Ruqayyah Snyder
Austria and Germany have a shared history, with German being the official language of both countries and Germans being the majority ethnic group in both. The idea of unifying the two countries arose after the 1871 unification of Germany, which excluded Austria and the German Austrians from the Prussian-dominated German Empire. This exclusion laid the foundation for diplomatic tensions between Prussia and Austria, who had competing ambitions to unify Germany under their different proposals. The unification of Austria and Germany, known as the Anschluss, was achieved in 1938 under Nazi Germany's annexation of Austria, marking the regime's first act of territorial aggression and expansion.
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What You'll Learn
The Anschluss
The unification of Austria and Germany, known as the Anschluss, was a significant event in the lead-up to World War II. The idea of a unified Austria and Germany, or "Greater Germany", first arose after the 1871 unification of Germany, which notably excluded Austria and German Austrians from the Prussian-dominated German Empire. This exclusion sowed the seeds of tension between Prussia and Austria, with both harbouring ambitions to create a unified Germany under their respective proposals.
In the aftermath of World War I, the Austro-Hungarian Empire fell in 1918, and the new Republic of German-Austria sought to unite with Germany. However, the 1919 Treaty of Saint Germain and the Treaty of Versailles prohibited this union and stripped Austria of some of its territories. This left Austria in a vulnerable economic state, and by the 1920s, the idea of the Anschluss gained strong support in both Austria and Germany, particularly among Austrian citizens of the political left and centre.
Adolf Hitler, who came to power in Germany in 1933, embraced the idea of the Anschluss as part of his vision for a "Greater Germany". In 1938, Hitler staged a coup against the Austrian Fascist government, marking his second attempt to unify the two nations. German troops entered Austria on March 12, 1938, with Hitler himself crossing the border at his birthplace, Braunau am Inn, with a 4,000-man bodyguard. The Austrian government, recognising its military disadvantage and the support for unification among the populace, offered no resistance.
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The Austro-Prussian War
Prussia deliberately challenged Austria for leadership of the German Confederation. Prussia had challenged Austria in 1850, but its mobilisation was a complete failure, and it was forced to accept humiliating terms at Olmütz. Since then, Prussia had prepared for a fresh challenge, with Otto von Bismarck as statesman, Count Helmuth von Moltke as strategist, and Count Albrecht von Roon as army organiser. Bismarck found a pretext for war in 1866, in a dispute over the administration of Schleswig and Holstein, which Austria and Prussia had seized from Denmark in 1864 and had since held jointly. Prussia intervened on behalf of Holstein, knowing there were disputes about how the newly independent province should be governed, and interfered with Austria's preferred method of resolving the dispute diplomatically. Prussia also made secret alliances with Italy and France and acquired modern weapons for its troops.
Prussia's victory at Koniggratz enabled it to organise the North German Confederation, incorporating all the German states north of the Main River. Austria was excluded from German affairs and forced to cede control of its Venetian territory to Italy. Prussia also annexed several German states, including Hannover, Hesse-Kassel, Nassau, and Frankfurt, and acquired the territory that had separated the eastern and western parts of its state. Prussia had thus made itself one of the dominant states in Europe.
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The German Confederation
Austria and Germany have a shared history, with German being the official language and Germans being the majority ethnic group of both countries. After Napoleon's defeat in 1815, Austria created the German Confederation as a new organisation among the German states, in which Prussia and Austria became reunited. The German Confederation lacked a monarch or a central government with a real unifying force. As a result, dualism within the German Confederation led to diplomatic tension between Prussia and Austria, who had ambitions to create a unified Germany under their different proposals. Austria proposed to unite the German states in a union centred on, and dominated by, the Habsburgs. Prussia, however, wanted to become the central force in unifying the German states and to exclude Austria from its affairs.
In 1866, the tension between Prussia and Austria led to the Austro-Prussian War (also known as the Fraternal War of the Germans). Otto von Bismarck, chancellor of Prussia, sided with Italy to surround Austria and bring about its defeat. The Austrian Empire was dissolved into the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary, with the loss of their influence over the southern German states of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria. In 1867, Bismarck declared the new North German Confederation. After Prussia's victory in the Franco-Prussian War in 1870, Bismarck announced the creation of the German Empire, excluding Austria-Hungary from this unified Germany.
The idea of a union between Austria and Germany (known as Anschluss) arose after the 1871 unification of Germany, which excluded Austria and the German Austrians from the Prussian-dominated German Empire. The Anschluss proposed a united Austria and Germany that would form a "Greater Germany". This idea gained support after the Austro-Hungarian Empire fell in 1918. The new Republic of German-Austria attempted to form a union with Germany, but the 1919 Treaty of Saint Germain and Treaty of Versailles forbade both the union and the continued use of the name "German-Austria". These treaties also stripped Austria of some of its territories, such as the Sudetenland, leaving Austria without most of the territories it had ruled for centuries and amid an economic crisis. By the 1920s, the Anschluss proposal had strong support in both Austria and Germany, particularly among Austrian citizens of the political left and centre.
After Austrian-born Adolf Hitler rose to power in Germany in 1933, he demanded the right to Anschluss between Austria and Germany. This was blocked by Benito Mussolini's Italian Fascist government, which cooperated with Austrian counterparts Engelbert Dollfuss and Kurt Schuschnigg, fearing retrospective territorial demands from Hitler on Südtirol (South Tyrol). However, after 1936, Hitler and Mussolini forged a closer relationship in preparation for Germany's expansionist ambitions. Hitler used the Nazi Party of Austria to influence public opinion and staged a coup against the Austrian Fascist government in 1938. When Hitler decided to refrain from reclaiming South Tyrol, Mussolini abandoned his pledge to protect Austria's independence. In March 1938, Germany and Austria were forcibly joined, despite being prohibited by the Versailles and St. Germain treaties.
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The Weimar Republic
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The Austrian Empire
In 970, the region that would become Austria came under the rule of the Kingdom of Germany, or East Francia. This lasted until 1156, when Austria became a sovereign state once more. From 1156 to 1806, Austria and other German states were part of the Holy Roman Empire, which was officially a German polity from 1512 and mostly led by Austria itself.
In the mid-1800s, the Austrian Empire was dissolved into the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary, following the Austro-Prussian War of 1866. This war was caused by diplomatic tensions between Prussia and Austria, both of which had ambitions to create a unified Germany under their own unique proposals. Prussia, which was allied with Italy, emerged victorious, and Austria lost its influence over the southern German states of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria.
In the late 1800s, the idea of unifying Austria with the German Empire, from which it had been excluded, gained popularity. This idea was known as Anschluss, which translates to "fusion", "joinder", "connection", or "political union". The majority of people in both countries supported the unification, as they believed that Austria, having been stripped of its imperial land, was not economically viable on its own. However, this popularity faded over time, and unification was opposed by the Austrofascist Fatherland Front.
In the early 1900s, Adolf Hitler rose to power in Germany and demanded the right to Anschluss. In 1938, German troops entered Austria, and the two countries were forcibly unified. This unification was met with enthusiasm by many Austrians, but it also resulted in the persecution of Austria's Jewish population.
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Frequently asked questions
The unifying force to Austria was the annexation and formal union of Austria with Germany, known as the Anschluss. This was an attempt to form a Greater Germany.
Anschluss is a German word that can be translated to mean "joinder", "connection", "unification", or "political union".
The Anschluss was significant as it was the first act of territorial expansion committed by Nazi Germany, violating the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain. It also marked the beginning of the persecution of Austria's Jewish population.
