Damon Mcknight
The annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany, known as the Anschluss, took place in March 1938. This event marked the first instance of Nazi Germany's territorial aggression and expansion, as Hitler sought to unite Austria with Nazi Germany. The process began on March 11, 1938, when Hitler issued a series of ultimatums to the Austrian government, threatening a military invasion if his demands were not met. On March 12, German troops marched into Austria, receiving widespread support from the Austrian population. The annexation was proclaimed on March 13, and Austria became a federal state of Germany, ceasing to exist as an independent nation.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year Nazis entered Austria | 1938 |
| Date | 12 March 1938 |
| Annexation proclaimed | 13 March 1938 |
| German troops received support from | Most of the Austrian population |
| Austrian chancellor | Kurt von Schuschnigg |
| Austrian president | Wilhelm Miklas |
| Austrian Nazi appointed chancellor | Arthur Seyss-Inquart |
| Prolonged period of | Economic stagnation, political dictatorship, and intense Nazi propaganda |
| Austria's status after annexation | Federal state of Germany |
| Mauthausen concentration camp established | Summer 1938 |
| Number of Jews deported from Vienna | 35,000 |
| Number of Jews remaining in Austria by November 1942 | 7,000 |
| Number of Austrians drafted by the Wehrmacht (1938-1945) | 1.3 million |
| Number of Austrians who joined the Nazi Party | 700,000 (10% of the population) |
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What You'll Learn
Nazi Germany's annexation of Austria in 1938
On March 12, 1938, German troops marched into Austria to annex the German-speaking nation for the Third Reich. This event is known as the Anschluss, which means "connection" or "joining" in German. The annexation of Austria was the first act of territorial aggression and expansion committed by Nazi Germany and violated the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain, which expressly forbade the unification of Austria and Germany.
In the years leading up to the annexation, the Nazi Party in Austria gained popularity, particularly after Hitler came to power in Germany in 1933. Austrian Nazis attempted to seize the Austrian government by force and unite with Nazi Germany. In 1936, Austrian Chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg used the police to suppress Nazi supporters, interning them in camps. However, by 1937, German rearmament increased Berlin's interest in annexing Austria, which was rich in raw materials and labour. Hitler, himself an Austrian German by birth, had expressed his desire for an Austro-German union in his early writings and speeches.
On March 9, 1938, Chancellor Schuschnigg attempted to assert Austrian independence by calling for a plebiscite (referendum) on March 13, 1938. However, on March 11, 1938, one day before the occupation of Austria, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vienna issued an appeal for a "free and independent Austria". The next day, Hitler accompanied German troops into Austria, where they were met by enthusiastic crowds. Hitler appointed a new Nazi government, and on March 13, the Anschluss was officially proclaimed. Austria became a federal state of Germany and remained so until the end of World War II, when the Allied powers reestablished an independent Austria.
The annexation of Austria had significant consequences, including an outburst of public violence against Austria's Jewish population. The Nazis also carried out the Nazification of all aspects of Austrian life, with the support of many Austrians. The Anschluss was widely popular in both Germany and Austria, but it also demonstrated Nazi disdain for the post-World War I European order and allowed Hitler to continue his expansionist policies unchecked.
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The Austrian Nazi Party's propaganda and terror campaign
In 1927, the Austrian National Socialists (the Austrian Nazi Party) received only 779 votes in the General Election. However, in the following years, they gained more votes at the expense of various German national groups, which also wanted unity with Germany. Beginning in May 1933, the Austrian Nazi Party, with encouragement and funding from Germany, waged a propaganda and terror campaign aimed at undermining the Dollfuss regime by portraying it as incompetent. They staged disruptive protests, brawled with political opponents and the police, and set off explosives and tear gas bombs in public places and Jewish-owned businesses. The German government also subjected Austria to systematic agitation by imposing economic sanctions, requiring German citizens to pay a thousand marks (referred to as the "1,000 Mark Sperre") to enter Austria, which crippled the country's tourism industry.
