WI: German Austria allowed to unite with Germany

[Snowstalker]

While it's doubtful that the unification would have been allowed for obvious reasons, let's say that Wilson takes his self-determinationism to its logical conclusion in Europe and allows for at least some of German Austria to unite with the Weimar Republic as they desired. My working assumption is that German Austria would still lose South Tyrol and the enclaves in Brno and other Czech cities, but that Austria proper and the bulk of the Sudetenland joins Germany, as well as the gains Austria made IOTL in Trianon. My questions:

1. Even if the US and Britain allow this, France will be furious. Does this make a fascist* takeover in the 1930s more likely? Moreover, does this lead to a significant rift in French relations with Anglo-America?
2. Without the Anschluss movement, will the Nazis be a weaker force in Germany (and in particular Austria)? Would Zentrum be stronger with heavily Catholic Austria united with Germany?

 

[Deleted member 1487]

I don't know how any of the Allies could let that happen, but for Wilson strong arming the Brits and French into it, which would likely enrage everyone in those countries. So the LoN is probably DoA, which means you need a very different Wilson to even try that.

 

[BlondieBC]

Makes hard core Nazism or Fascism less likely. ITTL, the Germans have lost Posen, West Prussia, and A-L, but have gained an area of equal value, roughly speaking. It makes it easier for moderate German governments to stay in power.

 

[TimTurner]

Would make for an interesting twist if France goes fascist instead of Germany, and Germany, UK, and Britain are allied in the next world war.

 

[Steno]

Would make for an interesting twist if France goes fascist instead of Germany, and Germany, UK, and Britain are allied in the next world war.

I assume you meant Germany, Britain and the United States but either way a hypothetical Anglo-German alliance against France would be a total curb stomp, especially considering that this Germany has Austria and the Sudetenland. The only natural allies that France could maybe get are Poland (not really gonna help that much against Germany) and Russia. Although if the Reds win the civil war then Russia might be off the table too.

 

[Bourbonic Plague]

I assume you meant Germany, Britain and the United States but either way a hypothetical Anglo-German alliance against France would be a total curb stomp, especially considering that this Germany has Austria and the Sudetenland. The only natural allies that France could maybe get are Poland (not really gonna help that much against Germany) and Russia. Although if the Reds win the civil war then Russia might be off the table too.

Communists and fascists have some history with allying with each other, so a Paris-Moscow axis is not out of question.

 

[TimTurner]

Communists and fascists have some history with allying with each other, so a Paris-Moscow axis is not out of question.

Question: does Japan stay with the Allies in this scenario?

 

[Bourbonic Plague]

Question: does Japan stay with the Allies in this scenario?

Japan can honestly go either way. Whichever side abandons China gets Japan.

 

[FillyofDelphi]

Makes hard core Nazism or Fascism less likely. ITTL, the Germans have lost Posen, West Prussia, and A-L, but have gained an area of equal value, roughly speaking. It makes it easier for moderate German governments to stay in power.

On the other hand, the geopolitical legtimacy of the ethnostate/Volkstadt would have been stamped into place, meaning arguements for, say, Danzig/the Corridor and A/E-L have more heft to them. Especially if the French take a fight wing turn and start cracking down on or displacing the Alsacian Germans. That would, at least, give traditional nationalists a boost, though they'd likely be decidedly more of a liberal flavor.

 

[kernals12]

Why did the Treaty of Versailles prevent this? Was it just out of spite? It seems hard to believe adding this small nation would make Germany significantly more dangerous.

 

[Steno]

Communists and fascists have some history with allying with each other, so a Paris-Moscow axis is not out of question.

I doubt a fascist France and communist Russia would be able to easily maintain a solid and cooperative alliance (like the kind needed to win a world war). Besides, neither country is likely to be very stable and allying with your ideological opponent is a good way to get yourself thrown out of office and declared a traitor to the revolution/state. Furthermore, even if they did ally I still think it would be a repeat of ww1 except with the British occupying French colonies instead of helping which bodes poorly for this Franco-Russian alliance.

 

[JackLumber]

Why did the Treaty of Versailles prevent this? Was it just out of spite? It seems hard to believe adding this small nation would make Germany significantly more dangerous.

Because loser are not supposed to get land

 

[kernals12]

Because loser are not supposed to get land

But it would've been giving land from one loser (the now-defunct Austria-Hungary) to another.

 

[rob in cal]

Also, the German socialists will be strengthened with the addition of Austrian socialist voters to the electorate, which combined with a stronger Zentrum means help for pro-Weimar parties.

 

[Noscoper]

Britain won't go to war with France just because it's fascist. A Germany this big is a threat to the European balance of power so Britain will ally France even if it is fascist.

 

[Saci]

Because loser are not supposed to get land

But how much you can enforce in the long term? You can't champion self determination and at the same deny this very right to a people just because they lost a war, let's say, twenty years ago.

 

[kernals12]

Also, the German socialists will be strengthened with the addition of Austrian socialist voters to the electorate, which combined with a stronger Zentrum means help for pro-Weimar parties.

Was Austria more left wing than the rest of Germany?

 

[Drizzt]

Britain won't go to war with France just because it's fascist. A Germany this big is a threat to the European balance of power so Britain will ally France even if it is fascist.

Britain will do whatever is in it's interest. What precisely that is depends on where the butterflies flap to. France by itself is significantly weaker than this bigger Germany. So yes there it would support France even a Fascist France against a surviving German Republic.
A Fascist Alliance consisting of France, Italy and Spain on the other hand would have Britain switching from Tsun to Dere regarding Germany faster than you can say Napoleonic Wars.

 

[Deleted member 1487]

Was Austria more left wing than the rest of Germany?

Vienna yes (other than say the Ruhr and Berlin), but the rest of Austria no.

 

[Noscoper]

A Fascist Alliance consisting of France, Italy and Spain on the other hand would have Britain switching from Tsun to Dere regarding Germany faster than you can say Napoleonic Wars.

Spain doesn't have a reason to join this alliance and Italy doesn't either unless Germany is acting very aggressive about South Tyrol. Even if they did join, they would only be equal to Germany, you would need the Soviet Union to join.