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On March 12, 1938, Nazi Germany annexed Austria, an event known as the Anschluss. The German annexation of Austria was the Nazi regime's first act of territorial aggression and expansion, and it marked a significant breach of the post-World War I international order. The Republic of Austria ceased to exist as an independent state, and the country was transformed as Austrian and German Nazis carried out the Nazification of all aspects of Austrian life.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of annexation | 12 March 1938 |
| Date of independence | 27 April 1945 |
| Number of German troops that entered Austria | 25,000 |
| Number of Austrians who fought for the Nazi German armed forces | 950,000 |
| Number of Austrians drafted by the Wehrmacht | 1.3 million |
| Percentage of Austrian population that joined the Nazi Party | 10% |
| Number of Austrian Nazis in the Nazi government | Several |
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What You'll Learn
The Anschluss
The following day, heavily armed German troops and police crossed the Austrian frontier, with about 25,000 entering the country. They were met by enthusiastic crowds, and many Austrians supported the unification of the two countries. Supporters of the Austrian Nazi Party, together with members of the SS and SA, occupied public buildings and offices throughout Austria without a previously planned transition period. The formation of the Greater German Reich was announced from the balcony of the Council House in Linz. On 13 March 1938, the second session of the Government passed the "Reunification with Germany Law", and the Anschluss was proclaimed. Federal President Miklas refused to endorse it and resigned.
Austria remained a part of Nazi Germany until the end of World War II. On 27 April 1945, a provisional government in Allied-occupied Austria declared the Anschluss "null und nichtig" (null and void), and Austria was re-established as an independent country.
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Austria's role in the Third Reich
Austria was a significant part of the Third Reich, with the country being annexed by Nazi Germany in March 1938, an event known as the Anschluss. This marked the first act of territorial aggression and expansion by the Nazi German regime, violating the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain, which expressly forbade the unification of Austria and Germany.
The Austrian Nazi Party, along with members of the SS and SA, took control of Austria with little resistance. Large sections of the Austrian population welcomed the German troops, with many Austrians participating enthusiastically in the Nazification of their country. The Republic of Austria ceased to exist as an independent state, becoming a province of Nazi Germany. The Nazis attempted to erase any traces of a separate Austrian identity, even changing the country's name to Ostmark.
The Austrian Nazi Chancellor, Seyss-Inquart, signed the "Reunification of Austria with Germany" law, formalising the union. Over 700,000 Austrians, or 10% of the population, joined the Nazi Party, and more than 1.3 million were drafted into the Wehrmacht between 1938 and 1945. Austrians served loyally as soldiers and were complicit in Nazi atrocities on the Eastern Front. Additionally, Austrians were disproportionately represented in the SS, concentration camp personnel, and camp commanders.
After World War II, Austria sought to distance itself from its role in the Third Reich. The slogan "Austria – the Nazis' first victim" was used to promote the idea that the Anschluss was an act of aggression forced upon the country. This victim theory was embraced by Austrians, who sought to absolve themselves of responsibility for Nazi crimes. However, in the 1980s and 1990s, there was a shift as the nation began to acknowledge its collective responsibility for the crimes committed during the Nazi occupation.
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The Austrian Nazi Party
Austrian Nazism, or Austrian National Socialism, was a pan-German movement that took shape in the early 20th century. The movement's origins can be traced back to 1902, when the "German-Political Workers' Association for Austria" was formed. In 1903, this group reorganised under the name "German Workers' Party in Austria", and at a party congress in Vienna in 1918, they changed their name to the "Deutsche Nationalsozialistische Arbeiterpartei" (DNSAP). The DNSAP was suppressed under the rule of Engelbert Dollfuss from 1932 to 1934 and banned in early 1933, but it was revived and merged with the German Nazi Party after the German annexation of Austria in 1938.
In 1933, Engelbert Dollfuss, the Austrian chancellor, banned the Austrian Nazi Party and its affiliates in response to a fatal bombing carried out by Nazis. Despite the ban, Austrian Nazis continued to operate clandestinely within the country and even received military training in Germany, forming a paramilitary unit known as the Austrian Legion. In 1934, they attempted to overthrow the Austrian government, briefly taking control of the chancellery before being arrested.
In 1938, Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany in an event known as the Anschluss. This marked the transformation of Austria, as Austrian Nazis, supported by their German counterparts, rapidly implemented Nazi policies and persecuted the country's Jewish population. Many Austrians participated willingly in the Nazification process, and during World War II, approximately 950,000 Austrians fought for the Nazi German armed forces.
