Leslie Massey
The unification of Austria and Germany, also known as the Anschluss, was the annexation of the Federal State of Austria into Nazi Germany on 12 March 1938. The idea of a united Austria and Germany that would form a Greater Germany had been a subject of debate since the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806. In his earliest speeches and writings, Hitler expressed his desire for an Austro-German union, and as chancellor, he fully intended to bring this about. The unification of Austria and Germany was the first act of territorial expansion committed by Nazi Germany, and it allowed Hitler to continue his expansionary policies unchecked.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of Unification | 12 March 1938 |
| Reason | To form a "Greater Germany" |
| Reason | Austria and Germany shared a common bloodline |
| Reason | Austria was Hitler's country of birth |
| Reason | The unification of Germany in 1871 excluded Austria |
| Reason | Hitler believed the postwar international borders were unfair and illegitimate |
| Reason | Hitler believed Germans had been denied the right of self-determination |
| Reason | Hitler wanted to redraw the map of post-World War I Europe |
| Reason | Hitler wanted to complete the complex and long-overdue unification of all Germans into one state |
| Reason | Hitler wanted to achieve the goals of the Nazi Party Platform |
| Reason | Hitler wanted to appeal to wider parts of the German population |
| Reason | Hitler wanted to invade and threaten Austrian chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg to resign |
| Reason | Hitler wanted to prevent the referendum on Austrian independence |
| Reason | Hitler wanted to gain support from pro-unification activists |
| Reason | Hitler wanted to establish a Nazi dictatorship |
| Reason | Hitler wanted to annex Austria and violate the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain |
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What You'll Learn
Hitler's vision for Austria and Germany
> [T]he reunification [of Germany and Austria] is a life task to be carried out by all means! German-Austria must be restored to the great German Motherland…People of the same blood should be in the same REICH.
Hitler's vision was also reflected in the first point of the Nazi Party Platform (1920), which stated:
> We demand the unification of all Germans in the Greater Germany on the basis of the people's right to self-determination.
The idea of a united Austria and Germany, or "Anschluss", gained support after the Austro-Hungarian Empire fell in 1918. The new Republic of German-Austria attempted to unite with Germany, but the Treaty of Versailles, the Treaty of Saint Germain, and subsequent international financial agreements, expressly forbade this unification. Despite these treaties, Hitler and the Nazis wanted to redraw the map of post-World War I Europe, considering the postwar international borders unfair and illegitimate. They claimed that Germans had been denied the right of self-determination, and that uniting Austria and Germany would allow them to achieve this.
Hitler originally intended to leave Austria as a satellite state with Seyss-Inquart as the head of a pro-Nazi government. However, the enthusiastic reception he received from Austrians caused him to change course and absorb Austria directly into the Reich. On March 13, 1938, the Anschluss was proclaimed, and Austria existed as a federal state of Germany until the end of World War II.
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The Austrian Nazi Party
In the late 1920s and early 1930s, the Austrian Nazi Party was weak, divided, and ineffective. Party members disagreed on their relationship to Hitler and their German counterparts. However, by 1931, the bulk of Austrian Nazis recognized Hitler as their leader. Hitler, in turn, appointed a German Nazi (Theodor Habicht) to bring the Austrian party in line. Austrian Nazis gained supporters in 1931–1932 as Hitler’s popularity in Germany increased. This was even more noticeable across Austria after Hitler was appointed German chancellor in January 1933.
In June 1933, in response to a fatal Nazi bombing, the Dollfuss regime banned the Austrian Nazi Party and its affiliates. The Nazi movement became illegal in Austria. However, the Austrian Nazis continued to operate illegally within the country and thousands of Austrian Nazis fled across the border into Germany. There, they formed a paramilitary unit known as the Austrian Legion (Österreichische Legion). German Nazis provided the legion with military training.
Austrian Nazis attempted to overthrow the Austrian government in July 1934. Although the group assassinated Austria’s chancellor, the attempt failed when Austrian military leaders did not support the coup as the Nazis hoped. After Dollfuss’s death, Kurt von Schuschnigg took over as Austrian chancellor and dictator. He continued many of his predecessor’s authoritarian policies and arrested thousands of Austrian Nazis, including a number of the conspirators.
In 1938, leading Austrian Nazis played a key role in the pro-Nazi coup that brought about the unification of Austria and Germany (Anschluss).
