured a union with Germany. However, the KPÖ was the only party that decidedly spoke against annexation in the course of the 1920s and 1930s.
By the mid-1930s, Nazi Germany was pursuing an aggressive foreign policy, and Hitler had begun to implement his plan to redraw the map of post-World War I Europe. He considered the postwar international borders unfair and illegitimate, and the unification of Austria and Germany was a key part of his strategy. In 1937, rapid German rearmament increased Berlin's interest in annexing Austria, which was rich in raw materials and labour.
In February 1938, Hitler invited the Austrian chancellor, Kurt von Schuschnigg, to Germany and forced him to agree to give the Austrian Nazis more power. Schuschnigg, however, called a national vote to resolve the question of the Anschluss, which was scheduled for April 10. Before the plebiscite could take place, Schuschnigg gave in to pressure from Hitler and resigned on March 11. German troops marched into Austria on March 12, and the annexation was complete by March 13, 1938.
The annexation of Austria was widely popular in both Germany and Austria, with a referendum showing 99.73% of Austrians and 99.08% of Germans voted in favour. The unification transformed Austria, and the country ceased to exist overnight. The Nazis quickly carried out the Nazification of all aspects of Austrian life, and the Anschluss marked the beginning of World War II in Europe, which started in September 1939.
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Frequently asked questions
Austria did not annex any nations before World War I.
The annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany in 1938 was called the "Anschluss", which means "connection" or "joining" in German.
The Anschluss was the first act of territorial expansion committed by Nazi Germany. It 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 reaction of the Austrian population to the Anschluss was mixed. While some Austrians supported the unification with Germany, others tried to flee the country. The Social Democratic Party of Austria leader Karl Renner and Cardinal Theodor Innitzer endorsed the Anschluss, and it is estimated that approximately two-thirds of Austrians might have voted for it. However, the Austrian population was subjected to intimidation and suppression of the political opposition, and the annexation was a "fait accompli" as the German army had already occupied Austria.
The Anschluss resulted in an outburst of public violence against Austria's Jewish population. Between 1938 and 1939, the Nazis arrested around 2,000 Gypsy men and 1,000 Gypsy women, who were sent to concentration camps. In addition, Jews were excluded from the referendum on the annexation, and racial discrimination and persecution increased under Nazi rule.
