Ruqayyah Snyder
On March 12, 1938, German troops invaded Austria, crossing the border unopposed and greeted by cheering Austrians with Nazi salutes, Nazi flags, and flowers. The event, known as the Anschluss, marked the annexation of the Federal State of Austria into Nazi Germany and was the culmination of a series of political maneuvers by Austrian and German Nazis, as well as Adolf Hitler, who had risen to power in Germany. The invasion itself was bloodless, with Austrian forces ordered not to resist, and it paved the way for Hitler to annex Austria outright the following day.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of invasion | 12 March 1938 |
| Invading country | Nazi Germany |
| Invaded country | Austria |
| Invader | Adolf Hitler |
| Invader's motive | Annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany |
| Invader's action | Sent troops into Austria |
| Invader's ultimatum | Hand over power to Austrian Nazis or face invasion |
| Invader's ultimatum expiry | Noon on 11 March 1938 |
| Invaded country's action | Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg resigned |
| Invader's next action | Ordered invasion to commence at dawn on 12 March 1938 |
| Invaded country's population's action | Met German troops with enthusiasm |
| Result | Annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany |
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What You'll Learn
Hitler's ultimatum to Schuschnigg
In the lead-up to the annexation of Austria, also known as the Anschluss, Hitler issued an ultimatum to the Austrian Chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg. This ultimatum was the culmination of years of growing Nazi influence in Austria and Hitler's desire to incorporate Austria into a "Greater Germany".
On 12 February 1938, Schuschnigg met with Hitler at his Berghof residence, in an attempt to ease tensions between the two countries. However, this meeting did not go as Schuschnigg had hoped, and he was forced to capitulate to Hitler's demands. On 16 February, Hitler issued a three-day ultimatum, demanding that Schuschnigg place several Austrian Nazis or Nazi sympathizers in his cabinet. These individuals included Dr. Arthur Von Seyss-Inquart, a leader of the outlawed Austrian Nazis, who was appointed to the powerful post of Minister of Interior and Public Security. This move effectively gave the Nazis control over the Austrian police and enabled them to suppress opposition.
Schuschnigg, a bitter opponent of Nazi influence in Austria, was left with little choice but to comply. He announced his capitulation and presented his new cabinet list to President Wilhelm Miklas. This capitulation caused dismay among those opposed to unification with Germany, with members of the Fatherland Front, of which Schuschnigg was the chief, bitterly objecting to the concession.
Despite this concession, Hitler was not satisfied and continued to pressure Schuschnigg. On 11 March 1938, Hitler issued a series of ultimatums to the Austrian government, demanding that Schuschnigg cancel a planned plebiscite on Austrian independence and that President Miklas appoint Arthur Seyss-Inquart as the new Chancellor. These demands were not met, and on 12 March, the German army invaded Austria, unopposed.
The annexation of Austria was a significant development, as it represented the first act of territorial aggression and expansion by Nazi Germany. It also demonstrated Hitler's determination to pursue his ideological goal of unifying all Germans into one nation-state, regardless of the consequences.
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The Blumenkrieg (Flower War)
On the morning of March 12, 1938, the 8th Army of the German Wehrmacht crossed the border into Austria. The troops were met by cheering Austrians who greeted them with Nazi salutes, Nazi flags, and flowers. The "invasion" without any shots fired was dubbed the Blumenkrieg ("Flower War").
The idea of a union between Austria and Germany (Anschluss) had been around since the unification of Germany in 1871, which excluded Austria and the German Austrians from the Prussian-dominated German Empire. In 1919, the Treaty of Saint Germain and Treaty of Versailles forbade the union and stripped Austria of some of its territories. The Anschluss gained support after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918, and again in 1933 with Hitler's rise to power. In February 1938, Hitler forced Austrian chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg to agree to give the Austrian Nazis a free hand. Schuschnigg later announced a plebiscite on the issue, but he was bullied into canceling it and resigned.
Hitler sent an ultimatum to Schuschnigg on March 11, demanding that he hand over all power to the Austrian Nazis or face an invasion. Without waiting for an answer, Hitler signed the order to send troops into Austria the next day. The German invasion was the first big test of the Wehrmacht's machinery. Although the invading forces were poorly organized and lacked coordination, this mattered little because the Austrian government had ordered the Austrian Bundesheer not to resist. That afternoon, Hitler, riding in a car, crossed the border at his birthplace, Braunau am Inn, with a 4,000-man bodyguard.
The Blumenkrieg was not the first instance of a "flower war". This term was also used to describe a type of ritual war fought intermittently between the Aztec Triple Alliance and its enemies, including the city-states of Tlaxcala, Huejotzingo, and Cholula in the Tlaxcala-Pueblan Valley in central Mexico. These wars were fought to obtain human sacrifices for the gods and followed a set of conventions, with combatants meeting on a preset date at a preselected place.
