How did the Anschluss Impact Jewish People

Question 1

What/when was the Anschluss?

Answer 1

Union (Anschluss) with Austria : March 1938

Question 2

Motivation behind Anschluss?

Answer 2

• One of Hitler’s foreign policy aims was to unite all German speakers
• There had been a strong Nazi party in Austria already

Question 3

Events/chronology?

Answer 3

• Austrian Chancellor Schuschnigg announced there would be a referendum on a possible union with Germany versus maintaining Austria’s sovereignty to be held on the 13th of March
• This was portrayed as defying the popular will in Germany and Austria - Hitler threatened an invasion and secretly pressured Schuschnigg to resign
• A day before the planned refurendum (12 march), the German Army crossed the border, unopposed by Austrian Military
• A plebiscite was held on April 10th (in which the ballot was not secret) and threats and coercion were employed to manipulate the vote
• Resulting in 99.7% approval for Anschluss
• Before the plebiscite could take place, 80,000 people who didn’t support Hitler were sent to concentration camps

Question 4

How would Anschluss impact Austrian Jews?

Answer 4

• 180,000 Jews were living in Austria at the time
• All of the laws discriminating Jews in Germany were now in force in Austria too
• 45,000 Austrian Jews emigrated, 1500 sent to concentration camps and over 500 had themselves killed

Question 5

Impact on Austrian Jews?

Answer 5

• Forced to do humiliating tasks (ie scrubbing the streets)
• Many fled
• the SS robbed many of money
• A tax was placed on them if they wanted to leave and most assets would be seized: so those who did emigrate faced a challenge economically