Anschluss

Anschluss is the annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany on 12 March 1938. The word's German spelling, until the German orthography reform of 1996, was Anschluß and it was also known as the Anschluss Österreichs ( German: Austrian Annexation).

In both Austria and Germany, there had been several years of pressure for a union of the two countries (by both Nazis and non-Nazis) and this desire for a union formed an integral part of the "Heim ins Reich" movement. Earlier, Nazi Germany had provided support for the Austrian National Socialist Party (Austrian Nazi Party) in its bid to seize power from Austria's Fatherland Frontgovernment.