Damon Mcknight
On March 12, 1938, German troops marched into Austria to annex the German-speaking nation for the Third Reich. This annexation, known as the Anschluss, was the culmination of a series of demands and aggressive actions by Hitler and the Nazi Party, which began in early 1938. The idea of a united Austria and Germany dated back to the exclusion of Austria from the German Empire after its unification in 1871 and gained support after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of annexation | 12 March 1938 |
| German troops enter Austria | 12 March 1938 |
| German troops invade Austria | 11-13 March 1938 |
| Austrian chancellor | Kurt von Schuschnigg |
| German leader | Adolf Hitler |
| Austrian Nazi appointed as Home Secretary | Arthur Seyß-Inquart |
| Austrian Nazi appointed as Minister of Public Security | Arthur Seyss-Inquart |
| Austrian Nazi appointed as Chancellor | Seyss-Inquart |
| Austrian chancellor resigns | 11 March 1938 |
| Austrian chancellor calls for a national vote | 9 March 1938 |
| Austrian chancellor meets with Hitler | 12 February 1938 |
| Austrian Nazi Party headquarters raided | 25 January 1938 |
| Number of people who emigrated from Austria from March to November 1938 | 130,000 |
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What You'll Learn
Hitler's demands on Austria
Hitler expressed his desire for an Austro-German union in his earliest writings and speeches. The first point of the Nazi Party Platform (1920) read: "We demand the union of all Germans in a Greater Germany (Großdeutschland) on the basis of the right of national self-determination." In a 1921 essay, Hitler argued that the German Reich had a single task of "incorporating the ten million German-Austrians in the Empire and dethroning the Habsburgs, the most miserable dynasty ever ruling."
In early 1938, Austrian Nazis conspired 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 on 12 February 1938, in an attempt to reassert his country's independence. However, Hitler was ready to take full control of Austria and presented Schuschnigg with a set of demands, including:
- The coordination of Austria's foreign and military policies with Germany's.
- The appointment of Austrian Nazi Arthur Seyss-Inquart as Minister of Public Security, with full control of the police.
- The amnesty of Austrian Nazis who had been imprisoned by the Austrian government.
Faced with intimidation and threats, Schuschnigg agreed to these demands and put them into effect. On 9 March 1938, Schuschnigg called for a referendum on the issue of Austrian independence, infuriating Hitler. On 11 March, Hitler threatened to invade Austria and demanded Schuschnigg's resignation and the appointment of Seyss-Inquart as his replacement. Schuschnigg conceded, and just after midnight on 12 March, Austrian President Wilhelm Miklas reluctantly gave in to Hitler's demands, appointing Seyss-Inquart as Chancellor.
On 12 March, Hitler accompanied German troops into Austria, where they were met with enthusiastic crowds. On 13 March, the Anschluss was formally proclaimed, and Austria became a federal state of Germany until the end of World War II.
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Austrian chancellor Schuschnigg's concessions
Austrian chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg made several concessions to Hitler in the lead-up to the annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany, known as the Anschluss, in March 1938. Schuschnigg, who became chancellor in 1934 after the assassination of his predecessor Engelbert Dollfuss, was strongly opposed to Hitler's goal of absorbing Austria into the Third Reich and wished for Austria to remain independent. However, he was forced to make a series of concessions under coercion and the threat of armed intervention.
One of the key concessions made by Schuschnigg was the appointment of Arthur Seyss-Inquart, an Austrian Nazi, as Minister of Public Security, with full control of the police. This appointment was a significant demand from Hitler, as Seyss-Inquart was a long-time supporter of the Nazis and their goal of unifying all Germans into one state. In exchange for this concession, Hitler agreed to publicly reaffirm the treaty of July 11, 1936, and support Austria's national sovereignty.
Schuschnigg also agreed to coordinate Austria's foreign and military policies with Germany and to amnesty Austrian Nazis who had been imprisoned by the Austrian government. Additionally, he conceded to the demand to appoint Hans Fischböck as the Minister of Finance to prepare for economic union between Germany and Austria. Schuschnigg also agreed to exchange a hundred officers between the Austrian and German armies.
Faced with increasing pressure and the threat of a full-scale military invasion, Schuschnigg attempted to assert Austrian independence by announcing a consultative referendum on March 9, 1938. However, this move infuriated Hitler, who responded by mobilizing the 8th Army and issuing a series of ultimatums, including the cancellation of the plebiscite and Schuschnigg's resignation. Schuschnigg ultimately conceded to Hitler's demands and resigned on March 11, 1938, marking the end of Austrian independence.
