Damon Mcknight
Adolf Hitler's unification of Germany and Austria, known as the Anschluss, was a significant event in Nazi Germany's expansion and a clear demonstration of Hitler's territorial ambitions. The union, achieved through annexation in 1938, was a long-held desire of Hitler, expressed in his earliest writings and speeches, and was a key goal of the Nazi Party. The unification was enabled by a series of strategic moves by Hitler, including pressuring the Austrian chancellor, Kurt Schuschnigg, to resign and installing a pro-Nazi chancellor, Arthur Seyss-Inquart, who requested German military aid. Hitler also exploited the presence of German generals to intimidate Schuschnigg into signing the Berchtesgaden Agreement, which undermined Austrian sovereignty. Despite attempts by Schuschnigg to preserve Austrian independence through a referendum, Hitler invaded Austria, encountering little resistance, and ultimately achieved a union that fulfilled his ideological vision of a Greater Germany.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Hitler's desire for unification | Hitler wanted to unite all German-speaking nations in Europe. |
| Nazi ideology | The Nazis wanted to redraw the map of post-World War I Europe, considering the international borders unfair and illegitimate. |
| Personal connection | Hitler was born in Austria and had a strong emotional connection to the country. |
| Nazi propaganda | Nazi propaganda celebrated the annexation and portrayed it as a popular decision, justifying the takeover. |
| Intimidation and coercion | Hitler used intimidation tactics, threatening an invasion and pressuring Austrian leaders to comply with his demands. |
| Nazi presence in Austria | Austrian Nazis created havoc and seized power, dominating the streets and attacking their political opponents. |
| Complicity of Austrian leaders | Some Austrian leaders, like Chancellor Schuschnigg, compromised with Hitler and made concessions to the Nazis to avoid invasion. |
| Lack of resistance | The Austrian military did not resist the German invasion, and the annexation was achieved without firing a shot. |
| International context | Austria lost the protection of Italy, which had previously agreed to deter Hitler from invading. |
| Rigged referendum | A referendum was held in April 1938, resulting in a 99.7% approval for unification, but it was rigged and manipulated by the Nazis. |
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What You'll Learn
- Hitler's desire for a union with Austria was expressed in his earliest writings and speeches
- The Treaty of Versailles forbade unification between Germany and Austria
- Hitler's goal was to redraw the map of post-World War I Europe
- Hitler ordered Austrian Nazis to create havoc in Austria
- Hitler's annexation of Austria was justified by claiming that Austria had descended into chaos
Hitler's desire for a union with Austria was expressed in his earliest writings and speeches
Hitler's desire for a union with Austria was indeed expressed in his earliest writings and speeches. The first point of the Nazi Party Platform in 1920 stated:
> We demand the union of all Germans in a Greater Germany (Großdeutschland) on the basis of the right of national self-determination.
Hitler and the Nazis wanted to redraw the map of post-World War I Europe. They considered the postwar international borders unfair and illegitimate, claiming that Germans had been denied the right of self-determination. For Hitler, the unification of Austria with Germany was part of a broader desire to create a Greater German Reich that would include all ethnic Germans and the territories lost by the German Empire after World War I.
Hitler's Austrian origins also played a role in his desire for unification. Austria had been predominantly ethnically German, and Hitler wanted all German-speaking nations in Europe to be part of Germany. This was in line with the concept of "Heim ins Reich" ("back home to the realm"), which aimed to incorporate as many Volksdeutsche (ethnic Germans outside Germany) as possible.
The idea of unification with Austria had support within Austria as well, particularly among Austrian citizens of the political left and center. One prominent supporter was Social Democrat leader Otto Bauer, who served as Austria's Foreign Minister after World War I. Support for unification was driven by the belief that Austria, stripped of its imperial land, was not economically viable on its own.
Hitler's desire for a union with Austria eventually culminated in the Anschluss in 1938, when Nazi Germany annexed Austria. This was facilitated by the intimidation and resignation of Austrian chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg, who had attempted to preserve Austrian independence through agreements with Hitler and a planned referendum on independence. However, under pressure from pro-unification activists and the threat of invasion, Schuschnigg resigned, and the German Army crossed into Austria unopposed on March 12, 1938. A subsequent plebiscite on April 10 showed a 99.7% approval for unification, although this vote was manipulated and not secret.
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The Treaty of Versailles forbade unification between Germany and Austria
The Treaty of Versailles, signed in 1919, expressly forbade unification between Germany and Austria. This was due to concerns from European leaders that a united Germany and Austria would be too large and powerful. The treaty also required that Austria remain independent from Germany, and this was further reinforced by subsequent international financial agreements.
