Anschluss War: Austria versus Germany

Anschluss War: Austria versus Germany

What if on February 12th 1938 the Federal Chancellor of Austria, Kurt Schuschnigg meets with Adolf Hitler at the Berchtesgaden where Adolf Hitler demands that Chancellor, Kurt Schuschnigg signs an agreement which will see the transfer of power in Austria to the Austrian National Socialists, appointment of pro-Nazi ministers, hundred officers to be exchanged between the Austrian and the German armies and all imprisoned Nazis to be amnestied be reinstated.

After hearing this Chancellor, Kurt Schuschnigg refuses to sign the Berchtesgaden agreement as it is called and despite abusive and threatening from Adolf Hitler to sign the agreement he leaves informing him that Austria will remain a free country as long as he lives , two days later he is wounded in a failed assassination attempt which causes the Austria people to stand behind their chancellor while in the capitol of the Third Reich, Adolf Hitler decides that if Austria will not join under be pressure or treat then he will have the German army invade Austria instead.

So my question is how the Anschluss War look like and what will Great Britain and the French Republic responds be.
 

Deleted member 1487

Anschluss War: Austria versus Germany

What if on February 12th 1938 the Federal Chancellor of Austria, Kurt Schuschnigg meets with Adolf Hitler at the Berchtesgaden where Adolf Hitler demands that Chancellor, Kurt Schuschnigg signs an agreement which will see the transfer of power in Austria to the Austrian National Socialists, appointment of pro-Nazi ministers, hundred officers to be exchanged between the Austrian and the German armies and all imprisoned Nazis to be amnestied be reinstated.

After hearing this Chancellor, Kurt Schuschnigg refuses to sign the Berchtesgaden agreement as it is called and despite abusive and threatening from Adolf Hitler to sign the agreement he leaves informing him that Austria will remain a free country as long as he lives , two days later he is wounded in a failed assassination attempt which causes the Austria people to stand behind their chancellor while in the capitol of the Third Reich, Adolf Hitler decides that if Austria will not join under be pressure or treat then he will have the German army invade Austria instead.

So my question is how the Anschluss War look like and what will Great Britain and the French Republic responds be.

Well, it would result in an Austrian Civil War. Some would fight the Germans, most would keep their heads down, and the Austrians Nazis would support the Germans. German special operations groups would be all over the country and would have a ton of support from Nazi groups in the country. I don't honestly know how the West would react, especially as there would not be an Austrian consensus against or for Germany.
 
Well, it would result in an Austrian Civil War. Some would fight the Germans, most would keep their heads down, and the Austrians Nazis would support the Germans. German special operations groups would be all over the country and would have a ton of support from Nazi groups in the country. I don't honestly know how the West would react, especially as there would not be an Austrian consensus against or for Germany.

So it would become the second Austrian Civil War between pro-Nazi Austrians backed by the Third Reich who sends in the army versus the Austrian army who decides to remain loyal to the Austrian government lead by Chancellor, Kurt Schuschnigg and the Vaterländische Front which advocates Austrian nationalism and Austrian independence from Germany and having its own militia.
 

Deleted member 1487

So it would become the second Austrian Civil War between pro-Nazi Austrians backed by the Third Reich who sends in the army versus the Austrian army who decides to remain loyal to the Austrian government lead by Chancellor, Kurt Schuschnigg and the Vaterländische Front which advocates Austrian nationalism and Austrian independence from Germany and having its own militia.

Part of the army would support Germany. The Nazis had sympathy in the military and among the pan-Germanists in Austria. Remember something like 90% of Austrians wanted to join Germany in 1919.
I'd say based on my reading and courses I took when studying in Vienna, that about 2/3rds of Austria were happy to join or were at least accepting of the German annexation.
It would be short and probably not all that bloody, but it would confirm that Austria was an 'occupied' country at the end of WW2. Britain wasn't willing to fight over Austria AFAIK and France wasn't going to fight without Britain. The Allies were terrified about the Luftwaffe and its bombing capabilities (greatly overestimated by their intelligence services) and only stood up when their rearmament was at a certain level.
 
Would the Anschluss War aftermath affect the Munich Agreement of September 30th 1938 ore will France and the United Kingdom ignore that Germany invaded and fought a war with Austria.
 

