Damon Mcknight
The annexation of Austria and Czechoslovakia was part of Hitler's plan to create a living space for the German people. Austria was the first step in this plan, as it was rich in raw materials and labour, and its annexation was popular among Austrians. Czechoslovakia was the second step, as it was highly industrialized and had a large armaments industry. Hitler's invasion of Czechoslovakia was also motivated by racial politics and Lebensraum, but economic factors played a significant role as well.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of Annexation of Austria | March 12, 1938 |
| Date of Annexation of Czechoslovakia | March 15, 1939 |
| Reason | Hitler wanted to redraw the map of post-World War I Europe and overturn the remaining military and territorial provisions of the Treaty of Versailles |
| Reason | Austria and Czechoslovakia were home to millions of people who spoke German as their primary language |
| Reason | Austria and Germany had a shared history as the Austro-Hungarian Empire |
| Reason | Hitler wanted to unite all ethnic Germans in the Reich as a step toward the creation of a German empire in Europe |
| Reason | Austria and Czechoslovakia were targets for Hitler's desired 'living space' |
| Result | Czechoslovakia ceased to exist by the end of 1939 |
| Result | The Nazis persecuted the Jewish populations in Austria and Czechoslovakia |
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What You'll Learn
Hitler's belief in 'living space'
Hitler's belief in "living space" or Lebensraum was a critical component of the Nazi worldview that drove its military conquests and racial policies. The concept of Lebensraum was not original to Hitler, but it was commonplace at the time, with Hans Grimm's book "Volk ohne Raum" ("People Without Space") selling much better than Hitler's "Mein Kampf" when it was published in 1925.
Hitler, a World War I veteran, believed that Germany's defeat in the war could be attributed to a lack of resources due to the British naval blockade and material shortages. This led to the stab-in-the-back explanation, which blamed Germany's loss on internal factors such as Jews, liberals, and others who had allegedly compromised the war effort. Hitler vowed that Germany would never again be defeated due to a lack of resources.
The idea of Lebensraum was informed by the blood and soil beliefs of ethnic identity, which held that it was the right of the German Aryan "master race" (Herrenvolk) to remove indigenous peoples in the name of their own living space. Hitler and other Nazi thinkers drew direct comparisons to American expansion in the West, seeing Eastern Europe as their "Manifest Destiny."
Hitler outlined his belief in the superiority of the Aryan race and German destiny for world domination in "Mein Kampf", which he wrote while incarcerated in 1924 after the failure of the Beer Hall Putsch. Guided by political geographer and former general Karl Haushofer, Hitler was also influenced by Ratzel's writings, which further shaped his worldview.
The annexation of Austria (Anschluss) in March 1938 was the Nazi regime's first act of territorial aggression and expansion. It violated the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain, which forbade the unification of Austria and Germany. This was followed by the invasion of Czechoslovakia in March 1939, which broke the Munich Pact and led to the British pledging military support to Poland. Hitler responded by renouncing various non-aggression pacts and forming an alliance with the Soviet Union, which secretly divided up Poland between the two countries.
Hitler's belief in Lebensraum served as a justification for Nazi expansionism and the pursuit of German living space at the expense of non-German peoples in Eastern Europe. The Nazis targeted not only Jews but also other ethnic, social, political, and religious groups, resulting in the systematic state-sponsored killing of millions during the Holocaust.
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Czechoslovakia's industrialisation
Czechoslovakia's industrialization played a key role in Hitler's decision to annex the country. Before the Munich Agreement, Czechoslovakia was the 10th most industrialized country in the world, with a highly developed armaments industry, ranking 7th globally. This made the country an attractive target for Nazi Germany's expansionist ambitions.
The industrialization of Czechoslovakia, particularly the regions of Bohemia and Moravia, followed a trajectory similar to that of Great Britain. A flourishing agricultural sector generated surpluses that were invested in building factories, and population growth provided the necessary labor force for industrialization. The country's industrialization was also characterized by the strong influence of the nobility, who played a significant role in modernizing agricultural production and establishing various industries.
The textile industry, for instance, flourished with the establishment of mechanical looms in Varnsdorf in 1801, and the arrival of steam engines in Bohemia and Moravia shortly after. Brno, known as the "Moravian Manchester," became a center for textile production and, later, machine tool manufacturing. The mining and iron industries also developed early, with nobles investing in these sectors and exploiting the rich deposits of coal and iron ore in the region.
