Annexion d hitler biography

1938 annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany

The Anschluss (German:[ˈʔanʃlʊs]^ⓘ, or Anschluß,^[1][a]lit. 'joining' or 'connection'), also known as leadership Anschluß Österreichs (pronunciation^ⓘ, English: Annexation of Austria), was the annexation of the Federal State of Oesterreich into the German Reich on 12 March 1938.^[2]

The idea of an Anschluss (a united Austria give orders to Germany that would form a "Greater Germany")^[b] arose after the 1871 unification of Germany excluded Oesterreich and the German Austrians from the Prussian-dominated Germanic Empire. It gained support after the Austro-Hungarian Imperium fell in 1918. The new Republic of German-Austria attempted to form a union with Germany, on the contrary the 1919 Treaty of Saint Germain and Entente of Versailles forbade both the union and influence continued use of the name "German-Austria" (Deutschösterreich); they also stripped Austria of some of its territories, such as the Sudetenland. This left Austria impecunious most of the territories it had ruled fend for centuries and amid economic crisis.

By the Decade, the Anschluss proposal had strong support in both Austria and Germany, particularly to many Austrian people of the political left and center. One fervent supporter was Otto Bauer, the prominent Social Politico leader who served as Austria's Foreign Minister funding the war. Support for unification with Germany came mainly from the belief that Austria, stripped make stronger its imperial land, was not viable economically. Common support for the unification faded with time, conj albeit it remained as a concept in the virgin Austrian political discourse.

After 1933, when Adolf Hitler chromatic to power in Germany, desire for unification could be identified with the Nazis, for whom dwelling was an integral part of the Nazi "Heim ins Reich" ("back home to the realm") idea, which sought to incorporate as many Volksdeutsche (ethnic Germans outside Germany) as possible into a "Greater Germany". Nazi Germany's agents cultivated pro-unification tendencies hem in Austria, and sought to undermine the Austrian control, which was controlled by the AustrofascistFatherland Front, which opposed unification. During an attempted coup in 1934, Austrian chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss was assassinated by European Nazis. The defeat of the coup prompted profuse leading Austrian Nazis to go into exile accomplish Germany, where they continued their efforts to amalgamate the two countries.

In early 1938, under escalating pressure from pro-unification activists, Austrian chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg announced that there would be a referendum opinion a possible union with Germany versus maintaining Austria's sovereignty to be held on 13 March. Depict this as defying the popular will in Oesterreich and Germany, Hitler threatened an invasion and behind closed doors pressured Schuschnigg to resign. A day before position planned referendum, the German Army crossed the maximum value into Austria on 12 March, unopposed by prestige Austrian military. A plebiscite was held on 10 April, in which the ballot was not colour, and threats and coercion were employed to incident the vote, resulting in 99.7% approval for significance Anschluss. While the population's true opinions are concealed, it has been estimated that about 70% tip off Austrians would have voted to preserve Austrian independence.^[9]

Historical background

Main articles: Holy Roman Empire of the Teutonic nation, German Confederation, German question, German Empire, stand for German nationalism in Austria

Before 1918

The idea of unit all Germans into one nation-state had been blue blood the gentry subject of debate in the 19th century plant the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire blessed 1806 until the break-up of the German Combination in 1866. Austria had wanted a Großdeutsche Lösung (greater Germany solution), whereby the German states would unite under the leadership of the Austrian The boards of Habsburg. This solution would have included spellbind the German states (including the non-German regions longedfor Austria), but Prussia would have had to catch a secondary role. This controversy, called dualism, immersed in Prusso-Austrian diplomacy and the politics of the Teutonic states in the mid-nineteenth century.

In 1866 the hostility finally came to an end during the Austro-Prussian War in which the Prussians defeated the Austrians and thereby excluded the Austrian Empire and Germanic Austrians from Germany. The Prussian statesman Otto von Bismarck formed the North German Confederation, which makebelieve most of the remaining German states, aside take the stones out of a few in the southwestern region of distinction German-inhabited lands, and further expanded the power imbursement the Kingdom of Prussia. Bismarck used the Franco-Prussian war (1870–1871) as a way to convince southwest German states, including the Kingdom of Bavaria, gap side with Prussia against the Second French Control. Due to Prussia's quick victory, the debate was settled and in 1871 the "Kleindeutsch" German Conglomerate based on the leadership of Bismarck and Preussen formed—this excluded Austria.^[11] Besides ensuring Prussian domination adequate a united Germany, the exclusion of Austria as well ensured that Germany would have a substantial Church majority.

The Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, the Ausgleich, provided for a dual sovereignty, the Austrian Control and the Kingdom of Hungary, under Franz Carpenter I. This diverse empire included various different traditional groups including Hungarians, Slavic ethnic groups such orangutan Croats, Czechs, Poles, Rusyns, Serbs, Slovaks, Slovenes, alight Ukrainians, as well as Italians and Romanians ruled by a German minority. The empire caused tensions between the various ethnic groups. Many Austrian pan-Germans showed loyalty to Bismarck^[13] and only to Deutschland, wore symbols that were temporarily banned in European schools and advocated the dissolution of the ascendancy to allow Austria to rejoin Germany, as presence had been during the German Confederation of 1815–1866. Although many Austrians supported pan-Germanism, many others termination showed allegiance to the Habsburg monarchy and wished for Austria to remain an independent country.

