Why did Austria accept German Annexation?

Why did Austria accept German Anschluss?

From 1867 through 1918, the nation was locked in the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary, until their defeat in World War One brought about a split. By this point, the Republic of German-Austria was born and lasted only a short time, before being replaced in September of 1919 by the First Austrian Republic. The new state survived just under two decades, with Austrian autonomy being challenged once more as the Germans marched onto Austrian soil on March 12, 1938. The annexation, known as Anschluss, seemed to yet again confirm that Austria was simply destined to never be a country of its own - but why? And why was it so easy for the Germans to annex Austria?

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#History #Documentary

[spamacc]

A very important point you missed out is how miserable life was after ww1 in Austria. Austria just went from being a global empire to being destined with irrelavancy forever, also having a civil war and a terrible economy and germany seemed to be able to fix all that.

[bushy_]

"Locked in a dual monarchy" They were the SEAT of the Duel Monarchy.

[overpredor]

Hoi4 choice:
Accept Anchluss diplomaticly
Accept Anchluss militarily

[mysterious]

I was doing homework but this is more important

[Arminius]

"Locked in a dual monarchy". They were literally the rulers over that empire and not just a minor territory like Slovakia or Bosnia. They also enjoyed access to the sea and were (at least nominally) a great power of that time.

[some_dummyhead]

You make it sound like Austria wasnt the senior partner in Austria-Hungary

[deusdat]

Because back then Austrians were just Germans from the late Habsburg empire. Most of them felt, like Hitler or von Karajan, that they were plain German. The austrian identity is rather recent and was encouraged by the bad reputation Germans had after WW2 😉

[halnywiatr]

More Austrians died from the change in direction of car travel from right to left than from resisting the Anschluss.

[herrwagnerianer]

Because historically, Austrians always regarded themselves as ethnic Germans. An Austrian identity did not only emerge in 1945 but has existed for centuries. It was, however, always linked to a wider German identity. Austrians such as Joseph Haydn, Franz Schubert, or Johann Strauss regarded themselves as Austrians, loyal to the house of Habsburg, but also as ethnic Germans. Thus, when the multiethnic empire crumbled in 1918, it was the most logical thing in the world to seek unification with those they regarded as their fellow Germans. Only after 1945 did the Austrian identity become completely severed from any notion of a wider German identity.

[jackback]

random trivia: my great-grandfather was serving in the austrian airforce and as the germans annexed austria. He was one of few who rebelled against the annexation so the new german officers decided to strip him of his title and send him into the eastern frontline as a footsoldier. When the invasion of Russia turned against the german invadors my great-grandfather got captured by the Russians and they sent him into a Gulag prison camp. He was held hostage for 5 years but managed to survive and when he finally came back to Austria his weight was only 38 kg. He lived a thankful life afterwards and died in 1996.

[Barwasser]

Important to note:
Austria wasn't an independent country for hundreds of years at this point. It's economy was heavyly reliant on being in a union with Hungary and Bohemia. A big world-city like Vienna could not be supported by the mostly agrarian countyside of Austria. The entent powers screwed them over far more than even Germany - no wonder they wanted the Anschluss.

This is why you don't kick people when they are down.

[micahistory]

due to their linguistic, ethnic and cultural similarities it isn't too strange

[mehornyasfk]

Before 1945, "German" was a wider ethnic identity. Whether you are Austrian, Bavarian, Prussian, Swiss, Luxemburger, etc., as long as you speak German, you are German.
After 1945, being German strictly means you are a citizen of Germany. This is largely due to the fact that other German-speaking nations, especially Austria, want to distance themselves from the crimes committed by the "Germans" during WW2. This way, Austria got a "First victim of Nazi aggression" out-of-jail card and had Germany take all the blames and punishments.

[Maximillian-_-]

Everyone is afraid to tell the truth about anything.

[jasonweaver]

The Austrian government had decided in 1919 to join Germany as "German Austria". This was verbidden by the victorious allies and the country was forced to become a Republic. The interference of the allies constituted a breach of the international convention of self-determination of countries. The Anschluss by Hitler was therefore a restoration of long overdue self-determination and the majority of Austrian people welcomed it.

[jurgen]

There is something you forgot. The German millitary was marching in peacefully into the major austrian cities, but exactly this happened in reverse as well. So the Austrin millitary was marching is as well in several German cities. E.g. Munich, Dresden, Leipzig.

[QuestionEverythingButWHY]

“It is not enough to win a war; it is more important to organize the peace.”
― Aristotle

[entspannter]

Austrians are part of the german nation as much as bavarians, saxons, prussians are.
They are not fundamentally different, but in the details.

[AtlasAugustus]

They called it Blummenkrieg. War of flowers. Austrian soldiers entered Germany simultaneously to show the world it was peaceful

[herbertfoelser]

I'm from Austria. The main reason to accept German annexiation was the huge crisis after WWI. Houndred of thousands children died because of hunger in Austria, even more than 10 years after the war. Inflation combined with bank crisis has made all money worthless. Austria was cut off from any sources, as it had in the Monarchy time. The corn fields are gone to the young balkan countries and Hungary. Coal mines are lost to Schlesia and Bohemia, including the steel fabrication. What was left ( der Rest ist Österreich !!) as per speach from the french hardlinger Clemenceau, was in this time worthless land. Only mountains with stones and snow, useless valleys where peoples find not enough food, no coal no industry, to feed 6 million peoples and no perspectives. At least the overgrown city Vienna. The was the base for Hitler and his National socialists to get the feets on Austrian ground.