The Annexation Of Austria: Germany's Expansion In 1938

On March 12, 1938, German troops marched into Austria to annex the German-speaking nation for the Third Reich. The German army invaded Austria, unopposed by the Austrian military, and was greeted by enthusiastic crowds. The next day, Hitler accompanied German troops into Austria, where he was met with cheering Austrians. On March 13, 1938, Austria was incorporated into the Greater German Reich, and a plebiscite held by the Nazis indicated that 99% of Austrian nationals supported the move.

The German army invaded Austria on 12 March 1938

On 12 March 1938, the German army invaded Austria, marking a pivotal moment in history. The invasion, known as the "Anschluss," was a premeditated act by Nazi Germany to annex the German-speaking nation of Austria into the Third Reich. This event unfolded just days after Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg resigned under pressure from Hitler and the Nazis.

The German troops encountered no resistance as they marched into Austria, and were greeted by enthusiastic crowds cheering and waving Nazi flags. This warm reception stood in stark contrast to the true intentions of the Nazis, who had conspired for years to seize control of the Austrian government and unite the two nations under Nazi rule.

The invasion of Austria was a significant step in Hitler's expansionist agenda and his vision of creating a “Greater Germany." By absorbing Austria, Hitler not only strengthened his military might but also gained access to valuable resources, including raw materials, labour, and financial reserves.

The annexation of Austria was swiftly followed by the proclamation of the Anschluss on 13 March 1938, with Hitler declaring that Austria was now part of the German Reich. A new Nazi government was installed in Austria, led by Arthur Seyss-Inquart, who was appointed governor.

To legitimise their military action and annexation, the Nazis organised a referendum on 10 April 1938. However, this vote was not anonymous, and opponents dared not vote against the Anschluss. As a result, an overwhelming majority of over 99% of the Austrian population appeared to support the union.

The consequences of the German invasion were dire for Austria. Many Austrian leaders of anti-Nazi political parties, as well as political opponents, communists, and socialists, were arrested. The invasion also marked the beginning of the persecution of Austrian Jews, who were robbed, had their homes vandalised, and were forced to flee or commit suicide.

The invasion of Austria on 12 March 1938 was a critical step in Hitler's aggressive foreign policy and set the stage for further expansionist moves, including the occupation of the Sudetenland and the invasion of Czechoslovakia.

Hitler arrived in Austria on 12 March 1938

On 12 March 1938, Hitler arrived in Austria, crossing the border at his birthplace, Braunau am Inn, with a 4,000-man bodyguard. He was greeted by enthusiastic Austrians with Nazi salutes, Nazi flags, and flowers.

Hitler's arrival in Austria was the culmination of a series of events that began in early 1938, when Austrian Nazis conspired to seize the Austrian government by force and unite the nation with Nazi Germany. Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg, learning of the plot, met with Hitler, who bullied him into naming several top Austrian Nazis to his cabinet. On 9 March, Schuschnigg called a national vote to resolve the question of the annexation of Austria by Germany once and for all. However, before the vote could take place, Schuschnigg resigned on 11 March, under pressure from Hitler, who threatened to invade.

On the morning of 12 March, German troops crossed the German-Austrian border and German airplanes landed at the airport in Vienna. Hitler arrived in his hometown of Braunau in Upper Austria in the afternoon, where he was greeted by cheering Austrians. The German army's invasion of Austria was unopposed, as the Austrian army had been ordered not to resist.

Hitler's journey through Austria became a triumphal tour, with large crowds gathering to meet him. On 15 March, around 200,000 cheering German Austrians gathered around the Heldenplatz (Square of Heroes) in Vienna to hear Hitler declare that Austria was now part of the German Reich.

Austria became a German province: the Ostmark

On March 12, 1938, German troops marched into Austria to annex the German-speaking nation for the Third Reich. The German army invaded Austria, and Hitler arrived later that day. Austria became a German province: the Ostmark.

Hitler appointed Arthur Seyss-Inquart as governor. Many Germans and Austrians were enthusiastic about the union of the two countries. On April 10, 1938, the Nazis organised a referendum to legitimise their military action. More than 99% of the Austrian population voted in favour of the Anschluss. However, the vote was not anonymous, and opponents did not dare to vote against.

The takeover allowed the Austrian Nazis to flaunt their antisemitism. They robbed Jews, smashed their furniture, and forced them to scrub pro-Austrian slogans off the streets. Many Jews tried to flee, and others committed suicide. In two weeks, more than 200 Viennese Jews took their own lives.

