Anschluss

Long ago, two lands became one.

One land was Austria. The other was Germany. A leader in Germany wanted them to join. Rules had said they could not join.

Austria had lost much land. It also had money problems. This made some people want to join Germany. In 1938, the German army moved into Austria.

This event was called the Anschluss. It was a very big change for the people there.

For a long time, people debated joining Austria and Germany.

In the 1800s, many German states were part of a group. But when Germany became one nation in 1871, Austria was left out. This happened because Prussia led the new German Empire.

After World War I, Austria lost much of its land. The country also faced a hard economic crisis. Many people thought joining Germany would help their economy.

Rules from the Treaty of Versailles said the two lands could not join. But in 1933, Adolf Hitler became the leader of Germany. He wanted to make a "Greater Germany." He wanted to bring all German people into one land.

In early 1938, Hitler pressured the Austrian leader. He forced Austria to change its government. The Austrian leader, Kurt Schuschnigg, resigned to avoid war. On March 12, 1938, the German army crossed the border.

This event was called the Anschluss. A vote was held later to show support. The results showed 99.7% of people agreed to the union.

The Anschluss was a major event in European history. It was the moment when Austria was joined into Nazi Germany. This happened on March 12, 1938. This event is also called the annexation of Austria.

Many people had talked about this for a long time. They wanted to see the two lands become one. However, certain rules made this very difficult to do legally.

For many years, leaders debated how German lands should be grouped. In the 1800s, there was a debate about a "greater Germany" solution. This idea included Austria under the leadership of the Habsburg family. But a conflict called dualism changed things. Prussia and Austria fought for control over the German states.

After Prussia won a war in 1866, Austria was left out of the new German Empire. This meant the new empire was led by Prussia instead. This decision shaped the map of Europe for many years.

After World War I ended in 1918, things changed again. The old Austro-Hungarian Empire broke apart into different pieces. Austria became a new republic, but it faced many hard jobs. The country lost much of its land and faced a big economic crisis.

Because of this, some people thought joining Germany would help their economy. They believed a union would make the country stronger. But the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint Germain forbade this union. These rules were meant to keep Austria and Germany separate.

In 1933, Adolf Hitler became the leader of Germany. He wanted to create a "Greater Germany." He wanted to bring all ethnic Germans into one single land.

Nazi agents worked in Austria to help this goal. They tried to weaken the Austrian government. In 1934, an attempt to take over the government led to the death of Austrian leader Engelbert Dollfuss. Later, Hitler pressured the new leader, Kurt Schuschnigg. Schuschnigg was forced to appoint Arthur Seyss-Inquart to a high position. Eventually, Schuschnigg resigned to avoid a military fight.

On March 12, 1938, the German army crossed the border into Austria. The Austrian military did not fight back. This was the start of the Anschluss. Later, on April 10, a vote was held to see if people wanted the union. The results showed that 99.7% of people agreed.

This event changed the borders of Europe and led to many more changes in the years that followed.

The Anschluss was the annexation of the Federal State of Austria into Nazi Germany on 12 March 1938. An annexation is when one country takes control of another land and makes it part of its own territory. This event is also known as the Anschluss, which is a German word. It was a major turning point in European history. The union was forbidden by international rules like the Treaty of Versailles.

The desire for a united Germany and Austria began long before 1938. In the 19th century, leaders debated how to group German-speaking lands. One idea was the *Großdeutsche Lösung*, or the "greater Germany solution." This plan would have united German states under the leadership of the Austrian House of Habsburg. However, this caused a conflict known as dualism. Prussia and Austria competed for power over the German states. In 1866, the Austro-Prussian War ended this struggle. Prussia won the war and excluded Austria from the new German Empire. This new empire was a "Kleindeutsch" or "small German" empire. It was led by Prussia and had a large Protestant majority.

After World War I ended in 1918, the map of Europe changed again. The Austro-Hungarian Empire fell apart into several new nations. The new Republic of German-Austria faced a massive economic crisis. It had lost many territories it had ruled for centuries. Because of these struggles, many Austrians believed joining Germany would help their economy. Some leaders, like Social Democrat Otto Bauer, supported the idea of union. However, the 1919 Treaty of Saint Germain and the Treaty of Versailles forbade the union. These treaties also prevented Austria from using the name "German-Austria."

In 1933, Adolf Hitler became the chancellor of Germany. The Nazi regime viewed the Anschluss as part of their "Heim ins Reich" concept. This concept sought to bring all ethnic Germans into one "Greater Germany." Nazi agents worked within Austria to undermine the local government. The Austrian government was controlled by the Fatherland Front, which opposed unification. In July 1934, an attempted coup led to the assassination of Austrian chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss. This event caused many Austrian Nazis to flee to Germany. From there, they continued to work toward the goal of unification.

The process of annexation moved quickly in early 1938. On 5 November 1937, Hitler told his military aides he would annex Austria. In February 1938, Austrian chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg met Hitler in Berchtesgaden. Hitler gave Schuschnigg an ultimatum. He forced the chancellor to appoint Arthur Seyss-Inquart as the minister of interior and security. Schuschnigg tried to hold a referendum to let the people decide on sovereignty. The Nazis refused this plan and demanded a new cabinet. To avoid a military conflict, Schuschnigg resigned.

On 12 March 1938, the German Army crossed the Austrian border. The Austrian military did not offer any opposition. Following the takeover, a plebiscite, or a public vote, was held on 10 April. The official results showed that 99.7% of voters approved of the union.

This event significantly increased the resources available to Nazi Germany. Austria was rich in raw materials and labor. It provided magnesium and products from the iron and textile industries. It also held gold, foreign currency, and large hydroelectric resources.

The Anschluss had deep connections to broader political ideas. It touched on the principle of national self-determination. This is the idea that ethnic groups should choose their own government. Many critics argued that the treaties forbidding the union contradicted this principle. The annexation also changed the strategic balance of power in Europe. By absorbing Austria, Germany gained more territory and industrial strength. This event was a key step in the expansion of the Nazi regime's control over the continent.