Austria within Nazi Germany

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In an event known as the Anschluss, Austria ceased to be an independent country and was incorporated into Nazi Germany from 13 March 1938 until 27 April 1945, when Allied-occupied Austria declared its independence. Nazi Germany's troops entering Austria in 1938 received the enthusiastic support of most of the population. Throughout World War II, 950,000 Austrians fought for the German armed forces. Other Austrians participated in the Nazi administration, from Nazi death camp personnel to senior Nazi Party leaders including Adolf Hitler; the majority of the bureaucrats who implemented the Final Solution were Austrian. After the Anschluss, Nazi Germany sought to eliminate Austria's separate national and cultural identity by portraying it as an inseparable part of the Greater Germanic Reich. The Austrian flag, anthem, and national symbols were banned, and the use of the name "Austria" was replaced with "Ostmark". From 1942, even this term was considered too closely associated with the former...

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