Posted on 03/12/2008 5:50:45 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson
Following an ultimatum from Berlin, the Schuschnigg government in Austria retired yesterday evening and was succeeded by one headed by the Nazi leader, Arthur Seyss-Inquart, as Chancellor. He immediately asked Germany to send troops to help in preserving order. Some 50,000 highly armed and mechanized forces marched to the border. Both Munich and Vienna report some crossed into Austria. Berlin denies this. Nazi mobs took possession of Vienna and raided the Jewish quarter. The swastika was flown over public buildings, and Fatherland Front forces were disarmed. There were similar demonstrations in other cities.
Europe was aghast at the coup of Hitler. His action struck Italy with the force of an exploding bomb. The impression was that Italy would not retort with force, but it was believed the Rome-Berlin axis had been shaken and that Hitlers visit to Rome might be canceled. No advance notice of Germanys intention is believed to have been given to Mussolini.
Britain delivered a sharp protest to Berlin, saying Germanys action was bound to produce the gravest reactions, of which it is impossible to foretell the issue. Other warnings were delivered earlier, but Foreign Minister von Ribbentrop retorted that Germany saw no reasons to confer with Britain until her purposes had been achieved elsewhere.
In Paris it was understood Italy had been asked if she would join in a united effort to save Austria, but had refused. France, however, took action similar to that of Britain in protesting the Reichs action. The parties tried to get together to form a new Cabinet to deal with the situation, but they were still too deeply divided to make that accomplishment possible. It was believed Leon Blum would not be able to gain sufficient support to head a government.
Premier Negrin of Spain announced that Italy and Germany had made unofficial proposals for some agreement with the Loyalists, but they were determined not to enter on negotiations.
Hitler was so nervous he couldn’t sleep the night before.
I used to love listening to all of the Old-Time radio newscasts from that era on the Internet. It really is the closest thing to going back in time and imagining how things were back then.
The Panzers barely made it to Vienna. If the citizens were not so enthusiastic about welcoming the Anschluss it wouldn’t have happened. The mood in Vienna went overnight from peace and peaceful coexistence (with the Jews) to Nazi loving demonstrations—go to bed a Liberal and wake up a flamethrowing Nazi. Just that quick.
Nothing stops my in my tracks faster than hearing a first hand account from a World War II vet.
Compare that to when they marched into Prague. There was no cheering there.
Nor were there cheering crowds awaiting Chamberlain back in England either.
Yes, that was very dangerous, much more aggressive than Austria. Not as dangerous as Poland, of course, which still brought little reaction from England/France.
England and France declared war when Poland was invaded.
About as scary as a nastygram from the UN.
And they did what exactly?
Well for one, the British Navy blockaded German maritime traffic and ended up sinking the battleship Graf Spee - using three light cruisers and some outrageous bluff.
Seriously, not sure what you’re expecting here. France was divided against itself and Britain was a maritime, not land, superpower. Historians looking for immediate results in a war would have to scroll forward five decades and watch Clinton bomb some bridges.
That book should be required reading for any history class.
I know another conservative that wants to go back to isolationism. Mr. Paul needs to pick up a history book.
Great post Homer. How many of these have you done? (This is the first one I’ve come across). If you are going to continue with this will you be covering the Pacific Theater too?
You can probably tell that I’m a big history fan.
The Czech’s knew that if Austria fell that they would be bordered by the Nazi on 3 fronts. They wanted to help, but they just didn’t have the resources to go it alone. With France and England taking no action and Italy really siding with the Germans they were stuck.
Then came the final betrayal by the Chamberlain gang with the Sudetanland.
Indeed...and with the subsequent fall of Czechoslovakia, Poland was surrounded on 3 fronts by the Reich. Good thing for them that their border with the Soviet Union was secure.../sarc
IF you’d like to play the “what-if” game on another scale...what if the Flood hadn’t occured to purge the world of wickedness? Another one to roll over and over in the ole noggin...
Here's one from that day, CZR Announces Autrian Anschluss
Lol. Yeah, lucky them.
Most people know about Edward R Murrow, but he couldn’t hold a candle to HV Kaltenborn in terms of reporting during that time.
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