Lyla Lindsey
The annexation of Austria, also known as the Anschluss, was the unification of Austria and Germany into a Greater Germany. The idea of the Anschluss arose after the unification of Germany in 1871, which excluded Austria and Austrian Germans from the Prussian-dominated German Empire. In 1938, Germany invaded Austria to annex the German-speaking nation for the Third Reich. A referendum was held on April 10, 1938, asking Austrians if they supported the reunification, with 99.73% of voters saying they did.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of Annexation | 12 March 1938 |
| Date of Referendum | 10 April 1938 |
| Referendum Result | 99.73% in favour, with a 99.71% turnout |
| Turnout | 99.71% |
| Number of Votes Against | 360,000 |
| Percentage of Votes Against | 8% |
| Number of Votes For | 9,000,000 |
| Percentage of Votes For | 91% |
| Plebiscite Result | 99.7561% in favour |
| Annexation Proclaimed | 13 March 1938 |
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What You'll Learn
The Anschluss
In the 1930s, the Nazi Party in Germany, led by Adolf Hitler, rose to power. Hitler, an Austrian German by birth, advocated for the unification of Austria and Germany in his 1925 book, "Mein Kampf". Despite his previous statements, Hitler claimed in a 1935 speech that Germany had no intention of annexing Austria. However, by 1937, German rearmament increased Berlin's interest in annexing Austria, which was rich in raw materials and labour.
In February 1938, Hitler invited the Austrian chancellor, Kurt von Schuschnigg, to Germany and forced him to give the Austrian Nazis more power. Schuschnigg planned a plebiscite on the question of the Anschluss, but he was pressured into cancelling it and resigned. Hitler then ordered the invasion of Austria, which began on March 12, 1938, with German troops marching into Austria to annex the German-speaking nation for the Third Reich. The Austrian government had planned a referendum for March 13, 1938, to assert its sovereignty, but Germany's invasion prevented the vote from taking place.
On March 13, 1938, the Anschluss was officially proclaimed, and Austria became a province of Germany. A referendum was held on April 10, 1938, asking Austrians if they supported the reunification with Germany. The official result showed an overwhelming majority of 99.73% in favour of the union. However, the referendum was subject to large-scale Nazi propaganda, and the voting rights of approximately 360,000 people, mainly political enemies and Austrian citizens of Jewish or Romani origin, were abrogated.
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Austrian public opinion
The annexation of Austria, or the Anschluss, took place on 12 March 1938, when German troops marched into the country to annex the German-speaking nation for the Third Reich. The idea of the Anschluss, or the unification of Austria and Germany, first arose in 1871 when the unification of Germany excluded Austria and German Austrians from the Prussian-dominated German Empire.
The Austrian public's opinion of the Anschluss was mixed. On the one hand, there was support for the annexation, particularly among those with German nationalist feelings and antisemitic views. The Social Democratic Party of Austria and the highest representative of the Roman Catholic Church in Austria, Cardinal Theodor Innitzer, both endorsed the Anschluss, which meant that around two-thirds of Austrians were expected to vote for it. Additionally, in 1921, plebiscites in Tyrol and Salzburg showed majorities of 98.77% and 99.11% in favour of unification with Germany.
On the other hand, there was also opposition to the annexation. By the end of 1933, Austrian public opinion about German annexation was at least 60% against. The Austrian government had planned a referendum for 13 March 1938 to assert its sovereignty, but Germany invaded Austria on 12 March to prevent the vote from taking place. This referendum was expected to have a low level of support for the Anschluss, with Gestapo reports indicating that only around a quarter to a third of Austrian voters in Vienna were in favour, with even lower support in rural areas.
The referendum that took place on 10 April 1938, after the annexation, showed 99.73% of voters in favour of the union. However, this vote was subject to large-scale Nazi propaganda, the suppression of voting rights for around 360,000 people (mainly political opponents and Austrian citizens of Jewish or Romani origin), and the intimidation of voters. The secrecy of the ballot was also compromised, and several claims were made that the vote was rigged.
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Plebiscite
The Anschluss, or the Annexation of Austria, took place on 12 March 1938, when German troops marched into Austria to annex the German-speaking nation for the Third Reich. This was the culmination of a long-held desire to unite Austria and Germany, which had been thwarted by the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint Germain after World War I.
In the lead-up to the annexation, there were several attempts to hold a plebiscite, or referendum, on the issue of unification. The first attempt was made by Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg, who called for a national plebiscite to take place on 13 March 1938, so that Austrians could decide for themselves whether they wished to remain independent or become part of the Third Reich. However, this vote was never held, as Hitler invaded Austria on 12 March to prevent it from taking place.
After the invasion, a sham referendum was held on 10 April 1938, asking Austrians if they supported the reunification with the German Reich that had been enacted the previous month. This vote was held under the supervision of the German army and was subject to large-scale Nazi propaganda and the abrogation of the voting rights of approximately 360,000 people, mainly political enemies and Austrian citizens of Jewish or Romani origin. The officially published results showed an overwhelming majority of 99.73% in favour of the Anschluss, although the validity of this outcome has been questioned by historians.
