Lyla Lindsey
On March 12, 1938, German troops marched into Austria to annex the German-speaking nation for the Third Reich. This invasion, known as the Anschluss, was the first act of territorial aggression and expansion by Nazi Germany. The Austrian government had ordered the Austrian Bundesheer not to resist, and the German troops were greeted by cheering Austrians with Nazi salutes, Nazi flags, and flowers. While there was doubt that a qualified majority of Austrians would have supported the Anschluss, the pro-Anschluss movement was strong, and the Austrian Nazis grew in strength. The invasion was met with international condemnation but little concrete action, allowing Hitler to continue his expansionary policies unchecked.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of German invasion | 12 March 1938 |
| German leader | Adolf Hitler |
| Austrian leader | Kurt von Schuschnigg |
| Reason for invasion | To unite Austria and Germany for the Third Reich |
| Austrian chancellor appointed by Hitler | Arthur Seyss-Inquart |
| Austrian president | Wilhelm Miklas |
| Austrian Nazi Party | Supported the invasion |
| Austrian public opinion | Mixed, but many Austrians supported the invasion |
| International response | France, Great Britain, and the United States followed a policy of appeasement |
| Impact on Austria | Persecution of Jews, communists, socialists, and other minorities |
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What You'll Learn
Hitler's ultimatum to Austrian Chancellor Schuschnigg
On 12 February 1938, Austrian Chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg met with Adolf Hitler at his Berghof residence. Schuschnigg, who had been chancellor since 1934, attempted to ease the worsening relations between Austria and Germany. However, Hitler surprised Schuschnigg with a set of demands amounting to an ultimatum: that he effectively hand over power to the Austrian Nazis.
Hitler's demands included that Schuschnigg place five Austrian Nazis or Nazi sympathizers in his cabinet. Schuschnigg, a long-time opponent of Nazism in Austria, capitulated and appointed Dr Arthur Von Seyss-Inquart, a leader of the outlawed Austrian Nazis, to the cabinet. This gave Hitler domination over the Austrian police and enabled the suppression of Austrian monarchists. Schuschnigg also agreed to an amnesty decree covering all political crimes and reinstating pensions for those who had lost them due to illegal Nazi activities.
Hitler's ultimatum also included a demand for the handing over of power to the Austrian Nazis. Schuschnigg desperately sought support for Austrian independence, but neither France nor Britain was willing to offer assistance. On 11 March, Hitler threatened to invade Austria and demanded Schuschnigg's resignation and the appointment of Seyss-Inquart as his replacement. Hitler's plan was for Seyss-Inquart to call for German troops to restore order and provide a veneer of legitimacy to the invasion. In the face of this threat, Schuschnigg was forced to cancel the planned referendum on a possible union with Germany.
Hitler's ultimatum to Schuschnigg was the culmination of years of Nazi efforts to undermine the Austrian government and unify the two countries. The Nazis had gained supporters in Austria as Hitler's popularity in Germany increased, and they sought to exploit the country's political instability. After a failed coup in 1934, many leading Austrian Nazis went into exile in Germany, where they continued to agitate for unification. Schuschnigg, like his predecessor Engelbert Dollfuss, ruled Austria as an authoritarian regime, but his efforts to maintain Austrian independence ultimately failed in the face of Hitler's aggression.
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Austria's surrender without resistance
In the years leading up to the annexation, there was a significant Nazi presence in Austria, with many Austrians considering themselves German and speaking German as their primary language. Discussions about Austria's unification with Germany were not new, and some Austrians hoped to unite with Germany to improve their economic situation. The Austrian Nazi Party conspired to seize the Austrian government and unite with Nazi Germany, and their influence grew stronger over time.
On February 12, 1938, Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg met with Adolf Hitler, who demanded that von Schuschnigg appoint members of the Austrian Nazi Party to his cabinet and grant them full political rights, threatening invasion otherwise. Von Schuschnigg called for a national plebiscite to decide on Austrian independence, scheduled for March 13. Hitler, however, decided to invade immediately to prevent the vote.
On March 11, 1938, von Schuschnigg cancelled the plebiscite and offered his resignation to avoid bloodshed. He addressed the nation, pleading with Austrian forces not to resist a German invasion. The following day, German troops, accompanied by Hitler himself, entered Austria without facing any resistance. The Austrian government had ordered the Austrian Bundesheer not to oppose the invasion.
Hitler's annexation of Austria was a significant act of aggression and expansion, violating the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain, which expressly forbade the unification of Austria and Germany. The "Anschluss" marked the beginning of a transformation in Austria, with the Nazis rapidly imposing their ideology and persecuting Jews, communists, socialists, and other political opponents.
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The Austrian public's support for Hitler
Firstly, the Nazi Party in Austria engaged in a sophisticated propaganda campaign to sway public opinion in favour of Anschluss, or the unification of Austria with Nazi Germany. Slogans such as "Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Führer" ("One People, One Empire, One Leader") resonated with Austrians, and the Nazi movement gained particular support among young people. Hitler himself, being an Austrian native, had a strong personal connection to the country, which likely influenced public opinion. Additionally, the Austrian government's inability to maintain order and the economic hardships of the time may have made the stability and prosperity promised by Hitler seem appealing to some Austrians.
