Ruqayyah Snyder
Austria was known as the Ostmark when it was annexed by Nazi Germany in 1938. This annexation was known as the Anschluss, which translates to joining or connection. The Anschluss was the Nazi German regime's first act of territorial aggression and expansion, and it transformed Austria almost overnight.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of Annexation | 12 March 1938 |
| Date of Independence from Nazi Germany | 27 April 1945 |
| Duration of Annexation | 7 years, 1 month, 15 days |
| Annexation Name | Anschluss |
| German Translation of Annexation Name | Joining or Connection |
| Austrian Nazi Chancellor | Seyss-Inquart |
| Austrian Nazi Leader | Adolf Hitler |
| Number of Austrians in Nazi Party | 700,000 |
| Percentage of Austrian Population in Nazi Party | 10% |
| Number of Austrians Drafted in Wehrmacht | 1.3 million |
| Number of Austrians in Nazi Armed Forces | 950,000 |
| Number of Austrians in Nazi Leadership | Majority of bureaucrats who implemented the Final Solution |
| Number of Austrian Jews in 1938 | 200,000 |
| Number of Jews Remaining in Austria by November 1942 | 7,000 |
| Number of Jews Deported from Vienna to Ghettos in Eastern Europe | 35,000 |
| Number of Jews Deported from Vienna to Theresienstadt | 15,000+ |
| Number of Austrians Who Never Returned Home from War | 242,000 |
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What You'll Learn
The Anschluss
The idea of unifying Austria and Germany had been proposed as early as 1918 by Erich Ludendorff, who wrote to the Federal Foreign Office about the possibility of conducting an Anschluss with the German areas of Austria-Hungary. However, this proposal was opposed by Secretary Wilhelm Solf and later forbidden by the Paris Peace Conference, as it was seen as a potential threat to Germany's rebuilding efforts. Despite these initial efforts to prevent unification, the concept of Anschluss remained in Austrian political discourse, particularly among Social Democrats and those who identified as ethnically German, which was a significant portion of the population.
In the early 1930s, the rise of Hitler in Germany made the idea of unification less attractive to some Austrians. However, the Nazi Party's popularity in Austria grew after Hitler came to power, and a Nazi propaganda campaign further bolstered support for unification. The Austrian chancellor, Kurt von Schuschnigg, attempted to preserve Austrian independence by calling for a plebiscite (referendum) on the matter. However, he was pressured by the Germans to cancel the plebiscite and resign. On March 11, 1938, the Germans invaded, and with the support of many Austrians, Hitler was able to annex Austria outright on March 13.
A controlled plebiscite was held on April 10, 1938, which gave a 99.7% approval rating to the unification. This plebiscite, however, excluded Jews and Roma (Gypsies) from voting. The Anschluss marked a significant turning point for Austria's Jewish population, who began to face persecution, violence, and deportation. The Mauthausen concentration camp, established in the summer of 1938, became the main Nazi camp in Austria, where thousands of prisoners were worked to death. The Anschluss also transformed other aspects of Austrian life, as Austrian Nazis enthusiastically participated in the Nazi war machine and the implementation of Nazi policies.
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Austria's enthusiasm for Nazi Germany
Austria was part of Nazi Germany from 13 March 1938 until 27 April 1945, when Allied-occupied Austria declared independence from Nazi Germany. This event is known as the Anschluss, which is a German word that means "connection" or "joining". The Anschluss was the Nazi German regime's first act of territorial aggression and expansion.
The Anschluss transformed Austria. Almost overnight, the country of Austria ceased to exist. In the days, weeks, and months that followed, Austrian and German Nazis carried out the Nazification of all aspects of Austrian life. Many Austrians participated enthusiastically in this endeavour. In the wake of the Anschluss, Austrians persecuted the country's Jewish population. They enacted Nazi policies, and they fought in World War II. Austrians also participated in the mass murder of Europe's Jews.
The annexation of Austria to Germany was proclaimed on 13 March 1938, the day after German troops entered the country. The German annexation was retroactively approved in an April plebiscite that was manipulated to indicate that about 99% of the Austrian people wanted the union with Germany. Neither Jews nor Roma were allowed to vote in the plebiscite. The plebiscite was another opportunity for Nazi propaganda to co-opt and mobilise a wide variety of Austrian institutions and leaders, including representatives of two constituencies that had been reluctant to embrace the Nazi movement: the Austrian working class and the Catholic Church.
The Nazis' goal was to demonstrate Austrian enthusiasm for the Anschluss and thus justify the illegal takeover of another country. When Hitler returned home to Berlin, he was greeted as a hero. The Anschluss was widely popular in both Germany and Austria. However, it should be noted that there was a small minority of Austrians who formed an Austrian resistance.
After World War II, many Austrians sought comfort in the myth of Austria as being the first victim of the Nazis. Although the Nazi Party was promptly banned, Austria did not have the same thorough process of denazification that was imposed on post-war Germany. Lacking outside pressure for political reform, factions of Austrian society tried for a long time to advance the view that the Anschluss was only an imposition of rule by Nazi Germany.
