Lyla Lindsey
The annexation of Austria in 1938, known as the Anschluss, was the first act of territorial aggression committed by Nazi Germany. Hitler's invasion of Austria was the first step in his expansionist policies, violating the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain, which expressly forbade the unification of Austria and Germany. The enthusiastic reception of Hitler by Austrians, as well as the failure of other European powers to intervene, allowed him to continue his expansion unchecked. This event transformed Austria overnight, as Austrian Nazis, supported by their German counterparts, rapidly Nazified all aspects of Austrian life, including the persecution of the country's Jewish population.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of Annexation | 12 March 1938 |
| Reason | Austria was rich in iron, which was needed to meet steel production targets |
| Hitler's Intentions | To unite Austria and Germany into one state |
| Violation of Treaties | Treaty of Versailles and Treaty of Saint-Germain |
| Nazi Propaganda | Urging voters to support Austrian independence |
| Plebiscite | A national vote to resolve the question of annexation |
| Nazi Threat | Clear for years, but people were still surprised |
| Nazi Ultimatum | Chancellor Schuschnigg must call off the plebiscite |
| Nazi Demand | Austrian President Wilhelm Miklas must appoint Arthur Seyss-Inquart as the new Austrian Chancellor |
| Nazi Action | German military invasion of Austria if demands were not met |
| Nazi Suppression | All opposition was suppressed, and political dissenters were imprisoned or sent to concentration camps |
| International Response | The UK, the Soviet Union, and the USA agreed that Austria should be liberated from German domination |
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What You'll Learn
Hitler's forces suppressed all opposition
Hitler's annexation of Austria, known as the Anschluss, was the first act of territorial expansion committed by Nazi Germany. By annexing Austria, Hitler violated the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain, which expressly forbade the unification of the two countries.
Hitler's invasion of Austria was the first big test of the Wehrmacht's machinery. Although the invading forces were poorly organized and coordination among the units was lacking, it did not matter because the Austrian government had ordered the Austrian Bundesheer not to resist. On the morning of 12 March 1938, the 8th Army of the German Wehrmacht crossed the border into Austria and was greeted by cheering Austrians with Nazi salutes, Nazi flags, and flowers. The "invasion" without any shots fired was therefore dubbed the Blumenkrieg ("Flower War").
Hitler's popularity reached an unprecedented peak after he fulfilled the Anschluss because he had completed the long-awaited idea of a Greater Germany. Many Austrians enthusiastically participated in the Nazification of all aspects of Austrian life. However, it is important to note that the majority of Austrians remained loyal to the Austrian government, and the Austrian military and police forces quickly defeated the conspirators in the coup attempt.
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Austria was the first victim of Hitler's aggression
Austria was the first country to fall victim to Hitler's aggression. The annexation of Austria, known as the Anschluss, was the Nazi German regime's first act of territorial aggression and expansion. It took place over three days in March 1938, and demonstrated Nazi disdain for the post-World War I European order.
Hitler's intention to annex Austria was not a secret. In fact, he wrote in Mein Kampf, "German Austria must return to the great German motherland" and "common blood belongs in a common Reich". In April 1937, in a secret speech, Hermann Göring noted that the only solution to the problems with meeting steel production targets was to annex Austria, which was rich in iron. Hitler told Goebbels in the late summer of 1937 that Austria would eventually have to be taken "by force".
Hitler's first attempt to annex Austria came in 1934, but it was unsuccessful and he had to bide his time. In 1935–1936, Mussolini, who had hitherto been the most determined opponent of an Anschluss, began to draw closer to the Nazis, and Hitler saw new possibilities. In February 1938, Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg was bullied by Hitler into accepting far-reaching demands during an interview at Berchtesgaden. Schuschnigg's subsequent decision to hold a plebiscite on the issue of annexation forced Hitler to act quickly, and on March 11, 1938, he gave the Austrian government a series of ultimatums: Chancellor Schuschnigg must call off the plebiscite, and Austrian President Wilhelm Miklas must appoint Austrian Nazi Arthur Seyss-Inquart as the new Austrian chancellor. If these demands were not met, the German military would invade Austria.
Hitler's threats worked. Schuschnigg resigned on March 11, and Seyss-Inquart was appointed chancellor after midnight on March 12. On the morning of March 12, German troops crossed the Austrian border and were greeted by cheering Austrians with Nazi salutes, Nazi flags, and flowers. The "invasion" without shots fired was dubbed the Blumenkrieg ("Flower War"). Within a few days, 70,000 people, mainly politicians of the First Republic, intellectuals, and Jews, had been arrested. The Anschluss transformed Austria. Almost overnight, the country ceased to exist, and Austrian and German Nazis carried out the Nazification of all aspects of Austrian life.
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Hitler's expansion violated international treaties
Hitler's expansionist policies violated several international treaties, including the Treaty of Versailles, the Treaty of Saint-Germain, and the Treaty of Locarno.
The Treaty of Versailles, signed at the end of World War I, imposed various restrictions on Germany, including limiting the size of its military and requiring demilitarization of the Rhineland. Hitler openly violated this treaty by reintroducing military conscription in March 1935 and expanding the German army to 500,000 men. He further repudiated the treaty in March 1936 by ordering German troops into the Rhineland.
