Lyla Lindsey
On March 12, 1938, German troops invaded Austria, annexing the German-speaking nation for the Third Reich. This event, known as the Anschluss, saw Austrian Nazis conspire to seize the Austrian government and unite with Nazi Germany. The annexation of Austria was a long-held ambition of Hitler, who was Austrian-born, and had written in his 1925 book, Mein Kampf, that German Austria must return to the great German motherland.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | 12 March 1938 |
| Other Dates Mentioned | 11 March 1938, 13 March 1938, 10 April 1938 |
| Countries Involved | Austria, Germany |
| Aggressor | Nazi Germany |
| Action | Annexation |
| Violated Treaties | Treaty of Versailles, Treaty of Saint-Germain |
| Type of Aggression | First act of territorial expansion by Nazi Germany |
| Austrian Chancellor | Kurt von Schuschnigg |
| Nazi Leader | Adolf Hitler |
| Austrian Nazi Leader | Arthur Seyss-Inquart |
| German Nazi Minister | Hermann Göring |
| Austrian Population Approving Anschluss | 99.7% |
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What You'll Learn
The Anschluss
In the 1920s, Austria experienced economic turbulence due to the Great Depression, resulting in high unemployment and unstable commerce and industry. During this time, Austria became a target for German investment capital. By 1937, rapid German rearmament increased Berlin's interest in annexing Austria, which was rich in raw materials and labour. Austria's gold and foreign currency reserves, unemployed skilled workers, idle factories, and large potential hydroelectric resources made it an attractive target for Nazi Germany.
In February 1938, Hitler invited Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg to Germany and forced him to agree to give the Austrian Nazis a free hand. Schuschnigg called a national plebiscite for March 13, 1938, to resolve the question of the Anschluss once and for all. However, under pressure from Hitler, he resigned on March 11 and pleaded with Austrian forces not to resist a German "advance" into the country. On March 12, German troops invaded Austria, and Hitler annexed the country outright on March 13. A referendum to ratify the annexation was held on April 10, 1938, preceded by a major propaganda campaign. Official records show that 99.73% of Austrians and 99.08% of Germans voted in favour of the annexation.
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Austria's referendum
Austria was annexed into Nazi Germany on March 12, 1938, when German troops marched into the country to unite it with the Third Reich. This annexation was known as the Anschluss, which translates to 'joining' or 'connection' in German.
The referendum was not secret, and threats and coercion were used to manipulate the vote. About 360,000 people, or 8% of the Austrian population, were not allowed to vote. This included political enemies (communists, socialists, etc.) and Austrian citizens of Roma or Jewish origin. The official result reported a 99.73% 'Yes' vote, with a 99.71% turnout. However, according to Gestapo reports and Austrian government estimates, the actual support for the Anschluss was much lower, with only about 20% of the Austrian population supporting it in a fair referendum.
The referendum was held after the Nazi government of Austria signed a law proclaiming Austria "a land of the German Reich," and Hitler issued the "Law on the Reunification of Austria with the German Reich" on March 13, 1938, which de jure abolished Austria as a state. The Austrian government had planned its referendum for March 13, 1938, to assert its sovereignty, but Germany invaded Austria on March 12 to prevent the vote from taking place.
The referendum was supported by prominent Austrians like Cardinal Theodor Innitzer, the highest representative of the Catholic Church in Austria, and the Social Democrat Karl Renner. However, Innitzer was intimidated into endorsing the Anschluss and was assaulted by Nazi supporters. The Vatican condemned Nazism and forbade Catholics from supporting it.
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Hitler's Mein Kampf
Austria was annexed into Nazi Germany on March 12, 1938, an event known as the Anschluss. The annexation of Austria was the Nazi German regime's first act of territorial aggression and expansion.
Hitler, an Austrian German by birth, wrote about his country of birth in his 1925 book, Mein Kampf. He wrote: "German Austria must return to the great German motherland, and not because of economic considerations of any sort. No, no: even if from the economic point of view this union were unimportant, indeed, if it were harmful, it ought nevertheless to be brought about. Common blood belongs in a common Reich." Hitler's nationalist ideas were influenced by his early life in Austria.
Hitler's desire to unite Austria and Germany was not a secret. In 1921, he wrote an essay arguing that the German Reich's task was to "incorporate the ten million German-Austrians in the Empire and dethrone the Habsburgs, the most miserable dynasty ever ruling." In Mein Kampf, he wrote that he would create a union between Austria and Germany by any means possible. This was reflected in the first point of the 1920 National Socialist Program, which stated: "We demand the unification of all Germans in the Greater Germany on the basis of the people's right to self-determination."
Hitler's plans to annex Austria were also driven by practical considerations. By 1937, rapid German rearmament increased Berlin's interest in annexing Austria, which was rich in raw materials and labour. Austria supplied Germany with magnesium and the products of the iron, textile, and machine industries. It also had gold and foreign currency reserves, many unemployed skilled workers, and large potential hydroelectric resources.
