WI: Austria Resists Anschluss?

[Dr.Kafka]

Chancellor Schuschnigg of Austria was heavily anti-Nazi until 1936, and still resisted attempts by the Nazi regime to annex Austria up until Hitler threatened to invade the country. What if Schuschnigg had continued to resist and the Nazis actually invaded the country?

The austromarxist SDAPOe began advocating national self-sufficiency (a change from their previous pro-Anschluss stance) and a Danubian "Little Entente." If they were to remain in power after 1934, they would have also resisted annexation. In this case, how would France and Great Britain view a violent annexation of Austria? Assuming the existence of a "Little Entente" between Czechoslovakia and Austria, would Czechoslovakia join a war on Austria's side against the Nazi aggressors, and would their involvement change how France and the United Kingdom reacted?

I've considered that this might provoke an earlier start to World War II, but I'm not entirely sure that the Allies would really be up for one if the Nazis just violently annexed Austria. Even if they didn't intervene then, though, it would certainly make them far less willing to acquiesce to any of Hitler's demands in the future.

 

[Simreeve]

How would Italy react, too?

 

[Magnum]

Austria had carefully built up its force of Militia's expecting a German attack - they comprised 60k men readily available, a number which could rise to 100k after mobilization. Coupled with the army, they could field at least 180k men in March 1938, and lot more if they struck a deal with the Trade Unions. They also had 72 Italian light tanks (comparable to the Pz1) and 27 ADGZ heavy armored cars (comparable to the Pz2), along with some 92 planes (of which 70 fighters).

In contrast, Germany marched into Austria with 117k men (12k of which police).

Germany was restricted in how much it could deploy against Austria, since they had to cover the North Sea and the borders with France, Poland and Czechoslovakia, as well as keep a substantial force in reserve to make sure nobody back home gets any ideas.

So, IMO, a German attack on Austria can end in only one way - disaster. Austria will resist, the advance will slow down, Britain and France will be forced to issue some kind of ultimatum, at which point the generals would probably either overthrow Hitler or fail and plunge the country into civil war.

EDIT: Souce - http://digitool.library.mcgill.ca/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=28268&local_base=GEN01-MCG02

 

[anotherlurker]

Austria had carefully built up its force of Militia's expecting a German attack - they comprised 60k men readily available, a number which could rise to 100k after mobilization. Coupled with the army, they could field at least 180k men in March 1938, and lot more if they struck a deal with the Trade Unions. They also had 72 Italian light tanks (comparable to the Pz1) and 27 ADGZ heavy armored cars (comparable to the Pz2), along with some 92 planes (of which 70 fighters).

In contrast, Germany marched into Austria with 117k men (12k of which police).

Germany was restricted in how much it could deploy against Austria, since they had to cover the North Sea and the borders with France, Poland and Czechoslovakia, as well as keep a substantial force in reserve to make sure nobody back home gets any ideas.

So, IMO, a German attack on Austria can end in only one way - disaster. Austria will resist, the advance will slow down, Britain and France will be forced to issue some kind of ultimatum, at which point the generals would probably either overthrow Hitler or fail and plunge the country into civil war.

EDIT: Souce - http://digitool.library.mcgill.ca/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=28268&local_base=GEN01-MCG02

how many of them would actually fight is a whole different question. the anschluss has been on the mind of rightwingers since 1848 or earlier, and armies and militias are usually full with them, there would be a gigantic 5th collumn just waiting to collude.

 

[Francisco Cojuanco]

how many of them would actually fight is a whole different question. the anschluss has been on the mind of rightwingers since 1848 or earlier, and armies and militias are usually full with them, there would be a gigantic 5th collumn just waiting to collude.

Not just rightwingers. Karl Renner was pro-Anschluss, too, and thought that Hitler was just a phase that would eventually pass.

 

[Sanderford]

Germany tries to invade to force the result. Austrian forces meet them, and a war begins. France and Britain let it go on for a while before threatening to come in guns blazing if the Germans do not back down immediately and heed the Versailles Treaty proscription of German-Austrian unification. Not long after, Hitler's own generals shoot him and install one of their own in his place. The new Führer orders German troops to stand down, and offers to have peace talks with the Austrians on neutral grounds.

 

[Tom Colton]

How would Italy react, too?

Italy had aligned itself with Germany and Mussolini had implicitly given Hitler permission to make moves towards annexation by this point, thanks to German support in the Second Italo-Abyssinian War.

 

[Dr.Kafka]

Austria had carefully built up its force of Militia's expecting a German attack - they comprised 60k men readily available, a number which could rise to 100k after mobilization. Coupled with the army, they could field at least 180k men in March 1938, and lot more if they struck a deal with the Trade Unions. They also had 72 Italian light tanks (comparable to the Pz1) and 27 ADGZ heavy armored cars (comparable to the Pz2), along with some 92 planes (of which 70 fighters).

In contrast, Germany marched into Austria with 117k men (12k of which police).

Germany was restricted in how much it could deploy against Austria, since they had to cover the North Sea and the borders with France, Poland and Czechoslovakia, as well as keep a substantial force in reserve to make sure nobody back home gets any ideas.

So, IMO, a German attack on Austria can end in only one way - disaster. Austria will resist, the advance will slow down, Britain and France will be forced to issue some kind of ultimatum, at which point the generals would probably either overthrow Hitler or fail and plunge the country into civil war.

EDIT: Souce - http://digitool.library.mcgill.ca/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=28268&local_base=GEN01-MCG02

Thanks for that source! I guess I greatly underestimated the forces which the Austrians had at their disposal.

how many of them would actually fight is a whole different question. the anschluss has been on the mind of rightwingers since 1848 or earlier, and armies and militias are usually full with them, there would be a gigantic 5th collumn just waiting to collude.

Not just rightwingers. Karl Renner was pro-Anschluss, too, and thought that Hitler was just a phase that would eventually pass.

Prior to 1933, the official policy of the SDAP was to support Anschluss with Germany. Despite helping to negotiate the annexation of Austria to Germany back in 1919, Otto Bauer was actually one of the party leaders responsible for changing the SDAP's position to be against Anschluss. Karl Renner was one of those that continued to advocate it even after the party's dissolution (after the Anschluss, he quietly removed himself from politics until 1945 after he realized exactly what annexation meant for Austria).

I think, however, that many of these people would just support the Nazis through inaction rather than collusion. I think joining with the Nazis and directly fighting against former countrymen might be a step too far for most people.