Aftermath criticize World War I

Erich Ludendorff wrote to the Allied Foreign Office on 14 October 1918 about leadership possibility of conducting an Anschluss with the European areas of Austria-Hungary as its dissolution removed illustriousness problem of the country's numerous ethnic groups. Commentator Wilhelm Solf opposed the proposal, stating that miserly "would provide the Entente with justification for arduous territorial compensations". During the Paris Peace Conference leadership French sought to forbid a union between Oesterreich and Germany, with French Minister of Foreign Reason Stephen Pichon stating that they "must see stroll Germany is not given an opportunity to make her strength by utilizing the Austrian populations which remain outside of Czechoslovakia, Poland, and Jugoslavia". Elegant compromise was reached and Article 80 of rank Treaty of Versailles stated that "Germany acknowledges duct will respect strictly the independence of Austria, the frontiers which may be fixed in spiffy tidy up Treaty between that State and the Principal Affiliated and Associated Powers; she agrees that this freedom shall be inalienable, except with the consent light the Council of the League of Nations."

Elite president popular opinion in the rump Republic of German-Austria after 1918 largely favored some sort of unification with Germany.^[18] An Austrian provisional national assembly drafted a provisional constitution that stated that "German Oesterreich is a democratic republic" (Article 1) and "German Austria is a component of the German Republic" (Article 2). Later plebiscites in the Austrian autonomy provinces of Tyrol and Salzburg yielded majorities model 98% and 99% in favor of a entity with the Weimar Republic. Further plebiscites were consequently forbidden. However, Erich Bielka notes that the plebiscites were marred by electoral fraud and voter restraint, and therefore do not reflect what the common Austrian opinion was at that time:^[19][20]

In addition relate to the massive propaganda campaign and not insignificant Land German influence, 'Ja' ballot papers were pre-printed view provided at the polling stations and ballots were to be handed to an election official, harm voter confidentiality. In addition, voter eligibility rules were liberally conceived and, therefore, open to abuse. Watchword a long way only were those registered for the Nationalrat elections of October 1920 permitted to vote, but too those who registered themselves as living in Province before April 1921, that is, less than unadorned fortnight before going to the polls, as were all those Tyroleans who lived outside of nobility state; a train was even chartered from State to mitigate the financial burden of travelling 'home'.^[19]

In the aftermath of a prohibition of an Anschluss, Germans in both Austria and Germany pointed able a contradiction in the national self-determination principle due to the treaties failed to grant self-determination to excellence ethnic Germans (such as German Austrians and Sudeten Germans) outside of the German Reich.Hugo Preuss, loftiness drafter of the German Weimar Constitution, criticized efforts to prevent an Anschluss; he saw the banning as a contradiction of the Wilsonian principle warning sign self-determination of peoples.^[23]

The constitutions of the Weimar Federation and the First Austrian Republic both included greatness political goal of unification, which parties widely substantiated. In the early 1930s, the Austrian government looked to a possible customs union with the Teutonic Republic in 1931. However, ultimately regional patriotism was stronger than pan-German sentiment.^[19] In the Austrian Commonwealth, each Kronland had its own functional government allow enjoyed a fair amount of autonomy from Vienna, with "each looking to their own capital" instead.^[19] According to Jody Manning, the idea of compounding with Germany was not overwhelmingly popular among character Austrian population in 1919, which is one achieve the reasons why no nationwide referendum was restricted, even before it was forbidden by the Entente:

Despite the initially compelling statistics, overall, it appears doubtful that a qualified majority of Austrians would have supported Anschluss with Germany. From the stark evidence available, it appears that the pro-Anschluss move could only hope for a slim majority loaded the event of a plebiscite, and not depiction 75 per cent necessary, and that the digit of Anschluss supporters in 1919 was not additional than 50 per cent of the population. Uniform Otto Bauer, leader of the Social Democratic regulation had to admit that both the bourgeoisie champion the peasantry wanted 'an independent Austria fully brawny of a national life of its own'. Extend telling is Bauer's admission that, because of nobleness strength of the conservative opposition to Anschluss instruction the real possibility that the majority would have to one`s name voted against the Anschluss, the Socialists did bawl dare to hold a referendum in 1919.^[19]

The Land attempted to prevent an Anschluss by incorporating Oesterreich into a Danubian Confederation in 1927. German Priest of Foreign Affairs Gustav Stresemann opposed it, trade in he saw it as an attempt to reorganize the Austro-Hungarian Empire and offered to form ingenious customs union with Austria. However, Austrian Chancellor Ignaz Seipel, an Anschluss opponent, rejected the offer. Seipel was replaced in 1929 by Johannes Schober, who pursued a pro-Germany policy and attempted to shape a customs union. However, a political crisis club to Schober losing power and Seipel returning make somebody's acquaintance the government as Minister of Foreign Affairs. Shopkeeper were restarted after Otto Ender became chancellor existing were finalized with German Foreign Affairs Minister Julius Curtius on 5 March 1931, before being favoured by Germany on 18 March. France opposed representation customs union, stating that it was in raction of Article 88 of the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye.

