In 1938, Austria united with Germany. Apart from this, peoples understanding of events is hazy. Did the Austrian people want it? Were they coerced into it? Were they invaded? Why did Germany do it? Most believe it was part of Hitler's larger Lebensraum strategy. But this isn't the case at all. In fact, the Anschluss goes back all the way to 1918, if not before, and it was only a few men who ever stood in the way of such a union.

The facts are that Kurt Schuschnigg, not Adolf Hitler, precipitated the crisis. Before this, there was a long standing 'evolutionary process' towards the two nations working closer together. So, in order to stop this process, Schuschnigg made a daring gamble, and that gamble failed. Let's find out what happened.

Playlist:    • The Life of Adolf Hitler  

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Sources:

A.J.P Taylor - The Origins of the Second World War
John Toland - Adolf Hitler
Patrick J. Buchanan - Churchill, Hitler and the Unnecessary War
Margaret Macmillan - Peacemakers


Chapters:

Intro: 0:00
Origins of the Anschluss 3:19
Austrofascism: 10:28
The Abandonment of Austria: 15:48
The Crisis Arrives: 23:18
Italian Sabotage: 34:51
Schuschnigg's Gamble: 38:26
The End of Austria: 45:50
The Return of The Native: 57:00