Austrian Statehood - A Brief History

The anschluss was hardly a democratic decision, and it is highly doubtful that a majority of 99 point seven % of austrians as late as 19 38 would have agreed to become part of national, socialist germany. Unification with germany, as wished for by large parts of the population as well as the political elites in 19 18, was out of the question. Political, if not economic, independence was the only solution. Pragmatically speaking, austrian independence, as it was re established by the allie was also a comfortable way to shrug off the guilt of narcy crimes and contributions to the holocaust,. away back into the international community.