By the middle of the 19th century, industrialization was firmly established in Czechoslovakia. The construction of railways connected Bohemia and Moravia with Vienna, and exports to Austria, Germany, and less-industrialized neighboring countries to the east and southeast flourished. The mechanization of industries, however, had significant social consequences, displacing hundreds of thousands of cottage workers and exacerbating rural poverty.
During the interwar years, Czechoslovakia continued its industrialization process, and by the late 1940s, it was one of the most industrialized countries in the world. Its armaments, heavy industries, and industrial products were recognized and traded worldwide. The country's substantial industrial base and productive capacity made it an attractive target for Hitler's expansionist policies and played a significant role in his decision to annex Czechoslovakia.
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Austria's economic ties with Germany
Austria and Germany have a long shared history, with both countries being part of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation for several centuries. The Holy Roman Empire was officially a German polity from 1512 and was mostly led by Austria itself. Later, from 1879 to 1918, Austria-Hungary and the German Empire were bound by the Austro-German Alliance, which became the Triple Alliance with the addition of Italy in 1882. This pact promised mutual support in the event of an attack by Russia and neutrality if either party was attacked by another power.
In the 1920s, many Austrians believed that their country could not survive economically without the territories previously held by Austria-Hungary. Some Austrians hoped to restore a form of the empire, while others wanted Austria to unite with Germany. However, the peace treaties that ended World War I, including the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain, expressly forbade Germany and Austria from uniting. Subsequent international financial agreements also required Austria to remain independent from Germany.
Despite these treaties, Austria and Germany maintained close economic ties. On September 1, 1920, the Weimar Republic and Austria concluded an economic agreement to address the severe economic hardships, hyperinflation, mass unemployment, and constant riots both countries faced after World War I. Austrian-born Adolf Hitler, who came to power in Germany in 1933, demanded the right to Anschluss (union) between Austria and Germany. This demand culminated in the annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany in March 1938, becoming the regime's first act of territorial aggression and expansion.
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The Munich Pact
The agreement was reached in a bid to prevent a German invasion of Czechoslovakia, which was the next step in Hitler's plan of creating a "greater Germany". The Czechoslovak government had hoped that Britain and France would come to its assistance in the event of a German invasion, but Chamberlain was intent on averting war. Hitler, on the other hand, kept increasing his demands. The pact was a direct intervention by Chamberlain to secure Czech acceptance of Hitler's ultimatum for the cession of the Sudetenland to Germany. The Sudetenland, a Czechoslovak mountainous borderland, was of absolute strategic importance to Czechoslovakia as it presented a natural obstacle to a possible German attack.
Hitler broke the Munich Pact almost immediately, annexing the remainder of Czechoslovakia in March 1939. Despite this, he did not face a military response from the Allies. Instead, on September 1, 1939, German army divisions invaded Poland, an act of territorial aggression that started World War II.
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The Sudetenland
Hitler then turned his attention to the Czechoslovak republic. He threatened to unleash a European war unless the Sudetenland was surrendered to Germany. The leaders of Britain, France, Italy, and Germany held a conference in Munich, Germany, on September 29-30, 1938, in which they agreed to the German annexation of the Sudetenland in exchange for a pledge of peace from Hitler. This agreement was known as the Munich Agreement.
Hitler, however, was not satisfied with the Munich Agreement and soon came to see it as a concession that had prevented him from entering Prague. In March 1939, he exploited the quarrel between the Slovaks and the Czechs as a pretext for the occupation of the whole of Bohemia and Moravia. On March 15, 1939, the Czech provinces of Bohemia and Moravia were proclaimed a German protectorate and occupied by German forces. Slovakia became an independent state closely allied with Germany. By the end of 1939, Czechoslovakia had completely disappeared from the map.
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Frequently asked questions
Hitler wanted to annex Austria as part of his plan to redraw the map of post-World War I Europe. By annexing Austria, Hitler violated the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain, which expressly forbade the unification of Austria and Germany.
In the 1920s, many Austrians did not believe their country could survive economically without the lands previously held by Austria-Hungary. Some Austrians hoped to restore a form of the empire, while others wanted to unite with Germany.
Hitler annexed Austria on March 12, 1938.
Hitler wanted to annex Czechoslovakia as part of his plan to create a German empire in Europe. He also wanted to include ethnic Germans in the Reich.
Hitler annexed Czechoslovakia in March 1939.
