What is Anschluss?
In 1938, a political union of Austria with Germany achieved an annexation by Adolf Hitler, which was termed as Anschluss. Chiefly with Austrian social democrats from 1919 to 1933, Anschluss with Germany remained a hope. As a result, Hitler’s rise to power drew less attention to it. After the unsuccessful attempt of Austrian and German Nazis, an authoritarian right-wing government took over the power. Hitler invited the Austrian Chancellor Kurt Von Schuschnigg in the February of 1938 to Germany and forced him to give a free hand to the Austrian Nazis.
In the past, Austria turned to Italy for support, but the idea of intervening to protect Austria was abandoned by Benito Mussolini. Schuschnigg announced a plebiscite on Anschluss' question. He was forced to cancel the plebiscite, and he decided to resign as Chancellor. He ordered the Austrian army not to support Germany any further. Arthur Seyss Inquart was not accepted as the new Chancellor of Austrian Nazi by Wilhelm Miklas of Austria. Hitler was given the cover to annex Austria outright on March 13 due to the invasion of Germans on March 12. Around ninety-nine percent approval was given by a controlled plebiscite of April 10.
Anschluss With Austria
Hitler dreamt about turning all German-speaking nations to be a part of Germany in Europe. His first plan was to reunite his homeland Austria with Germany. Germany and Austria were forbidden to be unified under the terms of the treaty of Versailles. Hitler also wanted control over Sudetenland, a huge German-speaking land within Czechoslovakia. Hitler was ready to destabilize and undermine its independence to reach his goal. Anschluss with Austria was his ultimate goal. To preserve the German invasion in Austria, Schuschnigg, the new Chancellor never gave Hitler an excuse for aggression.
Schuschnigg signed the German Austrian Agreement of 1936 and tried to cooperate with Hitler to much extent. Since Nazis held Official posts in Austria, Schuschnigg thought it would please Hitler. His position as a chancellor was undermined in 1936, and Austria lost protection from Italy. Now Austria was in a dangerous state of manners and was vulnerable to German aggression. Hitler's goal of Anschluss with Austria turned true by completely ruining Austria’s strength and independence.
Relation Between Austria and Germany
With German being the shared language of the two countries, their shared history, and their past, the relation between Austria and Germany is close and deep. Until the unification of German states under Prussia, their predecessors were part of the Holy Roman Empire and German confederation. After World war I, Austria renamed itself to be the Republic of Germany-Austria to unify with Germany. The treaty of Saint Germain-en-Laye was successful in terminating this attempt by Austria in 1919. Adolf Hitler, who was Austrian-born, annexed Austria in the Anschluss. Austria and Germany were unified, but it left Austria under the terror of German aggression and attacks. Although, the chancellors of Austria tried to cooperate with Hitler to prevent attacks.
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Interesting Anschluss Facts
Some interesting facts about the Anschluss union which was the main reason for the unification of Germany and Austria, are stated below:
Anschluss's meaning is union in the German language. It was proposed in 1919 and occurred in 1938 after the unification of Austria and Germany.
Hitler demanded to put several Austrian Nazis at powerful governmental posts. Hitler also positioned Arthur Seys Enquart, the Austrian Nazi leader that made him more powerful.
After the set of Annexation, the total Austrian power was handed to German Nazis. To maintain the Anschluss, many Wehrmacht troops moved to Austria.
German Federation forces led by Austria and Prussia defeated the Danish armies. It resulted in the Treaty of Vienna, where Denmark gave up their two territories - Schleswig and Holstein.
Conclusion
Until the conclusion of World War II, Austria was considered a part of Germany. The government of Austria declared Anschluss invalid on the 27th of April 1945. Austria became a separate nation from Germany after the allied treaty of the Austrian State was formed in 1955. Although Anschluss was declared for the unification of Austria and Germany, it mainly brought terror to Austria under the rule of Adolf Hitler.
