Anschluss with Austria, 1938

• Hitler felt the two countries of Austria and Germany belonged together, and it fulfilled his policy of Volksdeutsche
• Austrian chancellor Schuschnigg made a deal with the Nazis because he was worried he'd end up like Dollfuss, as a result of this the Austrian Nazis were given key positions in the government
• In January 1938 Schuschnigg became worried because police raided headquarters and discovered plans to overthrow him. There were also huge demonstrations against the government which suggested that Austrian Nazis were unhappy with the government
• Schuschnigg met Hitler, who demanded that the Austrian Nazi Seyss-Inquart be appointed as minister for the interior, with full power over Austrian police. Nazis were also to take roles of ministers of finance and war
• Schuschnigg was also forced to lift restrictions of the Nazi Party in Austria and release Nazis from prison
• If Schuschnigg had failed to agree then Hitler would invade within 3 days
• Schuschnigg had a plan. He threatened to hold a plebiscite on Anschluss. He hoped that if people voted against Anschluss then Hitler would lose his excuse to invade
• Hitler didn't want to risk losing this vote so he demanded the plebiscite be postponed on 11th March 1938. Schuschnigg agreed because he feared he wouldn't be supported by Britain, France or Italy if he defied Hitler
• Schuschnigg was forced to resign and Seyss-Inquart became chancellor. He immediately claimed Austria was in a state of chaos and requested Germany help to restore peace
• On 12th March 1938 Nazi troops invaded Austria. The reaction in Vienna was positive. Not a single drop of blood was shed and people cheered for the troops as they entered in tanks, giving gifts and flowers to the soldiers. Mussolini stayed true to the Anti-Comintern Pact and didn't oppose the Anschluss
• On 10th April 1938 Hitler held the plebiscite, with a heavy presence from Nazi stormtroopers. The result was unsurprisingly 99% of Austrians voted in favour of Anschluss
• Hitler felt more confident about attempting Anschluss in 1938 than he had done in 1934 because Mussolini and Hitler had signed the Anti-Comintern Pact, meaning Mussolini didn't oppose the Anschluss, and also the lack of response from the remilitarisation of the Rhineland gave Hitler confidence
• Jews were immediately targeted (arrested at random, imprisoned or forced to scrub streets or public toilets with their sacred prayer clothes). Thousands left Austria fearing there was no future for them under Nazi control