Damon Mcknight
Germany and Austria have a shared history, with German being the official language in both countries and Germans being the majority ethnic group in both. In 1871, Prussia established its military and economic superiority in central Europe, which, combined with the decline of Austrian influence, resulted in the unification of the German states. However, Austria was not included in this unification. The idea of unifying Austria and Germany, known as Anschluss, arose after the 1871 unification of Germany, which excluded Austria and the German Austrians from the Prussian-dominated German Empire. This idea gained support after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918. On 12 March 1938, Nazi Germany annexed Austria, and the country of Austria ceased to exist.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of unification | 12 March 1938 |
| Unification name | Anschluss |
| Unification meaning | Joining or connection |
| Unification type | Annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany |
| Reason for unification | Austria stripped of its imperial land was not viable economically |
| Treaty forbidding unification | Treaty of Versailles and Treaty of Saint Germain |
| Country demanding unification | Germany |
| Leader of the country demanding unification | Adolf Hitler |
| Previous attempts at unification | Yes, in the 19th century |
| Previous unification attempts reasons | Austria and Germany shared a history, language, and ethnicity |
| Austria's previous union | Led the German Confederation from 1815 to 1866 |
| Austria's union after unification | A province of Nazi Germany |
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What You'll Learn
The Anschluss
The unification of Germany and Austria, also known as the Anschluss, refers to the annexation of the Federal State of Austria into Nazi Germany on March 12, 1938. The idea of a unified Austria and Germany that would form a "Greater Germany" arose after the 1871 unification of Germany, which excluded Austria and the German Austrians from the Prussian-dominated German Empire.
History of the Idea
The concept of a unified Germany and Austria has a long history, dating back to the early 19th century. After Napoleon's defeat in 1815, Austria created the German Confederation, reuniting Prussia and Austria. During this period, the ideology of Pan-Germanism began to rise, with the goal of unifying all German states under a single nation. However, there were competing proposals from Prussia and Austria, each seeking to exclude the other from power. In 1867, the multi-ethnic Austro-Hungarian Empire was established, led by Austria, but it was rivalled by the North German Confederation and the German Empire, led by Prussia.
Attempts at Unification
In the aftermath of World War I, the idea of unification gained support once again. The Austro-Hungarian Empire fell in 1918, and the new Republic of German-Austria attempted to form a union with Germany. However, the 1919 Treaty of Saint Germain and Treaty of Versailles forbade both the union and the use of the name "German-Austria". These treaties also stripped Austria of some of its territories, further fuelling the desire for unification among many Austrians.
Rise of Nazism and the Anschluss
The unification of Germany and Austria became closely associated with Nazism after Adolf Hitler rose to power in Germany in 1933. Hitler, himself an Austrian-born, demanded the right to the Anschluss and made it an integral part of the Nazi "Heim ins Reich" ("back home to the realm") concept. The Austrian Nazi Party failed to win any seats in the 1930 general election, but its popularity grew in the following years, aided by Nazi propaganda campaigns.
In February 1938, Hitler invited the Austrian chancellor, Kurt von Schuschnigg, to Germany and forced him to agree to give the Austrian Nazis more power. Schuschnigg later announced a plebiscite on the question of unification, but he was pressured to cancel it and resign. On March 12, 1938, the German Army crossed the border into Austria unopposed, and a controlled plebiscite on April 10 showed 99.7% approval for unification.
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The Austro-Hungarian Empire
Under the Compromise, the Austrian and Hungarian states were co-equal in power, with each maintaining its own parliament and government. They shared a single monarch, Emperor Franz Joseph, who was both Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary. Common ministries of foreign affairs and defence were maintained under the monarch's direct authority, along with a finance ministry responsible for financing these portfolios. The Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia was an autonomous region under the Hungarian crown, and after 1878, Bosnia and Herzegovina came under joint Austro-Hungarian rule.
Language was a contentious issue in the empire, with Hungarian, Slovak, Romanian, and Serb minorities all vying for recognition. The Hungarian Minority Act of 1868 granted individual rights to use their native languages in certain contexts, but later education acts sought to reduce the use of non-Magyar languages.
