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On March 12, 1938, German troops invaded Austria, annexing the German-speaking nation to the Third Reich. This event, known as the Anschluss, was the Nazi German regime's first act of territorial aggression and expansion. The idea of a union between the two countries, or a Greater Germany, had been gaining support since the 1920s, particularly among Austrian citizens of the political left and center. However, the invasion itself was a premeditated and aggressive act, with German military intelligence having developed a plan to infiltrate and sabotage the US East Coast before the US entered World War II.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | 11-13 March 1938 |
| Invading Country | Germany |
| Invaded Country | Austria |
| Invading Leader | Adolf Hitler |
| Invaded Leader | Kurt von Schuschnigg |
| Invading Force | German Wehrmacht |
| Invaded Force | Austrian Bundesheer |
| Result | Annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany |
| Term | Anschluss |
| Reason | Unification of Austria and Germany |
| Support | Austrians with Nazi salutes, Nazi flags, and flowers |
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What You'll Learn
Hitler's ultimatum to Schuschnigg
On March 11, 1938, Hitler gave the Austrian government an ultimatum, demanding that Chancellor Schuschnigg call off the planned plebiscite, resign, and hand over all power to the Austrian Nazis, or face an invasion. The ultimatum was set to expire at noon but was extended by two hours. Hitler demanded that Schuschnigg cancel the referendum on a possible union with Germany, which was scheduled for March 13, and resign from his position. Hitler also insisted that Austrian President Wilhelm Miklas appoint Arthur Seyss-Inquart, a prominent Austrian Nazi, as the new chancellor.
Schuschnigg, who had been chancellor since 1934, strongly opposed Hitler's goal of absorbing Austria into the Third Reich and wished for Austria to remain independent. However, he faced significant challenges, including pressure from pro-unification activists within Austria and the growing strength of the Austrian Nazis, who supported Hitler's ambitions. Despite his efforts to maintain Austrian independence, Schuschnigg found himself without support from France or Britain and ultimately resigned on the evening of March 11, unable to meet Hitler's demands.
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The Blumenkrieg (Flower War)
On the morning of March 12, 1938, German troops crossed the border into Austria. The soldiers were welcomed by Austrians with Nazi salutes, Nazi flags, and flowers. This annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany was dubbed the "Blumenkrieg" or "Flower War" due to the flowers thrown during the invasion. The Austrian government had ordered the Austrian Bundesheer not to resist, and so the invasion was carried out without any shots fired.
The idea of a union between Austria and Germany, known as the "Anschluss," had been gaining support since the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918. Many Austrian citizens, particularly those on the political left and center, supported the unification, believing that Austria was not economically viable after being stripped of its imperial land. However, support for the unification began to fade over time.
In the early 1930s, Austrian Nazis conspired to seize the Austrian government and unite with Nazi Germany. In 1934, Austrian chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss was assassinated by Austrian Nazis during a failed coup attempt. Despite this, the desire for unification remained in the contemporary Austrian political discourse. After Adolf Hitler rose to power in Germany in 1933, the concept of "Anschluss" became integral to Nazi ideology, fitting into their concept of "Heim ins Reich" ("back home to the realm"), which aimed to incorporate as many ethnic Germans outside Germany into a "Greater Germany."
In early 1938, Austrian chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg announced a referendum on a possible union with Germany, to be held on March 13. Hitler, portraying this as defying the popular will, threatened an invasion and pressured Schuschnigg to resign, which he did on March 11. Hitler then signed the order to send troops into Austria, and on March 12, he accompanied the German troops into Austria, where they were greeted by enthusiastic crowds. Hitler appointed a new Nazi government, and on March 13, the "Anschluss" was proclaimed, with Austria becoming a federal state of Germany until the end of World War II.
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The Anschluss
However, popular support for unification faded over time, and after Adolf Hitler rose to power in Germany in 1933, the desire for unification became associated with the Nazis. In the early 1930s, the Austrian government considered a customs union with the German Republic in 1931, but regional patriotism ultimately won out over pan-German sentiment. In 1934, Austrian chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss was assassinated by Austrian Nazis during a failed coup attempt. Many leading Austrian Nazis went into exile in Germany, where they continued to push for the unification of the two countries.
In February 1938, Hitler invited Austrian chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg to Germany and forced him to give the Austrian Nazis a free hand in his government. Schuschnigg later repudiated the agreement and announced a plebiscite on the question of unification. However, under pressure from Hitler, he cancelled the plebiscite and resigned on March 11, 1938, ordering the Austrian Army not to resist the Germans. The next day, German troops crossed the border into Austria, greeted by cheering Austrians with Nazi salutes, Nazi flags, and flowers. The invasion, dubbed the Blumenkrieg ("Flower War"), was the first major test of the German Wehrmacht's machinery. On March 13, the Anschluss was officially proclaimed, and Austria became a federal state of Germany.
