Hitler's Austrian Annexation: Prelude To War

On March 12, 1938, German troops invaded Austria, and the country was incorporated into the German Reich the following day. This event, known as the Anschluss, saw Austrian chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg resign and Hitler appoint a new Nazi government. The annexation was then proclaimed on March 13.

Hitler's annexation of Austria was the realisation of his desire for a Greater Germany

The annexation of Austria, also known as the Anschluss, was the realisation of Hitler's desire for a Greater Germany. The idea of a unified Germany and Austria, or a "Greater Germany", had been a topic of debate since the unification of Germany in 1871, which excluded Austria and the German Austrians from the Prussian-dominated German Empire.

Hitler, an Austrian himself, had harboured German nationalist ideas from a young age. In 1920, the National Socialist Program, of which Hitler was a part, stated: "We demand the unification of all Germans in the Greater Germany on the basis of the people's right to self-determination." In his book, Mein Kampf, Hitler wrote that he would create a union between his birth country, Austria, and Germany by any means possible.

Hitler's rise to power in 1933 brought him closer to realising his desire for a Greater Germany. In 1934, Austrian chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss was assassinated by Austrian Nazis during a failed coup. This prompted many leading Austrian Nazis to go into exile in Germany, where they continued their efforts to unify the two countries.

In 1938, Austrian chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg announced a referendum on a possible union with Germany, to be held on March 13. However, under pressure from Hitler, Schuschnigg resigned on March 11 and ordered Austrian forces not to resist a German invasion. On March 12, German troops marched into Austria, and on March 13, the annexation was proclaimed.

Hitler's annexation of Austria was met with enthusiasm by many Austrians, who saw it as completing the long-awaited unification of all Germans into one state. A plebiscite held on April 10, 1938, resulted in a 99.7% approval for the Anschluss. However, it is important to note that the plebiscite was not secret, and threats and coercion were employed to manipulate the vote.

The annexation of Austria was one of the first major steps in Hitler's desire to create a Greater German Reich that included all ethnic Germans and the territories lost after World War I. It demonstrated Hitler's aggressive territorial ambitions and the failure of the British and French to take action against him for violating the Versailles Treaty.

The annexation was supported by many Austrians and Germans

The annexation of Austria by Germany, known as the Anschluss, was supported by many Austrians and Germans. The idea of a union between the two nations was not new, and by the 1920s, it had strong support in both countries, particularly among Austrian citizens of the political left and center.

The unification of Austria and Germany into a "Greater Germany" was an integral part of the Nazi "Heim ins Reich" ("back home to the realm") concept. This concept sought to incorporate as many Volksdeutsche (ethnic Germans living outside of Germany) as possible into a single nation-state. The Nazis cultivated pro-unification tendencies in Austria and sought to undermine the Austrian government, which opposed unification.

In early 1938, Austrian chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg announced that a referendum on unification would be held on March 13. However, Hitler threatened an invasion and pressured Schuschnigg to resign. On March 12, German troops entered Austria, encountering no resistance. The annexation was supported by enthusiastic crowds, and Hitler accompanied the troops to his birthplace at Braunau am Inn.

On April 10, 1938, a plebiscite was held in which 99.7% of Austrian voters supported unification with Germany. While the vote was manipulated and non-anonymous, with opponents fearing retribution if they voted against, there was genuine support for the annexation among many Austrians and Germans.

There were several reasons for the support of the Anschluss among Austrians and Germans:

• Relief that bloodshed had been avoided: The populace was relieved that the invasion by German troops was peaceful, and there was a sense of satisfaction that the humiliations of the post-World War I era had been overcome.
• Expectations of improved economic conditions: Austrians were aware of Hitler's economic achievements in Germany and hoped for a similar improvement in their own country.
• Desire to resolve the "Jewish Question": Many Austrians and Germans welcomed the opportunity to persecute and expel Jews from their countries, and the annexation was followed by widespread antisemitic actions and violence.
• Nationalist sentiments: Both Austrians and Germans shared a common language and culture, and the unification appealed to nationalist sentiments and the idea of creating a single nation-state for all Germans.

The referendum on the annexation was manipulated

The referendum on the annexation of Austria was manipulated in several ways. Firstly, the ballot paper featured a large circle for 'yes' votes and a small one for 'no' votes, which was described as a nudge. The secrecy of the ballot was non-existent as officials were present directly beside the voting booths and received the voting ballot by hand. Furthermore, the voting was not secret as people had to vote under the supervision of campaign workers, which may have pressured people to vote yes. The ballot was also not anonymous, and threats and coercion were employed to manipulate the vote.

