The Anschluss

1
The Anschluss

• The Austro-German Union

2
The Anschluss

• In January 1938 police raided the HQ of the
  Austrian Nazi Party in the Teinfaltstrasse,
  Vienna
• Later, Papen, the German ambassador to Austria
  sent a statement home relating to the raid

3
The Anschluss

• During the Teinfaltstrasse raid a memorandum
  written by DR Tavs.. Fell into the hands of the
  police. Subject the impossibility of progress
  under Schuschnigg, German invasion was the only
  solution, thereafter formation of a government
  under Leopold. (Documents in German Foreign
  Policy,Ser. D, Vol 1 Doc 29)

4
The Anschluss

• Captain Leopold and Dr Tavs were both Austrian
  Nazis. As a result, the Austrian Nazi Party was
  banned, in direct contradiction to the secret
  part of the 1936 agreement

5
The Anschluss

• Hitler may have known nothing of the plot but the
  Austrian Chancellor, Kurt Von Schuschnigg,
  decided that he should seek a meeting with the
  Fuhrer
• They met at Berchtesgaden, on 11 February 1938

6
The meeting

• Hitler was severely displeased with Schuschnigg
  and accused him of persecuting Germans in Austria
  and building defences

7
Hitler presented his terms

• ban on the Austrian Nazi Party was to be lifted
  and the government was to recognise its loyalty
  to Austria
• Austrian Nazis were to hold the following key
  positions in government
• Seyss-Inquart was to be Minister of the interior
  with control of the police
• Glaisse-Horstenau was to be Minister for war
• The German and Austrian armies were to have
  officer exchanges

8
Hitler presented his terms

• Fischbok was to be Minister for Finance and the
  economic systems of the two countries were to be
  brought together as one

9
Hitler presented his terms

• Imprisoned Nazis were to be released and officers
  and officials who had been sacked because of
  their Nazi connections were to be reinstated
• These terms were to turn Austria into Hitlers
  puppet state

10
Schuschnigg agreed reluctantly to implement the
agreement in 3 days

• The new Nazi Ministers acted with complete
  disregard for the Chancellor, Nazis led
  disturbances all over Austria
• Against the advice of Mussolini, Schuschnigg
  decided to hold a plebiscite (referendum) on 13th
  March to ask the Austrians if they wanted an
  independent Austria

11
Hitlers reaction

• Hitler was furious and ordered his army to
  prepare to invade Austria
• He sent Musssolini an explanation and a promise
  that he accepted the Brenner Pass as the
  permanent frontier between Germany and Italy

12
Hitlers reaction

• 11 March, Italys Foreign Minister wrote in his
  diary that
• Thanks to their policy, France and England have
  lost Austria. For us too it is not an advantage.
  But in the meantime we have acquired Abyssinia

German troops march into Austria on 12 March 1938
13
The Austrian Nazis presented Hitlers demand for
the cancellation of the plebiscite, Schuschnigg
agreed and resigned

• He was replaced by Seyss-Inquart
• Czechoslovakia was promised that they had
  nothing to fear from the Reich
• In return it promised not to mobilise its army

14
Events leading to Anschluss

• Seyss-Inquart had instructions that he was to
  telegram for help from the German army as soon as
  he was in office
• Seyss-Inquart requested that German troops should
  not invade Austria

15
Events leading to Anschluss

• Despite this, German troops crossed the border at
  dawn on Saturday 12 March. It was not a very
  impressive military invasion as 70 of German
  armoured vehicles broke down
• However this did not affect the outcome

16
Events leading to Anschluss

• Hitler after the successful invasion, decided
  that he now wanted to establish direct rule, with
  Austria as a province of the German Reich
• 13th March Hitler entered Viennna in triumph

17
Events leading to Anschluss

• Himmler was already there to supervise the SS and
  the Gestapo who were rounding up the opposition
• A plebiscite was eventually held, 99.75 of
  Austrians voted for the new arrangements. This
  seemed to be fixed

Propaganda even in the voting booth on 10 April
1938, with a poster instructing voters how to
vote "Yes".