The Chancellery of Austria is located in a three-story building in Vienna. This magnificent building full of artistic flavor is no less impressive than Reinhard's Chancellery in Berlin.
In the beautiful and peaceful early spring of March 1937, the Austrian Chancellery welcomed a friendly and enthusiastic heavyweight guest.
Two Austrian soldiers stood tall and straight on both sides of the gate of the Chancellery, with serious expressions. They held in their hands Steyr MP34 submachine guns manufactured by Austrian Steyr-Manlicher Co., Ltd.
Once anyone tries to break into the Prime Minister's Office, two Steyr MP34 submachine guns can spray 1,000 rounds of bullets in one minute, beating the opponent into a sieve. Unfortunately, today they can only watch the "friendly" German Chancellor Lay
Inhardt walked into the solemn Chancellery of Austria.
On the main street not far away, a row of black Mercedes-Benz convertibles were approaching at a steady speed. These public cars, which were presented to the Austrian government by Germany last year, were once again filled with German officials less than a year later, becoming the official vehicles of Rheinland.
Hart's reception motorcade for this visit.
On the third floor of the Chancellery, in the office of Austrian Chancellor Schuschnigg, the tycoon who leads Austria's only legal political party, the Fatherland Front, and is also the Austrian Chancellor, is drinking bitter coffee and savoring Reinhardt's
Purpose.
This legendary figure in Germany, who leads the "Socialist Workers' Party", the only legal political party in Germany and is also the head of Germany's chancellor, obviously came to Austria with some purpose.
Recently, there have been endless "calls for mergers" in Austria, and the Austrian police have secretly discovered that many Germans are involved. The German government's recent measures to provide a large number of jobs for unemployed Austrian workers have also won favor and recognition from the public.
At this moment, Reinhard suddenly visited Vienna, the capital of Austria, and all fools knew his purpose.
"Everyone knows the heart of Reinhardt!" A close minister of Schuschnigg broke the silence and said: "The German Chancellor never does meaningless things. Judging from his past experience,
Everything this person does may have a profound meaning."
"That's right," Holman, the Austrian Army Commander-in-Chief who was Schuschnigg's first-hand pick, said: "Reinhardt visited British Prime Minister Baldwin two years ago, and then the British acquiesced to the German army's return to the Rhineland.
Military Zone, supported Germany and France in the League of Nations. He met with Polish President Piłsudski once last year, and the next month the Poles cooperated with Germany in political suppression and military threats against Czechoslovakia."
Having said this, Holman swallowed his saliva, glanced at Schuschnigg's face and then continued: "I heard that in early January this year... Reinhard made a public visit to Italy and met with
Its leader Mussolini. But now he comes to Austria to visit you..."
Schuschnigg has actually gotten the general idea of Holman's hint. According to the German chancellor's style, there will probably be a "collaborator" in the two countries he visits in Italy or Austria this year.
Although Austria is also a powerful country in Central Europe, with a well-trained standing army of 300,000, it is still not as powerful as the Kingdom of Italy, which controls the entire Italian peninsula and has a million-strong army that can influence the Vienna System.
If Germany were to find an ally between the two, Schuschnigg knew that the German head of state would definitely give priority to joining forces with Italy.
"Prime Minister!" A confidential secretary stumbled into Schuschnigg's office, sweating profusely, and interrupted the discussion of several senior officials in the room.
Looking at this confidential secretary who did not know how to be polite, Schuschnigg frowned and waved his hand: "The German Chancellor is coming soon? Well... I know the time and let him go directly to the meeting room on the second floor.
Just meet me."
"No... No, Your Excellency, Prime Minister." The confidential secretary gasped and shook his head: "The German Prime Minister's motorcade has not entered the gate yet."
"What's that?" Schuschnigg suddenly disliked this confidential secretary who always asked questions and answered questions, and planned to take time to replace him.
After taking another two breaths, the confidential secretary finally told the news that made him look so hurried: "I just received a report that Rossi, the right-hand man of Italian leader Mussolini and the deputy prime minister and security minister of Italy,
Commenting in public that 'Italy has had enough of the drudgery of standing guard for Austrian independence', the Italian National News Agency published this statement..."
"It seems that this is the attitude of the Italian government." Schuschnigg held his forehead and smiled bitterly: "Without the protective umbrella of the Kingdom of Italy, how can we compete with Germany! Is it possible to rely on the mediation of the League of Nations?!"
There was a sudden silence in the office. In front of these generals and politicians who had followed Schuschnigg for many years and reached the pinnacle of power in Austria, the intention behind the whole matter was very clear. Moreover, looking at the reaction of the Italian government, others were also more
There was no intention to hide their intention to unite with Germany.
Since Schuschnigg mentioned the National League, everyone understands his worst-case scenario. There are many "records" in the National League, and two of the more typical ones recently are:
1 Mediated Italy's invasion of Ethiopia, which resulted in Italy's annexation of Ethiopia.
2 German troops were prohibited from returning to the Rhineland Demilitarized Zone, and the German troops subsequently occupied the Rhineland.
When Schuschnigg mentioned the League of Nations mediation, he actually subconsciously accepted the result of Austria being annexed by Germany. After all, everyone knew that Austria was unable to fight against Reinhard's army alone.
Last year, Italy dispatched four divisions to defend the Brenner Pass and sent an urgent telegram to the Austrian government, promising Italy to support Austria's independence, and the powerful domestic rioters were barely suppressed.
This year, those domestic "democrats" who are trying to push for the merger of Germany and Austria are more organized and more prudent than last year. The attitude of the German government has gradually begun to move closer to these merger groups, and even secretly supports and guides them!
Schuschnigg's choice was actually arranged from the beginning. It is impossible for Austria to have a military conflict with Germany, and no big country in the world will defend Austria's independence. As long as Schuschnigg is not a madman and it is not a war
Madman, it would be impossible for him to mobilize Austria's seemingly huge army of nearly 300,000 men to confront Reinhard's no less than 500,000 new troops.
"Let's go, we should also prepare to meet the head of state who was blown up to the sky." Schuschnigg said calmly: "What you can't escape will eventually have to be faced. Perhaps, this is not the case for Austria.
A bad thing….”
As a politician, Schuschnigg knew very well how powerful he was. If he went against the grain and insisted on confronting Reinhardt, who had obvious advantages and was favored by the public, he would probably not end well.
On the contrary, although his government now chooses to bow to Reinhardt's government, it will lose a lot of status and rights, but it can also keep a lot of things. Active concessions are much better than forced compromises, which is what a calm politician needs to have
Basic judgment.
Schuschnigg put down the coffee cup in his hand and said calmly: "I have decided to sign an agreement with the German Chancellor at the negotiation table that makes me uncomfortable."
All the cronies looked at the old leader whom they followed silently, and became pale.
There is something that Schuschnigg did not say, that is, once Germany and Austria merge, only one of the two German prime ministers will remain. And one of the two sets of leadership teams will inevitably be disbanded.
.
One country cannot tolerate two masters!
These people present will obviously be the ones kicked out of future history...