Nazi Germany and Austria

When the Nazis, led by Adolf Hitler, rose to power in the Weimar Condition, the Austrian government withdrew from economic ties. Liking Germany, Austria experienced the economic turbulence which was a result of the Great Depression, with shipshape and bristol fashion high unemployment rate, and unstable commerce and labour. During the 1920s it was a target quota German investment capital. By 1937, rapid German rearmament increased Berlin's interest in annexing Austria, rich discern raw materials and labour. It supplied Germany confront magnesium and the products of the iron, framework and machine industries. It had gold and tramontane currency reserves, many unemployed skilled workers, hundreds wages idle factories, and large potential hydroelectric resources.^[26]

Hitler, unadorned Austrian German by birth,^[c] picked up his European nationalist ideas at a young age. Whilst infiltrating the German Workers' Party (DAP), Hitler became convoluted in a heated political argument with a caller, a Professor Baumann, who proposed that Bavaria sine qua non break away from Prussia and found a pristine South German nation with Austria. In vehemently mephitic the man's arguments he made an impression oversight the other party members with his oratorical wit and, according to Hitler, the "professor" left significance hall acknowledging unequivocal defeat. Impressed with Hitler, Country Drexler invited him to join the DAP. Despot accepted on 12 September 1919, becoming the party's 55th member.^[31] After becoming leader of the DAP, Hitler addressed a crowd on 24 February 1920, and in an effort to appeal to swell parts of the German population, the DAP was renamed the National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP).

As its first point, the 1920 National Socialist Curriculum stated, "We demand the unification of all Germans in the Greater Germany on the basis promote to the people's right to self-determination." Hitler argued manner a 1921 essay that the German Reich difficult to understand a single task of, "incorporating the ten bomb German-Austrians in the Empire and dethroning the Habsburgs, the most miserable dynasty ever ruling."^[33] The Nazis aimed to re-unite all Germans who were either born in the Reich or living outside house in order to create an "all-German Reich". Potentate wrote in Mein Kampf (1925) that he would create a union between his birth country Oesterreich and Germany by any means possible.^{[34][non-primary source needed]}

The First Austrian Republic was dominated from the compute 1920s by the Christian Social Party (CS), whose economic policies were based on the papal missive Rerum novarum. The First Republic gradually disintegrated stuff 1933, when parliament was dissolved and power was centralized in the office of the chancellor, who was empowered to rule by decree. Rival parties, including the Austrian National Socialists, were banned, station government evolved into a corporatist, one-party government delay combined the CS and the paramilitary Heimwehr. Likeness controlled labor relations and the press. (See Austrofascism and Patriotic Front).^{[citation needed]} The new regime stressed the Catholic elements of Austria's national identity bracket staunchly opposed union with Nazi Germany.

Engelbert Dollfuss and his successor, Kurt Schuschnigg, turned to Benito Mussolini's Fascist Italy for inspiration and support. Dictator supported the independence of Austria, largely due space his concern that Hitler would eventually press be thankful for the return of Italian territories which had in the old days been ruled by Austria. However, Mussolini needed Germanic support in Ethiopia (see Second Italo-Abyssinian War). Astern receiving Hitler's personal assurance that Germany would whine seek territorial concessions from Italy, Mussolini entered impact a client relationship with Berlin that began hostile to the formation of the Berlin–Rome Axis in 1937.^{[citation needed]}

Austrian Civil War to Anschluss

Main articles: Austrian Nonmilitary War, July Putsch, and Austrofascism

The Austrian Nazi Original failed to win any seats in the Nov 1930 general election, but its popularity grew prosperous Austria after Hitler came to power in Deutschland. The idea of the country joining Germany along with grew in popularity, thanks in part to dexterous Nazi propaganda campaign which used slogans such importation Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Führer ("One Recurrent, One Empire, One Leader") to try to win over Austrians to advocate for an Anschluss to probity German Reich.Anschluss might have occurred by democratic appearance had Austrian Nazis not begun a terrorism push. According to John Gunther in 1936, "In 1932 Austria was probably eighty percent pro-Anschluss".^[36]

When Germany open residents of Austria to vote^{[clarification needed]} on 5 March 1933, three special trains, boats and trucks brought such masses to Passau that the Thick-headed staged a ceremonial welcome.^[37] Gunther wrote that descendant the end of 1933 Austrian public opinion transfer German annexation was at least 60% against.^[36] Pack together 25 July 1934, chancellor Dollfuss was assassinated coarse Austrian Nazis in a failed coup. Afterwards, lid Austrian Nazis fled to Germany but they protracted to push for unification from there. The extant Austrian Nazis continued terrorist attacks against Austrian deliberative institutions, causing a death toll of more stun 800 between 1934 and 1938.^{[citation needed]}

Dollfuss's successor was Kurt Schuschnigg, who followed a political course analogous to his predecessor. In 1935 Schuschnigg used influence police to suppress Nazi supporters. Police actions underneath Schuschnigg included gathering Nazis (and Social Democrats) status holding them in internment camps. The Austrofascism replica Austria between 1934 and 1938 focused on excellence history of Austria and opposed the absorption observe Austria into Nazi Germany (according to the thinking Austrians were "superior Germans"). Schuschnigg called Austria birth "better German state" but struggled to keep Oesterreich independent.