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The Berchtesgaden Agreement
Hitler, however, had long desired a union between the two countries, expressing this aspiration in his earliest writings and speeches. He aimed to redraw the map of post-World War I Europe, considering the existing international borders unfair and illegitimate. The annexation of Austria was a step towards achieving this goal.
In the lead-up to the agreement, Hitler used the presence of several German generals to intimidate Schuschnigg. On March 9, 1938, Schuschnigg made a final attempt to assert Austrian independence by calling for a plebiscite (referendum) on the matter, scheduled for March 13. However, he ultimately succumbed to pressure and signed the agreement, which undermined Austrian sovereignty and independence.
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German troops enter Austria
The German annexation of Austria, known as the Anschluss, took place on March 12, 1938. This event united Austria and Germany to form a "Greater Germany". The idea of the Anschluss first arose after the 1871 unification of Germany, which excluded Austria and Austrian Germans from the new German Empire. The concept gained support after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918, and the subsequent Treaty of Saint Germain and Treaty of Versailles, which stripped Austria of some of its territories.
In the early days of 1938, Austrian Nazis conspired to seize the Austrian government and unite with Germany. Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg discovered the plot and met with Hitler to assert Austrian independence. However, Hitler bullied Schuschnigg into appointing Austrian Nazis to his cabinet, including Arthur Seyss-Inquart as Minister of Public Security. Hitler also demanded that Schuschnigg coordinate Austrian foreign and military policies with Germany and grant amnesty to Austrian Nazis imprisoned by the Austrian government.
Hitler's plan was to have Seyss-Inquart call for German troops to enter Austria and restore order, providing a facade of legitimacy to the invasion. On March 9, 1938, Schuschnigg attempted to preserve Austrian independence by calling for a referendum on the issue, to be held on March 13. Infuriated, Hitler threatened invasion and demanded Schuschnigg's resignation. Schuschnigg conceded and resigned on March 11, urging Austrian forces not to resist a German advance.
On March 12, heavily armed German troops and police, totalling about 25,000, crossed the Austrian border at around 5 am. They were not met with armed resistance but were instead welcomed with cheers and flowers. Hitler accompanied the troops into Austria, where enthusiastic crowds greeted them. The formation of the Greater German Reich was announced from the balcony of the Council House in Linz. On March 13, the Austrian Nazi Chancellor Seyss-Inquart signed the "Reunification of Austria with Germany" law, formally incorporating Austria into Nazi Germany.
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Austria's annexation
The annexation of Austria, also known as the Anschluss, took place on March 12, 1938, when German troops marched into the country to annex the German-speaking nation for the Third Reich. The annexation was the culmination of a process that began in early 1938, when Hitler seriously considered replacing the ambassador to Austria and mobilised troops to the Austrian border.
On March 9, Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg called for a national vote to resolve the question of the Anschluss, or "annexation," once and for all. However, before the plebiscite could take place, Schuschnigg gave in to pressure from Hitler and resigned on March 11. In his resignation address, under coercion from the Nazis, he pleaded with Austrian forces not to resist a German "advance" into the country. Hitler accompanied the German troops into Austria, where they were met with enthusiasm by the Austrian people.
The idea of the Anschluss, a united Austria and Germany that would form a "Greater Germany," arose after the 1871 unification of Germany excluded Austria and the German Austrians from the Prussian-dominated German Empire. It gained support after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918, and the new Republic of German-Austria attempted to form a union with Germany. However, the 1919 Treaty of Saint Germain and Treaty of Versailles forbade both the union and the continued use of the name "German-Austria."
The annexation of Austria was followed by a wave of street violence against Jewish people and property in Vienna and other cities throughout the so-called Greater German Reich. From March to November 1938, 130,000 people emigrated legally or escaped illegally from Austria, including many famous artists, filmmakers, actors, and writers.
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Frequently asked questions
Germany annexed Austria on 12 March 1938.
The annexation of Austria was called the Anschluss, which means 'joining' or 'connection' in German.
The Austrian chancellor at the time of the annexation was Kurt von Schuschnigg.
Chancellor Schuschnigg resigned on 11 March 1938, after giving in to pressure from Hitler. He was imprisoned soon after and released in 1945.
