The Sound of Music: Drama Resource Center

Understanding 1938 Austria
OVERVIEW FOR ALL ACTORS

Austria was facing annexation by Nazi Germany (the Anschluss)
Austrian cultural identity (music, traditions, patriotism) was under threat
Some people welcomed the German influence while others feared it
The von Trapp family's decision to flee rather than cooperate with the Nazis was both dangerous and courageous

Timeline of Events Surrounding the Anschluss (1938)

Background Context (1918-1934)

November 1918: Collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire following World War I
September 1919: Treaty of Saint-Germain prohibits union between Austria and Germany
1920-1932: Growing economic hardship in Austria; rising popularity of pan-German nationalism
1933 (January): Adolf Hitler appointed Chancellor of Germany
1933-1934: Austrian Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss establishes authoritarian regime and bans Nazi Party
July 25, 1934: Failed Nazi coup attempt in Austria; Chancellor Dollfuss assassinated

Road to Anschluss (1934-1938)

July 1934: Kurt Schuschnigg becomes Chancellor of Austria after Dollfuss's assassination
July 11, 1936: German-Austrian Agreement signed; Germany recognizes Austrian sovereignty but Austria must align foreign policy with Germany
February 12, 1938: Hitler summons Schuschnigg to Berchtesgaden and demands concessions including:

Appointment of Nazi Arthur Seyss-Inquart as Minister of Interior
Release of imprisoned Nazis
Integration of Nazis into the Fatherland Front (Austria's only legal political organization)

March 9, 1938: Schuschnigg announces plebiscite on Austrian independence, scheduled for March 13
March 10, 1938: Hitler orders military preparations for invasion of Austria (Case Otto)

The Anschluss (March 1938)

Germany issues ultimatum demanding cancellation of plebiscite
Under pressure, Schuschnigg cancels plebiscite and resigns
President Wilhelm Miklas reluctantly appoints Nazi sympathizer Seyss-Inquart as Chancellor

Hitler arrives in Vienna to jubilant crowds
Austria formally incorporated into German Reich through the "Law on the Reunification of Austria with Germany"
Seyss-Inquart appointed Reich Governor of Austria

Immediate Aftermath (March-April 1938)

March 15, 1938: Hitler announces to crowd at Vienna's Heldenplatz that Austria is now "the newest bastion of the German Reich"
March-April 1938: Immediate persecution of Jews begins; wave of arrests, property seizures, and public humiliations. Jewish students fear for their lives.
April 10, 1938: Rigged plebiscite held on the Anschluss; official results claim 99.7% approval
April-May 1938: Systematic "Aryanization" of Austrian economy and integration of Austrian institutions into the Nazi system

1930s Austria

International Response

March 14, 1938: League of Nations fails to act decisively against the annexation
March 18, 1938: Soviet Union calls for collective action against German aggression (ignored by Western powers)
March 1938: Britain and France issue only diplomatic protests but take no substantive action
April 1938: United States recognizes the annexation as a fait accompli

Significance in "The Sound of Music" Context

The von Trapp family's dramatic escape occurred during this period (though the film's depiction differs from reality)
Captain von Trapp's refusal of a naval commission in the German Navy represents the moral crisis faced by many Austrian military officers
The transformation of Austria from independent nation to Nazi province forms the urgent backdrop for the family's flight
The Salzburg Festival (depicted in the climactic scene) continued under Nazi control, but with propagandistic programming
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