page_title: Anschluss
section_title: German troops march into Austria
hierarchical_section_title: Anschluss / German troops march into Austria
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Stimmzettel vom 10. April 1938. („Volksabstimmung und Großdeutscher Reichstag; Stimmzettel; Bist Du mit der am 13. März 1938 vollzogenen; Wiedervereinigung Österreichs mit dem Deutschen Reich; einverstanden und stimmst Du für die Liste unseres Führers; Adolf Hitler?; Ja; Nein”) English: Voting ballot from 10 April 1938. ("Referendum and Großdeutscher Reichstag; Ballot; Do you agree with the reunification of Austria with the German Reich that was enacted on 13 March 1938 and do you vote for the party of our leader; Adolf Hitler?; Yes; No") Español: Boleta electoral del 10 de abril de 1938. ("Referendum y Großdeutscher Reichstag; Boleta Electoral; ¿Estás de acuerdo con la reunificación de Austria con el imperio alemán que fue promulgado el 13 de marzo de 1938 y votas por el partido de nuestro lider, Adolf Hitler?; Si; No") Suomi: Äänestyslippu 10. huhtikuuta 1938. ("Kansanäänestys ja Großdeutscher Reichstag; Äänestyslippu; Hyväksytkö 13. maaliskuuta 1938 tehdyn Itävallan jälleenyhdistämisen Saksan valtakuntaan ja äänestätkö johtajamme; Adolf Hitlerin puoluetta?; Kyllä; En") Français&#160;: Bulletin de vote du 10 Avril 1938. ("Referendum et Reichstag de la Grande-Allemagne'; Bulletin; Êtes-vous d'accord avec la réunification de l' Autriche avec le Reich allemand qui a été promulguée le 13 Mars 1938 et votez-vous pour le parti de notre dirigeant&#160;; Adolf Hitler&#160;?; Oui; Non") Italiano: Scheda elettorale del plebiscito del 10 aprile 1938 tenutosi in Germania e in Austria per legittimare l'annessione di quest'ultima (Anschluss&#160;) al Terzo Reich, avvenuta il 13 marzo precedente. Il testo del quesito elettorale era: «Sei d'accordo con l'unificazione dell'Austria al Terzo Reich tedesco avvenuta il 13 marzo 1938 e voti per il partito del nostro capo Adolf Hitler?». "Si"; "No") 日本語: 1938年4月10日に行われた、合邦を問う国民投票用紙。 ("あなたは1938年3月13日に制定されたオーストリアとドイツ国の再統一に賛成し、我々の指導者アドルフ・ヒトラーの党へ賛成票を投じますか。: はい・いいえ") Nederlands: Stembiljet van 10 april 1938. ("Referendum en Großdeutscher Reichstag; Stembiljet; Ben jij het eens met de, op 13 maart 1938 voltrokken, hereniging van Oostenrijk met het Duitse Rijk en stem je op de partij van onze leider; Adolf Hitler?; Ja; Nee") Português: Cédula eleitoral de 10 de abril de 1938. ("Referendum e Großdeutscher Reichstag; Cédula eleitoral; Você concorda com a reunificação da Áustria com o Império Alemão posta em vigor em 13 de março de 1938 e vota pelo partido de nosso líder, Adolf Hitler?; Sim; Não") Русский: Бланк референдума 10 апреля 1938: «Согласен ли ты с произошедшим 13 марта 1938 г. воссоединением Австрии с Германией и голосуешь ли за партию нашего лидера Адольфа Гитлера?», над большим кругом надпись «Да», над маленьким — «Нет» Українська: Бланк 10 квітня 1938. ("Референдум і Großdeutscher Reichstag; Бланк; Чи згоден ти з возз'єднанням Австрії з Німецьким Рейхом, що відбулося 13 березня 1938 і чи голосуєш за партію нашого лідера Адольфа Гітлера?; Так; Ні")
context_page_description: The Anschluss was the annexation of Austria by Germany in 1938.
  After the First World War, when both the Austria-Hungary Empire and the German Empire were abolished, many hoped that the Republic of German Austria would be unified with the German Republic in hope for a Greater Germany, which was to include all Germans.
  This was forbidden by the Treaty of Versailles.
context_section_description: On the morning of 12 March, the 8th Army of the German Wehrmacht crossed the German-Austrian border. They were not stopped by the Austrian Army, instead the Wehrmacht troops were greeted by cheering Austrian Germans with Hitler salutes, Nazi flags and flowers.
  This is why the annexing of Austria without one single shot being fired is sometimes called the Blumenkrieg (war of flowers).
  Hitler's car crossed the border in the afternoon at Braunau, his birthplace. In the evening, he arrived at Linz and was welcomed at the city hall. Goering, in a telephone call that evening, said: "There is unbelievable jubilation in Austria. We ourselves did not think that sympathies would be so intense."
  On 2 April 1938, 200,000 Austrians gathered on the Heldenplatz (Square of Heroes) to hear Hitler proclaim the Austrian Anschluss. Hitler later commented: "Certain foreign newspapers have said that we fell on Austria with brutal methods. I can only say: even in death they cannot stop lying. I have in the course of my political struggle won much love from my people, but when I crossed the former frontier (into Austria) there met me such a stream of love as I have never experienced. Not as tyrants have we come, but as liberators."
  The Anschluss was given immediate effect by a law on 13 March, subject to ratification by a plebiscite. Austria became the province of Ostmark, and Seyss-Inquart was appointed Governor. The plebiscite was held on 10 April and officially recorded a support of 99.73% of the voters.
  Most historians agree that the result was not fixed, but the voting process was neither free nor secret. Officials were present directly beside the voting booths and received the voting ballot by hand (in contrast to a secret vote where the voting ballot is inserted into a closed box). In some parts of Austria the referendum on the independence of Austria on 13 March was held despite the Wehrmacht's presence in Austria (it took up to 3 days to occupy every part of Austria). For instance, in the village of Innervillgraten a majority of 95% voted for Austria's independence.
  Austria remained part of the Third Reich until the end of World War II when a preliminary Austrian Government declared the Anschluss null und nichtig (null and void) on April 27 1945. After the war, then allied-occupied Austria was recognized and treated as a separate country, but was not restored to sovereignty until the Austrian State Treaty and Austrian Declaration of Neutrality, both of 1955, largely due to the rapid development of the Cold War and disputes between the Soviet Union and its former allies over its foreign policy.
caption: Voting ballot from 10 April 1938. The ballot text reads "Do you agree with the reunification of Austria with the German Empire that was enacted on 13 March 1938, and do you vote for the party of our leader Adolf Hitler?," the large circle is labelled "Yes," the smaller "No."
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