The annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany, known also as the ‘Anschluss’, occurred in March of 1938 and marked a significant step in Adolf Hitler’s expansionist aggression in the years before World War II. The event was an example of the failure of appeasement, which was the foreign policy strategy that was practised by the Western democracies, such as Britain and France. As such, historians view the the Nazi Germany annexation of Austria as a major step towards World War II, which broke out in September of 1939.
ANNEXATION OF AUSTRIA BY NAZI GERMANY – BACKGROUND
Historians consider the Nazi Germany annexation of Austria to be one of the most significant events in the years before the start of World War II. More specifically, this was the time frame when the foreign policy of appeasement was being practiced by the Western democracies, such as Britain and France. The policy essentially worked by conceding to some of Adolf Hitler’s, the Nazi leader, demands. It was driven by the desire to maintain peace in Europe, especially in the relation to the death and destruction caused by the events of World War I. Appeasement reached its peak under British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, who believed that giving into some of Hitler’s territorial demands would prevent another large-scale war. All of this eventually culminated in the Nazi Germany invasion of Poland in September of 1939, and the outbreak of World War II. As such, historians consider the failure of appeasement as a significant cause of World War II, and the annexation of Austria was one of several examples of the failure of appeasement, alongside: the remilitarization of the Rhineland, the events of the Munich Conference and the occupation of Czechoslovakia.
Another note of importance was the role that culture played in the Nazi Germany annexation of Austria. For instance, Austria and Germany shared a deep cultural, linguistic, and historical connection. After World War I, there was widespread agreement in both countries that the two should be unified. However, the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain both denied the unification of Germany and Austria, as a means to maintain peace in Europe. Furthermore, Adolf Hitler, the fascist dictator of Nazi Germany, was born in Austria in 1889. As such, he personally shared a deep connection with Austria. Finally, during the 1930s, Austrian Nazis, inspired by Hitler’s rise in Germany, actively sought to bring Austria under the control of the Nazi Party.
ANNEXATION OF AUSTRIA BY NAZI GERMANY – SUMMARY
As stated previously, Nazi Germany carried out the annexation of Austria in 1938. More specifically, Hitler officially proclaimed the annexation of Austria on March 13th, 1938. The Treaty of Versailles forbid Germany from uniting with Austria but Hitler, who was born in Austria, wanted to unite all German speaking people under his control. The German annexation of Austria was known as the ‘Anschluss’ which was the Nazi German term for ‘union’ or ‘connection’ in the region.
In order to conquer Austria, Hitler threatened invasion of the Austrian nation-state. For instance, on March 11th, 1938, Hitler issued an ultimatum and demanded the resignation of Austria’s Chancellor, Kurt von Schuschnigg. Schuschnigg was actively trying to preserve Austrian independence and frustrated Hitler’s attempts to control the region. That same day, Schuschnigg resigned after realizing that the western democracies of Britain and France were not going to intervene and stop the Anschluss. Arthur Seyss-Inquart, a Nazi sympathizer, was hand-picked by Hitler to become the next Austrian Chancellor.
The next day, on March 12th, 1938, Nazi Germany troops crossed the border into Austria under orders from Hitler. They were greeted enthusiastically by many Austrians. In fact, the Nazi regime used the opportunity to photograph the cheering Austrian crowds, as a means of proganada.
After obtaining power the Austrian Nazi’s ‘invited’ the German forces into the country and the annexation of Austria was complete. Britain and France protested the move by Germany but did not respond in any meaningful way, which furthered Hitler’s belief that the Allied nations would not stop his aggression. In all, the entire annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany, was carried out without a single bullet fired by either side. Hitler had essentially conquered Austria with any bloodshed. Rather, he used fear, repression and propaganda.
ANNEXATION OF AUSTRIA BY NAZI GERMANY – SIGNIFICANCE
The Nazi Germany annexation of Austria was an incredibly significant event, especially in terms of outbreak of World War II. For instance, annexation of Austria was one of several examples of the failure of appeasement, alongside: the remilitarization of the Rhineland, the events of the Munich Conference and the occupation of Czechoslovakia. Furthermore, the unification of Germany and Austria violated the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, but Britain and France took no action to stop Hitler’s aggression. This ultimately reinforced Hitler’s belief that Western democracies would not confront him. As such, the success of the Austrian annexation convinced Hitler he could continue his aggression and led directly to his next moves against Czechoslovakia and the Sudetenland.
Militarily, the annexation proved to be significant for the strength of Nazi Germany in the buildup to World War II. In fact, the annexation gave Nazi Germany control over Austria’s resources, military assets, and strategic geographic position in Europe. Ultimately, this strengthened Hitler’s position in Central Europe and drastically altered the balance of power in Europe.
Another important factor was the impact of the Anschluss on Austria’s Jewish population, which total approximately around 200,000 people. For instance, Austrian Jews immediately faced persecution, including forced labor, public humiliation, and later, deportation to concentration camps as part of the events of the Holocaust.
