On the occasion of the invasion of Austria by German troops on March 11, 1938. The annexation is completed on March 13, 1938. Schuschnigg, the Austrian chancellor, visited Hitler in his headquarters on the Obersalzberg. They sign the agreement that Austrian Nazis sitting in prisons for illegal activities would be pardoned. Schuschnigg also agrees to include Nazis in his cabinet. On his return, he immediately plans a plebiscite on these questions within three days. Tumultuous riots break out and an ultimatum of Hitler forces Schuschnigg to resign; the Nazi party of Austria, illegal to this point, takes over the power and asks the German government for help and protection. This triggers the invasion of Austria. A Nazi sponsored plebiscite of April 10, 1938 finds 99% of the Austrian voters in favor of the union (Anschluss). |