FAQs on Anschluss
1. What is the precise meaning of 'Anschluss' in the context of 20th-century history?
In the context of 20th-century history, Anschluss is a German term meaning "union" or "connection." It specifically refers to the political annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany on March 12, 1938. This event incorporated Austria into the German Reich, a direct violation of the Treaty of Versailles, which had expressly forbidden the unification of the two German-speaking nations.
2. What were the main motivations behind Hitler's desire for the Anschluss with Austria?
Hitler's motivations for the Anschluss were multifaceted and central to his political and ideological goals. The key reasons include:
- Pan-German Nationalism: Hitler, an Austrian by birth, believed in the creation of a 'Greater German Reich' that would unite all German-speaking peoples under one nation.
- Strategic Advantage: Annexing Austria provided Germany with a strategic border with Italy, Hungary, and Yugoslavia, surrounding Czechoslovakia on three sides and increasing Germany's military and economic power.
- Resource Acquisition: Austria possessed valuable resources, including iron ore, magnesite, and a skilled workforce, which were crucial for Germany's rearmament program.
- Reversing the Treaty of Versailles: The Anschluss was a deliberate and defiant act to dismantle the post-World War I order established by the Treaty of Versailles, which Hitler viewed as a national humiliation.
3. How did Adolf Hitler orchestrate the events leading to the Anschluss in March 1938?
Hitler orchestrated the Anschluss through a combination of political pressure, internal subversion, and the threat of military force. He encouraged the Austrian Nazi Party to create civil unrest and instability. He then pressured the Austrian Chancellor, Kurt von Schuschnigg, into making concessions, including appointing Nazi sympathisers to key government positions. When Schuschnigg attempted to hold a referendum on Austrian independence, Hitler demanded his resignation and threatened an immediate invasion. On March 12, 1938, German troops crossed the border, meeting no resistance and effectively completing the annexation.
4. Why did the initial attempt at an Anschluss in 1934 fail?
The first attempt at an Anschluss in 1934 failed primarily due to strong international opposition, particularly from Italy. In July 1934, Austrian Nazis attempted a coup and assassinated the Austrian Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss. However, Italy's leader, Benito Mussolini, who at the time saw Austria as a crucial buffer state against German expansion, responded by mobilising Italian troops on the Austrian border. This decisive action forced Hitler, whose military was not yet ready for a major conflict, to disavow the coup and back down, thereby preventing the unification.
5. What was the significance of the Anschluss in the broader context of the build-up to World War II?
The Anschluss was highly significant as a critical step towards World War II. Its importance lies in several areas:
- It was a successful test of Hitler's aggressive expansionist policy and the West's policy of appeasement. Britain and France's failure to act emboldened him.
- It significantly strengthened Germany's strategic position, encircling the western part of Czechoslovakia, which was Hitler's next target.
- It demonstrated the ineffectiveness of the Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations to prevent aggression.
- The annexation provided Germany with additional manpower, weapons, and economic resources, boosting its war-making capabilities.
6. How did the international community, particularly Britain and France, react to the German annexation of Austria?
The international reaction was weak and indecisive, reflecting the policy of appeasement. Britain, while protesting diplomatically, took no military action. Many British politicians felt that since Austrians and Germans were culturally similar, the union was not entirely unjustifiable and certainly not worth going to war over. France was experiencing a political crisis and was unwilling to act without British support. The League of Nations, already weakened by previous failures, was powerless and did not intervene. This lack of a firm response confirmed to Hitler that the Western powers would not risk war to defend smaller European states.
7. How did the Treaty of Versailles try to prevent the Anschluss, and why did this provision ultimately fail?
Article 80 of the Treaty of Versailles explicitly forbade the unification of Austria and Germany to prevent the formation of a single, overwhelmingly powerful German state in Central Europe. The treaty required the consent of the Council of the League of Nations for any change to Austria's independence. This provision failed because by 1938:
- The enforcement mechanisms of the treaty had collapsed.
- Hitler was openly defying the treaty's terms with rearmament and the remilitarisation of the Rhineland, facing no serious consequences.
- The key powers responsible for upholding the treaty, Britain and France, lacked the political will and military readiness to enforce it, prioritising appeasement over confrontation.
