Key facts and dates

The Anschluss, or annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany in March 1938, marked a significant escalation in Nazi territorial expansion and the persecution of Jewish communities. This timeline captures the critical events and developments surrounding this pivotal moment in history.

Timeline of key events

• 12 March 1938 – Nazi Germany annexes Austria (Anschluss), greeted with widespread enthusiasm.
• March 1938 – Immediate outbreak of anti-Jewish violence in Vienna, including attacks and public humiliation.
• August 1938 – Adolf Eichmann establishes the Central Office for Jewish Emigration in Vienna.
• July 1938 – Évian Conference fails to secure significant international aid for Jewish refugees.
• Throughout 1938 – Systematic Aryanisation and confiscation of Jewish property intensify in Austria.

The annexation of Austria (Anschluss) in March 1938

In March 1938, Nazi Germany achieved a significant territorial gain by annexing Austria, an event known as the Anschluss. This was not merely a political manoeuvre but a deeply symbolic act of uniting German-speaking peoples under Hitler's vision of a Greater Germany. The event marked a turning point in Nazi expansionist policy, setting a precedent for further aggression.

Reception of the Anschluss in Austria

• Widespread enthusiasm - Hitler received a rapturous welcome in Austria, particularly in Vienna, where huge crowds cheered his arrival. Many Austrians supported the union, seeing it as a fulfilment of nationalist aspirations and a promise of economic and political stability.
• Political context - The Anschluss was facilitated by years of pro-Nazi sentiment in Austria, intensified by propaganda and political pressure on the Austrian government to capitulate.
• Immediate integration - Following the annexation on 12 March 1938, Austria was quickly absorbed into the Third Reich, with Nazi laws and policies, including anti-Semitic measures, imposed almost overnight.

Immediate anti-Jewish violence and persecution in Austria

The Anschluss unleashed a wave of brutal anti-Semitic violence in Austria, particularly in Vienna, where the Jewish community faced immediate and severe persecution. This violence was not only state-sanctioned but also actively supported by segments of the Austrian population, revealing a deep-seated anti-Semitism that often surpassed the intensity seen in Germany at the time.

Forms of violence and humiliation

• Physical attacks - Jewish individuals were subjected to brutal beatings and assaults in public spaces, often with no intervention from authorities or bystanders.
• Public humiliation - Jews were forced to scrub streets on their hands and knees while crowds jeered and mocked them, a deliberate act to degrade and dehumanise.
• Looting and expulsions - Jewish homes and businesses were looted, with property stolen or destroyed, and many families were forcibly expelled from their residences.
• Accelerated anti-Semitic measures - Years of anti-Jewish policies that had been gradually implemented in Germany over half a decade were enforced in Austria within weeks, demonstrating a particularly virulent strain of Austrian anti-Semitism.

Adolf Eichmann's role in forced emigration and property confiscation

Following the Anschluss, the Nazi regime appointed Adolf Eichmann to oversee Jewish affairs in Vienna. His role was pivotal in developing systematic methods of persecution that would later be applied on a larger scale across Nazi-occupied territories.

Eichmann's initiatives and methods

• Central Office for Jewish Emigration - Established in August 1938 under Eichmann's control, this office pioneered forced emigration by combining bureaucratic processes with violence. It pressured Jews to leave Austria by creating unbearable living conditions.
• Systematic plunder through Aryanisation - Jewish businesses and properties were confiscated under the policy of Aryanisation, transferring ownership to non-Jewish Germans or Austrians, often at a fraction of their value or for no compensation at all.
• Extraction of wealth - Before permitting emigration, the Nazis extracted as much wealth as possible from Jewish families through exorbitant taxes, forced sales of assets, and direct confiscation, leaving many destitute.
• Foundation for future policies - Eichmann's methods in Vienna became a blueprint for later deportations and the organisation of the Holocaust, marking his rise as a key figure in Nazi genocide operations.

The intensification of the Jewish crisis post-Anschluss

The annexation of Austria drastically worsened the situation for Jewish communities under Nazi control. It not only expanded the reach of Nazi persecution but also signalled the catastrophic consequences of territorial expansion for Jews across Europe.

Impact on the Jewish population

• Increased numbers under threat - The Anschluss added approximately 200,000 Austrian Jews to those already suffering under Nazi rule in Germany, significantly escalating the Jewish crisis.
• Demonstration of catastrophic intent - The brutal treatment of Austrian Jews post-Anschluss served as a clear warning of the deadly consequences that would follow further Nazi annexations and occupations.
• Pressure for emigration - The intensified persecution forced many Jews to seek escape, though the process was deliberately made difficult and often required surrendering all wealth and possessions.

International responses and the significance of the Anschluss

The international community's reaction to the escalating Jewish crisis following the Anschluss was largely inadequate, reflecting a broader reluctance to confront Nazi aggression. The event itself carried profound implications for the future of Nazi policy and Jewish persecution.

International reaction and inaction

• Évian Conference (July 1938) - Organised to address the growing refugee crisis, this international meeting resulted in minimal commitments from participating countries to accept Jewish refugees. Most nations cited economic and social reasons for their refusal, leaving many Jews with nowhere to flee.
• Limited global response - The lack of substantial action from the international community emboldened Nazi policies, as it became clear that there would be little interference in their persecution of Jewish populations.

Broader significance of the Anschluss

• Intensified brutality - The Anschluss demonstrated a marked increase in the brutality of Nazi anti-Semitic policies, setting a precedent for the extreme measures that would follow in other territories.
• Eichmann's emerging role - The success of Eichmann's methods in Vienna established his critical role in the Nazi machinery, paving the way for his involvement in the broader implementation of the Final Solution.
• Warning of expansionist consequences - The event revealed the dire implications of Nazi territorial expansion, as each new annexation brought further Jewish communities under threat, foreshadowing the horrors of the Holocaust.