The country notably served as a “laboratory” for Hitler’s anti-Semitic policy, as recalled by a documentary broadcast as part of “Retour aux sources” this Saturday at 9:05 p.m. on La Trois.
From the 19th century, within the Austro-Hungarian empire dominated by the Habsburgs, some dreamed of forming a single German nation bringing together all those who practiced the language and culture of Goethe. Encouraged by some thinkers, the idea is slowly but surely gaining ground.
The defeat in 1918 of both Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which led to its dismantling, gave birth to Austria within the borders we know today. As early as 1925, Hitler dreamed of a great German nation including of course Austria, thus prefiguring the Anschluss of 1938. But let’s not anticipate.
The Chancellor’s Assassination
In the 1930s, the Nazi party continued to grow in Austria. Unable to participate in power, he embarked on terrorist attacks which would lead to his suppression in 1933, following a bloody attack on the heart of a group of Catholic gymnasts.
But other tensions also mark the socialists and the catholics who each have their militia, which pushes the chancellor Dollfuss to adopt a dictatorial regime: austrofascism.
On July 25, 1934, the Nazis assassinated Dollfuss, encouraged by Hitler. But the putsch undoubtedly failed with the complicity of Mussolini, forcing the Führer to give up, at least temporarily, on his dream of a greater Germany. Nevertheless, the lack of reaction from the Allies when the German army took over the Rhineland, which had been demilitarized, gave it wings. He will force the new Austrian Chancellor, Kurt Schuschnigg, to start negotiations with the aim of bringing the two countries closer together.
The latter seeks support from the Allies, while once more allowing the Nazi party in his country. Austria has certain wealth that its neighbor covets, in particular raw materials and large reserves of foreign currency and gold. And when, in 1937, Mussolini showed his lack of interest in Austria by leaving the field open to the Führer, there was no longer any doubt regarding a future invasion.
The February 12, 1938 interview between Hitler and Schuschnigg in Berchtesgaden has an ultimatum. A month later, the Wehrmacht is marching in Vienna, while at least a rigged plebiscite is garnering more than 99% in favor of annexation. Austria will now be Nazi until its liberation in 1945.
The Jews before the Anschluss
The Jews occupied important places in Austria. In 1938, their community represented nearly 4% of their population. A year later, when they were 192,000, they will be only 57,000, most of them preferring to emigrate. Various anti-Semitic riots have in fact dissuaded them from continuing their career in Austria.
Already in 1929, the mob had attacked a famous café in the Taborstrasse in Vienna and even worse, in 1932, a prayer room located in the Sperlhof café was completely ravaged and its faithful severely attacked. Despite this anti-Semitism very present in society, no law had been taken once morest the Jews before 1934. That year, the new authoritarian regime in place in Austria will gradually cause the departure of a large number of Jews. to warmer skies, including the United States.
After the annexation of the country, Austria became “the laboratory of anti-Semitic policy”, notably with the creation in 1938 of the Mauthausen concentration camp. The writer Ruth Maier, who died in deportation, noted in her diary in 1938: “Even if the Jews did not enjoy quite the same rights as the rest of the population, they nevertheless occupied a decent place. From now on, they are swallowed up as animals, pigs, non-humans.
Only 2,162 Jews will survive the extermination camps.
Text: Hervé Gérard
This article appeared in the Telepro of 24/3/2022
