Anschlauss 1934

What if the Dolfuss Affair led to Anschlauss in September 1934 instead of March 1938? That is other than provoking France and Italy into invading the new Greater Germany. Furthermore the remilitarisation of the Rhineland and Sudetenland Crisis happen at the same time as OTL.

Could the Germans have used the 3½ years to develop Austria's economy more? In particular its oil industry.
 
I think earlier union with Austria would have given the German Finance Ministry more taxpayers, which would have helped it to pay for German rearmament 1934-38.

However, apart from that would Austria have been an asset or a liability to the German economy? E.g. did Austria have a balance of payments surplus that would have given the Germans more foreign currency to import raw materials.
 

Deleted member 1487

IIRC Austria was a net drain on the German economy because it needed raw materials and its industry wasn't particularly cutting edge; the Nazis actually modernized Austria's economy and set it on the path to be competitive post-war. Arguably the earlier Anschluss would have prevented the important injection of cash in 1938, but having the extra trained soldiers/officers and raw materials Austria provided would certainly have helped rearmament in 1934. With an earlier Anschluss the Germans could complete the canal they were building that was to link the Danube and Elbe, which would have seriously improved internal transport and had been kicked around as a project since 1904.

The big issue is actually seeing the French and Czechs allow this to happen in 1934.
 
The big issue is actually seeing the French and Czechs allow this to happen in 1934.

The French didn't do anything when German troops marched into the Rhineland so I doubt that they would stop the Germans annexing Austria.

I don't know about the Czechs. However, I will hazard a guess and say that they did not take military action, but instead built up an even bigger army and air force by September 1938.
 
Forget them, the one to really convince to let that happen is Benny.

IIRC Dolfuss was Benny's best friend. He was so upset by the assassination that he mobilised the Italian Army and massed it on the frontier with Austria. That was what made Hitler back down and delay Anschlauss to early 1938 IOTL.
 

Deleted member 1487

The French didn't do anything when German troops marched into the Rhineland so I doubt that they would stop the Germans annexing Austria.

I don't know about the Czechs. However, I will hazard a guess and say that they did not take military action, but instead built up an even bigger army and air force by September 1938.

There was a lot that had changed by 1936; the French were financially insolvent by 1936 so couldn't mobilize without British help, while the Italians had defected over Ethiopia. So the French were all alone in 1936 and unable to really fight, while in 1934 they had an alliance system going. Plus they still held the Saarland in 1934, but had returned it per treaty in 1935. The Czechs were in a military alliance with the French and were still onboard with the Little Entente unlike in 1938. The Poles might even renounce their non-aggression pact they just signed in fact if Germany was to get a beat down. So 1934 was a radically different situation than 1936 or especially 1938, not least of which was because Germany was a lot stronger in 1936 and 1938.
 
The Pact of Steel had yet to be signed right?

so taking Austria would have brought Germany into direct contention with Mussolini.
 
The Pact of Steel had yet to be signed right?

so taking Austria would have brought Germany into direct contention with Mussolini.

IIRC the Axis Treaty was not signed until 1936 and The Pact of Steel wasn't until 1938 or 1939.

Again, IIRC, Mussolini opposed Hitler until Adolf gave Benny economic aid to offset the economic sanctions imposed on Italy when it invaded Abyssinia.

There might have been a war between Germany and Italy in 1934 over Austria if Hitler had not backed down. As I wrote earlier Benny had deployed the Italian Army on the Austrian border and AFAIK he was prepared to used them.
 
However, my original post acknowledged that annexing Austria in 1934 would probably have lead to the earlier demise of Nazi Germany.

Therefore what could they have done with it if they had got away with it scot free?

I think the most important question is, could they have used the extra 3 1/2 years to increase Austria's oil production? I think that if Austria had been part of Germany in 1936 it would have been near the top of the list of the Four Year Plan.
 
What if the Dolfuss Affair led to Anschlauss in September 1934 instead of March 1938? That is other than provoking France and Italy into invading the new Greater Germany. Furthermore the remilitarisation of the Rhineland and Sudetenland Crisis happen at the same time as OTL.

Could the Germans have used the 3½ years to develop Austria's economy more? In particular its oil industry.

France, Italy and Czechoslovakia go to war and son it d'asile. Hitler's regime falls down in a ces weeks.

And Germany had to face more severe conditions such as the forced independance of Rhineland, Bavaria, Wurtemberg and Baden.
 
Top