AUSTRIA

Anna LynnClelia RoseJaz Folden

Marissa BanksMicah Thomas

SPERMI ● Political:

o Nazi Germany’s desire to annex Austria to create one German state● Military:

o Hitler marches across Rhine River → occupies West Banko Beginning of German annexation → Austria is next (Germany uses

military pressure)● Ideological:

o German nationalism Pan-Germans in Austria want to see this happen Austrian government, though having similar political policies

(discrimination against Jews, suppressed Socialist party), wants to stay independent

o Hitler was Austrian - desired to reunite with homeland

Complaints to the League

● Mexico: o Files a complaint → wants Germany to stop

annexing territorieso League does not come up with a solution

Germany’s ResponseBesides Mexico’s official complaint and some angry words from Chile, the League didn’t seem concerned about losing Austria enough to discuss it at all, let alone bring it up with the Führer.

Germany stormed into Austria in 1938 and took over easily. Anyone in Austria who didn’t like Anschluss (the “reunification” of Austria w Germany) was sent to concentration camps.- If you were a Jew, a Communist, a Social Democrat, or fishy in some other sociopolitical way, you were probably sent to concentration camps anyway, unless you were one of the thousands of Austrians who managed to successfully flee the country.- So between Nazi suppression and League apathy, Hitler didn’t get much negative feedback in general.

Since annexing Austria seemed to go smoothly and nobody else seemed to mind, Hitler invaded Czechoslovakia and Poland too.

Actions of the League of NationsThey did not take any official action against the annexation of Austria-Hungary into Nazi germany because:

*APPEASEMENT* “Furthermore, the British population was against the idea of another European war. The Anschluss was not seen

as a threat to Britain and, as both nations were German-speaking, there was a sense that there was no good reason why Austria and Germany shouldn't unify.”

1.They said “someone else tried”On September 21, 1938 the League of Nations exposed a failed attempt by the USSR to ally with Great Britain

and France to stop the annexation.2.Fear of War

Germany militarized while neighboring nations demilitarized

Action Outside the LeagueAustria’s unsuccessful preventative actions before the annexation:

● March 23, 1936: Three-Power Pact of Rome● July 11, 1936: Austro-German Agreement, ● April 1937: Chancellor Schuschnigg attempted alliance with Czechoslovakia and the Little

Entente The USSR attempt to stop the annexation shortly after it occurred also failed.U.S. official response on March 19 by Sec. of State Cordell Hull:

● ‘ The extent to which the Austrian incident’ – he called it an incident – ‘is calculated to endanger the maintenance of peace…is of course a matter of serious concern to the Government of the United States.’

● “On March 21, the Department of State informed the German ambassador in Washington that the US Government ‘finds itself under the necessity as a practical measure of closing its Legation in Vienna, and of establishing a Consulate General.’”

● No real action was made in order to maintain peace.

Resolution● Austria became a part of Germany● National plebiscite in Austria for union with Germany

o 99.9% Austria wanted to join Germanyo Gypsies and Jews were not allowed to voteo Germany falsified the results to favor themselves o Communists, Social Democrats, Jews, and other political

dissenters were sent to concentration camps 70,000 arrested within a few days of Anschluss

● The League of Nations had no influence on the final union of Germany and Austria

● The League of Nations was ineffective because no other countries cared besides Mexico. Everybody had their own problems within their countries.

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