Nürnberg, Germany 19 November, 1945.
AFFIDAVIT
I, Kurt von Schuschnigg, being first duly sworn, depose and say:
That during the first days of March 1938, I was Federal Chancellor of Austria. I then made up my mind that I would hold a plebiscite concerning the independence and sovereignty of Austria, according to the provisions of the Agreement reached with Germany at Berchtesgaden, and, further, according to the Austrian Constitution.
On the evening of the 8th of March 1938, I informed Dr. Arthur Seyss-Inquart, the then Minister of Interior and Public Security for Austria (who had been previously appointed to such position in compliance with the demands made on Austria at Berchtesgaden), of my intention to hold such a plebiscite. I requested that he, Seyss-Inquart, give me his word of honor that he would keep this information secret until after I had published it, which I intended to do on the evening of March 9, 1938, at Inssbruck. He gave that word of honor. On the evening of the 10th of March, 1938, I had a long conversation with Seyss-Inquart concerning the terms of the plebiscite. He first objected to the procedure which I had proposed. However, when we parted on that occasion, Seyss-Inquart expressed his intention to support the plebiscite as proposed, and declared to me that there would be no difficulty. He, furthermore, expressed his willingness to broadcast a speech favoring the plebiscite, and directed to his National Socialist followers. On the night of the 10th of March, 1938, I retired firmly convinced that the plebiscite would be a success for Austria, and that the National Socialists would present no formidable obstacle.
I furthermore state and say—that at 5:30 A.M. on the morning of the 11th of March, 1938, I received a telephone call from . Dr. Skubl, President of Police for Austria, and Secretary of State for Public Security matters. Skubl informed me that the Austrian-German border was closed—the railway traffic between Germany and Austria had been stopped and movements of German military forces along the Austrian-German border had been reported. I hurried to my office. This news that I had received from Dr. Skubl was confirmed by the Counsel General of Munich, who stated that the German Army Corps of Munich was mobilized, and that Panzer troops were moving toward the Austrian frontier. Dr. Skubl then informed me that the Press Prosecu-
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tor for Austria had, on the morning of the 11th of March, 1938, censored an article written by Dr. Hugo Jury, an intimate friend of Seyss-Inquart, which article attacked violently the proposed plebiscite.
I further state and say that I attempted to contact Seyss-In-quart, my Minister for Interior and Security, at once, but every effort to locate him failed, until after 10 o'clock the same morning. Sometime after 10 o'clock, Seyss-Inquart, accompanied by Glaise-Horstenau, Minister without Portfolio, appeared in my office. Seyss-Inquart informed me as follows: "I have just come from the airport, where I have met Glaise-Horstenau. Glaise-Horstenau has just now returned from Germany". Glaise-Horstenau then informed me that he had the night before seen Hitler, and that he, Hitler, was very highly excited and in a rage concerning my proposal to hold the plebiscite. "It is my feeling, too, that you should not have done such a thing, it is a big mistake"—Seyss-Inquart was then and there called to the telephone and, upon his return, read to me from a scrap of paper which he held in his hand, the contents of a telephone call which he alleged was just then received by him from Goering in Berlin. The contents as he read it to me was as follows: "The Chancellor must revoke the proposed plebiscite within the time of one hour, and after three or four weeks, Austria must oblige herself to carry out a plebiscite concerning the Anschluss according to the Saar status, otherwise the German Army is ordered to pass the Austrian frontier".
I further state and say that after informing the Federal President of this demand made on Austria by Germany, we decided to recall the Plebiscite, and thereupon I informed Seyss-Inquart and Glaise-Horstenau of our intentions.
Seyss-Inquart said that he would go to the telephone and inform Goering in Berlin concerning the decision of the Austrian Government, at that time made. In a few minutes, he, Seyss-Inquart, returned to my office, and informed me further, as follows:
"I have had a telephone conversation with Goering, and Goering has ordered me to inform the Federal Chancellor Schuschnigg, as follows:
"The situation can only be saved for Austria when Schuschnigg resigns as the Chancellor of Austria within two hours and Seyss-Inquart is appointed as the new Chief of the Austrian Government. If Seyss-Inquart does not inform me, Goering, within two hours, I, Goering, will suppose that , you are hindered from doing so."
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I then reported to the Federal President the new developments, and, after some conversation with him and other members of the Government, I decided to resign. The Federal President reluctantly accepted my resignation at 3:30 P.M. on the afternoon of the 11th of March 1938. He expressed himself unwilling to appoint Seyss-Inquart as the Federal Chancellor—he therefore asked me to continue my duties as the Take Care Chancellor until he had decided who would succeed me as Federal Chancellor. I accepted and remained as "Take Care Chancellor" from 3:30 PM 11 March 1938 until about 11:30 PM the same night, when Seyss-Inquart was appointed to the position of Federal Chancellor.
