Here's some Cold War punk:
In the pre-dawn hours of 15 March 1939, a convoy of about two dozen assorted vehicles carrying
Sturmabteilung (SA) paramilitary troops departed the Austrian town of Feldkirch, for the border with Liechtenstein. In the aftermath of Nazi Germany’s
Anschluss with Austria, fascist sympathizers in the tiny German-speaking microstate of Liechtenstein began agitating for Liechtenstein’s incorporation into the German Reich. These pro-Nazi pan-Germanists formed the German National Movement in Liechtenstein (VDBL) Party under the leadership of Alfons Goop and founded the
Der Umbruch newspaper to advocate for unification with Germany. However, the VDBL failed to attract any substantial support within Liechtenstein.
Failing to attract popular support behind his cause, Alfons Goop, who had contacts with the local SA in Reichsgau Tirol-Vorarlberg, resolved to launch a coup – declaring an
Anschluss and inviting the SA into the country. Goop managed to secure the tacit support of the German border official in the area, Joseph Schreieder, with a bribe. At 5am on 15 March 1939, the SA convoy departed Feldkrich. SA paramilitary forces were already in Vaduz before Goop declared
Anschluss with Germany over the radio an hour later. The tiny military and police force of Liechtenstein was caught completely off guard by this sudden attack and offered no real resistance.
By pure coincidence, the German Wehrmacht had moved into rump Czechoslovakia the same day in violation of the Munich Agreement. This brazen act by Hitler dominated news headlines, while the events in Liechtenstein received only a passing mention in the press – if that. Switzerland, for its part, lodged a formal complain to Berlin, demanding that the SA leave Liechtenstein. While Hitler was angry that local SA members had undertaken such an action without his explicit authorization and was concerned on some level about the deleterious impact that an annexation of Liechtenstein could have on German-Swiss relations, he decided that rejection of this “spontaneous
Anschluss” would look bad to the German people – and accordingly ordered a plebiscite to confirm the
Anschluss with Liechtenstein and that the SA occupiers be replaced with regular German soldiers.
On 9 April 1939, Liechtenstein voted 7,004 to 230 for union with Germany – 96.82% in favor. The referendum was conducted under an atmosphere of intimidation – and cannot be considered representative of the actual viewpoints of the Liechtensteiner people. While Alfons Goop had visions of being a Gauleiter of Liechtenstein, the tiny principality was instead turned into a district (or
Kreis), and Goop was passed over for the job (Joseph Schreieder would receive the position instead). When Hitler started the Second World War by invading Poland on 1 September 1939, Liechtenstein was subject to the same conscription requirements as the rest of Nazi Germany.
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In October of 1944, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill met with Soviet Dictator Joseph Stalin to discuss, among other things, the post-war borders and spheres of influence in Europe. One of Winston Churchill’s ideas for the post-war order was the creation of a “Danubian Federation” which contained Hungary, Austria, and the South German states. Stalin adamantly opposed the plan, wanting Hungary to be firmly within the Soviet sphere of influence. Stalin also told Churchill that Austria probably ought to remain independent. Stalin noted that “when Bavarians, Hessians, or Prussians surrender to us, they identify themselves as Germans – but not the Austrians, only they say they are Austrians” as support for the idea that a separate Austrian identity still existed. “And” Stalin added, while trying to contain a bit of laughter, “I suppose there was also a platoon the Red Army captured outside of Minsk that insisted that they were Liechtensteiners, not Germans.” After chuckling a bit, Stalin continued “the Brigade Commander on site shot the first one who told him that, because he hadn’t heard of Liechtenstein before and thought the guy was lying.”
Liechtenstein remainder under Nazi control until the instrument of surrender was signed on 8 May 1945. After the surrender of Nazi Germany, Germany proper and Austria were allotted into four occupation zones for the victorious allied powers (the Soviets, Americans, British, and French). As it happens, no consideration had been given by the allies as to what would happen in Liechtenstein. Late in May, there was a minor confrontation between American soldiers (who had been the first to arrive in Vaduz) and French soldiers (who assumed that Liechtenstein belonged to their occupation zone) over who would get to use the Vaduz castle as barracks. This incident eventually came across Stalin’s desk. Realizing that no formal arrangement had been made for Liechtenstein, Stalin decided to demand an occupation zone in the tiny principality in hopes that the Western Allies would instead cede a few more city blocks of Berlin to him. However, Churchill (soon replaced by Atlee) and Truman saw through Stalin’s intention and called his bluff. Accordingly, the little Lichtenstein was divided into four occupation zones…
