Lexi Webster
On March 12, 1938, German troops marched into Austria, marking the beginning of the annexation of Austria into the German Reich, known as the Anschluss. This invasion was the Nazi German regime's first act of territorial aggression and expansion, violating the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain, which expressly forbade the unification of Austria and Germany. The invasion was preceded by years of rising nationalist sentiment in Austria, with some Austrians desiring a restoration of the Austrian Empire, while others advocated for unity with Germany. Adolf Hitler, an Austrian-born German, shared these nationalist ideas and sought to redraw the map of post-World War I Europe, considering the existing international borders unfair and illegitimate. The annexation of Austria was met with enthusiasm by many Germans and Austrians, with over 99% of Austrians voting in favour of the Anschluss in a referendum organised by the Nazis. However, the referendum was not anonymous, leading to a high percentage of votes in favour due to opponents fearing retribution if they voted against.
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What You'll Learn
Hitler's Austrian background
Adolf Hitler was born in Braunau am Inn in Austria-Hungary in 1889. He was the son of a local customs official and his much younger third wife. Hitler's father, Alois, was born out of wedlock and raised by his mother and stepfather. In 1892, when Hitler was three years old, his family moved to Passau, Germany, after Alois received a promotion. A year later, Alois was transferred to Linz, Austria, but the rest of the family remained in Passau. In 1894, the family returned to Austria and settled in Leonding, and in 1895 they moved to Hafeld, near Lambach, where Alois retired from his work and began farming and keeping bees. Hitler attended a state-funded primary school in nearby Fischlham.
Hitler's time in Hafeld coincided with the onset of intense father-son conflicts, caused by Hitler's refusal to conform to the strict discipline of his school. Hitler's father tried to browbeat his son into obedience, but Hitler did his best to be the opposite of whatever his father wanted. Hitler later dramatised an incident from this time, depicting a visit to a customs office with his father as an event that gave rise to an intense antagonism between the two. Hitler's mother allowed him to leave school after his father's sudden death in 1903, and he enrolled at the Realschule in Steyr in 1904, where his behaviour and performance improved. In 1905, after passing a repeat of the final exam, Hitler left school with no ambitions for further education or clear career plans.
In 1907, Hitler moved to Vienna, where he lived and studied fine art. He applied to the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna but was rejected twice. After his mother's death from cancer in 1907, he moved to Munich, the capital of the German state of Bavaria. In 1913, he returned to Austria, but when World War I broke out in 1914, he voluntarily enlisted in the Bavarian Army. Allowing Hitler to serve was likely an administrative error, as an Austrian citizen he should have been returned to Austria. During the war, he was decorated for bravery, receiving the Iron Cross, Second Class, and rose to the rank of corporal.
In 1919, Hitler joined the German Workers' Party (DAP), the precursor to the Nazi Party, and was appointed the party's leader in 1921. He had developed German nationalist ideas from a young age, expressing loyalty only to Germany and despising the rule of the ethnically diverse Habsburg monarchy. In 1920, the DAP was renamed the National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP) to appeal to a wider base.
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Austria's economic dependence on Germany
Austria's economy has historically been dependent on Germany. In the 1920s, many Austrians believed that their country could not survive economically without the lands previously held by Austria-Hungary. This belief led to a desire for Austria to unite with Germany, an idea that dated back to the 19th century.
In addition to tourism, other sectors of the Austrian economy were also heavily dependent on Germany. For example, the Austrian steel industry was reliant on iron imports from Germany, as noted by Göring in a secret speech in 1937. He argued that the only solution to meeting the steel production targets of the Four Year Plan was to annex Austria.
The annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany in 1938, known as the Anschluss, resulted in Austria losing control of its economic policy until the formation of the Second Republic in 1945. During this period, Austria's economy was transformed and Nazified, with Austrian civil servants, soldiers, and police officers adopting Nazi ideas and implementing Nazi policies.
In the post-World War II period, Austria's economy continued to be influenced by Germany. With the implementation of the Marshall Plan, Austria's economy gradually recovered, but it remained dependent on food imports and was disproportionately weak in consumer goods production. By 1947, the Austrian economy had reached 61% of pre-war levels, and the economy of the Soviet zone eventually reunited with the rest of the country.
Today, Austria has a highly developed social market economy and is one of the richest countries in the world in terms of GDP per capita. While Germany has historically been Austria's main trading partner, Austria's membership in the European Union has reduced its economic dependence on Germany by fostering closer ties with other EU economies.
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Austria's political instability
Following World War I, discussions and debates about Austria's role in a potential German nation-state emerged. Many Austrians did not believe their country could survive economically without the territories previously held by the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Some advocated for restoring a form of the empire, while others supported the idea of uniting with Germany. These sentiments were not new, as the German Workers' Party, founded in 1903 in Bohemia (then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire), promoted German nationalism and the unification of Austria and Germany.
