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Austria's role in World War II was complex and ambiguous. The country was annexed by Nazi Germany in 1938, with the support of the majority of Austrians, and became an integral part of the Third Reich. Many Austrians served in the German military and participated in Nazi atrocities, while others resisted or fled. The country was occupied by the Soviet Union in 1945, and postwar disagreements between the Allies and the Soviet Union over Austria were rooted in the country's wartime actions and status.
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What You'll Learn
Austria's annexation by Nazi Germany
The idea of Austria joining Germany had been around since the 19th century and gained popularity after World War I, as some Austrians believed their country was too small to survive on its own. In 1919, Austria proposed the idea of Anschluss with Germany, which remained a hope for many during the early 1930s. However, by 1933, after Hitler's rise to power, the sentiment began to shift. Despite this, the Nazi Party in Austria failed to win any seats in the November 1930 general election, and by the end of 1933, Austrian public opinion about German annexation was mostly against the idea.
Hitler, an Austrian German by birth, wanted to unite all German speakers into one country, including Austria and the German-speaking areas of Czechoslovakia. By 1937, rapid German rearmament increased Berlin's interest in annexing Austria, which was rich in raw materials and labour. Austria supplied Germany with magnesium and the products of the iron, textile and machine industries. It also had gold and foreign currency reserves, many unemployed skilled workers, and large potential hydroelectric resources.
In February 1938, Hitler invited Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg to Germany and forced him to agree to give the Austrian Nazis a free hand. On March 9, Schuschnigg attempted to assert Austrian independence by calling for a plebiscite (referendum) on the issue, scheduled for March 13. However, the Germans pressured him to cancel the plebiscite and resign on March 11. The German army invaded Austria on March 12, and the annexation was officially carried out on March 13, 1938, with a controlled plebiscite held later giving a 99.7% approval.
The annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany was the result of a complex mix of domestic and international factors. While a majority of Austrians welcomed the German invasion, there was also resistance, and the country's role during World War II was highly ambiguous. The Allies' plans for postwar Austria emerged slowly during the war, with the British leading the effort to re-establish an independent Austria.
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The Austrian population's support for Hitler
Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany in 1938, marking the regime's first act of territorial aggression and expansion. This annexation, known as the Anschluss, saw Hitler's forces suppress all opposition.
Hitler's popularity in Austria grew as his power in Germany increased. Austrian Nazis gained supporters in 1931–1932, and Hitler's appointment as German chancellor in 1933 further bolstered their ranks. The idea of Austria joining Germany also gained traction, fuelled by Nazi propaganda campaigns. Slogans like "Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Führer" ("One People, One Empire, One Leader") resonated with Austrians, who had attempted to unite with Germany after World War I but were prevented from doing so by the Allies.
Austrian chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg tried to preserve Austrian independence by calling for a plebiscite (referendum) on March 13, 1938. However, Hitler was determined to annex Austria and was unwilling to allow the referendum to proceed. He demanded Schuschnigg's resignation, which occurred on March 11, 1938, and replaced him with Arthur Seyß-Inquart, who supported the annexation.
On March 12, 1938, German troops crossed the Austrian border and were met with little resistance. Many Austrians welcomed the German soldiers with enthusiasm, hoping for economic improvements and an end to civil unrest. The Austrian Nazi Party, together with members of the SS and SA, occupied public buildings and offices, swiftly transforming all aspects of Austrian life. Austrians participated willingly in the persecution of the country's Jewish population and the enactment of Nazi policies, including the mass murder of Europe's Jews.
While a majority of Austrians supported the Anschluss, there was also opposition. Austrian socialists and left-wing circles reacted with "disgust" to the endorsement of the union, and Catholic protests emerged under the slogan "Our Führer is Christ." Additionally, a minority of Austrians resisted the Hitler regime, and some Austrians offered resistance during World War II.
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The Austrian Jewish community
In the lead-up to World War II, Austria underwent a period of economic stagnation, political dictatorship, and intense Nazi propaganda. This culminated in the annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany in 1938, known as the Anschluss, which was supported by the majority of Austrians. As a result, anti-Jewish legislation was swiftly implemented, and the Mauthausen concentration camp was established. This camp became the main Nazi camp in Austria and was notorious for its harsh conditions, including forced labor using concentration camp prisoners.
Before World War II, the Jewish community in Austria was thriving, particularly in Vienna, where they comprised about 9% of the city's population. They played an important role in the country's economic and cultural life, with synagogues, schools, hospitals, theatres, and various associations. The 1934 census counted 191,481 Jews in Austria, with the majority living in Vienna. However, by December 1939, their numbers had decreased to 57,000 due to emigration.
During World War II, German policy shifted from expropriation and Jewish emigration to forced deportation. Thousands of Jews from Austria were deported to occupied Poland and other parts of occupied Eastern Europe. Systematic mass deportations from Vienna began in October 1941, with about 35,000 Jews sent to ghettos in Minsk, Riga, and Lodz, and the Lublin region of Poland. Many of those deported did not survive, and by November 1942, only about 7,000 Jews remained in Austria, mostly those married to non-Jews.