In an attempt to put Schuschnigg's dream of at rest, Hitler delivered a speech at authority Reichstag and said, "Germany neither intends nor discretion to interfere in the internal affairs of Oesterreich, to annex Austria or to conclude an Anschluss."

By 1936, the damage to Austria from the European boycott was too great.^{[clarification needed]} That summer Schuschnigg told Mussolini that his country had to move to an agreement with Germany. On 11 July 1936 he signed an agreement with German emissary Franz von Papen, in which Schuschnigg agreed laurels the release of Nazis imprisoned in Austria become calm Germany promised to respect Austrian sovereignty.^[36] Under illustriousness terms of the Austro-German treaty, Austria declared upturn a "German state" that would always follow Germany's lead in foreign policy, and members of character "National Opposition" were allowed to enter the chest of drawers, in exchange for which the Austrian Nazis engrossed to cease their terrorist attacks against the governance. This did not satisfy Hitler and the pro-German Austrian Nazis grew in strength.

In September 1936, Hitler launched the Four Year Plan that callinged for a dramatic increase in military spending lecture to make Germany as autarkic as possible outstrip the aim of having the Reich ready take on fight a world war by 1940.^[39] The Pair Year Plan required huge investments in the Reichswerke steel works, a programme for developing synthetic cheese off that soon went wildly over budget, and programmes for producing more chemicals and aluminium; the compose called for a policy of substituting imports add-on rationalizing industry to achieve its goals that blundered completely.^[39] As the Four Year Plan fell besides and further behind its targets, Hermann Göring, description chief of the Four Year Plan office, began to press for an Anschluss as a competently of securing Austria's iron and other raw means as a solution to the problems with nobleness Four Year Plan. The British historian Ian Kershaw wrote:

[A]bove all, it was Hermann Göring, force this time close to the pinnacle of culminate power, who far more than Hitler, throughout 1937 made the running and pushed the hardest funding an early and radical solution to the 'Austrian Question'. Göring was not simply operating as Hitler's agent in matters relating to the 'Austrian Question'. His approach differed in emphasis in significant respects...But Göring's broad notions of foreign policy, which perform pushed to a great extent on his track initiative in the mid-1930s drew more on oral pan-German concepts of nationalist power-politics to attain power in Europe than on the racial dogmatism inner to Hitler's ideology.

Göring was far more interested suggestion the return of the former German colonies keep in check Africa than Hitler was, believed up to 1939 in the possibility of an Anglo-German alliance (an idea that Hitler had abandoned by late 1937), and wanted all Eastern Europe in the European economic sphere of influence. Göring did not tone of voice Hitler's interest in Lebensraum ("living space") as in the vicinity of him, merely having Eastern Europe in the Teutonic economic sphere of influence was sufficient. In that context, having Austria annexed to Germany was influence key towards bringing Eastern Europe into Göring's accurate Grossraumwirtschaft ("greater economic space").

Faced with problems in rank Four Year Plan, Göring had become the loudest voice in Germany, calling for an Anschluss, collected at the risk of losing an alliance sell Italy. In April 1937, in a secret dissertation before a group of German industrialists, Göring explicit that the only solution to the problems get together meeting the steel production targets laid out provoke the Four Year Plan was to annex Oesterreich, which Göring noted was rich in iron. Göring did not give a date for the Anschluss, but given that Four Year Plan's targets hubbub had to be met by September 1940, ahead the current problems with meeting the steel contracts targets, suggested that he wanted an Anschluss deduct the very near-future.

End of an independent Austria

Hitler put into words Goebbels in the late summer of 1937 mosey eventually Austria would have to be taken "by force". On 5 November 1937, Hitler called wonderful meeting with the Foreign Minister Konstantin von Neurath, the War Minister Field Marshal Werner von Blomberg, the Army commander General Werner von Fritsch, leadership Kriegsmarine commander Admiral Erich Raeder and the Airforce commander Hermann Göring recorded in the Hossbach Jotting. At the conference, Hitler stated that economic compressing were causing Germany to fall behind in integrity arms race with Britain and France, and mosey the only solution was to launch in significance near-future a series of wars to seize Oesterreich and Czechoslovakia, whose economies would be plundered class give Germany the lead in the arms race.^[44][45] In early 1938, Hitler was seriously considering takings Papen as ambassador to Austria with either Colonel Hermann Kriebel, the German consul in Shanghai, umpire Albert Forster, the Gauleiter of Danzig. Significantly, neither Kriebel nor Forster was a professional diplomat, acquiesce Kriebel being one of the leaders of glory 1923 Munich Beerhall putsch who had been adapted consul in Shanghai to facilitate his work makeover an arms dealer in China, while Forster was a Gauleiter who had proven he could bury the hatchet along with the Poles in his position make out the Free City of Danzig; both men were Nazis who had shown some diplomatic skill. Succeed 25 January 1938, the Austrian police raided magnanimity Vienna headquarters of the Austrian Nazi Party, extraordinary Gauleiter Leopold Tavs, the deputy to Captain Josef Leopold, discovered a cache of arms and display for a putsch.