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Violation of the Treaty of Versailles
On March 12, 1938, German troops marched into Austria to annex the German-speaking nation for the Third Reich. This event is known as the Anschluss. The idea of the Anschluss (a united Austria and Germany that would form a "Greater Germany") arose after the 1871 unification of Germany excluded Austria and the German Austrians from the Prussian-dominated German Empire. The 1919 Treaty of Saint Germain and Treaty of Versailles forbade the union and the continued use of the name "German-Austria". They also stripped Austria of some of its territories, such as the Sudetenland.
The Treaty of Versailles, signed on June 28, 1919, was the primary treaty produced by the Paris Peace Conference at the end of World War I. The treaty gave some German territories to neighbouring countries and placed other German territories under international supervision. In addition, Germany was stripped of its overseas colonies, its military capabilities were severely restricted, and it was required to pay war reparations to the Allied countries. The treaty also created the League of Nations.
The populations of the defeated powers—Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Bulgaria—considered the peace treaties to be unfair punishment. Their governments quickly resorted to violating the military and financial terms of the treaties. This was true regardless of whether the governments were democratic, as in Germany or Austria, or authoritarian, as in Hungary and Bulgaria. Efforts to revise and defy provisions of the peace became a key element in their foreign policies and a destabilizing factor in international politics.
The German democratic government saw the Versailles Treaty as a “dictated peace” (Diktat). The war guilt clause, which held Germany completely responsible for starting World War I, the huge reparation payments, and the limitations on the German military seemed particularly oppressive to most Germans. To many Germans, the treaty seemed to contradict the very first of Wilson’s Fourteen Points, which called for transparency in peace negotiations and diplomacy.
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Hitler's expansionary policies
On March 12, 1938, German troops marched into Austria to annex the German-speaking nation for the Third Reich. This event is known as the Anschluss, which translates to "joining" or "connection" in German. The invasion was met with enthusiasm from Austrians, who greeted the troops with Nazi salutes, Nazi flags, and flowers.
The idea of the Anschluss was not new. It emerged after the 1871 unification of Germany, which excluded Austria and German Austrians from the Prussian-dominated German Empire. Support for the unification of Austria and Germany grew in the 1920s, particularly among Austrian citizens of the political left and center, including prominent Social Democrat leader Otto Bauer. This support stemmed from the belief that Austria, stripped of its imperial land, was not economically viable as an independent state.
After Adolf Hitler rose to power in Germany in 1933, the desire for unification became associated with the Nazis, who sought to incorporate as many ethnic Germans outside Germany as possible into a "Greater Germany." In early 1938, Austrian Nazis conspired to seize the Austrian government by force and unite with Nazi Germany. Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg met with Hitler to assert his country's independence but was coerced into naming several top Austrian Nazis to his cabinet. Schuschnigg called for a national vote on the question of annexation, but before the plebiscite could take place, he gave in to pressure from Hitler and resigned on March 11.
Hitler had given the Austrian government a series of ultimatums, demanding that Chancellor Schuschnigg call off the plebiscite and that Austrian President Wilhelm Miklas appoint Austrian Nazi Arthur Seyss-Inquart as the new chancellor. With these demands not met, Hitler signed the order to send troops into Austria, and on March 12, he accompanied German troops across the border. Schuschnigg, in his resignation address, pleaded with Austrian forces not to resist the German advance. The next day, on March 13, the Anschluss was proclaimed, and Austria became a federal state of Germany until the end of World War II.
The Anschluss was the first act of territorial expansion committed by Nazi Germany, and it demonstrated Hitler's disdain for the post-World War I European order. The acceptance of the annexation by other European powers allowed Hitler to continue his expansionary policies unchecked, setting the stage for further aggression and the eventual outbreak of World War II.
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Frequently asked questions
Germany invaded Austria on March 12, 1938.
The invasion of Austria by Germany was known as the Anschluss, which means "connection" or "joining" in German.
Germany invaded Austria to annex the German-speaking nation for the Third Reich. The invasion was the first act of territorial aggression and expansion by the Nazi German regime.
On March 11, 1938, Hitler sent an ultimatum to Austrian chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg, demanding that he hand over power to the Austrian Nazis or face an invasion. Schuschnigg resigned, and on March 12, German troops crossed the border into Austria without facing any resistance.
