Appeasement And The Road To War #13: Anschluss

Question 1

What happened at the Treaty of St-Germain?

Answer 1

Austria was spared from any punishment at Versailles

Question 2

How was Austria affected after Versailles?

Answer 2

• Reduced to a small state with all empires taken away and new independent states created
• There was to be no Anschluss

Question 3

What did Article 80 of the ToV state?

Answer 3

• It forbid the union of German and Austria
• There was to be no “Anschluss” or “Greater Germany”

Question 4

How did Pan Germans feel in January 1933 when Hitler came to power?

Answer 4

They believed their dream of a United German State would soon become a reality

Question 5

Pan-German

Answer 5

A movement having as its principal aim the political union of all Germans

Question 6

Why did Austrian Nazis murder Chancellor Dolfuss in July 1934?

Answer 6

Convinced the Anschluss was about to happen, they believed that Germany would charge in and take over Austria

Question 7

When was Chancellor Dolfuss murdered?

Answer 7

July 1934

Question 8

What did Mussolini do in retaliation to the murder of Chancellor Dolfuss?

Answer 8

Seeing himself as Austria’s protector, he sent 4 divisions of Italian troops to the Brenner Pass (border between Italy and Austria) and threatened to invade Austria and impose his own control - even if that meant kicking the Germans out

Question 9

Why did Hitler back away from Austria after Mussolini stationed troops on the Italy-Austria border?

Answer 9

• He liked to be in control and things were getting out of hand
• The timing was all wrong and he could see his ‘enemies’ were united against him

Question 10

What did Hitler do after withdrawing from Austria in 1934?

Answer 10

• Declared his peaceful intentions towards Austria
• Purged the Austrian Nazi Party
• Let the situation tick over

Question 11

What made Mussolini realise he couldn’t keep ordering Hitler around?

Answer 11

Italy becoming involved other things such as Abyssinia and the Spanish Civil War

Question 12

What were chief reasons for Hitler bringing about the union of Germany and Austria?

Answer 12

• The ideas of “Germanness” and race
• He was Austrian by birth and May have felt that this was his duty

Question 13

What factors would encourage Hitler to achieve the Anschluss?

Answer 13

Geographical: control of Danube river basin, railway access to the Balkans, the surrounding of Czechoslovakia

Military/Economic: powerful additional resources

Question 14

Who was the new Austrian Chancellor after the failed Anschluss?

Answer 14

Kurt von Schuschnigg

Question 15

What did Schuschnigg let be known by February 1938?

Answer 15

That he wanted to see Hitler to see if the Nazi leader could control the Austrian Nazis who frequently disrupted orderly government via bomb attacks and mass demonstrations

Question 16

Where did Hitler summon Schuschnigg to?

Answer 16

The Berghof and Berchtesgaden - Hitler’s summer retreat in the alps

Question 17

When did Hitler and Schuschnigg meet at Berchtesgaden?

Answer 17

12 February 1938

Question 18

What did Hitler do at Berchtesgaden?

Answer 18

Hitler turned the situation around and displayed temper, verbal aggression and threats which was really out of order at a meeting of 2 national leaders.

Question 19

What did Hitler demand from Austria (Feb 1938) ?

Answer 19

1. Lifting of the ban on the Austrian Nazi Party
2. The appointment of three top Austrian Nazis to lead important ministries in Schuschnigg’s government
3. Stronger economic and military links between Germany and Austria

Question 20

Why did Schuschnigg not want to obey Hitler’s commands?

Answer 20

• It meant the end of an independent Austria
• It would effectively make Austria a satellite state of Germany

Question 21

Why did Schuschnigg initially obey Hitler’s commands?

Answer 21

He had very little choice; he had been bullied into submission

Question 22

When did Schuschnigg change his mind after initially obeying Hitler’s commands?

Answer 22

9 March 1938

Question 23

Why did Schusnigg begin to disobey Hitler’s orders?

Answer 23

He wanted to ask the Austrians themselves if they wanted this union

Question 24

What did Schuschnigg order on the 9th March 1938?

Answer 24

A plebiscite to be held on the 12 March 1938

Question 25

When did Schuschnigg order the plebiscite to be held?

Answer 25

12 March 1938

Question 26

What demands did Hitler make from Austria (March 1938)?

Answer 26

1. The cancellation of the plebiscite
2. The resignation of the plebiscite
3. The appointment of Seyss Inquart (Austrian Nazi) as Chancellor of Austria

Question 27

Why did the Austrian Government give way to Hitler’s demands in March 1938?

Answer 27

They realised there was no-one to turn to

Question 28

Who was appointed Chancellor of Austria in 1938?

Answer 28

The Austrian Nazi Seyess Inquart

Question 29

What was Inquart’s first act as chancellor?

Answer 29

He sent a telegram to Berlin to ask Germany to help “restore law and order”

Question 30

Why weren’t the Germans technically invading on 12th March 1938?

Answer 30

Because of Inquart’s telegram to Berlin asking to help “restore law and order”

Question 31

What did Germany do on 12th March 1938?

Answer 31

Tanks and military columns rolled over the alpine passes into Austria

Question 32

Why was Germany’s trip to Austria on 12 March 1938 a shambles and so good for the Germans that they didn’t have to fight their was in?

Answer 32

• 70% of Germany’s vehicles broke down on the road to Vienna
• They had to fuel up at petrol stations on the main roads
• The tank commander was using a Baedecker tourist guide to plan his route

Question 33

Why did Hitler decided to go for a full Anschluss?

Answer 33

Because he was so pleased with his welcome

Question 34

When did Hitler decide to go for a full Anschluss?

Answer 34

12 March 1938

Question 35

What did Hitler mean by going for a full Anschluss on 12 March?

Answer 35

This was rather than controlling Austria through a ‘tame’ Nazi Government

Question 36

What did the new Austrian government do on 13 March?

Answer 36

They passed a law stating that Austria was now part of the German Reich

Question 37

When did the Austrian government pass a law stating that Austria was now part of the German Reich?

Answer 37

13 March 1938

Question 38

What was the result on the vote of the Austrian people for or against this new arrangement?

Answer 38

99% in favour

Question 39

When was the Austrian vote on the Anschluss held?

Answer 39

10 April 1938

Question 40

What was the rather accurate view of historian Seaman on Hitler achieving the Anschluss?

Answer 40

“ Hitler had acted impulsively and in a bad temper, but he had one a major victory and it won on the cheap.”

Question 41

Economic impact on Germany of Anschluss

Answer 41

• 440million Reichmarks from Austria’s foreign exchange reserves
• steel capacity
• ore mines

Question 42

Military impact of Anschluss on Germany

Answer 42

• Population increased by 7 million men
• 100,000 army men
• Control of Vienna, better position in the Balkans

Question 43

Personal impact for Hitler of Anschluss

Answer 43

• Confirmed in his mind the idea that his policies were fulfilment of destiny

Question 44

Impact of Anschluss on international community

Answer 44

• European statesmen began to doubt if they could trust Hitler
• Policy of Appeasement began to be doubted

Question 45

Impact of Anschluss on Czechoslovakia

Answer 45

• It was wondered if Czechoslovakia would also be given away in the name of appeasement
• ‘The head was in the lion’s mouth’ referring to oisistiob of Czechoslovakia compared to Austria geographically