Adjacent Words

Anschluss definitions

	Tweet

Britannica Concise

(German: "union") Political union of Austria with Germany, which occurred when A. Hitler annexed Austria. In 1938 the Austrian chancellor K. von Schuschnigg was bullied into canceling a plebiscite on union with Germany, which he expected Austrians to oppose. He resigned his office and ordered the Austrian army not to resist the Germans. The Germans invaded on March 12, and the enthusiasm shown by Austrians persuaded Hitler to annex Austria outright the next day. Though France and Britain protested Hitler's methods, they and other countries accepted the fait accompli.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. a unification, esp. the annexation of Austria by Germany in 1938. Etymology: G f. anschliessen join