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 of both. In 1938, Austrian-born Adolf Hitler annexed Austria to Germany, which was supported by a large majority of Austrians. This annexation, known as the Anschluss, was the first act of territorial expansion committed by Nazi Germany. The Anschluss was reversed in 1945, and Austria was occupied by the Allies separately from Germany until 1955.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of Annexation | 12 March 1938 |
| Name of the Annexation | Anschluss |
| Country that Annexed Austria | Nazi Germany |
| Leader of Nazi Germany | Adolf Hitler |
| Austrian Leader at the Time | Kurt von Schuschnigg |
| Austrian Leader after Annexation | Arthur Seyss-Inquart |
| Reason for Annexation | To unite Austria and Germany into a "Greater Germany" |
| Previous Attempts | 1934, 1936 |
| Violated Treaties | Treaty of Versailles, Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye |
| International Reaction | Appeasement, no intervention |
| Austrian Reaction | Mixed, with some support and some opposition |
| End of Annexation | 1945 |
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What You'll Learn
The Anschluss
The unification of Germany and Austria was proposed in 1919 by Austria, and it remained a hope during the period between the World Wars, particularly for Austrian Social Democrats. However, the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, created by the winners of World War I, forbade a union. Despite this, the Austrian government continued to pursue unification, and in 1931, it attempted to establish a customs union with Germany. However, this was blocked by France.
In the early 1930s, the popularity of the Austrian Nazi Party grew, and in July 1934, Austrian and German Nazis attempted a coup. Although this failed, it highlighted the desire for unification with Germany, particularly among those on the political left and center. The idea of unification was also promoted by a Nazi propaganda campaign, which used slogans such as "One People, One Empire, One Leader" to convince Austrians to advocate for an Anschluss.
In February 1938, Hitler invited the Austrian chancellor, Kurt von Schuschnigg, to Germany and forced him to agree to give the Austrian Nazis a free hand. Schuschnigg later announced a plebiscite on the question of unification but was pressured into cancelling it and resigning. On March 12, German troops marched into Austria, and the Anschluss was proclaimed the following day. Although a plebiscite was held in April, with an approval rating of 99.7%, Austria existed as a federal state of Germany until the end of World War II, when the Allied powers declared the Anschluss void and re-established an independent Austria.
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Austria's Nazi government
Austria and Germany have a shared history, with German being the official language of both countries. Austrians and Germans also share the same ethnic majority. In 1871, when Germany unified, Austria was excluded from the Prussian-dominated German Empire. In 1918, after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian and German Empires, Austria briefly renamed itself the Republic of German-Austria in an attempt to unite with Germany. However, this union was forbidden by the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (1919), and Austria and Germany remained separate entities throughout the interwar period.
In the early 1930s, Austrian politics were characterized by infighting and political violence. The rise of the Nazis in 1933 further destabilized the situation. Austrian chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss transformed Austria into a right-wing authoritarian regime. Beginning in May 1933, Austrian Nazis, with encouragement and funding from Germany, waged a propaganda and terror campaign aimed at undermining the Dollfuss regime. In June 1933, the Dollfuss regime banned the Austrian Nazi Party and its affiliates, making the movement illegal in Austria.
On July 25, 1934, Austrian Nazis attempted to overthrow the Austrian government. Members of the Vienna SS took control of the Austrian chancellery and, in the process, shot and killed Chancellor Dollfuss. The coup attempt failed, but it set off a chain of events that would lead to Austria's eventual annexation by Nazi Germany. After Dollfuss's death, Kurt von Schuschnigg became the new chancellor. He continued many of his predecessor's authoritarian policies and arrested thousands of Austrian Nazis.
In July 1936, Schuschnigg signed the July Agreement with Germany, which allowed for the release of imprisoned Nazis and the lifting of bans on certain Nazi newspapers. Schuschnigg also agreed to allow two people trusted by the Nazis into his government. However, this did not satisfy Hitler, and the pro-German Austrian Nazis continued to grow in strength. In April 1937, Hermann Göring, a high-ranking Nazi official, called for the annexation of Austria, citing its rich iron resources as a solution to problems with meeting steel production targets.
In early 1938, Austrian Nazis conspired to seize the Austrian government by force and unite with Nazi Germany. Schuschnigg met with Hitler in an attempt to reassert Austrian independence but was coerced into naming several top Austrian Nazis to his cabinet. On March 9, 1938, Schuschnigg called for a national vote to resolve the question of annexation. However, before the vote could take place, he resigned on March 11, 1938, under pressure from the Nazis. The next day, German troops entered Austria, and Austria was incorporated into Nazi Germany on March 13, 1938. This annexation, known as the Anschluss, was proclaimed with the support of enthusiastic crowds in Austria.