Austria was completely absorbed into Germany. Any official memory of Austrian existence was destroyed and suppressed. Upper and Lower Austria became Upper and Lower Danube. Immediately after the invasion, the Nazis arrested many leaders of the anti-Nazi Austrian political parties and a great number of political opponents, particularly communists and socialists. Many Austrians, especially those of Jewish origin, were forced into exile.

A referendum was held on 10 April 1938, with 99% voting in favour of the Anschluss

The referendum held on 10 April 1938, a month after German troops had occupied Austria, was a sham. The official result was 99.73% in favour of the Anschluss, with a 99.71% turnout. However, the referendum was neither free nor secret. Opponents did not dare to vote against the Anschluss as the vote was not anonymous. The ballot paper featured a large circle for 'yes' votes and a small one for 'no' votes. This was described as a nudge.

The referendum was held alongside one in Germany, which took the form of a single-question referendum asking voters whether they approved of a single list of Nazi and pro-Nazi guest candidates for the 814-member Reichstag, as well as the recent annexation of Austria. Turnout in the election was officially 99.6% with 99.1% voting 'yes' in Germany and Austria.

The referendum was supported by the Social Democratic Party of Austria, whose leader Karl Renner endorsed Hitler on 3 April, and Cardinal Theodor Innitzer, the highest representative of the Catholic Church in Austria. This meant that about two-thirds of Austrians could be counted on to vote for the Anschluss. However, Innitzer was intimidated into endorsing Anschluss and was assaulted by Nazi supporters, and the Vatican condemned Nazism and forbade Catholics from supporting the Anschluss.

Hitler's forces suppressed all opposition. Before the first German soldier crossed the border, Heinrich Himmler and a few Schutzstaffel (SS) officers landed in Vienna to arrest prominent representatives of the First Republic, such as Richard Schmitz, Leopold Figl, Friedrich Hillegeist, and Franz Olah. During the few weeks between the Anschluss and the plebiscite, authorities rounded up Social Democrats, Communists, other potential political dissenters, and Austrian Jews, and imprisoned them or sent them to concentration camps. Within a few days of 12 March, 70,000 people had been arrested. The disused northwest railway station in Vienna was converted into a makeshift concentration camp.

The plebiscite was subject to large-scale Nazi propaganda and to the abrogation of the voting rights of around 360,000 people (8% of the eligible voting population), mainly political enemies such as former members of left-wing parties and Austrian citizens of Jewish or Romani origin. The Austrian government estimated that, with the voting age of 24, about 70% of Austrians would have voted to preserve Austrian independence. In case of a fair plebiscite, the Anschluss would have been supported only by 20% of the Austrian population. According to some Gestapo reports, only a quarter to a third of Austrian voters in Vienna were in favour of the Anschluss. In most rural areas, especially in Tyrol, the support for the Anschluss was even lower.

The takeover allowed Austrian Nazis to persecute Austrian Jews

On March 12, 1938, German troops invaded Austria, and the country was incorporated into Germany the following day. This annexation, known as the Anschluss, allowed Austrian Nazis to persecute Austrian Jews.

The persecution of Jews was immediate and violent. German racial laws were enacted in Austria, and Jews were disenfranchised. The number of people considered Jewish in Austria rose from 182,000 to 220,000. Jews were forbidden from using public transport, and many were forced to wash sidewalks and public toilets, sometimes with toothbrushes or their bare hands. In one instance, a group of Jews was rounded up on the Sabbath and forced to eat grass in a Viennese amusement park.

The Nazis also targeted Jewish organisations and institutions. All Jewish organisations and newspapers were closed, and their leaders and management imprisoned. Faculty members of the Medical University of Vienna were dismissed. The Nazis dissolved Jewish organisations and institutions, hoping to force Jews to emigrate.

The Mauthausen concentration camp was established in the summer of 1938, after the German annexation of Austria. It became the main Nazi camp in Austria, with a harsh regimen that included forcing inmates to carry heavy stone blocks up 186 steps from the camp quarry.

During the Kristallnacht pogroms in November 1938, synagogues and Jewish-owned houses and shops were looted and destroyed. Thousands of Jews were arrested and deported to concentration camps, and Jewish emigration increased dramatically. Between 1938 and 1940, 117,000 Jews left Austria, and by November 1942, only about 7,000 Jews remained in the country.

The persecution and extermination of Jews by Austrian Nazis resulted in the murder of an estimated 70,000 Jews and forced 125,000 more to flee as refugees.

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