Thoroughly entrenched in the government, the Nazis were now able to seize upon Schuschnigg’s plebiscite as an excuse to seize power, and to call for military intervention by Germany (812-PS; 2996-PS). (See also Section 3 of Chapter IX on Aggression Against Austria.)

Thereafter it was only a matter of hours before Austria became a province of the Reich—by a law signed by von Papen’s man, Seyss-Inquart (2307-PS).


LEGAL REFERENCES AND LIST OF DOCUMENTS RELATING TO FRANZ VON PAPEN

DocumentDescriptionVol.Page
Charter of the International Military Tribunal, Article 6.I5
International Military Tribunal, Indictment Number 1, Section IV (H); Appendix A.I29, 63
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Note: A single asterisk (*) before a document indicates that the document was received in evidence at the Nurnberg trial. A double asterisk (**) before a document number indicates that the document was referred to during the trial but was not formally received in evidence, for the reason given in parentheses following the description of the document. The USA series number, given in parentheses following the description of the document, is the official exhibit number assigned by the court.
————
  *351-PSMinutes of First Meeting of Cabinet of Hitler, 30 January 1933. (USA 389)III270
  *812-PSLetter from Rainer to Seyss-Inquart, 22 August 1939 and report from Gauleiter Rainer to Reichskommissar Gauleiter Buerckel, 6 July 1939 on events in the NSDAP of Austria from 1933 to 11 March 1938. (USA 61)III586
  1388-PSLaw concerning confiscation of Property subversive to People and State, 14 July 1933. 1933 Reichsgesetzblatt, Part I, p. 479.III962
  1390-PSDecree of the Reich President for the Protection of the People and State, 28 February 1933. 1933 Reichsgesetzblatt, Part I, p. 83.III968
 *1395-PSLaw to insure the unity of Party and State, 1 December 1933. 1933 Reichsgesetzblatt, Part I, p. 1016. (GB 252)III978
  1396-PSLaw concerning the confiscation of Communist property, 26 May 1933. 1933 Reichsgesetzblatt, Part I, p. 293.III979
  1398-PSLaw to supplement the Law for the restoration of the Professional Civil Service, 20 July 1933. 1933 Reichsgesetzblatt, Part I, p. 518.III986
  1400-PSLaw changing the regulations in regard to public officer, 30 June 1933. 1933 Reichsgesetzblatt, Part I, p. 433.III987
 *1544-PSVon Papen’s notes, 26 February 1938, on his parting visit with Chancellor Schuschnigg. (USA 71)IV103
  1652-PSDecree of the Reich President for protection against treacherous attacks on the government of the Nationalist movement, 21 March 1933. 1933 Reichsgesetzblatt, Part I, p. 135.IV160
 *1708-PSThe Program of the NSDAP. National Socialistic Yearbook, 1941, p. 153. (USA 255, USA 324)IV208
 *1760-PSAffidavit of George S. Messersmith, 28 August 1945. (USA 57)IV305
 *1780-PSExcerpts from diary kept by General Jodl, January 1937 to August 1939. (USA 72)IV360
  2001-PSLaw to Remove the Distress of People and State, 24 March 1933. 1933 Reichsgesetzblatt, Part I, p. 141.IV638
  2003-PSLaw concerning the Sovereign Head of the German Reich, 1 August 1934. 1934 Reichsgesetzblatt, Part I, p. 747.IV639
  2004-PSPreliminary law for the coordination of Federal States under the Reich, 31 March 1933. 1933 Reichsgesetzblatt, Part I, p. 153.IV640
  2005-PSSecond law integrating the “Laender” with the Reich, 7 April 1933. 1933 Reichsgesetzblatt, Part I, p. 173.IV641
  2006-PSLaw for the reconstruction of the Reich, 30 January 1934. 1934 Reichsgesetzblatt, Part I, p. 75.IV642
  2012-PSFirst regulation for administration of the law for the restoration of professional Civil Service, 11 April 1933. 1933 Reichsgesetzblatt, Part I, p. 195.IV647
  2014-PSLaw amending regulations of criminal law and criminal procedure, 24 April 1934. 1934 Reichsgesetzblatt, Part I, p. 341.IV648
  2029-PSDecree establishing the Reich Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda, 13 March 1933. 1933 Reichsgesetzblatt, Part I, p. 104.IV652
  2030-PSDecree concerning the Duties of the Reich Ministry for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda, 30 June 1933. 1933 Reichsgesetzblatt, Part I, p. 449.IV653
  2050-PSThe Constitution of the German Reich, 11 August 1919. 1919 Reichsgesetzblatt, Part I, p. 1383.IV662
  2058-PSDecree for the securing of the State Leadership, 7 July 1933. 1933 Reichsgesetzblatt, Part I, p. 462.IV699
  2059-PSDecree of the Reich President relating to the granting of Amnesty, 21 March 1933. 1933 Reichsgesetzblatt, Part I, p. 134.IV701
  2076-PSDecree of the Government concerning formation of Special Courts, 21 March 1933. 1933 Reichsgesetzblatt, Part I, pp. 136-137.IV705
  2078-PSDecree concerning establishment of Ministry for Science, Education and Popular Culture, 1 May 1934. 1934 Reichsgesetzblatt, Part I, p. 365.IV706
  2083-PSEditorial control law, 4 October 1933. 1933 Reichsgesetzblatt, Part I, p. 713.IV709
  2088-PSDecree relating to tasks of Reichs Ministry for Education, 11 May 1934. 1934 Reichsgesetzblatt, Part I, p. 375.IV718
 *2246-PSReport of von Papen to Hitler, 1 September 1936, concerning Danube situation. (USA 67)IV930