The economic crisis of the 1930s further exacerbated Austria's political instability. Hitler's National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP) exploited the economic woes, using slogans such as "500,000 Unemployed – 400,000 Jews – Simple way out; vote National Socialist". The party's membership doubled annually from 1930 onwards, attracting Austrians who favoured unity with Germany.
The Austrian National Socialists, linked to Hitler's NSDAP, gained support in the late 1920s and early 1930s, despite initially performing poorly in elections. In 1936, Austrian Chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg signed an agreement with German ambassador Franz von Papen, releasing Nazis imprisoned in Austria and allowing members of the "National Opposition" into the cabinet in exchange for a promise to respect Austrian sovereignty. However, this agreement failed to satisfy Hitler, and the Austrian Nazis continued their terrorist attacks.
As Hitler rose to power in Germany, becoming Chancellor in 1933, the Austrian political landscape became even more unstable. The Social Democrats removed any intention to cooperate with Germany from their party programme. Meanwhile, Nazi terrorists in Austria received support from Germany, contributing to political violence and unrest. The German government subjected Austria to systematic agitation, and the Austrian Nazi Party was banned in June 1933 after a hand grenade attack.
In November 1937, Hermann Göring, Hitler's second-in-command, called for the annexation of Austria to address problems with meeting steel production targets. Hitler concurred, stating that Austria would eventually have to be taken "by force". In February 1938, Hitler threatened Schuschnigg with an immediate invasion of Austria, leading to Schuschnigg's resignation and the appointment of a pro-Nazi chancellor, Arthur Seyss-Inquart. On March 12, 1938, German troops marched into Austria, facing no resistance, and the country was swiftly incorporated into the German Reich.
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Hitler's expansionist ideology
Hitler and the Nazis considered the postwar international borders unfair and illegitimate and wanted to unite Austria and Germany, an idea that had been debated since the 19th century. Many Austrians and Germans shared this desire for unification, and after the Nazi Party gained power in Germany, they provided support to the Austrian National Socialists, who carried out illegal activities and acts of violence. Hitler himself had Austrian heritage, which may have influenced his decision to invade.
In 1937, Hitler stated that Austria would eventually have to be taken "by force", and in March 1938, German troops invaded Austria, incorporating it into the German Reich in what became known as the Anschluss. This was the Nazi regime's first act of territorial aggression and expansion, violating the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain, which expressly forbade the unification of Austria and Germany. The annexation was met with enthusiasm by many Austrians, who participated in the Nazification of their country and the persecution of the Jewish population.
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Violation of international treaties
The annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany, known as the Anschluss, was the first act of territorial aggression and expansion by the regime. It was also a violation of international treaties, namely the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain. These treaties, which were signed after World War I, expressly forbade the unification of Austria and Germany, as European leaders feared that a union would result in a powerful force.
The idea of uniting Austria and Germany was not new, with discussions and debates about Austria's role in a German nation-state dating back to the 19th century. After the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, many Austrians did not believe their country could survive economically without the lands previously held by the Empire. Some Austrians hoped to restore a form of the empire, while others wanted to unite with Germany.
Hitler, who was Austrian-German by birth, shared the desire for unification. He and the Nazis wanted to redraw the map of post-World War I Europe, considering the international borders unfair and illegitimate. In the mid-1930s, Hermann Göring, a high-ranking Nazi official, became the loudest voice in Germany calling for an Anschluss, even at the risk of losing an alliance with Italy. Göring noted that Austria was rich in iron, which could help meet the steel production targets laid out by the Four Year Plan.
In February 1938, Hitler threatened the Austrian Chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg with an immediate invasion of Austria if he did not grant amnesty to Nazis convicted of crimes and appoint a Nazi, Arthur Seyss-Inquart, as Minister of the Interior and Security. Schuschnigg agreed but later, in an attempt to preserve Austrian independence, decided to hold a plebiscite on the question of independence. Hitler sent an ultimatum to Schuschnigg, demanding that the plebiscite be withdrawn. After Schuschnigg agreed to cancel the plebiscite, further demands were made, including that Schuschnigg resign and that Seyss-Inquart be appointed Chancellor.
On March 11-13, 1938, German troops invaded Austria, and the country was incorporated into the German Reich. This violation of international treaties was accepted by other European powers, allowing Hitler to continue his expansionist policies unchecked.
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Frequently asked questions
Hitler attacked Austria because he wanted to redraw the map of post-World War I Europe. He considered the postwar international borders unfair and illegitimate.
The annexation of Austria, known as the Anschluss, was the Nazi German regime's first act of territorial aggression and expansion. It demonstrated Nazi disdain for the post-World War I European order and allowed Hitler to continue his expansionary policies unchecked.
While some Austrians participated enthusiastically in the Nazification of their country, others opposed it. Austrian civil servants, soldiers, and police officers took a new oath to Adolf Hitler, while many Austrians helped carry out the persecution of the country's Jewish population.