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Hitler's popularity in Austria
The unification of Austria and Germany, known as the Anschluss, was a complex and long-overdue idea that had been the subject of debate since the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806. The unification gained support after the Austro-Hungarian Empire fell in 1918, and the new Republic of German-Austria attempted to unite with Germany. However, this was forbidden by the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain, which stripped Austria of some of its territories.
Hitler's appointment as chancellor of Germany in 1933 further destabilized Austrian politics, which were already characterized by infighting and political violence. Seizing the opportunity, Austrian chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss transformed Austria into a right-wing authoritarian regime. Despite this, Hitler continued to gain support in Austria, with 250,000 Austrians gathering in Linz to meet him and support the Anschluss in 1938. The enthusiasm displayed toward Hitler and the Germans surprised both Nazis and non-Nazis, as it was believed that a majority of Austrians opposed the unification.
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The Austrian chancellor's response
In the late 1920s and early 1930s, the Austrian Nazi Party was weak, divided, and ineffective. Despite this internal disarray, Austrian Nazis gained supporters in 1931–1932 as Hitler’s popularity in Germany increased. This trend became even more noticeable across Austria after Hitler was appointed German chancellor in January 1933. In July 1934, a pro-Nazi group tried to overthrow the Austrian government. The coup was planned in Germany, with Hitler’s approval and assistance from German officials. Although the group assassinated Austria’s chancellor, Engelbert Dollfuss, the attempt failed when Austrian military leaders did not support the coup as the Nazis hoped.
Dollfuss's successor was Kurt Schuschnigg, who followed a similar political course to his predecessor. In 1935, Schuschnigg used the police to suppress Nazi supporters, gathering them into internment camps. Austria between 1934 and 1938 focused on the history of Austria and opposed the absorption of Austria into Nazi Germany. Schuschnigg called Austria the "better German state" but struggled to keep Austria independent. In an attempt to put Schuschnigg's mind at rest, Hitler delivered a speech at the Reichstag in May 1935, saying, "Germany neither intends nor wishes to interfere in the internal affairs of Austria, to annex Austria, or to conclude an Anschluss [union with Austria]."
However, in February 1938, Hitler changed course. He arranged a meeting with Schuschnigg, who was now aware of a second conspiracy by Austrian Nazis to seize the Austrian government by force and unite with Germany. Hitler demanded that Schuschnigg appoint members of Austria’s Nazi Party to his cabinet and give full political rights to the party or face an invasion by the German army. Schuschnigg announced that there would be a referendum on a possible union with Germany versus maintaining Austria's sovereignty, to be held on 13 March 1938. Portraying this as defying the popular will in Austria and Germany, Hitler threatened an invasion and secretly pressured Schuschnigg to resign. On 11 March, Schuschnigg cancelled the plebiscite and offered to resign to avoid bloodshed. He pleaded with Austrian forces not to resist a German “advance” into the country. The next day, Hitler accompanied German troops into Austria, where enthusiastic crowds met them. On 13 March, the Anschluss was proclaimed, and Austria existed as a federal state of Germany until the end of World War II.
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The referendum
In early 1938, Austrian Chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg announced that there would be a referendum on a possible union with Germany versus maintaining Austria's sovereignty. This was to be held on 13 March 1938. Portraying this as defying the popular will in Austria and Germany, Hitler threatened an invasion and secretly pressured Schuschnigg to resign.
The idea of grouping all Germans into one nation-state had been the subject of debate since the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806. The 1920 National Socialist Program stated, "We demand the unification of all Germans in the Greater Germany on the basis of the people's right to self-determination". Hitler had also written about his desire for unification in his 1925 autobiography, Mein Kampf. He wrote, "The reunification [of Germany and Austria] is a life task to be carried out by all means! German-Austria must be restored to the great German Motherland… People of the same blood should be in the same REICH".
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Frequently asked questions
Hitler believed that the unification of Germany and Austria was a "'life task'" and that German-Austria must be restored to the "great German Motherland". He believed that people of the same blood should be in the same Reich.
Hitler planned to achieve power in Austria through the Austrian Nazi Party. In 1938, he demanded that Austrian chancellor, Kurt von Schuschnigg, appoint members of Austria's Nazi Party to his cabinet and give them full political rights or face an invasion by the German army. When Schuschnigg called for a national plebiscite, Hitler decided to invade Austria to prevent the vote.
On 12 March 1938, the German army crossed the border into Austria unopposed. A plebiscite was held on 10 April, in which the ballot was not secret, and threats and coercion were employed to manipulate the vote, resulting in 99.7% approval. This unification was known as the Anschluss.