Despite this, Hitler had long desired a union between the two nations, as outlined in his earliest writings and speeches, and in the first point of the Nazi Party Platform in 1920. He wanted to redraw the map of post-World War I Europe, considering the international borders of the time to be unfair and illegitimate. Hitler's goal was to unite all German-speaking nations in Europe under one German state.
Hitler's desire for unification was not a secret. In 1934, he ordered Austrian Nazis to create havoc in Austria, which turned into an attempt to overthrow the Austrian government. The Austrian Chancellor at the time, Dollfuss, tried to maintain Austrian independence by cracking down on the Socialists and Nazis, even banning the Nazi party. However, in 1938, Hitler was able to intimidate Austrian chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg into signing the Berchtesgaden Agreement, which undermined Austrian sovereignty.
Hitler's ultimate goal was achieved in March 1938, when German troops crossed into Austria and he announced the Anschluss, the unification of Austria and Germany. This was facilitated by the collapse of the Austrian government, which was partly caused by Hitler ordering Austrian Nazis to create chaos and pressure the chancellor. A referendum was held, and the results showed that the Austrian people approved of German control of their country.
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Hitler's goal was to redraw the map of post-World War I Europe
Hitler's desire for an Austro-German union was expressed in his earliest writings and speeches. The first point of the 1920 Nazi Party Platform stated:
> We demand the union of all Germans in a Greater Germany (Großdeutschland) on the basis of the right of national self-determination.
Hitler wrote in his 1925 book, Mein Kampf, about his country of birth, Austria:
> German-Austria must return to the great German motherland, and not because of economic considerations of any sort. No, no: even if from the economic point of view this union were unimportant, indeed, if it were harmful, it ought nevertheless to be brought about. Common blood belongs in a common Reich. As long as the German nation is unable even to band together its own children in one common State, it has no moral right to think of colonization as one of its political aims.
Hitler also argued in a 1921 essay that the German Reich had a single task:
> Incorporating the ten million German-Austrians in the Empire and dethroning the Habsburgs, the most miserable dynasty ever ruling.
In the 1930s, Hitler began to act on his goal of uniting Austria and Germany. In 1934, a pro-Nazi group tried to overthrow the Austrian government with Hitler's approval and assistance from German officials. In 1936, the Austrian Chancellor, Schuschnigg, signed the German-Austrian Agreement, which recognised Austria's independence but required that its foreign policy align with Germany's. In 1938, Hitler demanded that Nazis be given key government posts in Austria. Schuschnigg compromised, and a Nazi member, Seyss-Inquart, was made Minister of the Interior. Hitler ordered Austrian Nazis to create chaos to put pressure on Schuschnigg, so he could justify marching German troops into Vienna to restore peace.
In 1938, Schuschnigg announced a referendum to be held on March 13, whereby the Austrian people would decide for themselves if they wanted to be a part of Hitler's Germany. Hitler decided to invade Austria immediately to prevent the vote. German troops crossed the border into Austria on March 12, encountering no resistance. The next day, Austria's parliament formally approved the annexation. A plebiscite held on April 10 gave a 99.7% approval, although the vote was not secret, and threats and coercion were used to manipulate the outcome.
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Hitler ordered Austrian Nazis to create havoc in Austria
The unification of Germany and Austria, known as the Anschluss, was a significant event in Hitler's expansionist policies. The unification was expressly forbidden by the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain, as European leaders feared the power of a united Germany and Austria. However, Hitler was determined to redraw the map of post-World War I Europe and considered the postwar international borders unfair and illegitimate.
Hitler's desire for an Austro-German union was evident from his earliest writings and speeches. In the 1920 National Socialist Program, the first point stated:
> We demand the unification of all Germans in the Greater Germany on the basis of the people's right to self-determination.
Hitler's goal was to unite all German-speaking nations in Europe under German rule, and Austria, his native homeland, shared a border with the Sudetenland, a largely German-speaking area within Czechoslovakia that Hitler also sought to control.
In 1934, Hitler ordered the Austrian Nazis to create havoc in Austria to destabilize the country and undermine its independence. This led to an attempt to overthrow the Austrian government, which was only partially successful due to the intervention of the Austrian military. The Austrian Chancellor, Dollfuss, tried to ban the Nazi party and crack down on the Socialists, whom he believed were tearing the country apart. However, the Austrian Nazis, with Hitler's support, assassinated Dollfuss.
