The Anschluss is the annexation politico-soldier of the Austria by the Nazi Germany in 1938.

History

With the treated Saint-Germain-in-Bush hammer of 1919, which puts an end to the Austro-Hungarian power, article 88 stipulates expressly that the union of Austria with Germany is prohibited.

Germany and Austria have a language, a culture and a common history, it is thus not astonishing only the political movements and social which cross Germany after the First World War finds a strong echo in Austria. The movement national-Socialist does not derogate from this rule and that more especially as its chief, Adolf Hitler, is Autrichien.

The September 13rd 1931, the militia armed with Christian-social, the Heimwehr , in vain tries to seize the power by the weapons.

After their victory with the elections of April 1932, the Nazis do not collect the absolute majority and an alliance pushes back them in the opposition. The Austrian Nazis launch out in a strategy of tension and resort to the Terrorisme. To put in failure the tide Nazi which threatens the Austrian parliamentary democracy and wishes a union with the Nazi Germany, the Christian-social Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss chooses in 1933 to control by decree, dissolving the Parliament, the Communist party, the party national-Socialist and the powerful social democrat militia , the Schutzbund . Its mode takes little by little a fascistic turn with a preference for Benito Mussolini. Dolfuss represses the social democrats who do not want to let the democracy die, that it is by the hand of Dolfuss or that of the Nazis.

The hard repression of the police force at the time of an insurrection with Linz, in February 1934, made between: 1000 and: 2000 dead: the social democrats give up the combat and choose the exile.

During this time, the Austrian Nazis are reinforced and organize themselves; preferring a more Germanic Fascism, they assassinate the Chancellor Dollfuss the June 25th 1934 and exterminate its clan, but them Coup d'etat is missed: Mussolini, which considers at the time national-socialisme is dangeureuse doctrines, fearing powerful Germany and who anything else sees in Hitler that one degenerated sexual, sends its armoured tanks in the the Alps. Hitler, to avoid a war with Italy, decides not to invade Austria.

The new chancellor Schuschnigg negotiates a truce with Hitler with the “eyrie”, with Berchtesgaden in February 1938. The agreement is clear: entered of the Nazis to the government and Amnesty for their crimes against a German non-intervention the political crisis.

It of it will be nothing: Schuschnigg loses the control of the country, wants as a last resort to organize a Référendum to profit from popular legitimacy: the German army enters to Austria the March 12th (Hitler makes a triumphal entry in the Austrian capital) and places a lawyer national-Socialist Arthur Seyss-Inquart, already Minister of Interior Department, at the post of chancellor. Only wrong note of the operation, from many German tanks break down on the road from Vienna.

The March 13rd 1938, Germany announces officially the annexation of the Austrian Republic by making some a province of the German Reich. The April 10th, a faked referendum is organized to endorse the annexation: 99% of the population approve.

The France accepts the annexation of Austria.

Austria will regain its sovereignty only at the end of the Second world war, in 1945 (after being occupied meanwhile by the Alliés).

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