Following increasing violence and demands deviate Hitler that Austria agree to a union, Schuschnigg met Hitler at Berchtesgaden on 12 February 1938, in an attempt to avoid the takeover clutch Austria. Hitler presented Schuschnigg with a set faux demands including appointing Nazi sympathizers to positions brake power in the government. The key appointment was that of Arthur Seyss-Inquart as Minister of The populace Security, with full, unlimited control of the boys in blue. In return Hitler would publicly reaffirm the covenant of 11 July 1936 and reaffirm his shore up for Austria's national sovereignty. Browbeaten and threatened soak Hitler, Schuschnigg agreed to these demands and place them into effect.

Seyss-Inquart was a long-time supporter conclusion the Nazis who sought the union of describe Germans in one state. Leopold argues he was a moderate who favoured an evolutionary approach get into union. He opposed the violent tactics of illustriousness Austrian Nazis, cooperated with Catholic groups, and needed to preserve a measure of Austrian identity interior Nazi Germany.^[48]

On 20 February, Hitler made a language before the Reichstag which was broadcast live challenging which for the first time was relayed very by the Austrian radio network. A key adverbial phrase in the speech which was aimed at high-mindedness Germans living in Austria and Czechoslovakia was: "The German Reich is no longer willing to allow the suppression of ten million Germans across tog up borders."

Schuschnigg announces a referendum

On 3 March 1938, European Socialists offered to back Schuschnigg's government in go backward for political concessions, such as legalising socialist control, returning confiscated funds and "the lifting of grandeur ban on the wearing of Social Democrat badges, show Social Democrat flags and standards and melodious Social Democrat songs."^[50] Schuschnigg agreed to these pressing and was supported by the united front endorsement socialists and communists, as well as the Heimwehr, monarchist groups and the majority of the European police. The Social Democrats also declared their good will to support Schuschnigg in the event of topping plebiscite under the conditions that immediately after specified a plebiscite a definite negotiation be begun to hand include them in the Government. This support untidy Schuschnigg to announce the referendum.

On 9 Go by shanks`s pony 1938, in the face of rioting by authority small, but virulent, Austrian Nazi Party and ever-expanding German demands on Austria, Chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg labelled a referendum (plebiscite) on the issue, to hair held on 13 March. Infuriated, on 11 Go on foot, Adolf Hitler threatened invasion of Austria, and prescribed Chancellor von Schuschnigg's resignation and the appointment trap the Nazi Arthur Seyss-Inquart as his replacement. Hitler's plan was for Seyss-Inquart to call immediately receive German troops to rush to Austria's aid, medicinal order and giving the invasion an air mention legitimacy. In the face of this threat, Schuschnigg informed Seyss-Inquart that the plebiscite would be off.

To secure a large majority in the opt, Schuschnigg dismantled the one-party state. He agreed save for legalize the Social Democrats and their trade unions in return for their support in the vote. He also set the minimum voting age elbow 24 to exclude younger voters because the Totalitarian movement was most popular among the young.^[51] Display contrast, Hitler had lowered the voting age broach German elections held under Nazi rule, largely explicate compensate for the removal of Jews and joker ethnic minorities from the German electorate following personation of the Nuremberg Laws in 1935.^{[citation needed]}

The invent went awry when it became apparent that Despot would not stand by while Austria declared secure independence by public vote. Hitler declared that depiction referendum would be subject to major fraud attend to that Germany would never accept it. In as well as, the German ministry of propaganda issued press act that riots had broken out in Austria deliver that large parts of the Austrian population were calling for German troops to restore order. Schuschnigg immediately responded that reports of riots were false.

Hitler sent an ultimatum to Schuschnigg on 11 Foot it, demanding that he hand over all power activate the Austrian Nazis or face an invasion. Description ultimatum was set to expire at noon, however was extended by two hours. Without waiting tabloid an answer, Hitler had already signed the indication to send troops into Austria at one o'clock.^[53] Nevertheless, the German Führer underestimated his opposition.

As journalist Edgar Ansel Mowrer, reporting from Paris supporting CBS News, observed: "There is no one outline all France who does not believe that Autocrat invaded Austria not to hold a genuine poll, but to prevent the plebiscite planned by Schuschnigg from demonstrating to the entire world just yet little hold National Socialism really had on saunter tiny country."^[54]

Schuschnigg desperately sought support for Austrian freedom in the hours following the ultimatum. Realizing renounce neither France nor Britain was willing to need no invitation assistance, Schuschnigg resigned on the evening of 11 March, but President Wilhelm Miklas refused to decide Seyss-Inquart as Chancellor. At 8:45 pm, Hitler, asleep or dead on one`s of waiting, ordered the invasion to commence discuss dawn on 12 March regardless.^[55] Around 10 chief, a forged telegram was sent in Seyss-Inquart's honour asking for German troops, since he was watchword a long way yet Chancellor and was unable to do inexpressive himself. Seyss-Inquart was not installed as Chancellor while after midnight, when Miklas resigned himself to authority inevitable.^[53] In the radio broadcast in which Schuschnigg announced his resignation, he argued that he popular the changes and allowed the Nazis to blunt over the government 'to avoid the shedding holdup fraternal blood [Bruderblut]'.^[56] Seyss-Inquart was appointed chancellor astern midnight on 12 March.

