2. Anschluss with Austria
❏ Causes that led to the Anschluss
❏ Why Austria was in an economic crisis
❏ Event
❏ International response (Church response)
❏ What Britain and France did
3. Anschluss: Political Union
● A lot of German people lived in Austria.
● Many Austrians supported the idea of union with Germany.
● Austria was involved in an economic crisis
● In his book, Hitler said that he believed that Germany and Austria should be a
united nation.
● Hitler and Mussolini were now allies.
● There was a strong Nazi party in Austria.
5. Economic Crisis in Austria
➢ After WW1 Austria fell into an economic crisis because they didn't have the money to sustain the 6.5
million people in the country.
➢ 1920s devastating inflation that almost led to an economic collapse.
➢ 1022 The League of Nations Program of International Financial support
➢ Considerable progress
➢ Then came a period of high unemployment because of austerity
➢ The Wall Street Crash ruined the progress they had made.
6. Event
★ 1934- Germany and Austria attempted a coup. Why?
★ Dollfuss (austrian Chancellor) was murdered, Austrian army intervened,
coup failed. Why?
★ Schuschnigg ( extreme right) took power in Austria.
★ 1938- Anschluss = political union of Germany and Austria.
★ Schuschnigg Reputed, Hitler agreement. He called a plebiscite.
★ March 12- Germany invaded Austria to control the plebiscite.
★ April 10- 99,7% of people approved the Anschluss. (with Nazis pressure
and control)
★ Britain and France accept the union.
7. International Response
● The Roman Catholic Church denounced the Nazis, it was not
compatible with God's law
● The role of Theodor Innitzer with the Nazis
● Different view of the leader of the Lutheran Church
● Saviour of 350.000 German protestants in Austria
● Liberator of five year hardship
8. France and Britain Response
Britain
In March 1938, Britain was having its own political problems.
Anthony Eden, the Foreign Secretary, had resigned over Prime
Minister Neville Chamberlain's decision to open negotiations
with the Fascist dictator of Italy, Mussolini. As such, with
Chamberlain determined to appease Hitler, there was no
political will to oppose Germany.
France
French politics were in turmoil in March 1938. In fact, two days
before Germany invaded Austria the entire French government
had resigned. France was not in a position to oppose the
invasion.
Also both countries admitted in the
Treaty of Versailles that separating
Austria from Germany had been a
mistake.
10. Summary
This video is a summary of what we said in this
presentation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Mr51RbGggc
German Troops March intro Austria:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6Wa4BL28OM
