World War II Database

Austria was Adolf Hitler's birth country, and she was the first nation to be annexed by Hitler's Nazi Germany. The idea of a unification of all German-speaking people under one flag, Anschluß (also spelled as the anglicized Anschluss), had been an idea that had existed since the end of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806. Personally a supporter of such an idea, Hitler also knew that his own position in Berlin would be further solidified if he could achieve this goal. His first course of action was to spread the influence of the Nazi Party into Austria. By Jul 1934, the Nazi Party was so influential that Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuß of Austria banned all political parties except for the ruling Christian Social Party. Near the end of the very same month, a failed coup by Austrian Nazi Party members killed Dollfuß; Kurt Schuschnigg succeeded as the next Chancellor, and continued to strike at Nazi Party leaders. On 12 Feb 1938, Hitler invited Schuschnigg to Berghof for a summit. Schuschnigg politely addressed Hitler as "Herr Reichskanzler", awaiting a similar greeting from Hitler, but it never came. What he got in response, however, was a series of insults and threats. Hitler preached of his mission to create a great German Empire; "I have only to give an order," he screamed at Schuschnigg, "and your ridiculous defenses will be blown to bits!" After hours of persuasion that Western Europe had abandoned Austria, Schuschnigg gave in. He signed a two-page agreement drafted by Joachim von Ribbentrop that lifted the ban on the Nazi Party, released jailed Austrian Nazi Party members, and appointed Nazi Party members Arthur Seyß-Inquart and Edmund Glaise-Horstenau ministerial positions in the Austrian government. Pressure from Berlin did not cease based on that agreement alone, however, and Schuschnigg announced that he would allow a national referendum to decide the fate of Austria. Schuschnigg strategically set the voting age to 24 so that the younger citizens, who were much more likely to be persuaded to the Nazi cause, could not sway the vote. Berlin was quick to catch on to Schuschnigg's tactics, and fabricated false news reports of riots in Austria, claiming that Austrians were calling for German military to enter to preserve peace. According to Nazi propaganda, over 80% of the Austrian population wished to become a part of the German Empire; in fact, it was merely propaganda and nothing more. According to Winston Churchill's own intelligence network, the most generously optimistic estimate did not exceed 35%. "[T]he majority in the country is in favor of an independent Austria," said Georg Franckenstein, an Austrian diplomat in London who was secretly acting as one of Churchill's informants. On 11 Mar 1938, two days after the national referendum announcement, Berlin sent Vienna a final ultimatum: surrender or face an invasion. Seeing no sign of support from Britain or France, the disheartened Schuschnigg resigned. Seyß-Inquart attempted to get himself named as the next Chancellor so that he could invite in the German troops, but he was unable to persuade Austrian President Wilhelm Miklas who had no love for the Nazi Party. Finally, at 2200 in the evening of 11 Mar, Hitler gave up the wait on Seyß-Inquart and signed the order for invasion. In the morning of 12 Mar 1938, German 8th Army crossed the border into Austria. The Germany military would take control of the entire country within the next three days.

Benito Mussolini of Italy, having received a hand-written letter on this topic shortly before, personally telephoned Hitler to let Hitler know that Austria was "immaterial" to Italy, suggesting Italy's approval for this annexation. The enthusiastic Hitler told a messenger to bring Mussolini the message "I will never forget him for this.... Never, never, never, no matter what happens!"

At noon on 13 Mar, Hitler drove through his birthplace of Braunau with his entourage and was received with utmost excitement; the German leader led members of his entourage to visit his school and his parents' home, and had gotten rather emotional. The second city he visited was Linz, where crowds welcomed Hitler as he met up with Seyß-Inquart; Hitler gave a speech to a crowd at the City Hall, and Wilhelm Keitel recorded the crowd reaction as "electric and excited beyond belief". At Vienna, Hitler assumed the title Chancellor of the Greater Germany, and Seyß-Inquart declared Austria a member of that entity.

