Damon Mcknight
On March 12, 1938, German troops marched into Austria to annex the German-speaking nation for the Third Reich. This annexation, known as the Anschluss, was the Nazi German regime's first act of territorial aggression and expansion. It was supported by a large majority of Austrians, who greeted the German soldiers with Nazi salutes, Nazi flags, and flowers. The invasion was dubbed the Blumenkrieg (Flower War) due to the lack of resistance from Austrian forces. Austria existed as 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.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | 12 March 1938 |
| Invading troops | 8th Army of the German Wehrmacht |
| New Austrian chancellor | Kurt von Schuschnigg |
| Austrian chancellor's response | Called for a national plebiscite to vote on independence or unification |
| Hitler's response | Ordered an invasion to prevent the vote |
| Outcome | German annexation of Austria |
| Name of the event | Anschluss |
| Austria's status | A federal state of Germany |
| End of Austrian unification with Germany | 1945 |
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What You'll Learn
The Anschluss
On March 12, 1938, German troops marched into Austria to annex the German-speaking nation for the Third Reich. This annexation, known as the Anschluss, was the Nazi German regime's first act of territorial aggression and expansion. The Nazis justified the invasion by claiming that Austria had descended into chaos, citing fake reports of rioting and street fights caused by Communists.
The annexation of Austria had been a goal of the Nazi Party since its inception. In his 1925 book, Mein Kampf, Adolf Hitler wrote about his desire for a union between Germany and Austria, stating that "common blood belongs in a common Reich." In July 1934, a pro-Nazi group attempted to overthrow the Austrian government with Hitler's approval and assistance from German officials. However, the coup failed when Austrian military leaders did not support it. Despite this, Hitler continued to pursue the idea of a union, and in February 1938, he demanded that the new Austrian chancellor, Kurt von Schuschnigg, appoint members of Austria's Nazi Party to his cabinet and grant them full political rights.
Fearing that Hitler intended to take over Austria, Schuschnigg called for a national plebiscite to take place on March 13, 1938, to allow Austrians to decide whether they wished to remain independent or become part of the Third Reich. Hitler, upon learning of 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 the president refused, Hitler ordered the invasion to begin at dawn the next day.
On the morning of March 12, German soldiers crossed the border into Austria, encountering no resistance. Hitler himself crossed the border that afternoon, accompanied by a 4,000-man bodyguard. They were greeted by cheering Austrians with Nazi salutes, Nazi flags, and flowers. The annexation was given immediate effect by legislative act on March 13, subject to ratification by a referendum. Austria became a province of Germany known as Ostmark, and a member of the Nazi Party, Seyss-Inquart, was appointed governor. The referendum, held on April 10, officially recorded a support of 99.7% of voters.
The Austrians' support for the Anschluss was ambivalent. While many Austrians participated enthusiastically in the Nazification of their country, others were subjected to extensive intimidation and suppression of political opposition. American historian Evan Bukey argues that there was a genuine German nationalist feeling in Austria among at least a portion of the population, and those holding antisemitic views were eager to "fulfill their duty" in the "Greater German Reich." Additionally, the Social Democratic Party of Austria leader Karl Renner and the highest representative of the Roman Catholic Church in Austria, Cardinal Theodor Innitzer, both endorsed the Anschluss, suggesting that approximately two-thirds of Austrians might have voted for it.
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Austria's ambivalent support
On March 12, 1938, German troops marched into Austria to annex the German-speaking nation for the Third Reich. This annexation, known as the Anschluss, was the Nazi German regime's first act of territorial aggression and expansion. It was also the fulfilment of a long-held desire of Adolf Hitler, who was Austrian-born, to unite his country of birth with Germany.
The Austrian population's support for the Anschluss was ambivalent. While many Austrians did not think their country could survive economically without the lands previously held by Austria-Hungary, others wanted Austria to remain independent from Germany. The Social Democratic Party of Austria leader Karl Renner and the highest representative of the Roman Catholic Church in Austria, Cardinal Theodor Innitzer, both endorsed the Anschluss, and it is estimated that approximately two-thirds of Austrians might have voted for it. However, the Austrian population was subjected to extensive intimidation and suppression of the political opposition, and the annexation of Austria was presented as a ''fait accompli' as the German army had already occupied the country.
Hitler had initially denied any intention to annex Austria, stating in a May 21, 1935 speech to the Reichstag that "Germany neither intends nor wishes to interfere in the internal affairs of Austria, to annex Austria, or to conclude an Anschluss [union with Austria]." However, in February 1938, he changed course and demanded that Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg appoint members of Austria's Nazi Party to his cabinet and give them full political rights or face an invasion by the German army. Schuschnigg responded by calling for a national plebiscite to take place on March 13, so that Austrians could decide for themselves whether they wished to remain independent or become part of the Third Reich. Hitler 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 Nazi as the new chancellor, and when Miklas refused, Hitler ordered the invasion to begin at dawn the next day.
On the morning of March 12, German soldiers in tanks and armoured vehicles crossed the border into Austria, encountering no resistance. Hitler himself rode into Austria in a car, accompanied by a 4,000-man bodyguard. They were greeted by cheering Austrians with Nazi salutes, Nazi flags, and flowers. That evening, Hitler arrived in Linz, where he was given an enthusiastic welcome by 250,000 Austrians. The enthusiasm displayed toward Hitler and the Germans surprised both Nazis and non-Nazis, as most people had believed that a majority of Austrians opposed the Anschluss. The Austrian government had ordered the Austrian Bundesheer not to resist, and the "invasion" without shots fired was dubbed the Blumenkrieg ("Flower War"). The next day, Hitler appointed a new Nazi government, and on March 13, the Anschluss was officially proclaimed. Austria existed as 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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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 annexation, known as the Anschluss, was a violation of the Treaty of Versailles, which expressly forbade the unification of Austria and Germany. The Treaty of Versailles, signed in July 1919, imposed a series of punishing peace terms on defeated Germany, including stiff war reparation payments and the reduction of Germany's military forces. The Allies of World War I, who created the treaty, were aware that it would likely create a nationalist backlash in Germany, and this prediction came true under the leadership of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party.