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Austria's role in the Holocaust
Austria was part of Nazi Germany from 13 March 1938 until 27 April 1945. During this time, Austria was known as the Ostmark, a name chosen by the Nazis to demote Austria from an empire to a province. This event, known as the Anschluss, was Germany's first act of territorial aggression and expansion.
The annexation of Austria was met with enthusiasm and support from most Austrians. The country quickly became Nazified, with Austrians participating in the persecution of the country's Jewish population. The Mauthausen concentration camp was established in the summer of 1938, becoming the main Nazi camp in Austria. The camp was a special penal camp with a harsh regime, where inmates were forced to carry heavy stone blocks up 186 steps from the camp quarry. These steps became known as the "Stairway of Death".
The Kristallnacht ("Night of Broken Glass") pogroms in November 1938 were particularly brutal in Austria. Most synagogues in Vienna were destroyed, and Jewish businesses were vandalised and ransacked. Thousands of Jews were arrested and deported to concentration camps. The Nazis also allowed the Jewish community in Vienna to resume activities, but with the intended goal of organising and accelerating mass emigration of Jews from Austria.
During World War II, German policy shifted from expropriation and Jewish emigration to one of forced deportation. The Nazis deported thousands of Jews from Austria to occupied Poland and elsewhere in occupied eastern Europe. Systematic mass deportations from Vienna began in October 1941, and by November 1942, only about 7,000 Jews remained in Austria. As a result of the Holocaust, between 60,000 and 65,000 Austrian Jews lost their lives.
After World War II, many Austrians sought comfort in the myth of Austria as the first victim of the Nazis, denying responsibility for Nazi crimes. However, in the 1980s, Austrian society began to confront its National Socialist past and its active role in the Holocaust. Today, Austria has institutions dedicated to remembering and educating about the Holocaust, and there is a focus on Holocaust education in schools.
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Soviet occupation of Austria
Austria was incorporated into Nazi Germany on March 13, 1938, an event known as the Anschluss. The country ceased to exist as an independent state, instead becoming a province of Nazi Germany. The Nazis worked to erase any traces of a separate Austrian identity, even changing the country's name to Ostmark.
The Anschluss was the Nazi regime's first act of territorial aggression and expansion. It was made possible by a prolonged period of economic stagnation, political dictatorship, and intense Nazi propaganda inside Austria. When German troops entered Austria on March 12, 1938, they were greeted enthusiastically by most Austrians. The annexation was then retroactively approved in a plebiscite that was manipulated to indicate that about 99% of Austrians supported the union.
The Nazis quickly extended their anti-Jewish legislation to Austria, and the Mauthausen concentration camp was established in the summer of 1938. Austrians participated in the Nazi administration and the mass murder of Europe's Jews.
After World War II, Austria was jointly occupied by the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, the United States, and France. Vienna was also subdivided, with the central district collectively administered by the Allied Control Council. Austria remained under joint occupation until 1955, with the Soviet Union paying close attention to the country throughout this period. The Soviet occupation of Austria lasted from 1945 to 1955, and Soviet troops engaged in systematic sexual violence against women and repression against civilians. The occupation was deeply unpopular, and many Austrians fled the Soviet zone.
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Austria's post-war identity
Austria was part of Nazi Germany from 13 March 1938 until 27 April 1945. This period was known as the Anschluss, which means "reunification" in German. However, the notion of "reunification" was misleading, as Austria had never been a part of the German Empire before. During this time, Austria was no longer an independent country but a province of Nazi Germany, referred to as the Ostmark.
Following the Anschluss, Austria underwent a rapid transformation as Austrian and German Nazis worked to nazify all aspects of Austrian life. Austrians participated in the persecution of the country's Jewish population, the enactment of Nazi policies, and the mass murder of Europe's Jews. Many Austrians fought in World War II, with 950,000 Austrians serving in the Nazi German armed forces.
After World War II, Austria faced a period of occupation by the Allies and the Soviet Union. The country experienced devastation from heavy battles and American and British bombings, resulting in thousands of casualties and wounded civilians. The Austrian population also suffered from food shortages, with daily calorie rations decreasing significantly in the spring and summer of 1945.
In terms of Austria's post-war identity, there was a tendency among Austrians to view themselves as victims of the Nazis, and the Nazi Party was promptly banned. However, Austria did not undergo the same rigorous process of denazification as post-war Germany. The origins of Nazism in Austria have been a subject of debate, with some arguing that it emerged from the German-Czech conflict within the multi-ethnic Austrian Empire.
The post-war period in Austria was also marked by political and ideological struggles, including tensions between the conservative, pan-German, and right-wing forces in the provinces and the "red capital" of Vienna. The country faced an identity crisis, with citizens struggling to identify with the new state entity. Additionally, there was an integration crisis exacerbated by the animosity of regional politicians and party leadership towards the central administration in Vienna.
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Frequently asked questions
Austria was initially referred to as the Ostmark when it became part of Nazi Germany.
German troops entered Austria on March 12, 1938, and the annexation of Austria was proclaimed on March 13, 1938.
The annexation of Austria to Nazi Germany was known as the Anschluss, which translates to "joining" or "connection".
