Arthur Seyss-Inquart

Arthur Seyss-Inquart was a high-ranking Nazi politician. He held several powerful positions during World War II. He was responsible for the administration of occupied territories. These territories included parts of Austria, Poland, and the Netherlands. His actions led to the suffering of millions of people. Eventually, he was held accountable for these actions in a court of law.

Seyss-Inquart was born in 1892 in Stannern. This was a German-speaking village in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. His family had a strong national consciousness. He studied law at the University of Vienna. During World War I, he served in the Austro-Hungarian Army. He fought in Russia, Romania, and Italy. He was decorated for bravery during these conflicts. He completed his law exams while recovering from wounds in 1917.

After the war, he became a successful lawyer. He joined the governments of Austrian leaders Engelbert Dollfuss and Kurt Schuschnigg. He also became interested in racial theories. He sponsored expeditions to Tibet to support Aryan racial concepts. By 1938, he became a leader for the Austrian National Socialists. In February 1938, he was appointed Minister of the Interior. This happened after Hitler threatened the Austrian government.

In March 1938, the political landscape of Austria changed forever. Chancellor Schuschnigg resigned because of a German invasion. President Wilhelm Miklas appointed Seyss-Inquart as the new Chancellor. Seyss-Inquart sent a telegram inviting German troops into Austria. This was done to make the invasion look legal. Hitler then decided to perform an Anschluss. This was the full incorporation of Austria into Nazi Germany. Austria became the German province known as Ostmark. Seyss-Inquart became the Governor, or Reichsstatthalter, of Ostmark.

Seyss-Inquart moved to other roles as the war progressed. He served as a Deputy Governor in occupied Poland. In 1940, he became the Reichskommissar for the occupied Netherlands. In this role, he answered directly to Adolf Hitler. He controlled the Dutch economy to serve Germany. He even controlled small cultural groups like chess clubs. The Dutch people disliked his rule. They mocked him with the nickname "Zes en een kwart." This was a joke about his name and his limp.

His leadership in the Netherlands involved many terrible policies. He was an unwavering anti-Semite. He removed Jews from the government, press, and industry. About 140,000 Jews were registered in the Netherlands. Most were sent to transit camps like Westerbork. Many were later sent to the Auschwitz complex in Poland. Only 30,000 Dutch Jews survived the war. He also oversaw the forced labor of 530,000 Dutch civilians. Around 250,000 of these workers were sent to German factories. He also authorized many executions of Dutch people.

At the end of the war, the Nazi regime tried to use a scorched earth policy. This meant destroying resources so the enemy could not use them. Seyss-Inquart disagreed with this plan for the Netherlands. He worked with Albert Speer to limit these destructive orders. In April 1945, he helped allow food drops for starving Dutch civilians. However, he did not want to surrender the war. He was eventually captured by the Allied forces.

Seyss-Inquart was tried at the Nuremberg trials. These trials were held to judge Nazi leaders for their actions. The court found him guilty of war crimes. He was also found guilty of crimes against humanity. The judges sentenced him to death. He was executed by hanging on October 16, 1946.