The growth of pro-German sentiment in Austria was also a significant factor. Many Austrians identified with a German national identity, and the idea of a union with Germany had been promoted by political parties like the Austrian Nazi Party and the German National Socialist Workers' Party (DNSAP) since the early 1900s. The Austrian Nazi Party's popularity increased significantly after Hitler rose to power in Germany, and their terrorist attacks and propaganda campaigns further pressured the Austrian government to align with Nazi Germany.
However, it is important to note that support for Hitler and the Nazis was not unanimous in Austria. Some Austrians, like the leader of the Social Democratic Party, Otto Bauer, advocated for an independent Austria. Additionally, the Austrian chancellor, Kurt von Schuschnigg, resisted Hitler's demands and attempted to preserve the country's independence by calling for a plebiscite, or public vote, on the issue. Nevertheless, the pro-Anschluss movement gained significant traction, and when German troops crossed the border into Austria on March 12, 1938, they were greeted by cheering Austrians with Nazi salutes and flowers.
The enthusiasm displayed by Austrians towards Hitler and the German troops surprised both Nazis and non-Nazis alike, as most people had believed that a majority of Austrians opposed the Anschluss. This enthusiasm may have been influenced by the desire to put an end to the so-called "Jewish Question," as the new regime openly sanctioned persecution and Aryanization, enhancing its popularity among antisemites. Nonetheless, it is challenging to determine the exact proportion of Austrians who supported Hitler, as sparse evidence suggests that the pro-Anschluss movement may have only had slim majority support.
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Austria's violation of the Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was the primary treaty produced by the Paris Peace Conference at the end of World War I. It was signed on June 28, 1919, and enforced on January 10, 1920. The treaty gave some German territories to neighbouring countries and placed other German territories under international supervision. Germany was also stripped of its overseas colonies, its military capabilities were restricted, and it was required to pay war reparations to the Allied countries.
Austria, which had been a part of the Central Powers during World War I, was also affected by the Treaty of Versailles. The treaty guaranteed the political independence, territorial integrity, and sovereignty of Austria, with a pledge from Austria to "abstain from any economic or financial engagement calculated directly or indirectly to compromise this independence."
However, in the years leading up to World War II, Austria began to violate the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. In 1936, Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg signed an agreement with German ambassador Franz von Papen, in which Schuschnigg agreed to the release of Nazis imprisoned in Austria, and Germany promised to respect Austrian sovereignty. Despite this agreement, Hitler was not satisfied, and the pro-German Austrian Nazis continued to grow in strength.
In 1938, Austrian Nazis conspired to seize the Austrian government by force and unite with Nazi Germany. Chancellor von Schuschnigg called for a national plebiscite, or vote, to take place on March 13, 1938, to determine whether Austrians wished to remain independent or become part of the Third Reich. Hitler, upon hearing this, decided to invade Austria to prevent the vote. On March 11, von Schuschnigg cancelled the plebiscite and resigned to avoid bloodshed.
On March 12, 1938, German troops marched into Austria, annexing the nation for the Third Reich. This annexation, known as the Anschluss, was met with enthusiasm by many Austrians. Hitler appointed a new Nazi government, and Austria existed as a federal state of Germany until the end of World War II, when the Allies declared the Anschluss void and re-established an independent Austria.
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The world's response to the invasion
The world's response to the German invasion of Austria, known as the Anschluss, was largely passive. Austria remained part of Germany until the end of World War II, and the Allied Powers' response to the invasion was influenced by their focus on the ongoing war effort.
The Anschluss was a significant breach of the post-World War I international order and violated the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain, which expressly forbade the unification of Austria and Germany. However, the other European powers did not intervene or punish Nazi Germany for violating these international treaties. This acceptance was a significant act of appeasement, allowing Adolf Hitler to continue his expansionist policies unchecked.
Winston Churchill, however, warned that countries should take "effective measures" to respond to Germany's aggression. In the United States, President Harry S. Truman asked for US assistance for Greece and Turkey to prevent communist domination, a move that historians cite as the official declaration of the Cold War.
The invasion of Austria was also a wake-up call for many Austrians, who realized the dangers of Nazi rule. A small minority of Austrians actively resisted Nazism, and some tried to escape the country. However, the majority of Austrians initially welcomed the German troops, and many even collaborated with the Nazi administration during World War II.
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Frequently asked questions
Austria's chancellor, Kurt von Schuschnigg, attempted to maintain Austrian independence in the face of German pressure. However, he was coerced into naming Austrian Nazis to his cabinet and ultimately resigned on March 11, 1938, to avoid bloodshed. Heeding Schuschnigg's request, Austria did not resist the German invasion, which occurred on March 12, 1938.
Hitler aimed to incorporate Austria into the German Reich, as he believed that "common blood belongs in a common Reich." This ideology was expressed in his 1925 book, Mein Kampf. Additionally, millions of people who considered themselves German lived in areas of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire, and many Austrians desired economic unity with Germany.
The annexation of Austria, known as the Anschluss, was the first act of territorial aggression by Nazi Germany. While France, Great Britain, and the United States followed a policy of appeasement, Winston Churchill warned that countries should take "effective measures" to counter Germany's aggression. The government of Mexico lodged a protest with the League of Nations, but to no avail.