After World War II, Austria sought to distance itself from its involvement with Nazi Germany. The country declared independence from Germany on April 27, 1945, and later advanced the view that it had been the first victim of the Nazis, a theory known as the "victim theory." However, it was not until the 1980s and 1990s that Austria officially acknowledged its collective responsibility for the crimes committed during the Nazi occupation and rejected the victim narrative.
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The Austrian population's response
Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany in March 1938, an event known as the Anschluss. The German troops were met with varying responses from the Austrian population. While some Austrians welcomed the Nazis, others tried to flee the country as it rapidly became Nazified.
Austria's annexation by Nazi Germany was met with a mixed response from the Austrian population. On the one hand, there were Austrians who supported the unification of the two countries and welcomed the German troops with cheers and flowers. The idea of Anschluss (the unification of Austria and Germany) had been gaining popularity in Austria, especially among those with German nationalist and antisemitic sentiments. Nazi propaganda campaigns and the growth of the Austrian Nazi Party further contributed to this sentiment.
On the other hand, many Austrians were opposed to the annexation and tried to resist the Nazi takeover. Austrian chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg attempted to hold a plebiscite (referendum) on Austrian independence but was pressured by the Germans to cancel it. Despite the lack of armed resistance, there were attempts to prevent the annexation, such as the failed coup by Austrian and German Nazis in July 1934 and the efforts of the Roman Catholic Church in Austria to condemn Nazism.
In the wake of the Anschluss, Austrians participated in the Nazification of their country and persecuted the Jewish population. Approximately 950,000 Austrians fought for the Nazi German armed forces during World War II, and others held positions in the Nazi administration, including death camp personnel and senior Nazi leadership. However, it is important to note that not all Austrians supported the Nazis, and some even risked their lives to protect those being persecuted.
After World War II, Austria sought to distance itself from its involvement with the Nazis and embraced the "'victim theory,' portraying itself as the first victim of Nazi aggression. This narrative was challenged in the 1980s and 1990s when the Austrian government and people acknowledged their collective responsibility for the crimes committed during the Nazi occupation and officially abandoned the victim theory.
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The end of Nazi rule in Austria
Nazi Germany's annexation of Austria, known as the Anschluss, began on March 11, 1938, when German troops, accompanied by Hitler himself, entered Austria. This marked the first act of territorial aggression and expansion by Nazi Germany, violating the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain, which expressly forbade the unification of the two countries.
The annexation was completed on March 13, 1938, when the Austrian Government passed the "Reunification with Germany Law", despite resistance from some Austrians. The Federal President, Miklas, refused to endorse the law and resigned. The Anschluss was widely popular in both Germany and Austria, with many Austrians enthusiastically supporting the Nazi regime and participating in the persecution of the country's Jewish population.
During World War II, approximately 950,000 Austrians fought for the Nazi German armed forces, and many others served in the SS, the elite military corps of the Nazi Party. By the end of the war, approximately 250,000 Austrians had been killed or were missing in action, and many others were held as prisoners of war.
On April 27, 1945, a provisional government in Allied-occupied Austria, under Karl Renner, declared independence from Nazi Germany, marking the end of Nazi rule in the country. Austria was recognized as a separate country, but it remained divided into occupation zones controlled by the Allied Commission until 1955, when the Austrian State Treaty restored its sovereignty.
In the post-war period, many Austrians sought comfort in the "victim theory," which portrayed Austria as the first victim of the Nazis. This theory, which was adopted as the ideological basis for the Second Austrian Republic, denied any responsibility for the crimes committed during the Nazi occupation. However, starting in the 1980s and 1990s, Austrians began to reconsider their attitude, eventually admitting collective responsibility for the crimes and officially abandoning the "victim theory."
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Frequently asked questions
Nazi Germany occupied Austria on 12 March 1938.
The occupation and annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany was known as the Anschluss.
Yes, the Austrian population supported the Nazi occupation. Many Austrians participated enthusiastically in the Nazification of Austrian life.
The Anschluss was the Nazi German regime's first act of territorial aggression and expansion. It demonstrated Nazi disdain for the post-World War I European order and allowed Adolf Hitler to continue his expansionary policies unchecked.
A provisional government in Allied-occupied Austria declared the Anschluss "null und nichtig" (null and void) on 27 April 1945, marking Austria's independence from Nazi Germany.
