Anschluss

Today, Austria united with Germany. Adolf Hitler desired having all German speaking peoples united in one Germany. The last time this was fact was in 1806 under the Holy Roman Empire.

The turn of events started as far back as February. On the 12th of that month, German Chancellor Hitler met with Kurt Schuschnigg, the Chancellor of Austria, in Berchtesgaden. That's Bavaria to you and me. At this meeting, the German Chancellor demanded that Austria allow full freedom for political parties and release all political prisoners, notably the Nazi ones.

Mr. Schuschnigg complied with these demands and even appointed Arthur Seyss-Inquart as Interior Minister and Edmund Glaise-Horstenau as Minister without portfolio. Both men are Nazis.

After the release of political prisoners who've not known freedom for four long years after Austria's own civil war, the Communists sided with the Austrian government. The Socialists demanded more concessions from the government before offering any support.

Schuschnigg decided to put the vote on Austrian independence to a vote. On March 9th, he set the minimum voting age at 24. The youth of the Alpine nation have been inflamed with Nazi ideology. For this referendum to pass, Schuschnigg could not have Nazi sympathizers participating.

Germany didn't take this lying down. The Ministry of Propaganda issued reports that riots were occurring in Austria and the Austrians were pleading for Germany to come in and restore order. These were false.

Hitler demanded that control of the country be handed over to the National Socialist Party by noon on the 11th. He extended the demand two hours. It mattered little. Nazis were quick to take over Vienna.

The Chancellor resigned in the evening hours of the 11th at around 7:30 PM. He told his people and the world by radio that he had to this to avoid bloodshed.

The President of Austria, Wilhelm Miklas, though, refuses to recognize Seyss-Inquart as the new Chancellor. As long as he did this, Seyss-Inquart was unable to send a telegram under the government for German troops to enter Austria.

After much frustration, Hitler and Hermann Göring, who was waiting with his troops at the border, decided to forge a telegram, at about 10 PM, allowing them to invade Austria. At midnight, after many of the government officials had been arrested and many places in Vienna were in Nazi control, Miklas conceded and decided to appoint Seyss-Inquart as Chancellor.

The German army has slipped across the border without any resistance. There have been reports that the German soldiers have been welcomed with salutes and flowers.