1) Hitler demanded that Austrian Chancellor Schuschnigg lift the ban on the Austrian Nazi Party, release Nazi prisoners, and put Nazis in key government posts. When Schuschnigg refused, Hitler threatened to invade Austria. 2) Under pressure, Schuschnigg resigned on March 11th, allowing Austrian Nazis to take power. The next day, German troops crossed into Austria unopposed, completing the Anschluss. 3) Britain and France did not respond militarily. While condemning Germany's actions, Britain acknowledged that nothing short of force could have stopped the annexation of Austria.

1. Anschluss

2. Article 80 of Versailles Peace Treaty
“Germany acknowledges and will respect
strictly the independence of Austria,
within the frontiers which may be fixed in
a Treaty between that State and the
Principal Allied and Associated Powers;
she agrees that this independence shall
be inalienable, except with the consent of
the Council of the League of Nations.”

3. Hitler’s views on Anschluss
Hitler, Mein Kampf, (1924) p. 1
“German–Austria must return to
the great German mother
country,…… Only when the Reich
borders include the very last
German…. will the moral right to
acquire foreign soil arise…”

4. Why did Hitler want Anschluss?
•To build a united and Greater German nation
which meant:
•get all German speaking people (the German
race) into one nation (reich). Included 6 million
Austrians
•Strategically
• Anschluss would be one more removal of terms of VPT
• Bigger population + bigger armed forces for the Reich
• Would give access to SE Europe (Yugoslavia, Hungary)
• Italy could be dominated
• Czechoslovakia’s Sudetenland could be next area to
bring back into Germany.

5. How Anschluss happened
•Austrian Chancellor in 1938 –
•Dr Kurt von Schuschnigg
•Austrian Nazi leader in 1938 –
Arthur Seyss-Inquart

6. Schuschnigg, Hitler meeting 12th Feb 1938
• What happened?
• Jan 1938 Schuschnigg bans Austrian Nazi Party
• Feb meeting at the Berghof (Hitler’s house in Bavaria).
• Hitler demands:
• Sch’ to lift ban on Nazi Party
• Nazi prisoners to be released and reinstated
• Nazis to be put in key gov’t posts –
• S-Inq as Minister of Interior (control of police)
• Horstmann- Minister for War
• Fisch- Finance Minister
• If demands refused Hitler would occupy Austria
• Schuschnigg arranges a plebiscite in Austria on reunification.

7. The Berghof

8. Results of the Berghof Meeting
• Hitler incensed. Desperate to avoid a ‘No’ vote. WHY?
• Would mean no mandate to unite with Austria.
• Nazis create trouble in Austria declaring Austrian people
asking for help from Germany.
• 11 March Hitler sends ultimatum to Schuschnigg – hand over
power to Austrian Nazis or face invasion.
• Schuschnigg realises no help coming from GB or France so
he resigns.
• 12 March German troops cross the border unopposed into
Austria. Anschluss complete.

9. Germans cross Austrian border
March 1938

10. Germans entering Vienna, capital of Austria

11. Austrians welcoming Nazis

12. More welcoming Austrians

13. Hitler in Vienna. March 1938

14. Hitler’s plebiscite: April
• Why were 99.7% in favour of Anschluss?
• The vote was rigged by the Nazis
• Many Austrians were actually in favour of Anschluss

15. "Do you agree with the reunification of Austria with the German Reich that
was enacted on 13 March 1938, and do you vote for the party of our leader
Adolf Hitler?;" the large circle is labelled "Yes," the smaller "No."

16. Humiliation of Austrian Jews in Vienna

17. Forcing Jews to clean up Schuschnigg’s
slogans off the streets.

18. “Border Control.
Freedom has the
right, to leave
Austria!
April 1938”
A comment by a Swiss
cartoonist

19. The importance of Anschluss
•Strategic
•Austria now a gateway for Hitler to invade SE
Europe
•Czechoslovakia next to bring into Reich
•Economic
•Austrian gold can help repay rearmament deficit
•Austrian iron and steel, engineering, armaments
manufacturing
•International relations
•Hitler and Mussolini strengthen relations
•GB and France clearly not prepared to act against
Germany with force

20. Why no military response from Italy
• Mussolini believed Hitler’s promise that the Brenner Pass would be
the permanent border between Italy and Germany.
• Mussolini firmly allied to Hitler and has lost faith in France and Britain.
• Hitler thanks Mussolini for not reacting against him.

21. Why no military response from France
• Maginot line – defensive stance.
• No military support from Italy or Britain

22. British Government reaction
On 14 March, the British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain noted in the House of Commons:
“His Majesty's Government have throughout been in the closest touch with the situation. The Foreign Secretary saw
the German Foreign Minister on the 10th of March and addressed to him a grave warning on the Austrian
situation and upon what appeared to be the policy of the German Government in regard to it.... Late on the
11th of March 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.”
However the speech concluded:
“I imagine that according to the temperament of the individual the events which are in our minds to-day will be the
cause of regret, of sorrow, perhaps of indignation. They cannot be regarded by His Majesty's Government with
indifference or equanimity. They are bound to have effects which cannot yet be measured. The immediate result
must be to intensify the sense of uncertainty and insecurity in Europe. Unfortunately, while the policy of
appeasement would lead to a relaxation of the economic pressure under which many countries are suffering to-day,
what has just occurred must inevitably retard economic recovery and, indeed, increased care will be required to
ensure that marked deterioration does not set in. This is not a moment for hasty decisions or for careless words. We
must consider the new situation quickly, but with cool judgement... As regards our defence programmes, we have
always made it clear that they were flexible and that they would have to be reviewed from time to time in the light
of any development in the international situation. It would be idle to pretend that recent events do not constitute a
change of the kind that we had in mind. Accordingly we have decided to make a fresh review, and in due course we
shall announce what further steps we may think it necessary to take.”
Within this speech, Chamberlain also stated in the House of Commons: "The hard fact is that nothing could have
arrested what has actually happened [in Austria] unless this country and other countries had been prepared to use
force"