Page "Appeasement" Paragraph 10

When the German Empire and Austro-Hungarian Empire were broken up in 1918, Austria was left as a rump state with the adopted name " German-Austria " with the vast majority of the Austrians wanting to join Germany.

However, the victors agreements of World War I ( Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain ) strictly forbade union between Austria and Germany, as well as the name " German-Austria ", which reverted to " Austria " after the emergence of the First Republic of Austria in September 1919.

The constitutions of both the Weimar Republic and the First Austrian Republic included the aim of unification, which was supported by democratic parties.

However, the rise of Hitler dampened the enthusiasm of the Austrian government for such a plan.

Hitler had promoted a Pan-Germanism Greater German Reich from the beginning of his career in politics and stated in Mein Kampf ( 1924 ) that he would attempt a union with his birth country Austria, by any means possible and by force if necessary.

By early 1938, Hitler had consolidated his power in Germany and was ready to implement this long-held plan.