The idea of the Anschluss was not universally popular in Austria, and the Austrian Nazi Party failed to win any seats in the November 1930 general election. However, its popularity grew in Austria after Hitler came to power in Germany, and the idea of the country joining Germany also gained traction, partly due to a Nazi propaganda campaign. Slogans such as "Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Führer" ("One People, One Empire, One Leader") were used to convince Austrians to support the unification of Austria and Germany. Despite this, Austrian chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg attempted to assert Austrian independence by calling for a plebiscite (referendum) on March 13, 1938. Hitler, upon hearing this, decided to invade Austria immediately to prevent the vote. On March 11, Schuschnigg cancelled the plebiscite and offered to resign to avoid bloodshed. Hitler demanded that the president of Austria, Wilhelm Miklas, appoint an Austrian member of the Nazi Party as the nation's next chancellor. When Miklas refused, Hitler ordered the invasion to begin at dawn on March 12.
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Austria's boycott
On July 11, 1936, Schuschnigg signed an agreement with the German ambassador, Franz von Papen, known as the Austro-German treaty. Austria declared itself a "'German state' and agreed to follow Germany's lead in foreign policy. In exchange, the Austrian Nazis promised to cease their terrorist attacks against the government. However, this agreement did not satisfy Hitler, and the pro-German Austrian Nazis continued to push for a union between the two countries.
The idea of a united Austria and Germany, known as the "Anschluss," gained support among Austrians, especially after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918. The Republic of German-Austria attempted to form a union with Germany, but this was forbidden by the Treaty of Saint Germain and the Treaty of Versailles, which also stripped Austria of some of its territories. Despite the treaties, the push for a union between Austria and Germany continued, fueled by Nazi propaganda campaigns and Hitler's own nationalist agenda.
By 1937, German rearmament increased Berlin's interest in annexing Austria, which was rich in raw materials and labour. Finally, on March 12, 1938, German troops marched into Austria, and the annexation was formalized. This event, known as the "Anschluss," resulted in the immediate persecution of Austria's Jewish population and the transformation of Austrian life to align with Nazi ideology.
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Austria's chancellor
Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany on March 12, 1938. In the lead-up to this, there were several Austrian chancellors who played a role in the events that unfolded.
Engelbert Dollfuss
Engelbert Dollfuss served as chancellor of Austria from 1932 to 1934. He was a conservative who opposed the idea of unification with Germany. On July 25, 1934, he was assassinated by Austrian Nazis in a failed coup attempt.
Kurt Schuschnigg
After Dollfuss's assassination, Kurt Schuschnigg became the new chancellor. He continued Dollfuss's policies of suppressing Nazi supporters in Austria. However, by 1936, the damage to Austria from the German boycott was too great, and Schuschnigg was forced to come to an agreement with Germany. On July 11, 1936, he signed the Austro-German treaty with German ambassador Franz von Papen, in which he agreed to the release of imprisoned Nazis in exchange for a promise of Austrian sovereignty. Despite this agreement, Hitler continued to pressure Schuschnigg. In February 1938, Hitler invited Schuschnigg to Germany and forced him to agree to give Austrian Nazis more power. On March 9, 1938, Schuschnigg called for a plebiscite (referendum) on Austrian independence, but he was pressured by Hitler to cancel it and resign on March 11.
Arthur Seyss-Inquart
After Schuschnigg's resignation, President Wilhelm Miklas of Austria appointed Arthur Seyss-Inquart as the new chancellor. Seyss-Inquart was a pro-Nazi who formed a cabinet filled with Austrian Nazis. On March 13, 1938, he signed the "Reunification of Austria with Germany" law, formalizing the annexation.
The annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany was a significant event in the lead-up to World War II, and the Austrian chancellors played a central role in the political maneuvers and pressures that ultimately led to the loss of Austrian independence.
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Frequently asked questions
Nazi Germany annexed Austria on March 12, 1938.
The annexation of Austria was called the Anschluss, which means "joining" or "connection" in German.
The annexation of Austria was a result of a conspiracy by Austrian Nazis to seize the Austrian government and unite with Nazi Germany. Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg met with Adolf Hitler in an attempt to maintain Austria's independence but was forced to name several Austrian Nazis to his cabinet. Schuschnigg called for a national plebiscite to take place on March 13, 1938, to decide if Austria should remain independent or join the Third Reich. However, Hitler decided to invade Austria immediately to prevent the vote. Schuschnigg cancelled the plebiscite and resigned on March 11, pleading with Austrian forces not to resist the German advance. German troops invaded Austria on March 12 and formally incorporated it into the German Reich on March 13.
The annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany was an act of open aggression that was met with warnings from figures such as Winston Churchill, who called for countries to take "effective measures" to respond to Germany's aggression. However, there was a lack of intervention from other countries, and a referendum held in Austria on April 10, 1938, resulted in 99.7% of voters approving the annexation.