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German troops in Austria
On March 12, 1938, German troops marched into Austria to annex the German-speaking nation for the Third Reich. This event, known as the Anschluss, was the annexation of the Federal State of Austria into Nazi Germany. The idea of a unified Austria and Germany that would form a "Greater Germany" gained support after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918.
In early 1938, Austrian Nazis conspired to seize the Austrian government by force and unite with Nazi Germany. Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg met with Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, hoping to reassert his country's independence. However, he was coerced into naming several top Austrian Nazis to his cabinet. On March 9, Schuschnigg called for a national vote to decide the question of Anschluss. Before the vote could take place, Schuschnigg resigned on March 11, pleading with Austrian forces not to resist a German "advance" into the country.
Hitler accompanied the German troops into Austria, where they were greeted by enthusiastic crowds. About 25,000 heavily armed German troops and police crossed the Austrian frontier. The invasion" without any shots fired was dubbed the Blumenkrieg ("Flower War"). The Wehrmacht, the German army, considered this a significant test of its machinery. Although the invading forces were poorly organized, coordination among the units was not an issue as the Austrian government had ordered its military not to resist.
Hitler rode in a car across the border at Braunau am Inn, his birthplace, with a 4,000-man bodyguard. That evening, he arrived in Linz to a rapturous welcome, with 250,000 Austrians gathering to meet him and support the Anschluss. The level of enthusiasm for Hitler and the Germans surprised both Nazis and non-Nazis, as it was believed that most Austrians opposed the union. However, according to Gestapo reports, only a quarter to a third of Austrian voters in Vienna supported the Anschluss, and support was even lower in rural areas, especially Tyrol.
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Austria's independence
In 1156, Austria became an independent duchy within the Holy Roman Empire, which marked the beginning of its sovereignty. However, its independence was often contested, especially as it shared close cultural and ethnic ties with Germany. In 1806, Austria became an empire in its own right when Emperor Francis II dissolved the Holy Roman Empire. It was also part of the German Confederation until the Austro-Prussian War of 1866. From 1867 to 1918, Austria formed a dual monarchy with Hungary, known as the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
The idea of uniting Austria and Germany, known as the "Anschluss," arose after the unification of Germany in 1871, which excluded Austria and the German Austrians. This idea gained support after World War I when the Austro-Hungarian Empire collapsed, and Austria briefly renamed itself the Republic of German-Austria in an attempt to unite with Germany. However, this union was forbidden by the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, which also stripped Austria of some of its territories.
In the lead-up to World War II, Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg attempted to maintain Austria's independence in the face of growing Nazi influence. However, he was pressured by Hitler to accept Nazi ministers into his cabinet. On March 11, 1938, Schuschnigg resigned, and his successor, Seyss-Inquart, invited the German Army to cross the border. The next day, German troops marched into Austria, and the annexation, or "Anschluss," was proclaimed. This union was short-lived, as Austria regained its independence after World War II, becoming the Second Austrian Republic in 1955.
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Violation of the Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles, signed in July 1919, imposed strict conditions on defeated Germany, including stiff war reparations and other punitive measures. The treaty also forbade a union between Austria and Germany and prohibited the continued use of the name "German-Austria".
In 1918, after World War I, Austria briefly renamed itself the Republic of German-Austria, seeking unification with Germany. This action was prohibited by the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (1919), which was created by the victors of World War I to impose penalties on both Germany and Austria. As a result, throughout the interwar period, Austria and Germany remained separate entities.
However, in 1938, Nazi Germany, led by Adolf Hitler, violated the Treaty of Versailles by annexing Austria into Germany, an event known as the "Anschluss". On March 12, 1938, German troops marched into Austria, and Hitler accompanied them, met by enthusiastic crowds. This annexation was a direct contravention of the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain, which had explicitly forbidden the unification of Austria and Germany.
Earlier, in March 1936, Hitler had also violated the Treaty of Versailles by remilitarizing the Rhineland, a demilitarized zone along the Rhine River in western Germany. This action, along with the annexation of Austria, demonstrated Hitler's disregard for the treaty's restrictions and his pursuit of expansionist policies.
It is worth noting that the Treaty of Versailles itself was highly controversial. Germany was not allowed to participate in the negotiations and felt that the terms dictated by the victors were unfair and humiliating. This sentiment contributed to the rise of nationalism and the eventual seizure of power by Hitler and the Nazi Party in 1933. Despite the violations of the Treaty of Versailles by Hitler, the Allies did not intervene, opting for a policy of appeasement.
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Frequently asked questions
Austria and Germany officially united on March 12, 1938, when German troops marched into Austria to annex the German-speaking nation for the Third Reich.
The unification of Austria and Germany was called the Anschluss, which means "joining" or "connection" in German.
Yes, the unification was supported by a large majority of Austrians. A plebiscite held in April 1938 indicated that around 99% of Austrians wanted to unite with Nazi Germany.
