Anschluss of Austria

Nazi Germany annexes Austria, accelerating the breakdown of the European security order.

The Austrian state lost its independence under pressure from the Nazi leadership, which had long demanded its incorporation into Germany. Austrian Nazis were also active inside the country, deepening the crisis.

On 12 March 1938, German troops crossed the border. The new regime rapidly dismantled political freedoms and began persecuting opponents of Nazism, including Austrian Jews. The annexation was given legal form on 13 March 1938.

The proclaimed Anschluss was not the result of negotiations between equal parties. The subsequent plebiscite took place only after Nazi control and repression had already been imposed.

Austria's incorporation changed the balance of power in Central Europe and became another stage in the escalation of the Third Reich's aggressive foreign policy.

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