March 13, 1938
Germany Annexes Austria
Historical context
On this day, March 13, 1938, Germany annexed Austria, one day after German troops entered the country.
Archive record
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- Date
- March 13, 1938
- Verified sources
- 1
- Archive threads
- 4
On this day, German authorities completed the legal annexation of Austria, the Anschluss, one day after German troops crossed the border on 12 March. Austrian chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg had been forced to resign. Arthur Seyss-Inquart, an Austrian Nazi, took office as German forces entered.
A controlled referendum in April produced a reported 99.7 percent approval. Jews and Roma were excluded from the vote. German antisemitic laws, including the Nuremberg Laws, were applied in Austria. The Gestapo and Austrian Nazis seized Jewish property and arrested opponents. Popular enthusiasm in the streets is not the same as a free vote.
Research trail
Sources and further reading
- Austria · United States Holocaust Memorial Museum · Holocaust Encyclopedia View source
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