Lyla Lindsey
On March 12, 1938, Hitler invaded Austria, an action that was followed by a wave of violence against Jewish people and property. This invasion was dubbed the Blumenkrieg (Flower War) due to the German troops being greeted by cheering Austrians with Nazi salutes, Nazi flags, and flowers. Hitler's interest in Austria and Czechoslovakia was largely economic, as Germany had a lack of raw materials and could not produce enough food to feed its population. Czechoslovakia was invaded by Hitler on March 15, 1939, when German troops entered the remaining Czech parts of the country, meeting practically no resistance.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of invasion of Austria | 12 March 1938 |
| Date of invasion of Czechoslovakia | 15 March 1939 |
| Time between the two invasions | 1 year and 3 days |
| Agreement signed before the invasion of Czechoslovakia | Munich Pact |
| Date of the Munich Pact | 29-30 September 1938 |
| Signatories to the Munich Pact | Germany, Britain, France, Italy |
| Czechoslovakia's allies | France, Soviet Union |
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What You'll Learn
- Hitler's invasion of Austria in 1938 was known as the Anschluss
- German troops met little resistance when invading Austria
- Hitler's interest in Czechoslovakia was largely economic
- The invasion of Czechoslovakia began with the annexation of the Sudetenland
- The Slovak State broke off in 1939, before Hungary annexed the remainder of Carpathian Ruthenia
Hitler's invasion of Austria in 1938 was known as the Anschluss
On March 12, 1938, Hitler's military forces crossed the border into Austria. The troops were welcomed by Austrians with Nazi salutes, flags, and flowers. This invasion, known as the Anschluss, was met without resistance, and Austria was absorbed into the Third Reich. The term 'Anschluss' translates to 'fusion', reflecting the unification of Austria and Germany.
Hitler's invasion of Austria was not a spontaneous decision. As early as February 12, 1938, Hitler met with Austrian Chancellor Schuschnigg to discuss the tensions between the two countries. Hitler insisted on including Nazis in the Austrian government, threatening an invasion if his demands were not met. Schuschnigg attempted to maintain Austria's independence through a policy of appeasement, but ultimately, he was pressured to resign and was replaced by the Nazi Arthur Seyss-Inquart.
Hitler's desire for unification with Austria stemmed from his vision of a "Greater Germany" that encompassed all German speakers. Additionally, control of Austria improved Germany's strategic defences and facilitated the invasion of neighbouring countries, particularly in the Balkans and Czechoslovakia. The annexation of Austria was Hitler's second attempt at unification, and it occurred without the firing of a single shot, earning it the nickname the Blumenkrieg ("Flower War").
The Anschluss marked a significant step in Hitler's expansionist agenda and set the stage for further aggression in the region. It demonstrated the ineffectiveness of appeasement policies, as Hitler continued to pursue his imperial ambitions despite the Munich Pact, which aimed to prevent German aggression by conceding the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia. The invasion of Austria highlighted Hitler's determination to use force to achieve his goals, and it served as a prelude to the subsequent invasion and occupation of Czechoslovakia in March 1939.
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German troops met little resistance when invading Austria
On March 12, 1938, German troops invaded Austria, just 24 hours before a plebiscite was due to be held. This was the first step in Hitler's plan to invade Czechoslovakia, a country he had been eyeing for its people, lands, and industry since the 1930s.
Hitler's expansionist plans had targeted Czechoslovakia as the first takeover target since at least 1937, when he ordered his generals to draw up plans for a possible future military invasion. The country's northern frontier, known as the Sudetenland, was predominantly German-speaking, and Hitler secretly collaborated with Karl Henlein, the leader of the Sudeten German Party (SDP), to instil German nationalist sentiment among the German-speaking peoples of Czechoslovakia. The SDP launched a massive propaganda campaign, claiming that the German minority was being repressed by the predominantly Czech government.
Hitler used this as a pretext to demand that Czechoslovakia cede the Sudetenland to Germany in September 1938. This led to the Munich Agreement, in which British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain directly intervened to secure Czech acceptance of Hitler's ultimatum. The agreement, signed on September 30, 1938, awarded large chunks of Czech territory to Germany, including the Sudetenland and its valuable resources.
Despite the Munich Agreement, Hitler was not satisfied and continued to plot the takeover of the rest of Czechoslovakia. In March 1939, he exploited the quarrel between the Slovaks and the Czechs as a pretext for the occupation of Bohemia and Moravia, completing the dismantling of Czechoslovakia. On March 15, 1939, Hitler met with Czech President Emil Hacha and threatened a bombing raid on Prague unless he obtained free passage for German troops into Czech borders.
