The forced annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938 expanded the Third Reich and marked a critical step toward World War II.
Key Facts
- Date of annexation
- 12 March 1938
- Plebiscite approval
- 99.7% in favour (10 April 1938 vote)
- Forbidden by
- Treaty of Versailles and Treaty of Saint Germain
- Austrian chancellor who resigned
- Kurt Schuschnigg
- Appointed interior minister
- Arthur Seyss-Inquart
- Austrian resistance to German Army
- None — military crossed border unopposed
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
After Austria lost its imperial territories following World War I, economic instability fueled support for union with Germany. Hitler's appointment as German chancellor in 1933 linked the unification drive to Nazi expansionism. In February 1938, Hitler pressured Austrian chancellor Schuschnigg at Berchtesgaden, forcing pro-Nazi appointments. When Schuschnigg called a sovereignty referendum, the Nazis demanded its cancellation and a new cabinet, threatening military invasion.
On 12 March 1938, the German Army crossed into Austria unopposed after Chancellor Schuschnigg resigned under threat of military occupation. Hitler, an Austrian by birth, entered the country the same day. Austria was formally incorporated into the German Reich as the province of Ostmark. A subsequent plebiscite held on 10 April 1938 recorded 99.7% approval for the annexation.
The Anschluss eliminated Austria as an independent state and significantly enlarged the Third Reich in territory and population. It demonstrated that Western powers would not use force to uphold the post-World War I treaty order, encouraging further Nazi territorial demands. It was followed within months by the Sudeten crisis, accelerating the path toward World War II.