Anschluss

The Nazi German incorporation of Austria in March 1938, imposed under coercion and followed by formal annexation. It ended Austria’s independence and brought it under German rule.

Austrofascism: Austria’s authoritarian political system from 1933 to 1938, led by Engelbert Dollfuss and Kurt Schuschnigg. Its suppression of Austrian Nazis shaped the domestic struggle preceding the annexation.
Berchtesgaden Agreement: The February 1938 meeting at which Hitler pressured Austrian Chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg to make concessions to Austrian Nazis. Its demands weakened Austria’s government and gave Austrian Nazis greater access to power.
Nuremberg Laws: The 1935 Nazi laws that stripped Jews of German citizenship and prohibited marriages between Jews and people classified as German-blooded. After annexation, Nazi racial laws and persecution were rapidly imposed on Austria’s Jewish population.
Austria–Germany customs union: A proposed 1931 customs union between Austria and Germany, blocked by international opposition before it took effect. Unlike the 1938 annexation, this earlier plan sought economic integration without incorporating Austria into Germany.
Austrian Nazi Party: The Austrian branch of the Nazi movement, which sought union with Germany and operated legally and clandestinely. Its agitation and coup attempts helped destabilize Austria before March 1938.
Kurt Schuschnigg: Austria’s authoritarian chancellor from 1934 until March 1938, when German pressure forced his resignation. His resignation on 11 March left Austria without an effective government to resist German entry.
Vienna: Austria’s capital and largest city, which became a major center of Nazi rule and anti-Jewish persecution after March 1938. The city saw public humiliation, dispossession, and violence against Jews soon after German forces arrived.
Saint-Germain-en-Laye Treaty: The 1919 peace treaty that recognized Austria’s independence and prohibited union with Germany without League of Nations consent. Its restrictions made the Anschluss a direct breach of Austria’s postwar settlement.
July Putsch: A failed Austrian Nazi coup in July 1934 that killed Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss. The failed uprising exposed the movement’s willingness to use violence to seize Austria.
Arthur Seyss-Inquart: An Austrian Nazi politician who became chancellor briefly in March 1938 and later served as Reich governor of Austria. His appointment supplied a domestic figurehead for the German takeover.

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