 *2247-PSLetter from von Papen to Hitler, 17 May 1935, concerning intention of Austrian government to arm. (USA 64)IV930
 *2248-PSReport of von Papen to Hitler, 27 July 1935, concerning National Socialism in Austria. (USA 63)IV932
 *2307-PSLaw concerning reunion of Austria with German Reich, 13 March 1938. 1938 Reichsgesetzblatt, Part I, p. 237. (GB 133)IV997
  2403-PSThe End of the Party State, from Documents of German Politics, Vol. I, pp. 55-56.V71
  2415-PSFirst decree for the implementation of law relating to The Reich Chamber of Culture, 1 November 1933. 1933 Reichsgesetzblatt, Part I, p. 797.V89
  2456-PSYouth and the Church, from Complete Handbook of Youth Laws.V198
 *2461-PSOfficial German communique of meeting of Hitler and Schuschnigg, 12 February 1938, published in Documents of German Politics, 1939, Vol. VI, Part I. (GB 132)V206
  2512-PSHitler’s Testimony Before the Court for High Treason, published in Frankfurter Zeitung, 26 September 1931.V246
  2541-PSExtracts from German Publications.V285
  2633-PSExtracts from Constitutional Law of the Greater German Reich, 1939.V344
  2655-PSConcordat between the Holy See and the German Reich, Article 31. 1933 Reichsgesetzblatt, Part II, pp. 679, 687-8.V364
  2742-PSPassage written by Frick in National Socialist Yearbook, 1927, p. 124.V383
  2759-PSLaw for the protection of Nationalist Symbols, 19 May 1933. 1933 Reichsgesetzblatt, Part I, p. 285.V394
  2771-PSU. S. State Department, National Socialism, published by U. S. Government Printing Office, 1943.V417
**2799-PSLetter from Hitler to von Papen, 26 July 1934, published in Documents of German Politics, Vol. II, p. 83, No. 38. (Referred to but not offered in evidence.)V441
 *2830-PSLetter from von Papen to Hitler, 12 May 1936, concerning May Rally of Freedom Union. (GB 243)V496
  2831-PSLetter from Office of Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of German Government to Reich Chancellery, inclosing report on Political situation in Austria, 14 January 1937.V498
  2902-PSStatement of von Papen, 13 November 1945, prepared by his defense lawyer. (GB 233)V569
 *2962-PSMinutes of meeting of Reich Cabinet, 15 March 1933. (USA 578)V669
 *2963-PSMinutes of meeting of Reich Cabinet, 20 March 1933. (USA 656)V670
**2994-PSAffidavit of Kurt von Schuschnigg, former Chancellor of Austria, concerning Austrian-German Treaty of 11 July 1936. (USA 66) (Objection to admission in evidence upheld.)V703
  2995-PSAffidavit of Kurt von Schuschnigg, former Chancellor of Austria, concerning his visit to Berchtesgaden on 12 February 1938.V709
  2996-PSAffidavit of Kurt von Schuschnigg, former Chancellor of Austria, concerning events of 11 March 1938.V713
 *3280-PSExtract from Papal Encyclical “Mit Brennender Sorge”, set forth in Appendix II, p. 524, of “The Persecution of the Catholic Church in the Third Reich”. (USA 567)V1079
 *3313-PSVon Papen, Appeal to the German Conscience, Stuttgart speech of 3 March 1933. (GB 240)VI1
 *3314-PSVon Papen’s address as Chancellor, 28 August 1932, published in Frankfurter Zeitung, 29 August 1932. (GB 234)VI2
 *3317-PSVon Papen’s address as Chancellor, 12 October 1932, published in Frankfurter Zeitung, 13 October 1932. (GB 235)VI3
 *3318-PSVisit of von Papen as Chancellor in Munich, 11 October 1932, published in Frankfurter Zeitung, 12 October 1932. (GB 241)VI4
  3357-PSExchange of letters, Papen-Hitler-Hindenburg, from Documents of German Politics, Vol. I, p. 158. (GB 239)VI85
 *3375-PSVon Papen’s speech at Essen, 2 November 1933, published in Voelkischer Beobachter, Southern German Edition, 4 November 1933. (GB 245)VI101
 *3376-PSDissolution of Union of Catholic Germans, published in The Archives, September 1934, Vol. VI, pp. 767-768. (GB 244)VI103
 *3387-PSHitler Reichstag speech, 23 March 1933, asking for adoption of Enabling Act, from Voelkischer Beobachter, 24 March 1933, p. 1. (USA 566)VI104
 *3389-PSFulda Declaration of 28 March 1933, from Voelkischer Beobachter, 29 March 1933, p. 2. (USA 566)VI105
  3463-PSExtracts from Dates from the History of the NSDAP by Dr. Hans Volz.VI165
 *D-472Ribbentrop’s actions as Foreign Minister, from International Biographical Archives, 22 April 1943. (GB 130)VII59
 *D-631Decree of Reichs president against political excesses, 14 June 1932. 1932 Reichsgesetzblatt, Part I, pp. 297-300. (GB 236)VII101
 *D-632Biography of Papen, from International Biographical Archives, 26 October 1944. (GB 237)VII102
  D-633Letter from von Papen to Hitler, 13 November 1932. (GB 238)VII106
 *D-634Letter from Hitler to von Papen, 16 November 1932. (GB 238)VII107
 *D-635Radiogram from von Papen to Board of Trade for German-American Commerce, 27 March 1933. (Translation published in New York Times.) (GB 242)VII111
 *D-660Extracts from Hutchinson’s Illustrated edition of Mein Kampf. (GB 128)VII164
 *L-83Affidavit of Gerhart H. Seger, 21 July 1945. (USA 234)VII859
 *L-150Memorandum of conversation between Ambassador Bullitt and von Neurath, German Minister for Foreign Affairs, 18 May 1936. (USA 65)VII890
 *TC-22Agreement between Austria and German Government and Government of Federal State of Austria, 11 July 1936. (GB 20)VIII369

