The Anschluss: March 1938

🧠 The Anschluss: March 1938

The Anschluss — Hitler's absorption of Austria into the German Reich — was the moment appeasement escalated from tolerating treaty violations to accepting the annexation of sovereign nations. It is also a masterclass in the pressure tactics Hitler used to create crises that forced others to choose between war and capitulation.

The Berchtesgaden ultimatum (February 1938): On 12 February 1938, Hitler summoned Austrian Chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg to his mountain retreat at Berchtesgaden. For hours, Hitler subjected him to a tirade of threats, demanding that Schuschnigg appoint Austrian Nazis to key government positions. Schuschnigg, isolated and with no firm promise of British or French support, signed what amounted to a capitulation agreement.

Schuschnigg's plebiscite gamble: Returning to Vienna, Schuschnigg made a desperate counter-move. On 9 March, he announced a plebiscite for 13 March — asking Austrians to vote on whether they wanted to remain independent. The question was worded to favour a "yes" vote, and Schuschnigg expected Austria to back independence. This would give him international legitimacy and embarrass Hitler.

Hitler's ultimatum and German invasion: Hitler was furious. On 11 March, he issued an ultimatum demanding Schuschnigg cancel the plebiscite and resign in favour of the Austrian Nazi Arthur Seyss-Inquart. Schuschnigg complied. German troops crossed the Austrian border on 12 March 1938 to scenes of jubilant crowds — though whether this reflected genuine enthusiasm, nationalist pressure, or fear is contested by historians. A rigged plebiscite conducted under Nazi occupation in April reported 99.7% support for the Anschluss.

Britain's response: Chamberlain told the House of Commons that Britain had no formal treaty obligation to defend Austrian independence. Privately, he described Austria as "a small country of which we know little" — a phrase that echoed his later dismissal of Czechoslovakia. Since Austria was German-speaking, Britain and France accepted that the principle of national self-determination (ironically, Wilson's own principle from 1919) appeared to justify unification. No protest was filed.

Why the Anschluss mattered: Hitler had now absorbed an entire sovereign nation — 7 million people and strategic territory bordering Czechoslovakia on three sides — without a shot being fired. Germany gained Austrian gold reserves, military manpower, and, crucially, a platform from which to threaten Czechoslovakia's southern border. If there were no consequences for swallowing Austria whole, why would there be consequences for demanding the Sudetenland?