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The annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany, known as the Anschluss, took place on March 12, 1938. The unification of Austria and Germany was a long-held idea that gained support after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918. Hitler, who was born in Austria, wrote in his 1925 book, Mein Kampf, that German-Austria must return to the German motherland. In the years leading up to the annexation, Hitler and the Nazis made several attempts to gain control of Austria, including a failed coup in 1934 and increasing demands for a union. On March 11, 1938, Hitler presented the Austrian government with a series of ultimatums, threatening invasion if they were not met. The annexation was met with enthusiasm by many Austrians and Germans, who saw it as completing the long-overdue unification of all Germans into one state.
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What You'll Learn
- Hitler's intentions for Austria were outlined in his 1925 book, *Mein Kampf.*
- Austria's chancellor, Kurt von Schuschnigg, tried to maintain Austrian independence
- Hitler's demands included appointing Nazis to positions of power in the Austrian government
- German troops, accompanied by Hitler, entered Austria on 12 March 1938
- The takeover was celebrated by Austrians and Germans alike
Hitler's intentions for Austria were outlined in his 1925 book, *Mein Kampf.*
Hitler's intentions for Austria were outlined in his 1925 book, *Mein Kampf* (My Struggle). In it, he wrote about his country of birth, stating that German-Austria must return to the "great German motherland", regardless of any economic considerations. He believed that "common blood belongs in a common Reich". Hitler argued that the Germans needed Lebensraum (living space) in the East, which was their "historic destiny".
Hitler began writing *Mein Kampf* in 1924 while imprisoned following his failed Beer Hall Putsch coup attempt in Munich in November 1923. The book, which was edited by Emil Maurice and later by Hitler's deputy Rudolf Hess, was published in two volumes, the first in 1925 and the second in 1926. It was initially not a best-seller, but this changed in 1930 when the Nazi Party gained parliamentary seats, and sales of the book increased dramatically. By the end of 1944, more than 12 million copies had been printed, most of them after 1939.
Hitler's stated aim in *Mein Kampf* was to quash individualism in furtherance of his political goals. He promoted the key components of Nazism: rabid antisemitism, a racist worldview, and an aggressive foreign policy geared towards gaining Lebensraum in Eastern Europe. In the book, Hitler also expressed his intention to annex Austria, stating that German-Austria must be reunited with the German motherland. This idea of a union between Austria and Germany, known as the Anschluss, gained support after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918.
Hitler's intentions for Austria, as outlined in *Mein Kampf*, were realised in 1938 when he annexed the Federal State of Austria into Nazi Germany. This act of aggression was met with little resistance from other countries, despite warnings from Winston Churchill to take effective measures against Germany's expansionist agenda.
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Austria's chancellor, Kurt von Schuschnigg, tried to maintain Austrian independence
Schuschnigg attempted to prevent the Nazi takeover of Austria by calling for a national plebiscite, or vote, to take place on March 13, 1938, so that Austrians could decide for themselves whether they wished to remain independent. However, under pressure from Hitler, who was insisting that the plebiscite be cancelled, Schuschnigg eventually gave in and resigned on March 11, 1938. In his resignation address, he pleaded with Austrian forces not to resist a German "advance" into the country.
Schuschnigg's efforts to keep Austria independent ultimately failed. After his resignation, he was arrested and kept in solitary confinement. He was eventually interned in various concentration camps until he was liberated by the advancing United States Army in 1945. Despite his failure to maintain Austrian independence, Schuschnigg earned respect for his long imprisonment by the Nazis.
Schuschnigg's struggle to prevent the Nazi takeover of Austria was complicated by a number of factors. Firstly, he had to manage the economy of a nearly bankrupt state and maintain law and order in a country that was forbidden from maintaining a large army. Secondly, he had to cope with armed paramilitary forces in Austria that owed their allegiance to various rival political parties. Finally, he had to deal with the growing strength of the Austrian Nazis, who supported Hitler's ambitions to absorb Austria into Nazi Germany.
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Hitler's demands included appointing Nazis to positions of power in the Austrian government
The annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany, known as the Anschluss, took place on March 12, 1938. The unification of Austria and Germany had been a long-held idea, gaining support after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918.
Hitler's demands on Austria included the appointment of Nazis to positions of power in the Austrian government. On February 12, 1938, Hitler met with Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg and presented him with a set of demands, including the appointment of Nazi sympathizers to key government roles. Specifically, Hitler demanded that Arthur Seyss-Inquart, a long-time supporter of the Nazis, be appointed Minister of Public Security with full, unlimited control of the police.