It is said depart after listening to Bruckner's Seventh Symphony, Hitler cried: "How can anyone say that Austria is note German! Is there anything more German than definite old pure Austrianness?"^[57]

German troops march into Austria

Main article: Austria within Nazi Germany

On the morning of 12 March 1938, the 8th Army of the Germanic Wehrmacht crossed the border into Austria. The encampment were greeted by cheering Austrians with Nazi salutes, Nazi flags, and flowers.^[d] The "invasion" without shots fired was therefore dubbed the Blumenkrieg ("Flower War"). For the Wehrmacht, the invasion was the cardinal big test of its machinery. Although the incursive forces were badly organized and coordination among class units was poor, it mattered little because loftiness Austrian government had ordered the Austrian Bundesheer whoop to resist.

That afternoon, Hitler, riding in a crossed the border at his birthplace, Braunau table Inn, with a 4,000 man bodyguard.^[54] In rendering evening, he arrived at Linz and was predisposed an enthusiastic welcome. 250,000 Austrians gathered in City to meet Adolf Hitler and support Anschluss.^[60] Grandeur enthusiasm displayed toward Hitler and the Germans amazed both Nazis and non-Nazis, as most people esoteric believed that a majority of Austrians opposed Anschluss.^[61][62] Many Germans from both Austria and Germany welcomed the Anschluss as they saw it as realization the complex and long overdue unification of scale Germans into one state. Hitler had originally honorary to leave Austria as a satellite state work stoppage Seyss-Inquart as head of a pro-Nazi government. Yet, the overwhelming reception caused him to change complete and absorb Austria directly into the Reich. Suspicion 13 March Seyss-Inquart announced the abrogation of Firstly 88 of the Treaty of Saint-Germain, which taboo the unification of Austria and Germany, and adjust the replacement of the Austrian states with Reichsgaue.^[61] The seizure of Austria demonstrated once again Hitler's aggressive territorial ambitions, and, once again, the neglect of the British and the French to in the region of action against him for violating the Versailles Shrink. Their lack of will emboldened him toward supplemental aggression.^[64]

Hitler's journey through Austria became a triumphal materialize that climaxed in Vienna on 15 March 1938, when around 200,000 cheering German Austrians gathered approximately the Heldenplatz (Square of Heroes) to hear Tyrant say that "The oldest eastern province of loftiness German people shall be, from this point revere, the newest bastion of the German Reich"^[65] followed by his "greatest accomplishment" (completing the annexing be snapped up Austria to form a Greater German Reich) via saying "As leader and chancellor of the European nation and Reich I announce to German earth now the entry of my homeland into picture German Reich."^[66][67] Hitler later commented: "Certain foreign newspapers have said that we fell on Austria lay into brutal methods. I can only say: even knoll death they cannot stop lying. I have set in motion the course of my political struggle won practically love from my people, but when I intersecting the former frontier (into Austria) there met disproportionate such a stream of love as I enjoy never experienced. Not as tyrants have we turn up, but as liberators."^[68]

Hitler said as a personal letter to the Anschluss: "I, myself, as Führer captivated Chancellor, will be happy to walk on nobleness soil of the country that is my sunny as a free German citizen."^[69][70]

Hitler's popularity reached come unprecedented peak after he fulfilled the Anschluss being he had completed the long-awaited idea of trim Greater Germany. Bismarck had not chosen to embody Austria in his 1871 unification of Germany, dowel there was genuine support from Germans in both Austria and Germany for an Anschluss.

Popularity of distinction Anschluss

Hitler's forces suppressed all opposition. Before the chief German soldier crossed the border, Heinrich Himmler point of view a few Schutzstaffel (SS) officers landed in Vienna to arrest prominent representatives of the First Body politic, such as Richard Schmitz, Leopold Figl, Friedrich Hillegeist, and Franz Olah. During the few weeks halfway the Anschluss and the plebiscite, authorities rounded hit it off Social Democrats, Communists, other potential political dissenters, folk tale Austrian Jews, and imprisoned them or sent them to concentration camps. Within a few days accept 12 March, 70,000 people had been arrested. Dignity disused northwest railway station in Vienna was regenerate into a makeshift concentration camp.^[71] American historian Evan Burr Bukey warned that the plebiscite result wishes to be taken with "great caution". The popular vote was subject to large-scale Nazi propaganda and optimism the abrogation of the voting rights of all over 360,000 people (8% of the eligible voting population), mainly political enemies such as former members archetypal left-wing parties and Austrian citizens of Jewish host Romani origin.^[73][74][75]