In July 1936, Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg signed an agreement with Germany, releasing Nazis imprisoned in Austria and promising to allow members of the "National Opposition" into the cabinet in exchange for a cessation of terrorist attacks and respect for Austrian sovereignty. However, this did not satisfy Hitler, and the pro-German Austrian Nazis continued to grow in strength. In early 1938, Austrian Nazis conspired to seize the Austrian government by force and unite with Nazi Germany. When Schuschnigg called for a plebiscite (referendum) on Austrian independence, the Germans pressured him to cancel it and resign. On March 11, 1938, German troops entered Austria, and the annexation of Austria to Germany was proclaimed on March 13, with Austrians expressing enthusiasm for the Nazi takeover.
The Nazis celebrated the annexation, known as the Anschluss, as the fulfillment of the German people's destiny, glorifying it through speeches, newsreels, and propaganda events. They also utilized propaganda to justify the illegal takeover by demonstrating Austrian enthusiasm for the union. This included footage of pro-Nazi residents in Graz celebrating the resignation of Schuschnigg and the union with Germany, as well as images and newsreels of enthusiastic crowds greeting Hitler in Vienna's Heldenplatz on March 15, 1938. The Nazis also co-opted and mobilized various Austrian institutions and leaders, including the Austrian working class and the Catholic Church, to support the vote for unification. The result of the referendum indicated that around 99% of Austrians wanted to unite with Nazi Germany.
The propaganda campaigns played a significant role in creating an atmosphere tolerant of violence against Jews and fostering indifference to their persecution and destruction. Nazis forced Vienna's Jews to participate in "scrubbing parties," where they were made to scrub the city's streets while being mocked by jeering crowds. Soon, Austria's Jews were subjected to discriminatory laws and restrictions, similar to those in Nazi Germany, prompting many to try to leave the country.
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The Austrian Nazi Party's conspiracy to seize the Austrian government
In the late 1920s and early 1930s, the Austrian Nazi Party was weak, divided, and ineffective. Party members disagreed on their relationship with Hitler and their German counterparts. However, by 1931, the bulk of Austrian Nazis recognised Hitler as their leader. In 1933, Hitler appointed a German Nazi to bring the Austrian party in line. The Austrian Nazis gained supporters in 1931–1932 as Hitler’s popularity in Germany increased. This was even more noticeable across Austria after Hitler was appointed German chancellor in January 1933.
In June 1933, in response to a fatal Nazi bombing, the Dollfuss regime banned the Austrian Nazi Party and its affiliates. The Nazi movement became illegal in Austria. However, the Austrian Nazis continued to operate illegally within the country and formed a paramilitary unit known as the Austrian Legion (Österreichische Legion). German Nazis provided the legion with military training.
On July 25, 1934, Austrian Nazis attempted to overthrow the Austrian government. Members of the Vienna SS took control of the Austrian chancellery, where the cabinet had been meeting. In the process, the conspirators shot and killed Chancellor Dollfuss. Other plotters seized control of the state radio station in Vienna and prematurely announced the coup. This was the first attempt by Austrian Nazis to seize the Austrian government by force.
In 1936, Austrian chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg signed an agreement with German ambassador Franz von Papen, in which Schuschnigg agreed to the release of Nazis imprisoned in Austria and Germany promised to respect Austrian sovereignty. Under the terms of the Austro-German treaty, Austria declared itself a "German state" that would always follow Germany's lead in foreign policy, and members of the "National Opposition" were allowed to enter the cabinet. In exchange, the Austrian Nazis promised to cease their terrorist attacks against the government. However, this did not satisfy Hitler and the pro-German Austrian Nazis grew in strength.
In early 1938, Austrian Nazis conspired for the second time in four years to seize the Austrian government by force and unite their nation with Nazi Germany. Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg, learning of the conspiracy, met with Hitler in the hopes of reasserting his country’s independence. However, Hitler bullied Schuschnigg into naming several top Austrian Nazis to his cabinet. Hitler demanded that von Schuschnigg appoint members of Austria’s Nazi Party to his cabinet and give full political rights to the party or face an invasion by the German army. Schuschnigg gave in to pressure from Hitler and resigned on March 11, 1938. On March 12, German troops, accompanied by Hitler himself, entered Austria. A Nazi government in Austria, headed by Seyss-Inquart, was established.