The Treaty of Saint-Germain, which recognized the independence of Czechoslovakia and defined its borders, was also violated by Hitler's expansionism. In March 1939, Hitler moved against Czechoslovakia, occupying the Czech provinces of Bohemia and Moravia and proclaiming them a German protectorate. This action directly contradicted the Treaty of Saint-Germain and effectively ended Czechoslovakia's existence as a sovereign state.
Additionally, the annexation of Austria, known as the Anschluss, violated both the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain. These treaties expressly prohibited the unification of Austria and Germany. The Anschluss marked a significant breach of the post-World War I international order and demonstrated Hitler's aggressive territorial ambitions.
The Treaty of Locarno, signed in 1925, recognized the inviolability of Germany's borders with France and Belgium. However, Hitler's actions in the Rhineland violated the spirit of this treaty, as they undermined the stability and peace it sought to establish in Europe.
Hitler's expansionist agenda was driven by his desire to overturn the military and territorial provisions of the Treaty of Versailles and reshape Europe according to his nationalist and racist ideology. He exploited the weaknesses of the international community, which was reluctant to confront him due to a desire to avoid another major war. This appeasement allowed Hitler to continue his expansion unchecked, leading to the outbreak of World War II.
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Austrians welcomed the Nazis
Austria was the first country to fall victim to Hitler's aggression. On 12 March 1938, German troops crossed the Austrian border and were greeted by cheering Austrians with Nazi salutes, Nazi flags, and flowers. This "invasion" without shots fired was dubbed the Blumenkrieg ("Flower War"). Hitler's forces suppressed all opposition. Heinrich Himmler and a few Schutzstaffel (SS) officers landed in Vienna to arrest prominent representatives of the First Republic. During the few weeks between the Anschluss and the plebiscite, authorities rounded up Social Democrats, Communists, other potential political dissenters, and Austrian Jews, imprisoning them or sending them to concentration camps.
The enthusiasm displayed toward Hitler and the Germans surprised both Nazis and non-Nazis, as most people believed that a majority of Austrians opposed the Anschluss. However, many Austrians welcomed the Nazis, seeing the unification of Austria and Germany as long overdue. Hitler himself, who was born in Austria, had written in Mein Kampf: "German Austria must return to the great German motherland" and "common blood belongs in a common Reich".
The Austrian government had ordered the Austrian Bundesheer not to resist the German invasion. On 13 March, Austrian Nazi Chancellor Arthur Seyss-Inquart signed the "Reunification of Austria with Germany" law, formally incorporating Austria into Nazi Germany. This gave the Anschluss the air of legality. The seizure of Austria demonstrated Hitler's aggressive territorial ambitions and his disdain for the post-World War I European order.
In the wake of the Anschluss, Austrians participated in the mass murder of Europe's Jews. They enacted Nazi policies and fought in World War II. Austrians also took part in the Nazi administration, from death camp personnel to senior Nazi leadership. The majority of the bureaucrats who implemented the Final Solution were Austrian.
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Hitler's Austrian invasion was a military test
Hitler's invasion of Austria, known as the Anschluss, was the first act of territorial expansion by Nazi Germany. The invasion was the first big test of the German military's machinery, and it was a success, as the Austrian government had ordered the Austrian Bundesheer not to resist. The German army crossed the Austrian border on 12 March 1938, greeted by cheering Austrians with Nazi salutes, Nazi flags, and flowers. The "invasion" without shots fired was therefore dubbed the Blumenkrieg ("Flower War").
Hitler had long planned to annex Austria. In 1931, the bulk of Austrian Nazis recognized Hitler as their leader, and he appointed a German Nazi to bring the Austrian party in line. In 1933, Hitler became Chancellor of Germany, and he fully intended to bring about an Austro-German union. However, Germany was not yet militarily and diplomatically ready to carry out Hitler's expansionist goals. In 1934, Hitler ordered a coup in Austria, which failed, and he was forced to wait to gain control of the country. In 1937, it became clear that Germany would need to annex Austria to meet the steel production targets laid out by the Four Year Plan. In 1938, Austrian chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg announced a referendum on a possible union with Germany, and Hitler threatened an invasion. On 11 March, Hitler gave the Austrian government a series of ultimatums, including that Schuschnigg must resign and that Austrian president Wilhelm Miklas must appoint Austrian Nazi Arthur Seyss-Inquart as the new chancellor. If these demands were not met, the German military would invade Austria. Schuschnigg conceded, but Hitler still ordered the invasion to commence at dawn on 12 March.
The Anschluss demonstrated Nazi disdain for the post-World War I European order. It violated the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain, which expressly forbade the unification of Austria and Germany. The other European powers did not punish the Nazis for violating these treaties, and their acceptance of the Anschluss allowed Hitler to continue his expansionary policies unchecked.
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Frequently asked questions
Hitler's invasion of Austria, known as the Anschluss, was the first act of territorial aggression committed by Nazi Germany. It was the first step in Hitler's expansionist policies and violated the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain, which expressly forbade the unification of Austria and Germany.
The Anschluss demonstrated Nazi disdain for the post-World War I European order and the failure of the British and French to take action against Hitler's violation of international treaties. It also transformed Austria, as Austrian Nazis, supported by the German Nazis, quickly carried out the Nazification of Austrian society, with many Austrians participating enthusiastically.
Hitler had long envisioned the unification of Austria and Germany, considering it a completion of the unification of all Germans into one state. In his book, "Mein Kampf," Hitler wrote, "German Austria must return to the great German motherland" and "common blood belongs in a common Reich."