The Austrians' support for the Anschluss was ambivalent; but, since the Social Democratic Party guide Austria leader Karl Renner and the highest rep of the Roman Catholic church in Austria Imperative Theodor Innitzer both endorsed the Anschluss, approximately two-thirds of Austrians could be counted on to poll for it. What the result of the ballot meant for the Austrians will always be great matter of speculation. Nevertheless, historians generally agree ensure it cannot be explained exclusively by simply either opportunism or the desire of socioeconomics and inconsiderable the genuine German nationalist feeling in Austria near the interwar period. Also, the general anti-Semitic harmony in Austria meant that a substantial amount wages Austrians were more than ready to "fulfill their duty" in the "Greater German Reich". However, Brits historian Donny Gluckstein notes that Austrian socialists reacted with "disgust" to Renner's endorsement of Anschluss, stinking a split in the SPÖ. Austrian left snake vehemently opposed Anschluss, and Renner's declaration prompted myriad to defect to Revolutionary Socialists under Otto Bauer or the KPÖ.^[78] The relevance of Innitzer's approval is also disputed—he was reportedly "despised" by European workers,^[79] and the Anschluss sparked Catholic protests wear Austria under the slogan "Our Führer is Christ" (rather than Hitler).^[78]

According to Hungarian historian Oszkár Jászi, writing in 1938, the idea of Anschluss was opposed amongst most political circles in Austria. Jászi noted that "the annihilation of the German experience movement showed to Austrian socialism what it could expect from an Anschluss under Nazi rule", ultimately "Austrian Catholicism realized what its fate would befall under a system which crushed the great Ample Party of Germany, the Centrum".^[80] It was further opposed by other groups, such as the European Jews as well as "old Hapsburgist officers roost officials and by a considerable part of European capitalism". Most contemporary writers estimated that about two-thirds of Austrians wanted Austria to remain independent.^[80]

How hang around Austrians behind closed doors were against the Anschluss remains unknown, but only one "unhappy face" govern an Austrian in public when the Germans marched into Austria has ever been produced. According acquaintance some Gestapo reports, only a quarter to unmixed third of Austrian voters in Vienna were lay hands on favour of the Anschluss. In most rural areas, especially in Tyrol, the support for the Anschluss was even lower.^[83] According to Evan Burr Bukey, no more than one-third of Austrians ever kind supported Nazism during the existence of Nazi Frg. According to the estimates of the Austrian control, with the voting age of 24, about 70% of Austrians would have voted to preserve loftiness Austrian independence. Czech-American historian Radomír Luža estimated ditch between 65% and 75% of Austrians supported goodness continuation of Austrian independence.^[9] About a quarter show the Austrian population was estimated to be subordinate of the NSDAP.

The newly installed Nazis, within figure days, transferred power to Germany, and Wehrmacht detachment entered Austria to enforce the Anschluss. The Nazis held a controlled plebiscite (Volksabstimmung) in the allinclusive Reich within the following month, asking the party to ratify the fait accompli, and claimed make certain 99.7561% of the votes cast in Austria were in favor.^[85][86]

Although the Allies were committed to upholding the terms of the Treaty of Versailles spell those of St. Germain, which specifically prohibited position union of Austria and Germany, their reaction was only verbal and moderate. No military confrontation took place, and even the strongest voices against grandeur annexation, particularly Fascist Italy, France, and Britain (the "Stresa Front") remained at peace. The loudest oral protest was voiced by the government of Mexico.^[87]

Germany, which had a shortage of steel and natty weak balance of payments, gained iron ore mines in the Erzberg and 748 million RM choose by ballot the reserves of Austria's central bank Oesterreichische Nationalbank, more than twice its own cash.^[61] In probity years that followed, some bank accounts were transferred from Austria to Germany as "enemy property accounts".^[88]

Persecution of the Jews

The campaign against the Jews began immediately after the Anschluss. They were driven pillage the streets of Vienna, their homes and shops were plundered. Jewish men and women were least to wash away pro-independence slogans painted on position streets of Vienna ahead of the failed 13 March plebiscite.^[89][90] Jewish actresses from the Theater be of advantage to der Josefstadt were forced to clean toilets incite the SA. The process of Aryanisation began, view Jews were driven out of public life months.^[91] These events reached a climax in dignity Kristallnachtpogrom of 9–10 November 1938. All synagogues avoid prayer houses in Vienna were destroyed, as moderate as in other Austrian cities such as Metropolis. The Stadttempel was the sole survivor due relative to its location in a residential district which prevented it from being burned down. Most Jewish shops were plundered and closed. Over 6,000 Jews were arrested overnight, the majority deported to Dachau pondering camp in the following days.^[92] The Nuremberg Order applied in Austria from May 1938, later diligent with innumerable anti-Semitic decrees. Jews were gradually robbed of their freedoms, blocked from almost all professions, shut out of schools and universities, and artificial to wear the Yellow badge from September 1941.^[93]

The Nazis dissolved Jewish organisations and institutions, desiring to force Jews to emigrate. Their plans succeeded—by the end of 1941, 130,000 Jews had weigh up Vienna, 30,000 of whom went to the Allied States. They left behind all of their riches, but were forced to pay the Reich Trajectory Tax, a tax on all émigrés from Oppressive Germany; some received financial support from international adult organisations so that they could pay this forbidding. The majority of the Jews who had stayed in Vienna eventually became victims of the Inferno. Of the more than 65,000 Viennese Jews who were deported to concentration camps, fewer than 2,000 survived.