Hitler had long expressed his desire for an Austro-German union, and in his earliest writings and speeches, he called for the unification of all Germans in a Greater Germany. In 1935, he unilaterally canceled the military clauses of the Treaty of Versailles, and in March 1936, he violated the treaty by remilitarizing the Rhineland, a demilitarized zone along the Rhine River in western Germany. This violation went unpunished by the other European powers, which emboldened Hitler to continue his expansionary policies.
The Anschluss was the first act of territorial aggression and expansion committed by Nazi Germany. German troops were greeted by cheering Austrians with Nazi salutes, Nazi flags, and flowers. The Austrian government had ordered the Austrian military not to resist, and Hitler rode into his birthplace, Braunau am Inn, with a 4,000-man bodyguard. While there was support for the Anschluss among Austrians, the population was subjected to extensive intimidation and suppression of the political opposition. The Social Democratic Party of Austria and the highest representative of the Roman Catholic Church in Austria both endorsed the annexation, and it is estimated that approximately two-thirds of Austrians might have voted for it.
Following the Anschluss, Austrian and German Nazis carried out the Nazification of Austrian life, and Austrians participated in the persecution of the country's Jewish population. The Nazis dissolved Jewish organizations and institutions, forcing Jews to emigrate. By the end of 1941, 130,000 Jews had left Vienna, and the majority of those who remained eventually became victims of the Holocaust. The annexation of Austria demonstrated Nazi disdain for the post-World War I European order and went unchecked by the other European powers, allowing Hitler to continue his expansionary policies, including the invasion of Poland in 1939, which led to the outbreak of World War II in Europe.
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Hitler's involvement
On March 12, 1938, German troops marched into Austria to annex the German-speaking nation for the Third Reich. This event, known as the Anschluss, was the Nazi German regime's first act of territorial aggression and expansion. The annexation of Austria was the culmination of Hitler's long-held desire for an Austro-German union, which he had expressed in his earliest writings and speeches.
In early 1938, Austrian Nazis conspired to seize the Austrian government by force and unite with Nazi Germany. Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg, in an attempt to assert his country's independence, met with Hitler but was bullied into naming several top Austrian Nazis to his cabinet. On March 9, Schuschnigg called for a plebiscite (referendum) on Austrian independence, scheduled for March 13. However, before the plebiscite could take place, Schuschnigg gave in to pressure from Hitler and resigned on March 11, pleading with Austrian forces not to resist the German "advance" into the country.
On March 12, Hitler accompanied German troops into Austria, where they were greeted by enthusiastic crowds. Hitler appointed a new Nazi government, and on March 13, the Anschluss was officially proclaimed. Hitler's journey through Austria became a triumphal tour, with around 200,000 cheering German Austrians gathering in Vienna to hear him declare the completion of the annexation and the formation of a Greater German Reich.
The annexation of Austria transformed the country overnight. Austrian Nazis, with the support of their German counterparts, carried out the Nazification of all aspects of Austrian life. This included the persecution of the country's Jewish population, with Jewish organisations and institutions being dissolved to force Jews to emigrate. By the end of 1941, 130,000 Jews had left Vienna, and the majority of those who stayed eventually became victims of the Holocaust.
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Austria's independence restored
Austria's independence was formally restored with the signing of the Austrian State Treaty on May 15, 1955, marking a significant moment in the aftermath of World War II and the unfolding Cold War. The treaty was the result of extensive negotiations involving the Allied powers, particularly in the context of Austria's complex role in World War II, where it was regarded as both a victim and a participant in Nazi aggression.
The road to Austria's independence was challenging, with Soviet reluctance and stalling tactics prolonging discussions for nearly eight years. The breakthrough came in 1955 when Soviet leaders signalled a willingness to withdraw their troops from Austria in exchange for a declaration of permanent neutrality. This was a rare instance of the Soviet Union relinquishing control over a nation during the Cold War.
The Austrian State Treaty re-established Austria as a "sovereign, independent, and democratic state" within its boundaries before 1938, when the Nazis annexed Austria to Germany in what is known as the Anschluss, or political union. The Anschluss was proclaimed on March 13, 1938, after German troops, accompanied by Hitler, marched into Austria on March 12, 1938, to annex the German-speaking nation for the Third Reich. This act of territorial aggression violated the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain, which expressly forbade the unification of Austria and Germany.
The annexation of Austria was supported by a large majority of Austrians, and parliamentary elections were held in Germany, including the recently annexed Austria, on April 10, 1938. The Nazis dissolved Jewish organisations and institutions, forcing Jews to emigrate, and Austrians participated in the persecution of the country's Jewish population. Despite this, there were parts of Austria, particularly Vienna, where German soldiers were not welcomed due to the city's large Jewish population.
Following World War II, the German identity in Austria was weakened, and Austria became an independent republic again in 1955, joining the European Union in 1995.
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Frequently asked questions
Austria was annexed by Germany on March 12, 1938.
This annexation was called the Anschluss.
The chancellor of Austria at the time was Kurt von Schuschnigg.
The Austrian population was given no choice and was subjected to intimidation and suppression of the political opposition. However, many Austrians did welcome the annexation and supported the unification of the two nations.
