Anschluss

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The German word for "joining together" or "union,"Anschluss describes the March 1938 political unionof Austria with Germany that resulted when AdolfHitler unilaterally annexed Austria to the ThirdReich. Anschluss was originally an initiative of anAustrian political party, the Social Democrats, whoagitated for it from 1919 (after the Austrian governmentrejected it) through 1933, at which pointHitler's sudden elevation to power made the prospectof Anschluss look more like a German conquestof Austria, and even the Social Democratswithdrew their support for it. However, in July1934, Austrian and German Nazis collaborated inan attempted coup d'état, which would havebrought Anschluss. When the coup collapsed, astern right-wing government ascended in Austria.Through authoritarian measures, lingering agitationfor Anschluss was suppressed. However, inFebruary 1938, Hitler invited Austrian chancellorKurt von Schuschnigg to a meeting at Berchtesgaden,Hitler's Bavarian mountain retreat. ThereHitler intimidated Schuschnigg into giving theAustrian Nazis a free hand. Returning to Austria,Schuschnigg repudiated his concessions to Hitlerand determined to hold a plebiscite on nationalindependence on March 13. Hitler, however, bulliedSchuschnigg into canceling the plebiscite andresigning, with a final order to the Austrian army torefrain from resisting the Germans. When Austrianpresident Wilhelm Miklas then defiantly refused toappoint the Austrian Nazi Arthur Seyss-Inquartto replace Schuschnigg as chancellor, Hitler's ministerHermann Göring ordered Seyss-Inquart tosend a telegram requesting German military aid.This Seyss-Inquart refused to do. Undaunted, however,Göring arranged to have the telegram sent bya German agent stationed in Vienna. Thus armedwith a fabricated request for "aid," Hitler invadedAustria on March 12. As Schuschnigg had ordered,no resistance was offered. Indeed, Austrians turnedout to greet the German troops, which moved Hitlerto annex Austria on the following day, March13. In a gesture to legitimate the Anschluss, a thoroughlycontrolled plebiscite was held on April 10,which returned a 99.7 percent approval of theannexation. Anschluss was the first in a series ofaggressive expansions that preceded and ultimatelytriggered World War II in Europe. As for Schuschnigg,he was imprisoned almost immediately afterresigning and was not released until the war endedin May 1945.