Sumeragi

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I'd say based on my reading and courses I took when studying in Vienna, that about 2/3rds of Austria were happy to join or were at least accepting of the German annexation.
I think you're overestimating the actual support for annexation by HITLER'S Germany. I wouldn't contest the general support, but from what I know most of those so-so supporters were closer to "we agree with Germany, not Hitler". I would say Austria would most likely be in for a protracted civil war should there be no outside intervention (Germany and Italy).
 
Would the Anschluss War aftermath affect the Munich Agreement of September 30th 1938 ore will France and the United Kingdom ignore that Germany invaded and fought a war with Austria.
Theoretically it could have similar effect as march occupation of Czech lands had on relation of west towards Poland.
 
I think you're overestimating the actual support for annexation by HITLER'S Germany. I wouldn't contest the general support, but from what I know most of those so-so supporters were closer to "we agree with Germany, not Hitler". I would say Austria would most likely be in for a protracted civil war should there be no outside intervention (Germany and Italy).
It is difficult to get a clear picture of the nazis support in Austria. In local elections in 33 they gained up to 40 per cent (although that high only in Innsbruck and Zwettl). Afterwards no further elections followed under the austrofaschistic dictatorship. But after the failed nazi coup in 34 (which included some serious fighting in several Austrian regions) the nazis condemned to death alone numbered 4000. And later many Austrian became important Nazis and war criminals like Kaltenbrunner, Seyß-Inquart, Franz Stangl or Eduard Dietl. Even Eichmann lived from the age of 8 in Austria. Simon Wiesenthal claimed later that Austrians were overrepresented in the nazi death machine, but I don´t know if this was ever verified by a study or if that is even possible (probably not).
In general you can say imo that the nazis had considerable support inside Austria, although in case of a war perhaps not a majority.
 
Would Austria establish a government in exile if the country loses the Anschluss War and which nation would be willing to host it.
 

Deleted member 1487

But what will his reaction be when Germany goes to war with Austria after its chancellor said no to the treats and demands of Adolf Hitler.

Nothing, because Mussolini already gave his blessing for Germany to take it over.
 
Having to fight an outright war might throw a spanner into the works for Hitler's scheming--it'd be expensive and the Nazi economy was not known for its efficiency, plus there'd be casualties, damage to repair, etc.
 
But that because I assume Mussolini toughed Germany would take over Austria without a fight not invading it.

Mussolini traded away Austria reasoning that an alliance/partnership with Germany was more important than maintaining an Austrian client. In fact, Mussolini pulling Italy's support torpedoed some (very) initial talks about an anti-German alliance (occurring as a response to the rise of the NSDAP in Germany) between Austria and Czechoslovakia (which, provided Italian blessing had been received would have extended to include Hungary).

IIRC, there were even some hesitant suggestions of bringing back the Habsburgs to act as a unifying factor against Nazi Germany (particularly in Austria). Though IMO, that would be more of a divisive move than an unifying one.

Having made his choice, Mussolini's Italy would, at best, make a protest over the invasion, then continue as if nothing happened, pursuing an alliance with Germany and eying Yugoslavia.
 
From research that I did The Austrian Army assured the Chancellor that it would support the government against any invasion by Germany. If Austria resisted then there was secret assurances given by France to Otto Hapsburg that France would stand by Austria.
 
From research that I did The Austrian Army assured the Chancellor that it would support the government against any invasion by Germany. If Austria resisted then there was secret assurances given by France to Otto Hapsburg that France would stand by Austria.

But I toughed that one of the reasons Federal Chancellor of Austria, Kurt Schuschnigg accepted the March 11th ultimatum issued by Hitler as neither France nor Britain was willing to take steps to support Austrian independence.

And how is France going to support Austria directly by declaring war against Germany or indirectly by supplying only arms to Austria.
 
It would appear from what I read that France was prepared to Mobilize its military and move to the border with Germany. It would support Austria with Arms and it was prepared to act with others such as Czechoslovakia to stop Hitler. All of this was due to Otto Hapsburg.
 
I think you're overestimating the actual support for annexation by HITLER'S Germany. I wouldn't contest the general support, but from what I know most of those so-so supporters were closer to "we agree with Germany, not Hitler". I would say Austria would most likely be in for a protracted civil war should there be no outside intervention (Germany and Italy).

Austria has financial assets that Nazi Germany has to acquire. An Austrian Civil War over Anschluss with Germany will make Germany look bad and will provide an opportunity for people who oppose the expansion of German influence into Austria, hell it might even make Mussolini change his mind on the matter. The Nazis will wrap up an Austrian Civil War as fast as they possibly can, intervention is not just possible but probable.
 
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