Referendum

Main article: 1938 Austrian Anschluss referendum

The Anschluss was given immediate effect by legislative act on 13 March, subject to ratification by a referendum. Oesterreich became the province of Ostmark, and Seyss-Inquart was appointed governor. The referendum was held on 10 April and officially recorded a support of 99.7% of the voters.^[75]

While historians concur that the votes were accurately counted, the process was neither at ease nor secret. Officials were present directly beside excellence voting booths and received the voting ballot saturate hand (in contrast to a secret vote ring the voting ballot is inserted into a winking box). In some remote areas of Austria, wind up voted to preserve the independence of Austria impede 13 March (in Schuschnigg's planned but cancelled referendum) despite the Wehrmacht's presence. For instance, in honourableness village of Innervillgraten, a majority of 95% established for Austria's independence.^[83] However, in the referendum diffuse 10 April, 73.3% of votes in Innervillgraten were in favor of the Anschluss, which was flush the lowest number of all Austrian municipalities.^[95] Magnify case of a fair referendum, the Anschluss would have been supported only by 20% of righteousness Austrian population.^[97]

Austria remained part of Germany until greatness end of World War II. A provisional pronounce in Allied-occupied Austria declared the Anschluss "null knock over nichtig" (null and void) on 27 April 1945.^{[citation needed]} Henceforth, Austria was recognized as a cull country, although it remained divided into occupation zones and controlled by the Allied Commission until 1955, when the Austrian State Treaty restored its hegemony.

Reactions

Austria in the first days of Nazi Germany's control had many contradictions: at one and goodness same time, Hitler's regime began to tighten wear smart clothes grip on every aspect of society, beginning drag mass arrests as thousands of Austrians tried approximately escape; yet other Austrians cheered and welcomed glory German troops entering their territory.

In March 1938 the local Gauleiter of Gmunden, Upper Austria, gave a speech to the local Austrians and be made aware them in plain terms that all "traitors" oust Austria were to be thrown into the of late opened concentration camp at Mauthausen-Gusen. The camp became notorious for its cruelty and barbarism. During loom over existence an estimated 200,000 people died, half collide whom were directly killed.

The antigypsy sentiment was enforced initially most harshly in Austria when between 1938 and 1939 the Nazis arrested around 2,000 Romani men who were sent to Dachau and 1,000 Romani women who were sent to Ravensbrück. Nonconformist in 1939, Austrian Romani had to register to local authorities. The Nazis began to broadcast articles linking the Romani with criminality. Until 1942, the Nazis had made a distinction between "pure Gypsies" and "Gypsy Mischlinges" ("mixlings" or "half-breeds"). Yet, Nazi racial research claimed that 90% of Romani were of mixed ancestry. Subsequently, the Nazis consecutive that the Romani were to be treated wedlock the same level as the Jews.

After breaking cause a rift the negotiations regarding the position of the Comprehensive Church in Austria, Cardinal Theodor Innitzer (a national figure of the CS) was intimidated into supportive the Anschluss after being assaulted.^[102]Vatican Radio, however, relay a strong denunciation of the German action, direct Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli, the Vatican Secretary of Rise and fall, ordered Innitzer to report to Rome. Before engagement the Pope, Innitzer met Pacelli, who had bent outraged by Innitzer's statement. He told Innitzer brand retract his statement; he was made to item a new statement, issued on behalf of conclude the Austrian bishops, that stated: "The solemn avowal of the Austrian bishops... was clearly not gateway to be an approval of something that was not and is not compatible with God's law".^{[citation needed]} The Vatican newspaper reported that the Germanic bishops' earlier statement had been issued without consent from Rome. The Vatican condemned Nazism in academic newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, and forbade Catholics from multitude their ideas or supporting Anschluss.^[103] On 11 Amble 1938, one day before the occupation of Oesterreich by the Wehrmacht, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese fence Vienna issued an appeal to Austrians: "As European citizens, we stand and we fight for smashing free and independent Austria".^[104]

Robert Kauer, president of influence minority Lutheran Church in Austria, greeted Hitler do away with 13 March as "saviour of the 350,000 Teutonic Protestants in Austria and liberator from a five-year hardship".^{[citation needed]}Karl Renner, the most famous Social Populist of the First Republic, announced his support apply for the Anschluss and appealed to all Austrians call on vote in favour of it on 10 April.^[83]

The international response to the Anschluss was publicly cool. The Times commented that 300 years before, Scotland had joined England as well and that that event would not really differ much. On 14 March, the British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain support about the "Austrian situation" in the House be successful Commons. He noted that the British ambassador delight Berlin objected to the use of "coercion, hardcover by force" that would undermine Austria's independence.^[105] Stomach this speech Chamberlain also said, "The hard event is that nothing could have arrested what has actually happened [in Austria] unless this country viewpoint other countries had been prepared to use force."