Everything started with the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire after World War I. The empire was split into several nations, including Austria, Poland, and Czechoslovakia. International treaties, particularly the Treaty of Saint-Germain (1919), forbade Austria from unifying with Germany. Economically, Austria suffered due to the loss of major provinces and industrial areas that were transferred to these newly formed nations. This created a sense of instability and a public hope for unification with Germany.
Adolf Hitler, an Austrian-born German nationalist, saw the unification of all German-speaking people as a lifelong mission. However, during the 1920s and early 1930s, the Austrian Nazi Party was weak and had little influence. But after Hitler came to power in Germany in 1933 as Chancellor, support for Austrian unification with Germany grew. He also installed pro-Nazi leadership within the Austrian Nazi Party.
Hitler’s rise destabilized Austria further. The government under Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss was diplomatically aligned with Fascist Italy and authoritarian Hungary. The Austrian Nazis, supported and funded by Nazi Germany, launched a terror campaign and propaganda war against Dollfuss’s regime. In response, the Austrian government suppressed the Nazi party, arresting or killing members and ultimately banning the party.
To economically pressure Austria, Germany imposed fees on Germans traveling there, severely impacting Austria’s tourism-dependent economy. Despite the ban, Austrian Nazis continued operating underground with training and support from the German military, especially near the Austro-German border.
In 1934, a coup was attempted to overthrow the Austrian government. Dollfuss was assassinated, and the coup was prematurely declared. However, Austrian military and police forces quickly regained control. The public largely supported the government. Mussolini, angered by the German-backed coup, deployed troops to the Austro-Italian border to defend Austrian sovereignty.
Kurt Schuschnigg became the new Chancellor, continuing the authoritarian rule of his predecessor.
From 1934 to 1935, Mussolini’s stance shifted as he drew closer to Germany, particularly after the Italo-German rapprochement. Austria faced increasing pressure to align with Germany, while France and Britain remained passive and showed little interest in defending Austrian independence. Austria was becoming diplomatically isolated. German aggression further weakened the Austrian government.
In 1938, Schuschnigg met Hitler at Berghof. Hitler issued a series of demands:
Under intense pressure, Schuschnigg agreed to these demands.
As a last-ditch effort, Schuschnigg announced a referendum asking Austrians whether they supported independence. He expected a favorable outcome (around 65–35). But Hitler responded with an ultimatum:
Unwilling to provoke bloodshed, Schuschnigg resigned. Days later, German troops marched into Austria and were greeted with cheers and flowers. Hitler, too, was welcomed enthusiastically.
The Austrian Nazis effectively took over the country without firing a single shot.
In the weeks that followed, Austria’s Jewish population was targeted. Many fled before the borders were closed, but others were arrested, persecuted, or killed.
Austria was fully Nazified and integrated into the German Reich. Many Austrians joined the German military during World War II.
Following the annexation of Austria (Anschluss), Germany turned its attention to Czechoslovakia. This led to the 1938 Munich Agreement between Germany, Italy, Britain, and France, where Hitler promised not to seek further territorial expansion after acquiring the Sudetenland.
However, Germany broke the agreement by occupying the rest of Czechoslovakia in 1939. That same year, Germany invaded Poland, triggering World War II.