I further state and say that at about 3:30 PM on the afternoon of 11 March, 1938, the Foreign Office of the Austrian Government contacted the Embassy of Germany in Vienna, to ascertain if the demands that had been then and there made by Goering on Austria were the official demands of the German Government. The Military Attache of Germany in Vienna, one, Lieutenant General Muff, came before the Austrian Federal President, and repeated the contents of the German ultimatums that had previously been delivered to us by Seyss-Inquart.
I furthermore state and say, that the Federal President, at about 7:30 or 8:00 o'clock PM on the night of 11 March 1938 ordered me, as Take Care Chancellor, to broadcast the events of the day and to protect against the demands made on Austria during that day by Germany. Furthermore, to inform the world that Austria had been forced to give in to those demands of Germany through superior force.
Previously to the above incident, I had been informed that Engineer Keppler had on the afternoon of the 11th of March 1938 arrived in Vienna from Berlin. That, he had set up an office in the Austrian Chancery without my consent or the consent of the Austrian of the Austrian Government. While seeking my Secretary of State, and Police President I went into the office occupied by Keppler, and Keppler made the following remark to me:
"You see that if you would have followed my advice that I gave to you a week ago, you would have had an entirely different situation. Do you have now any personal wishes."
I further state and say that at about 10:00 o'clock PM on the night of March 11, 1938, Seyss-Inquart entered the room where I was having a conversation with the Federal President, and informed us as follows:
"Just now, Goering called me by telephone and said: "you, Seyss-Inquart, must send me a telegram asking for German mili-
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tary assistance owing to the fact that the communists and others in Austria have caused great riots—there is great bloodshed in the Austrian cities and the Austrian Government is no longer able to maintain order with her own forces".
I further state and say it was after eleven o'clock PM on the night of 11 March 1938 that the Federal President Miklas, made up his mind to appoint Seyss-Inquart as Federal Chancellor of Austria and sometime between eleven o'clock PM and midnight on the night of 11 March 1938, Seyss-Inquart was appointed by the Federal President of Austria as Chancellor Austria but not before.
I furthermore state and say that I departed the Chancery building of Austria at midnight on the 11th of March 1938, and at that time the building was guarded by SS troops, I returned to my home. Upon awakening the morning of the 12th of March 1938 I found the door of my home blocked and guarded by large numbers of armed SA men. From the date last mentioned until 4 May 1945, I was a prisoner of the German Reich, under continuous guard.
Further the Affiant sayeth not.
[signed] Kurt von Schuschnigg. Subscribed to and sworn to before me this 19th day of November, 1945.
Curtis L. Williams
Colonel, IGD
Affidavit concerning the proposed Austrian plebiscite on independence, German mobilization and threats, the resignation of the government, and the Nazi takeover
Authors
Kurt Schuschnigg, von (chancellor of Austria (1934-38))
Kurt von Schuschnigg
Chancellor of Austria (1897-1977)
- Born: 1897-12-14 1897-12-15 (Riva del Garda)
- Died: 1977-11-18 (Mutters)
- Country of citizenship: Austria; Austria-Hungary; United States of America (since: 1956-01-01)
- Occupation: diplomat; jurist; lawyer; pedagogue
- Member of political party: Christian Social Party; Fatherland Front
- Member of: AV Austria Innsbruck; KÖHV Leopoldina Innsbruck
- Position held: Federal Chancellor of Austria (period: 1934-07-29 through 1938-03-11; replaced by: Arthur Seyss-Inquart; replaces: Engelbert Dollfuss); Federal Minister of Education, Science and Research (period: 1933-09-21 through 1934-07-29); Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs of Austria (period: 1936-05-14 through 1936-07-11; replaced by: Guido Schmidt); Federal Minister of Justice (period: 1932-01-29 through 1933-09-21)
- Employer: Saint Louis University
Date: 19 November 1945
Literal Title: Affidavit
Defendants: Hermann Wilhelm Goering, Arthur Seyss-Inquart
Total Pages: 7
Language of Text: English
Source of Text: Nazi conspiracy and aggression (Office of United States Chief of Counsel for Prosecution of Axis Criminality. Washington, D.C. : U.S. Government Printing Office, 1946.)
Evidence Code: PS-2996
HLSL Item No.: 450733
Notes:This document was apparently not entered as evidence in the trial. The text in English is followed by one in German.