In London, Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain protested by stating that "our Ambassador in Berlin registered a protest in strong terms with the German Government against such use of coercion, backed by force, against an independent State in order to create a situation incompatible with its national independence", though many political leaders in the world, including many Austrian politicians, were glad to see a bloodless annexation. The new German government presiding over Austria appeared rather welcomed by the general Austrian population who had long since been bombarded with Anschluß propaganda, but the other half of the reaction was unseen. While photographs of the excited Austrians were circulated around the world, the photographs of the tens of thousands of refugees attempting to flee the new German Austria were censored by Berlin. Many of these refugees were arrested; some of them were sent to concentration camps, some executed by SS firing squads, and then there were those who feared the worst and chose to commit suicide instead of facing their German captors. An Austrian who was able to flee to Britain described after the war how his countrymen were demeaned by the German occupiers:

On 7 Oct 1938, British Lord Halifax finally had enough and sent Berlin a letter questioning the reports of ill-treatment; he requested a statement from Berlin "to combat such assertions, the spreading of which might in fact hamper the advocates of Anglo-German relations in the realization of their aspirations." Hitler's response to him was straight from Mein Kampf; anyone who stood in his way would be vanquished. Two days later at a speaking engagement at Saarbrücken, Hitler added that Germany "cannot tolerate any longer the tutelage of governesses. Inquiries of British politicians concerning the fate of Germans within the frontiers of the Reich, or of lands belonging to the Reich, are none of their concern." Even after such responses to foreign inquiries, however, pacificists in Britain and France continued to believe Hitler can be appeased.

From a military perspective, the annexation of Austria immediately provided the German military five incomplete divisions (two infantry, two mountain, and one armored).

Photographs

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Visitor Submitted Comments

1. Anonymous says:
   25 Jul 2006 03:14:41 PM
   
   problem with this is that the paragraphs are appalling long... @.@
2. Ms. Buckley says:
   19 Oct 2008 07:14:29 PM
   
   HELP ME
   SO LONGG
3. Anonymous says:
   9 Feb 2009 03:47:46 AM
   
   :O much text :P
4. Trapper Brown says:
   4 Sep 2009 10:24:09 PM
   
   Too long? Do you think history isn't worthy of such long paragraphs? If you don't enjoy it, then why read it? It is YOUR history too, you know!
5. Peter says:
   17 Nov 2009 04:10:11 PM
   
   Oh my god....the Allies lying about their evil history again.
   
   Austria was not "annexed" LOL
   
   The Austrians ARE Germans! They wanted the unification, or why do you think Austrian soldiers crossed teh German borders with FLOWERS in their rifles?
   
   Likewise for teh SUDETENLAND - it was not annexed, it RETURNED to Germany! It was GERMAN LAND. Why do you Allies lie about your evil past?
   
   The Sudetenland is a good example for Angloamerican "Demococracy": After promising the Germans "right to self-determination" in their 14 points, the Angloamericans gave the Sudetenland to thze CZECHS, against the people's will! They declared in the democratic Vienna parliament their will to remain Austrian resp. German citizens , and they declared their free will also in peacefull demonstrations in all their cities. Czech troops and tanks moved in, and opened fire on unarmed peaceful demonstrators. In the city of KAADEN only, hundreds were wounded and killed, even children and young women were anmong the victims of the aggression of the Versailles-criminals Britain + USA. Sudetenland was taken by FORCE, against people's will, and DEMOCRATIC VOTES were forbidden by Britain and the USA. In 1938, Britain corrected their crime, and gave the Sudetengermans freedom again (read the Lord-Runciman report). However,this insight came to late.
   
   To think you British and American people are not ashamed for all your lies about history? Pathetic!
   
   Thank god i am not British!!! I would be ashamed to stem from a country that LIES about her history.
   
6. Allies were right says:
   20 May 2010 11:56:02 AM
   
   Peter - Obviously you don't know much about history. No... I mean the REAL history of WWII. Not the propaganda you've been reading on Nazi websites.
   
   The Austrians never asked to be re-united with Germany. That was Hitlers' plan. The vast majority of the Austrians' wanted to remain FREE!
   
   Where do you get off revising history? You say these lands were "returned" to Germany.
   
   Ok.. Tell us. When were they taken FROM Germany? And by who?

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