The Holocaust had a devastating impact on the Austrian Jewish community, with about 65,500 people murdered, 62,000 of whom are known by name. Some Jews managed to survive in Austria, with estimates ranging from 5,000 to 120,000, including those in hiding or in Allied DP camps after the war. The rest of the Jewish population emigrated, with about 135,000 people leaving the country.
After World War II, the Jewish community in Austria struggled to rebuild. By 2001, the census recorded 8,140 Jews remaining in Austria, and as of 2020, the Jewish population had grown to 10,300, or 33,000 when including those with at least one Jewish grandparent.
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Soviet occupation of Austria
Austria's role during World War II was highly ambiguous. A majority of Austrians welcomed the German invasion in 1938 and many participated eagerly in Hitler's war of extermination. However, a minority of Austrians were shocked about the demise of their country and resisted the Hitler regime. After World War II, Austria was divided into four occupation zones and jointly occupied by the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, the United States, and France. Vienna was similarly subdivided, with the central district collectively administered by the Allied Control Council.
The Soviet occupation of Austria lasted from 1945 to 1955. During this time, the Soviets were determined to make the Austrians pay for their participation in Hitler's war. The Red Army lost 17,000 lives in the Battle of Vienna, and Soviet troops engaged in systematic sexual violence against women in the first days and weeks after the Soviet victory. Repression against civilians harmed the Red Army's reputation, and in September 1945, Moscow issued an order forbidding violent interrogations. The military occupation was deeply unpopular in Austria, and people fled the Soviet zone, causing eastern Vienna to lose about 11% of its population.
In July 1945, the Allies agreed on the borders of their occupation zones. The Soviet zone included Burgenland, Lower Austria, and the Mühlviertel area of Upper Austria, north of the Danube. The French and American zones bordered those countries' zones in Germany, while the Soviet zone bordered future Warsaw Pact states. The British arrived in September 1945, and the Allied Council of four military governors convened for its first meeting in Vienna that month. It refused to recognize Karl Renner's claim of a national government but did not prevent him from extending influence into the Western zones. Renner appointed the anti-communist Karl Gruber as Foreign Minister and tried to reduce Communist influence.
Throughout the occupation, all levels of Soviet command tried in vain to contain desertion and plunder by rank and file. For a full decade after World War II, Austria received close Soviet attention, including from Stalin and his highest representatives in diplomatic, military, and administrative positions. The Soviets never intended to include postwar Austria in their Eastern European sphere of security, and their economic interests in Austria were concentrated in the Soviet holding company USIA.
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Austria's role in WWII
Austria played an important and complex role in World War II. On March 12, 1938, German troops entered Austria, and the country was annexed into Nazi Germany, an event known as the Anschluss. This annexation was the result of a mix of domestic and international factors and was supported by the majority of Austrians, with many welcoming the German invasion. Austria was then renamed Ostmark, and Upper and Lower Austria became Upper and Lower Danube. The Nazis quickly extended anti-Jewish legislation to Austria, establishing the Mauthausen concentration camp in the summer of 1938. This camp became the main Nazi camp in Austria, and during the war, forced labour using concentration camp prisoners became increasingly important to German armaments production.
During World War II, approximately 950,000 Austrians fought for the Nazi German armed forces, and others participated in the Nazi administration, from death camp personnel to senior Nazi leadership. The majority of the bureaucrats who implemented the Final Solution were Austrian. Additionally, 10% of the population, or 700,000 people, joined the Nazi Party, and more than 1.3 million Austrians were drafted between 1938 and 1945, with 242,000 not returning. Austrians served loyally as soldiers and were responsible for Nazi atrocities on the Eastern Front.
However, a minority of Austrians resisted the Hitler regime and were shocked about the demise of their country. After World War II, Austria took steps towards denazification under Allied occupation, but these attempts were half-hearted, and the country did not undergo the same thorough process of denazification as post-war Germany. Many Austrians sought comfort in the myth of Austria as the first victim of the Nazis, and this "victim theory" influenced Austria's policy in dealing with its history for decades. The disputes between East and West during the Cold War also caused the Allies' interest in prosecuting Nazi war criminals to wane, and many perpetrators were reintegrated into Austrian society.
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Frequently asked questions
Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany in 1938, with the support of the majority of the Austrian population. The country was then an integral part of the Third Reich, with 700,000 people, or 10% of the population, joining the Nazi Party. Over 1.3 million Austrians were drafted to fight for the Wehrmacht between 1938 and 1945.
Yes, the Mauthausen concentration camp was established in the summer of 1938, after the German annexation of Austria. Mauthausen became the main Nazi camp in Austria, with sub-camps across the country.
Austria had a Jewish population of about 192,000 in 1938, representing almost 4% of the total population. By December 1939, their number had been reduced to 57,000, primarily due to emigration. Jews were forced into exile, and those who remained suffered the same fate as Jews in Germany.