On March 13, the Anschluss was proclaimed, and Austria existed as a federal state of Germany until the end of World War II. The seizure of Austria demonstrated once again Hitler's aggressive territorial ambitions and the failure of the British and the French to take action against him for violating the Versailles Treaty.
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The Soviet Union's occupation of Austria
On 12 March 1938, German troops marched into Austria to annex the German-speaking nation for the Third Reich. The next day, Hitler accompanied German troops into Austria, where he was met by enthusiastic crowds. This annexation, known as the Anschluss, meant that Austria ceased to exist as an independent state and was a part of Nazi Germany.
Following World War II, Austria was jointly occupied by the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, the United States, and France. The country was divided into four occupation zones, and Vienna was similarly subdivided. The central district was collectively administered by the Allied Control Council.
During the Soviet occupation, local governments were obliged to feed and clothe the Red Army, which was a significant burden. The Kremlin also deployed NKVD (Soviet secret police) teams to extract reparations through requisitions, seizing industrial plants and production installations. According to historian Walter Iber, Austria paid the Soviet Union 36.8 billion Schillings, or about 2% of its accumulated GDP, from 1946 to 1955.
The Soviet repressive apparatus during the first months of occupation acted with relative restraint, partly because Moscow did not fully control Austria and partly because Austria was not a high geopolitical priority for the Kremlin. The Soviet Union prioritized having a friendly regime in neighboring countries like Romania and Poland, which posed a more direct military threat.
The Soviet Union also gained access to German assets in Austria, which Moscow considered to include all property with German owners or investors at the end of the war. As a result, Austria ended up paying more than five times what Stalin initially demanded.
The occupation of Austria by the Soviet Union and the Western Allies continued until 1955. After Austrian promises of perpetual neutrality, the country was granted full independence on 15 May 1955, and the last occupation troops left on 25 October of that year.
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The Austrian Nazi Party's terrorist attacks against the government
In March 1938, German troops crossed the border into Austria, completing the annexation of the country, known as the Anschluss. This marked the beginning of Nazi control in Austria and the full integration of the country into Hitler's Third Reich. However, the rise of Nazism in Austria and the eventual takeover were facilitated by the Austrian Nazi Party, which had been agitating for unification with Germany for years.
The Austrian Nazi Party, or the National Socialist German Workers' Party of Austria, was formed in the 1920s and quickly gained a strong following, particularly in rural areas and among the middle class. The party was characterized by its extreme nationalism, anti-Semitism, and admiration for Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime in Germany. From the outset, the party's primary goal was the unification of Austria with Germany, the creation of a "Greater Germany," and the establishment of Nazi rule.
To achieve their aims, the Austrian Nazis employed a range of tactics, including terrorist attacks and violent insurrections against the Austrian government. One of the earliest and most significant incidents was the July Putsch of 1934. On July 25, 1934, a group of Austrian Nazis, with support from Germany, launched a violent coup attempt in Vienna. The insurgents, led by Austrian Nazi leader Anton Rintelen, aimed to overthrow the government and install a Nazi regime. The coup attempt resulted in a wave of violence across the country, with street battles between Nazis and government forces, as well as the assassination of Austrian Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss. Although the coup ultimately failed, it destabilized the country and demonstrated the Austrian Nazis' willingness to use violence to achieve their goals.
In the years that followed, the Austrian Nazi Party continued to engage in terrorist activities, often with the support and direction of the German Nazi regime. They carried out bombings, assassinations, and acts of sabotage against government institutions, Jewish-owned businesses, and individuals who opposed Nazi ideology. The goal was to create an atmosphere of fear and instability, undermining the authority of the Austrian government and making the country ripe for Nazi takeover. The Austrian Nazis also worked to infiltrate and subvert various institutions, including the military, police, and civil service, to weaken the government from within.
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Frequently asked questions
The Nazis entered Austria in 1938.
The Nazis entered Austria on the 12th of March, 1938.
The Nazi annexation of Austria was called the Anschluss.
No, the Nazis were met with the enthusiastic support of most of the Austrian population.