Political enemies (communists, socialists, etc.) and Austrian citizens of Roma or Jewish origin—roughly 360,000 people or 8% of the Austrian population—were not allowed to vote in the plebiscite. The referendum was also subject to large-scale Nazi propaganda. Before the referendum, a propaganda campaign encouraged people to vote for the annexation.

The official result of the referendum was reported as 99.73% in favour, with a 99.71% turnout. However, it is estimated that about 70% of Austrians would have voted to preserve Austrian independence if the referendum had been fair. According to some Gestapo reports, only a quarter to a third of Austrian voters in Vienna were in favour of the annexation. In most rural areas, especially in Tyrol, the support for the annexation was even lower.

The annexation was followed by widespread antisemitism and violence

On March 12, 1938, German troops marched into Austria to annex the country for the Third Reich. The annexation was complete by March 13, and Austria became a federal state of Germany. The annexation was followed by widespread antisemitism and violence.

The annexation was the culmination of years of economic stagnation, political dictatorship, and intense Nazi propaganda inside Austria. The Nazis' rise to power in Germany in 1933 had already fuelled the desire for unification in both countries. In Austria, the Nazis conspired twice to seize the government by force and unite the nation with Nazi Germany. In 1938, Austrian chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg attempted to reassert his country's independence but was bullied by Hitler into naming several top Austrian Nazis to his cabinet.

Following the annexation, the Germans extended anti-Jewish legislation to Austria. Jews were driven through the streets, their homes and shops plundered, and they were forced to wash away pro-independence slogans painted on the streets of Vienna. Jewish actresses were forced to clean toilets, and the process of "Aryanisation" began, driving Jews out of public life within months.

The Mauthausen concentration camp was established in the summer of 1938, becoming the main Nazi camp in Austria. It was designated a special penal camp with a harsh regime, where inmates were forced to carry heavy stone blocks up 186 steps from the camp quarry. During the war, thousands of prisoners were worked to death, and subcamps were established near armaments factories, using forced labour to increase production.

The Kristallnacht pogroms in November 1938 were particularly brutal in Austria. Most synagogues in Vienna were destroyed, and Jewish businesses were vandalised and ransacked. Thousands of Jews were arrested and deported to concentration camps, and Jewish emigration increased dramatically. Between 1938 and 1940, 117,000 Jews left Austria.

By 1941, the Nazis had shifted from a policy of expropriation and Jewish emigration to one of forced deportation. Systematic mass deportations from Vienna began in October 1941, with about 35,000 Jews deported to ghettos in eastern Europe and concentration camps in Germany. By November 1942, only about 7,000 Jews remained in Austria, mostly those married to non-Jews.

The annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany unleashed a wave of violent antisemitism, with Austrians publicly humiliating, attacking, robbing, and even murdering Jewish Austrians. The widespread violence and legislative changes stripped Jews of their freedoms, livelihoods, and, ultimately, their lives.

The Allied Powers declared the annexation void at the end of World War II

On March 12, 1938, German troops marched into Austria to annex the German-speaking nation for the Third Reich. The annexation, known as the Anschluss, was the culmination of a conspiracy by Austrian Nazis to seize the Austrian government and unite their nation with Nazi Germany. Under pressure from Hitler, Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg resigned on March 11, 1938, and pleaded 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. He appointed a new Nazi government, and on March 13, the annexation was proclaimed. Austria existed as a federal state of Germany until the end of World War II, when the Allied Powers declared the annexation void and reestablished an independent Austria.

The Allied Powers, formally referred to as the United Nations from 1942, were an international military coalition formed during World War II to oppose the Axis powers. The principal members of the Allied Powers by the end of 1941 were the "Big Four"—the United Kingdom, the United States, the Soviet Union, and China.

The declaration by the Allied Powers that the annexation of Austria was void was part of their broader efforts to undo the aggressive territorial expansion of Nazi Germany during the war. This included the remilitarization of the Rhineland, the annexation of the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia, and the invasion of Poland, which sparked the war in Europe.

The Allied Powers were committed to upholding the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, which specifically prohibited the union of Austria and Germany. However, their initial reaction to the annexation of Austria was only verbal and moderate, with no military confrontation taking place. This would change by the end of the war, as the Allied Powers took a more assertive stance in declaring the annexation void and reestablishing Austrian independence.

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