> In the late 1930s, despite several attempts by some leaders to maintain Austrian independence, Nazi influence within the Austrian government and among the populace was too strong. The Nazis entered Austria on March 12, 1938 and absorbed the country into Germany the following day; the annexation was known as the Anschluss. A manipulated plebiscite administered a month later indicated that over 99 percent of Austrians were in favor of the situation. And though questions persist about the Austrians’ willingness to be a part of Nazi Germany, the raw footage in these films presents at least one side of the story.
I've been reading a history of Central Europe lately, and one of the interesting points that it brings out is that in the 1800s there was a desire on the part of some to unify the different German states within the general German world; this included Austria, and this unification for a greater German state was called Anschluss. Particularly after Austria-Hungary broke up in the WW1 aftermath, this was up for discussion a lot. I was quite surprised to read that; it suggested that the annexation of Austria was not a Nazi invention at all and had much more historic roots.
(I'd love to hear more from someone who knows more; this is just cribbed from history books).
I've been reading a history of Central Europe lately, and one of the interesting points that it brings out is that in the 1800s there was a desire on the part of some to unify the different German states within the general German world; this included Austria, and this unification for a greater German state was called Anschluss. Particularly after Austria-Hungary broke up in the WW1 aftermath, this was up for discussion a lot. I was quite surprised to read that; it suggested that the annexation of Austria was not a Nazi invention at all and had much more historic roots.
(I'd love to hear more from someone who knows more; this is just cribbed from history books).