Hitler's plan to gain power in Austria through the Austrian Nazi Party faced challenges in the late 1920s and early 1930s due to disorganization and internal disagreements within the party. However, by 1931, the bulk of Austrian Nazis recognized Hitler as their leader, and as his popularity in Germany grew, so did his support in Austria.
In 1938, Hitler demanded that Austrian Chancellor Schuschnigg give key government posts to Nazis, and Schuschnigg compromised by appointing the Nazi member Seyss-Inquart as Minister of the Interior. Hitler then ordered the Austrian Nazis to create chaos and destruction to pressure Schuschnigg and justify a German invasion of Austria. Schuschnigg, realizing Hitler's intentions, announced a referendum on Austrian independence, hoping to deter Hitler. However, Hitler threatened to invade and demanded Schuschnigg's resignation, forcing him to cancel the referendum. With no support from Italy, France, or Britain to counter Hitler's plans, Schuschnigg conceded, and German troops marched into Austria unopposed on March 12, 1938.
Hitler's annexation of Austria was met with enthusiasm by many Austrians, who saw it as completing the long-awaited unification of all Germans into one state. A rigged referendum held in April 1938 showed overwhelming approval for German control of Austria, with 99.7% of the vote in favour. This demonstrated the success of Hitler's strategy to unite Austria and Germany, achieving a long-held goal of the Nazi Party and setting the stage for further territorial expansion.
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Hitler's annexation of Austria was justified by claiming that Austria had descended into chaos
Hitler's annexation of Austria, known as the Anschluss, was a significant event in Nazi Germany's expansionist agenda and a clear demonstration of Hitler's desire to redraw the map of post-World War I Europe. Hitler had expressed his intention to unite his birth country, Austria, with Germany as early as 1920 in the National Socialist Program and his book, "Mein Kampf," published in 1925. In his writings, Hitler argued for the unification of all Germans in a Greater Germany based on the right of national self-determination.
Hitler's annexation of Austria was executed in a carefully calculated manner, and he justified his actions by claiming that Austria had descended into chaos. Here's an overview of the steps Hitler took to annex Austria and how he rationalized his actions:
- Destabilization and Intimidation: In 1934, Hitler ordered Austrian Nazis to create havoc and attempt to overthrow the Austrian government. This attempt failed due to a lack of support from the Austrian military. Despite this setback, Hitler continued to pressure the Austrian government.
- The Berchtesgaden Agreement: In 1938, Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg visited Hitler at Berchtesgaden, near the Austrian border. Hitler demanded that Nazis be appointed to key government posts in Austria. As a compromise, Arthur Seyss-Inquart, a Nazi member, was made Minister of the Interior.
- Creating Chaos: Hitler instructed Austrian Nazis to generate as much turmoil and destruction as possible to give the impression that Austrian law and order had collapsed. This chaos was intentionally instigated to justify a German invasion to restore peace.
- Preventing the Referendum: In a desperate move, Schuschnigg announced a referendum to let Austrians decide if they wanted to join Hitler's Germany or remain independent. Hitler, fearing that a vote against unification would ruin his excuse for invasion, threatened to invade immediately. Schuschnigg cancelled the referendum and resigned.
- Justifying the Annexation: The Nazis circulated fake reports of rioting and street fights caused by Communists in Vienna. They also printed a phony telegram from the new Austrian chancellor requesting German military aid to restore order. This fabricated chaos provided a pretext for Hitler to march into Austria and annex it.
- Propaganda and Manipulation: Hitler's speech in Vienna's Heldenplatz celebrated the annexation and was used as propaganda to demonstrate Austrian enthusiasm for the Anschluss. A plebiscite held on April 10, 1938, showed an approval rating of 99.7%, likely manipulated through threats and coercion. This referendum was another propaganda opportunity to justify the illegal takeover.
Hitler's annexation of Austria was thus justified by claiming and fabricating chaos in the country. By invading and annexing Austria, Hitler achieved one of his long-held goals and took a significant step toward creating his vision of an "all-German Reich."
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Frequently asked questions
Hitler wanted to unite with Austria because he wanted to redraw the map of post-World War I Europe. He considered the postwar international borders unfair and illegitimate. He also wanted to unite all German-speaking nations in Europe under Germany.
Hitler united with Austria through annexation. In 1938, Hitler demanded that Austrian chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg give Nazi party members full political rights and appoint them to his cabinet. When Schuschnigg called for a referendum, Hitler invaded Austria and annexed it.
The world responded to Hitler's annexation of Austria with condemnation and concern. It was seen as an act of open aggression and a violation of international peace treaties. However, France and Britain did not interfere in Hitler's plans, and the German troops encountered no resistance when they crossed the border into Austria.