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The German Confederation
The Confederation was established for eternity and was impossible to dissolve (legally), with no member states being able to leave or join without universal consent in the Federal Convention. However, the Confederation was weakened by its structure and member states, as the most important decisions required unanimity, and its purpose was limited to security matters. The functioning of the Confederation depended on the cooperation of its two most populous member states, Austria and Prussia, which were often in opposition. The German revolutions of 1848–1849, motivated by liberal, democratic, socialist, and nationalist sentiments, attempted to transform the Confederation into a unified German federal state with a liberal constitution.
The formation of the Zollverein (a German customs union) in 1834 and the Revolutions of 1848 further undermined the confederation. It was finally dissolved after the victory of the Kingdom of Prussia in the Seven Weeks' War over the Austrian Empire in 1866. The dispute over which had the inherent right to rule German lands ended in favour of Prussia, leading to the creation of the North German Confederation under Prussian leadership in 1867. A number of South German states remained independent until they joined the North German Confederation, which was renamed and proclaimed as the "German Empire" in 1871, as the unified Germany (aside from Austria).
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The Treaty of Versailles
The unification of Germany and Austria, also known as the Anschluss, took place on 12 March 1938. The idea of a union between the two countries first arose after the 1871 unification of Germany, which excluded Austria and German Austrians from the Prussian-dominated German Empire.
The treaty required Germany to accept responsibility for causing the damage of the war and to pay an unspecified amount in reparations to the Allied countries. The exact amount was determined by the Inter-Allied Commission and presented in 1921, totalling 132 billion gold Reichmarks or 32 billion US dollars, in addition to the initial $5 billion payment demanded by the Treaty.
The harsh conditions of the Treaty of Versailles led to bitter resentment in Germany, fuelling the rise of the Nazi Party and eventually, the outbreak of World War II. Critics, including John Maynard Keynes, declared the treaty too harsh, arguing that the reparations were excessive and counterproductive. On the other hand, some prominent Allied figures, such as French Marshal Ferdinand Foch, criticised the treaty for being too lenient on Germany.
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The Nazi Regime
The unification of Germany and Austria occurred during the Nazi regime in 1938 and was known as the Anschluss, which translates to "joining" or "connection" from German. The annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany on March 12, 1938, marked the first act of territorial aggression and expansion by the Nazi regime.
The Rise of the Nazi Regime
The Lead-up to the Annexation
In the early 1930s, support for unification with Germany was strong in Austria, particularly among those on the political left and center, due to the belief that Austria was not economically viable after losing much of its imperial land following World War I. However, support for unification began to wane as Hitler's popularity in Germany grew. Austrian chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss transformed Austria into a right-wing authoritarian regime, known as the Corporate State or Austrofascist state, and attempted to maintain Austrian sovereignty in the face of Nazi aggression.
Austrian Nazis, supported and funded by Germany, waged a propaganda and terror campaign, staging disruptive protests and setting off explosives in public places and Jewish-owned businesses. In 1934, Austrian Nazis attempted a coup, assassinating Dollfuss. The coup's defeat prompted many leading Austrian Nazis to flee to Germany, where they continued to push for unification.
The Annexation of Austria
In early 1938, Austrian chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg announced a referendum on unification with Germany, to be held on March 13. Hitler threatened an invasion and pressured Schuschnigg to resign. On March 12, the German army crossed into Austria unopposed, and a plebiscite held on April 10, 1938, resulted in a 99.7% approval for unification, although the vote was manipulated through threats and coercion.
Impact on Austria
With the annexation, Austria ceased to be an independent country and became a province of Nazi Germany, initially referred to as the Ostmark. The Nazis sought to erase any traces of a separate Austrian identity, and subsequent administrative changes led to further name and border modifications. The unification had a devastating impact on Austria's Jewish population, marking a turning point in their persecution.
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Frequently asked questions
The unification of Germany and Austria, also known as the Anschluss, took place on March 12, 1938, when Nazi Germany annexed Austria.
Anschluss is a German word that means "connection" or "joining".
The idea of unifying Germany and Austria into a "Greater Germany" arose after the 1871 unification of Germany, which excluded Austria. Support for unification grew after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918, and the belief that Austria was not economically viable without its imperial land. However, the unification was forbidden by the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint Germain-en-Laye in 1919. After Adolf Hitler rose to power in Germany in 1933, he demanded the right to Anschluss, and in 1938, the German army entered Austria, leading to its annexation.