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Austria's independence
The Anschluss, or the Annexation of Austria, refers to the political union of Austria with Nazi Germany under the leadership of Adolf Hitler. The idea of a united Austria and Germany, forming a "Greater Germany," had been proposed as early as 1871 when the unification of Germany excluded Austria and German Austrians from the Prussian-dominated German Empire. This idea gained support after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918, and again in 1933 when Hitler rose to power.
In the lead-up to the Anschluss, there were several attempts by Austrian Nazis to seize control of the Austrian government and unite with Germany. Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg attempted to negotiate with Hitler to reassert Austria's independence but was forced to appoint Austrian Nazis to his cabinet. On March 9, 1938, Schuschnigg called for a national vote, or plebiscite, to decide on the question of the Anschluss. However, before the vote could take place, Schuschnigg resigned on March 11, 1938, under pressure from Hitler.
Hitler ordered the invasion of Austria to commence at dawn on March 12, and German troops crossed the border without facing any resistance from Austrian forces. The invasion, dubbed the "Flower War," was met with enthusiasm from some Austrians, who greeted the troops with Nazi salutes, flags, and flowers. Hitler himself crossed the border that afternoon, accompanied by a 4,000-man bodyguard. The annexation of Austria was then proclaimed on March 13, 1938, and Austria became a federal state of Germany.
During World War II, Austria's independence was once again in jeopardy. The country remained a part of Germany until the end of the war, when the Allied powers declared the Anschluss void and reestablished an independent Austria. This marked a return to Austrian sovereignty and self-governance, free from foreign occupation and influence.
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The Anschluss
The invasion of Austria, also known as the Anschluss, took place on March 12, 1938. The term 'Anschluss' means 'joining' or 'connection' in German and the event saw the annexation of the Federal State of Austria into Nazi Germany.
The idea of a union between Austria and Germany had been proposed in 1919, after the 1871 unification of Germany excluded Austria and the German Austrians from the German Empire. The concept gained support after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918, with the new Republic of German-Austria attempting to unite with Germany. However, the 1919 Treaty of Saint Germain and Treaty of Versailles prohibited the union and the use of the name "German-Austria", while also causing Austria to lose territories such as the Sudetenland.
In the lead-up to the invasion, Austrian Nazis conspired to seize the Austrian government and unite with Nazi Germany. Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg met with Adolf Hitler in an attempt to assert Austria's independence but was forced to appoint several top Austrian Nazis to his cabinet. On March 9, 1938, Schuschnigg called for a national vote on the issue of the Anschluss, but under pressure from Hitler, he resigned on March 11 before the vote could take place.
On March 11, Hitler sent an ultimatum to Schuschnigg, demanding he hand over power to the Austrian Nazis or face an invasion. Without waiting for a response, Hitler signed the order to send troops into Austria. On the morning of March 12, the 8th Army of the German Wehrmacht crossed the border, greeted by cheering Austrians with Nazi salutes and flowers. Hitler himself crossed the border that afternoon, accompanied by a 4,000-man bodyguard. The invasion, dubbed the Blumenkrieg ("Flower War") due to its peaceful nature, was the first major test of the Wehrmacht's military machinery.
Following the invasion, a controlled plebiscite on April 10 gave a 99.7% approval, and Austria remained a federal state of Germany until the end of World War II when the Allied powers declared the Anschluss void and re-established an independent Austria.
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The Nuremberg trials
On March 12, 1938, Germany invaded Austria, marking the annexation of the Federal State of Austria into Nazi Germany. This invasion, known as the Anschluss, was the culmination of a plan to unite Austria and Germany, forming a "Greater Germany". The idea of the Anschluss gained support after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918, and again in 1938 when Hitler invited the Austrian chancellor to Germany and forced him to agree to give Austrian Nazis a free hand.
In the aftermath of this invasion and during World War II, Nazi Germany invaded many other countries across Europe, resulting in approximately 27 million deaths in the Soviet Union alone. As the Allies defeated the Nazis and approached victory in 1945, they turned to the legal system to hold Axis leaders accountable for their actions. This resulted in the Nuremberg Trials, a series of unprecedented trials aimed at bringing justice and accountability for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Nazi Germany and its leaders.
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Frequently asked questions
Germany invaded Austria on March 12, 1938.
The German invasion of Austria was called the Anschluss, which means "joining" or "connection" in German.
Adolf Hitler was the leader of Germany during the invasion of Austria.
There was little to no effective resistance to the German invasion of Austria. The Austrian government had ordered the Austrian Army not to resist, and the invading German troops were greeted by cheering Austrians.
