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Austria was annexed by Germany in 1938 in what became known as the Anschluss. This was the first act of territorial expansion by Nazi Germany, and it was supported by a large majority of Austrians. The unification of the two countries had been a topic of debate since the 19th century, and many Austrians identified as German. However, there was also a strong conservative opposition to the unification, and some wanted Austria to remain independent. After World War II, Austria was re-established as an independent state, and it officially became a republic again in 1955.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of Austria's annexation by Germany | 12 March 1938 |
| German Army's entry into Austria | 12 March 1938 |
| Plebiscite date | 10 April 1938 |
| Plebiscite result | 99.7% approval |
| Result of the Anschluss | Austria became a federal state of Germany |
| Reversal of the Anschluss | 1945 |
| Austria's re-emergence as an independent state | 1955 |
| Austria's entry into the European Union | 1995 |
| Austria's predecessor states | Hallstatt Celtic culture, Roman Empire, Bavarii, Frankish Empire, Duchy of Bavaria, East Francia, Holy Roman Empire, German Confederation |
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What You'll Learn
Austria's annexation by Nazi Germany
In the 1920s, Austria experienced economic turbulence due to the Great Depression, with high unemployment and unstable commerce and industry. By 1937, rapid German rearmament increased Berlin's interest in annexing Austria, which was rich in raw materials and labour, supplying Germany with magnesium and products from the iron, textile, and machine industries. Additionally, Austria had gold and foreign currency reserves, unemployed skilled workers, idle factories, and potential hydroelectric resources.
The Austrian Nazi Party failed to win any seats in the November 1930 general election, but its popularity grew after Hitler came to power in Germany. A Nazi propaganda campaign used slogans like "Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Führer" ("One People, One Empire, One Leader") to convince Austrians to support the Anschluss. In July 1934, Austrian and German Nazis attempted a coup but were unsuccessful. An authoritarian right-wing government took power in Austria, preventing concerted resistance to the developments leading up to the annexation.
In February 1938, Hitler invited Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg to Germany and forced him to give the Austrian Nazis a free hand. On March 9, Schuschnigg called a plebiscite (referendum) on Austrian independence, scheduled for March 13. However, he was pressured by the Germans to cancel the plebiscite and resigned on March 11, pleading with Austrian forces not to resist a German "advance." Hitler accompanied German troops into Austria on March 12, where they were met with enthusiastic crowds. The annexation was proclaimed on March 13, and Austria existed as a federal state of Germany until the end of World War II.
The annexation of Austria was the first act of territorial expansion by Nazi Germany and a significant act of appeasement by the international community, allowing Hitler to continue his expansionary policies unchecked. It also violated the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain, which expressly forbade the unification of Austria and Germany. The Anschluss transformed Austria, and Austrian civil servants, soldiers, and police officers took an oath to Hitler, participating in the Nazification of their country.
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The Austrian perspective
Austria and Germany have a long shared history, with both countries sharing close economic and cultural ties. However, the question of Austrian independence from Germany has been a point of contention for centuries.
In the 19th century, following the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, there were debates about Austria's role in a German nation-state. Austria desired a "Greater Germany Solution", which would see the German states unite under the leadership of the Austrian House of Habsburg. This proposal was controversial, as it would require Prussia to take a secondary role. This controversy, called dualism, dominated Prusso-Austrian diplomacy and the politics of the German states in the mid-19th century.
After World War I, Austria-Hungary collapsed, and new states, including Austria, Czechoslovakia, and Poland, were established. Many people in these countries considered themselves German and spoke German as their primary language. In the 1920s, some Austrians hoped to unite with Germany, as they believed their country could not survive economically without the lands previously held by Austria-Hungary. However, others wanted Austria to remain independent, and this debate continued into the 1930s.
In 1938, Austrian-born Adolf Hitler annexed Austria to Germany, an act known as the Anschluss. This violated the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain, which expressly forbade the unification of the two countries. The Anschluss was supported by a large majority of Austrians, with a plebiscite held by Hitler claiming a 99% vote in favor. However, it is doubtful that a qualified majority of Austrians truly supported the Anschluss, as the available evidence suggests that the pro-Anschluss movement only had slim support.
During World War II, Austria existed as a federal state of Germany. After the war, the Allied powers declared the Anschluss void and reestablished an independent Austria. The German identity in Austria was weakened, and in 1955, Austria became an independent republic once again with the Austrian State Treaty, which banned the reunification of Germany and Austria.
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The Nazi regime's expansionist policies
Austria was annexed by Germany in 1938, becoming a federal state of Germany until the end of World War II. This annexation, known as the Anschluss, was the first act of territorial expansion committed by Nazi Germany.
Hitler's expansionist agenda was evident from the start of his rule. He became chancellor of Germany in 1933, after a series of electoral victories by the Nazi Party. He immediately began dismantling democratic institutions and imprisoning or murdering his opponents. Hitler's early actions, such as the boycott of Jewish shops and the Law for the Restoration of the Professional Civil Service, targeted Jews and non-Aryans. The Nazis also supported rearmament, expanding arms production, and reintroducing military conscription, violating the Treaty of Versailles.
In 1936, Hitler ordered the Wehrmacht into the Rhineland, violating the Treaty of Locarno. This move was met with condemnation from Britain and France but no concrete action, allowing Hitler to continue his expansionist agenda unchecked. In 1938, he colluded with Austrian Nazis to annex Austria, and he threatened war if the Sudetenland, an ethnic German region in Czechoslovakia, was not surrendered to Germany. The Munich Agreement, which allowed the annexation of the Sudetenland, was packaged as a peace policy by Nazi propaganda, while Hitler was actually planning for war.