It is important to note that the plebiscite took place in a context of intimidation and suppression of political opposition, with the German army already occupying Austria and integrating it into Germany. Despite the show of support for the annexation, it is estimated that Austrian public opinion about German annexation was largely against the idea, with some sources suggesting that only 20% of Austrians genuinely supported the Anschluss.
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German occupation
The German occupation of Austria, also known as the Anschluss, began on March 12, 1938, when German troops marched into the country to annex the German-speaking nation for the Third Reich. The idea of uniting Austria and Germany dated back to 1871 when the unification of Germany excluded Austria and German Austrians from the Prussian-dominated German Empire. The annexation of Austria was a significant event in the expansion of Nazi Germany and had important economic and political implications for both countries.
In the lead-up to the German occupation, there was political turmoil in Austria. The Austrian government had planned a referendum for March 13, 1938, to assert its sovereignty. However, the German invasion on March 12 prevented the vote from taking place. Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg, aware of the impending invasion, cancelled the plebiscite and offered to resign to avoid bloodshed. Hitler demanded that the president of Austria, Wilhelm Miklas, appoint an Austrian Nazi leader as the nation's chancellor, which Miklas refused to do.
The German occupation of Austria was met with mixed reactions from the Austrian population. While there were enthusiastic crowds that greeted Hitler and the German troops, the annexation was not universally supported. The referendum that was planned for March 13, 1938, was intended to give Austrians a choice between maintaining independence and becoming part of the Third Reich. According to estimates, about 70% of Austrians would have voted to preserve Austrian independence. However, the large-scale Nazi propaganda, intimidation, and suppression of political opposition influenced the outcome of the plebiscite that eventually took place on April 10, 1938.
The official result of the referendum held on April 10, 1938, reported a 99.73% approval rating for the annexation, with a 99.71% turnout. However, the validity of this result has been questioned. The secrecy of the ballot was compromised, and the voting process was influenced by Nazi propaganda and the abrogation of the voting rights of approximately 360,000 people, mainly political enemies and Austrian citizens of Jewish or Romani origin. Despite the questionable nature of the referendum, the German occupation of Austria proceeded, and the country existed as a federal state of Germany until the end of World War II.
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Annexation aftermath
The annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany, known as the Anschluss, took place on March 12, 1938, when German troops marched into the country. The next day, Austria's parliament formally approved the annexation, and on March 13, the Anschluss was proclaimed. This annexation was the culmination of a long-standing desire for a union between Austria and Germany, which had been thwarted by the Treaty of Saint Germain and the Treaty of Versailles following World War I.
In the aftermath of the annexation, Austria ceased to exist as an independent nation and became a province of Germany, officially known as "Ostmark." The Nazi government in Austria signed a law proclaiming Austria "a land of the German Reich," and Adolf Hitler issued the "Law on the Reunification of Austria with the German Reich" on March 13, 1938, which de jure abolished Austria as a state.
The Allies, committed to upholding the terms of the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint Germain, which specifically prohibited the union of Austria and Germany, only reacted verbally and moderately to the annexation. There was no military confrontation, and even the strongest voices against the annexation, such as Fascist Italy, France, and Britain, remained at peace. The loudest verbal protest came from the government of Mexico.
On April 10, 1938, a referendum was held in Austria to ratify the annexation, asking Austrians if they agreed with the reunification with the German Reich. The official result reported a 99.71% turnout, with 99.73% voting in favour of the union. However, this referendum was held post-facto, after the annexation had already taken place, and it was subject to large-scale Nazi propaganda and the abrogation of the voting rights of approximately 360,000 people, mainly political enemies and Austrian citizens of Jewish or Romani origin.
The annexation of Austria was followed by a campaign of persecution against Jews, with the Nuremberg Laws being adopted in May 1938 and reinforced with additional anti-Semitic decrees. On Kristallnacht, November 9-10, synagogues were destroyed, Jewish shops were plundered and closed, and more than 6,000 Jews were arrested, with the majority deported to Dachau. Jews were systematically stripped of their rights, freedoms, and livelihoods, and forced to emigrate.
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Frequently asked questions
The vote to annex Austria, also known as the Anschluss, took place on April 10, 1938.
The official result of the referendum was 99.73% in favour of the annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany, with a 99.71% turnout.
The idea of the Anschluss, a united Austria and Germany that would form a "Greater Germany", arose after the unification of Germany in 1871 excluded Austria and Austrian Germans from the Prussian-dominated German Empire. The annexation of Austria was achieved by Adolf Hitler and the Nazis, who rose to power in the Weimar Republic.
No, the vote was not fair. The referendum was held in German-occupied Austria, and the German army supervised the vote. Political enemies and Austrian citizens of Roma or Jewish origin (roughly 360,000 people or 8% of the population) were not allowed to vote. The ballot papers also featured a large circle for 'yes' votes and a small one for 'no' votes, and there are several claims that the vote was rigged.
The reaction to the vote was mostly verbal and moderate, and no military confrontation took place. The loudest verbal protest was voiced by the government of Mexico.
