1938+Anschluss+of+Austria


 * Definition: **

The political union of Nazi Germany and Austria. After WWI, the majority of the German speaking people in Austria wanted to unite with the new German Republic. However, this was forbidden by the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. Hitler also wanted control of the largely German-speaking area within Czechoslovakia, called the Sudetenland. Importantly, Austria shared a border with this area. Hitler was determined to destabilize Austria and undermine its independence. His ultimate goal was anschluss (union) with Austria.

March 1938
German troops marched into Austria unopposed. Hitler now had control of Austria. A month later, Hitler held a rigged referendum. The results showed that the Austrian people approved of German control of their country.

**How did it help Hitler rise to power?**
 * Germany added seven million people and an army of 100,000 to its Reich.
 * Germany gained useful resources such as steel, iron ore and Austria's foreign exchange reserves.
 * The balance of power in south-eastern Europe shifted in favour of Germany, increasing their influence in the Balkans.
 * Czechoslovakia was now surrounded on three fronts by Germany.