The annexation of Austria was a significant step in Hitler's expansionist agenda. It was the first act of territorial aggression, violating international treaties that forbade the unification of Austria and Germany. The international community's failure to intervene or punish Nazi Germany for this violation set a precedent for appeasement, enabling Hitler to continue his aggressive foreign policy. The Nazis quickly established control in Austria, persecuting the country's Jewish population and carrying out the Nazification of Austrian society, with the support of many Austrians.
In conclusion, the Nazi regime's expansionist policies were driven by Hitler's ambition to establish a German empire and included the annexation of Austria, the violation of treaties, the suppression of opposition, the use of propaganda, and rearmament. These policies led to World War II and had a significant impact on the countries involved, particularly those that became part of the Nazi regime's expanding territory.
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The international community's response
The annexation of Austria by Germany, known as the Anschluss, was the first act of territorial expansion committed by Nazi Germany. It was a significant moment in Nazi Germany’s foreign policy and demonstrated their disdain for the post-World War I European order.
The international community did not intervene to stop the Anschluss or punish Germany for violating international treaties. This non-response was a significant act of appeasement, allowing Adolf Hitler to continue his expansionary policies unchecked. The British and French policies of appeasement, for example, led to the Munich Agreement. The British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, gave a speech in the House of Commons regarding the "Austrian situation", noting that the British ambassador in Berlin objected to the use of "coercion, backed by force" that undermined Austria's independence. However, Britain was facing its own political problems at the time, with the Foreign Secretary, Anthony Eden, resigning over Chamberlain's decision to negotiate with Italy's Fascist dictator, Mussolini. There was no political will in Britain to oppose Germany, and the British population was against the idea of another European war. Similarly, France was in political turmoil, with the entire French government resigning just two days before Germany invaded Austria. Thus, France was also in no position to intervene.
By 1937-1938, Austria was diplomatically isolated, and both the French and the British had accepted an Austro-German union as inevitable. The international response to the Anschluss was publicly moderate, with some even supporting the union. For instance, Robert Kauer, president of the minority Lutheran Church in Austria, greeted Hitler as the "saviour of the 350,000 German Protestants in Austria". Karl Renner, a famous Social Democrat, also supported the Anschluss and appealed to Austrians to vote in favour of it. The Times compared the event to Scotland joining England 300 years prior, implying that the union of Austria and Germany was not a significant cause for concern.
Following the Anschluss, the Western Allies opposed the Kremlin's plans to impose burdensome war reparations on Austria, similar to those Germany had to pay. Austria was treated as a defeated Axis power but also as a victim of Germany, allowing it to avoid some of the harshest consequences. The Western Allies also consented to Moscow's demand for entitlement to German assets in the Austrian zone of occupation. Overall, the international community's response to the Anschluss was largely passive, with a mix of acceptance, appeasement, and non-intervention.
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Austria's independence after WWII
Austria's independence after World War II was a complex process that involved several factors and historical events. Let's delve into the details of Austria's path to independence during this tumultuous period.
The history of Austria and Germany's relationship is intricate and deeply intertwined. In 1938, Austria, which had a significant number of citizens who considered themselves German, was annexed by Nazi Germany under the leadership of Austrian-born Adolf Hitler. This event, known as the "Anschluss," was supported by a large majority of Austrians and resulted in Austria becoming a federal state of Germany. The Anschluss also demonstrated Nazi Germany's disregard for international treaties, such as the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain, which expressly forbade the unification of the two countries.
During World War II, Austria underwent a transformation as the Nazis rapidly implemented policies to align all aspects of Austrian life with their ideology. This included the persecution of Austria's Jewish population and the establishment of Gestapo offices to hunt down political opponents. Despite the initial support for the unification, it is doubtful that a qualified majority of Austrians genuinely favoured the Anschluss. Many Austrians actively participated in the Nazification of their country, with civil servants, soldiers, and police officers pledging allegiance to Hitler.
As World War II drew to a close, the Allied powers declared the Anschluss void, recognising the need to differentiate between ordinary Germans and Nazis. The Moscow Declaration of 1943 played a crucial role in shaping the post-war occupation policies, with Britain, America, and the Soviet Union proclaiming Austria as Germany's first victim. This declaration set the stage for Austria's eventual independence. While the Red Army occupied parts of Austria, including its capital, Anglo-American troops entered from Germany and Italy, leading to the division of the country into four occupation zones.
In 1945, Austria claimed independence from Germany for the second time, and the Allies occupied the country separately from Germany. This period saw a shift in Austrian identity, with a weakening of its German identity. The Soviet occupation of Austria was marked by violence and the need to govern newly conquered territories, which influenced their propaganda to differentiate between ordinary Germans and Austrians. The Western Allies also successfully opposed harsh war reparations on Austria, further distinguishing it from Germany's fate.
In 1955, a decade after World War II, Austria regained its independence as the Second Austrian Republic, and the Austrian State Treaty banned any reunification with Germany. Austria's entry into the European Union in 1995 further solidified its independent status, and today, Austria and Germany maintain strong and amicable relations, cooperating closely in various fields.
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Frequently asked questions
Austria broke away from Germany in 1945, after the fall of the Third Reich.
Austria was annexed to Germany in 1938 by German-born Chancellor Adolf Hitler, in what became known as the Anschluss.
The international community did not intervene to stop the Anschluss, nor did they punish Germany for violating international treaties. This was one of the earliest and most significant examples of the appeasement of Hitler's aggressive foreign policy.
While a referendum held in April 1938 showed 99% support for the union with Germany, it is doubtful that a qualified majority of Austrians supported the Anschluss. The referendum was not secret, and threats and coercion were employed to manipulate the vote.
After 1945, Austria was occupied by the Allies separately from Germany until 1955, when it became an independent republic. Austria and Germany now have strong and amicable political relations.