19. ARTUR SEYSS-INQUART

Within the Nazi conspiracy Seyss-Inquart became the expert manipulator and subjugator of countries to be invaded or already invaded by the Nazi conspirators, first of Austria, later of Poland and The Netherlands. For the benefit of the Nazi conspirators he enslaved these countries, making them vassals of the Nazi regime.

A. POSITIONS HELD BY SEYSS-INQUART.

(1) Positions Held by Artur Seyss-Inquart in the Order Set Forth in the Indictment.
  (a)Member of the NSDAP (Nazi Party), 13 March 1938 to 8 May 1945.
  (b)General in the SS, 15 March 1938 to 8 May 1945.
  (c)State Councillor of Austria, May 1937 to 12 February 1938.
  (d)Minister of Interior and Security of Austria, 16 February 1938 to 11 March 1938.
  (e)Chancellor of Austria, 11 March 1938 to 15 March 1938.
  (f)Member of the Reichstag, April 1938 to 8 May 1945.
  (g)Member of the Reich Cabinet, 1 May 1939 to 1945.
  (h)Reich Minister without Portfolio, 1 May 1939 to September 1939.
  (i)Chief of the Civil Administration of South Poland, early September 1939.
  (j)Deputy Governor-General of the Polish Occupied Territory, 12 October 1939 to 18 May 1940.
  (k)Reich Commissar for Occupied Netherlands 18 May 1940 to 8 May 1945. (2910-PS)
(2) Positions Held in Addition to Those Set Forth in the Indictment.
  (a)Reich Governor of Austria, 15 March 1938 to 1 May 1939. (2910-PS)
  (b)President of the German Academy, Munich, 1943. (3457-PS)