Faced with the threat of a German invasion, Schuschnigg agreed to Hitler's demands and put them into effect. This move was intended to appease Hitler and maintain Austria's independence. However, it ultimately led to the further infiltration of Nazi influence in the Austrian government and set the stage for the eventual annexation.
Hitler's insistence on appointing Nazis to positions of power in Austria was driven by his ideological belief in the unification of all Germans into one state, as expressed in his 1925 book, Mein Kampf. He saw Austria, his country of birth, as an integral part of this "Greater Germany." By placing Nazis in key government roles, Hitler could exert greater control over Austrian politics and advance his expansionist agenda.
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German troops, accompanied by Hitler, entered Austria on 12 March 1938
The annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany, known as the Anschluss, took place on March 12, 1938, when German troops, accompanied by Hitler, entered Austria. This event marked the unification of Austria and Germany into a "Greater Germany". The idea of the Anschluss had been a subject of debate since the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806 and gained support after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918.
Hitler's invasion of Austria was preceded by increasing violence and demands from pro-unification activists. Austrian Chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg attempted to maintain Austria's sovereignty and independence but was pressured by Hitler to appoint members of the Austrian Nazi Party to his cabinet. On March 9, 1938, Schuschnigg called for a national vote to decide on the question of the Anschluss, but before the plebiscite could take place, he resigned on March 11 due to coercion from the Nazis.
On March 12, German troops crossed the border into Austria, unopposed by the Austrian military. The invasion, dubbed the "Flower War", was met with enthusiasm by Austrians, who greeted the troops with Nazi salutes, flags, and flowers. Hitler, riding in a car, entered his birthplace, Braunau am Inn, with a 4,000-man bodyguard. The Austrian government had ordered the Austrian Bundesheer not to resist the German army.
Hitler's annexation of Austria demonstrated his aggressive territorial ambitions and his disregard for the Versailles Treaty. The unification of Austria and Germany fulfilled Hitler's vision, expressed in his 1925 book "Mein Kampf", of uniting all Germans into one state.
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The takeover was celebrated by Austrians and Germans alike
The takeover of Austria by Nazi Germany, known as the Anschluss, was celebrated by Austrians and Germans alike. The idea of the Anschluss, a union of Austria and Germany to form a "Greater Germany", had been around since the 1871 unification of Germany, which excluded Austrian and German-Austrian people from the German Empire.
Hitler, born in Austria, wrote in his 1925 book, Mein Kampf, that "German-Austria must return to the great German motherland". He went on to say that "common blood belongs in a common Reich". In the late summer of 1937, he told Goebbels that Austria would eventually have to be taken "by force". In February 1938, Hitler met with Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg and demanded that he appoint members of Austria's Nazi Party to his cabinet, threatening an invasion by the German army if he did not comply.
Hitler's threats worked, and on March 11, 1938, Schuschnigg resigned, and German troops, accompanied by Hitler himself, entered Austria on March 12. The Nazis celebrated the takeover as the fulfillment of the German people's destiny, and Hitler gave a famous speech in Vienna's Heldenplatz to a huge crowd, celebrating the annexation.
The enthusiasm displayed by Austrians and Germans surprised both Nazis and non-Nazis, as most people believed that a majority of Austrians opposed the Anschluss. However, many Austrians and Germans had wanted the countries to be joined for a long time, and the takeover was seen as completing the long-overdue unification of all Germans into one state. A plebiscite held on April 10, 1938, recorded a vote of more than 99% in favour of the union, although the high percentage was likely due to the vote not being anonymous, with opponents not daring to vote against.
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Frequently asked questions
Hitler took over Austria to realise his dream of a "'Greater Germany', a union of all Germans in one state. He also wanted to increase his country's steel production and military might.
Hitler demanded that Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg appoint members of Austria's Nazi Party to his cabinet and give them full political rights. Schuschnigg tried to resist by calling for a plebiscite to be held on March 13, 1938. However, before the plebiscite could take place, Hitler gave him a series of ultimatums on March 11, threatening to invade Austria if his demands were not met. Schuschnigg gave in to the pressure and resigned on March 11. German troops, accompanied by Hitler himself, entered Austria on March 12, 1938.
The British government had made it known that it would not oppose the union of Austria and Germany. France and Great Britain protested against Hitler's methods but accepted the annexation. The United States followed a similar policy of appeasement. The Soviet Union demanded that the West should stop further German aggression. The government of Mexico was the only one that did not accept the annexation, lodging a protest with the secretary-general of the League of Nations.