The German invasion of Austria met little resistance due to several factors. Firstly, the country was facing internal political turmoil, as Chancellor Schuschnigg's decision to hold a plebiscite forced Hitler to act quickly. Secondly, the other powers, such as Britain and France, failed to go beyond solemn protests, allowing Hitler to proceed with his plans. Finally, Austria shared a border with Germany, making it easier for German troops to move in and establish control.
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Hitler's interest in Czechoslovakia was largely economic
Germany had the world's second-largest economy, but its agricultural sector could not feed its population, and there was a shortage of raw materials, which had to be imported. In September 1936, Hitler launched a Four-Year Plan to prepare the German economy for "total war" by 1940. However, by 1937, the plan had severely strained the German economy, forcing the government to use its foreign exchange reserves to import food and raw materials.
Czechoslovakia had Europe's seventh-largest economy and the most modern, developed, and industrialized economy in Eastern Europe. The country was the only nation in Eastern Europe besides the Soviet Union that manufactured its own weapons, making it the world's seventh-largest arms manufacturer and a significant player in the global arms trade. The Škoda Works, notably, was responsible for manufacturing most of the arms for the Imperial Austrian Army.
Hitler's annexation of the Sudetenland in October 1938, following the Munich Agreement, gave Germany control of Czechoslovakia's extensive border fortifications and 66% of its coal, 70% of its iron and steel, and 70% of its electrical power. This left the rest of Czechoslovakia vulnerable to complete German domination, which was realised in March 1939 when Hitler occupied the Bohemian and Moravian regions, and Slovakia became a German client state.
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The invasion of Czechoslovakia began with the annexation of the Sudetenland
The invasion of Czechoslovakia by Nazi Germany began with the annexation of the Sudetenland. The Sudetenland was a region in western Czechoslovakia, bordering Germany, and was home to around 3 million ethnic Germans. In 1938, with the support of the Nazis, many Germans in the Sudetenland agitated for "a return to the Reich". By the summer of 1938, Hitler was openly supporting these demands.
The Sudetenland was also the location of all of Czechoslovakia's defensive positions in the event of a war with Germany. Recognising this threat, Britain and France decided they would not fight for Czechoslovakia and asked Prague to surrender unconditionally and turn over the Sudetenland to Germany. On September 29-30, 1938, the leaders of Britain, France, Italy, and Germany met in Munich and agreed to the German annexation of the Sudetenland in exchange for a pledge of peace from Hitler. This agreement became known as the Munich Pact.
The annexation of the Sudetenland left the rest of Czechoslovakia with a largely indefensible border. Despite the Munich Pact, Hitler continued his pursuit of total control over Czechoslovakia. In March 1939, he negotiated with the Slovak People's Party and with Hungary to prepare for the dismemberment of the republic before the invasion. On March 14, 1939, Slovakia declared its "independence", which was, in reality, complete dependence on Germany. The following day, on March 15, 1939, German troops entered the remaining Czech parts of Czechoslovakia, meeting practically no resistance. This invasion and occupation of Bohemia and Moravia were in flagrant violation of the Munich Pact.
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The Slovak State broke off in 1939, before Hungary annexed the remainder of Carpathian Ruthenia
The disintegration of Czechoslovakia began in 1938 with the Munich Agreement, which handed the Sudetenland area of Czechoslovakia to Germany. This was followed by the First Vienna Award, which resulted in the transfer of southern Slovakia and southern Carpathian Rus (also known as Carpathian Ruthenia or Subcarpathian Ruthenia) from Czechoslovakia to Hungary. Poland also annexed the Czech region of Zaolzie.
In March 1939, the Slovak State declared its independence from Czechoslovakia, with the threat of invasion from Hitler looming. On 15 March 1939, during a visit to Berlin, the Czechoslovak president, Emil Hácha, was coerced into signing away what remained of his country's independence to Nazi Germany. Bohemia and Moravia, which made up the remaining Czech lands, were occupied by German forces.
The Republic of Carpatho-Ukraine, which had also declared independence from Czechoslovakia on 15 March 1939, was occupied and annexed by Hungary on the same day. This marked the beginning of a series of Hungarian annexations of eastern Slovak territories, including further parts of Carpathian Ruthenia. On 23 March 1939, the "Little War" broke out between Slovakia and Hungary, with Hungarian troops invading eastern Slovakia from Carpatho-Ukraine to further Miklós Horthy's territorial ambitions in the region.
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Frequently asked questions
Hitler invaded Austria on 12 March 1938, after sending an ultimatum to Schuschnigg, demanding that he hand over all power to the Austrian Nazis.
The Austrian people greeted the German troops with Nazi salutes, Nazi flags, and flowers. The invasion was thus called the Blumenkrieg ("Flower War").
Hitler invaded Czechoslovakia on 15 March 1939, after the Slovak State broke off and Hungary annexed the remainder of Carpathian Ruthenia.
