TOP SECRET
Berlin, 11th March 1938
2045 hrs.
Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces OKW L 1 a No. 427/38 Top Secret C-in-C Navy [pencil note] has been informed
35 Copies 6th Copy
Re: Operation Otto
Directive No. 2
1. The demands of the German ultimatum to the Austrian government have not been fulfilled.
2. The Austrian Armed Forces have been ordered to withdraw in front of the entry of German troops and to avoid fighting.
The Austrian Government has ceased to function of its own accord.
3. To avoid further bloodshed in Austrian towns, the entry of the German Armed Forces into Austria will commence, according to directive No. 1, at daybreak on 12.3.
I expect the set objectives to be reached, by exerting all forces to the full, as quickly as possible.
[signed] Adolf HITLER [initialled by Jodi and possibly Warlimont]
Orders to the military to begin to occupy Austria at daybreak, March 12, 1938
Authors
Adolf Hitler (Fuehrer, Reich Chancellor, Supeme Commander of Wehrmacht)
Adolf Hitler
Austrian nationalized German politician, leader of the National Socialist party and dictator of Germany (1889-1945)
- Born: 1889-01-01 1889-04-20 (Braunau am Inn) (country: Austria-Hungary; located in the administrative territorial entity: Archduchy of Austria above the Enns; statement is subject of: Adolf-Hitler-Geburtshaus)
- Died: 1945-04-30 (Berlin Führerbunker) (country: Nazi Germany; located in the administrative territorial entity: Berlin; statement is subject of: death of Adolf Hitler)
- Country of citizenship: Cisleithania (period: 1889-04-20 through 1918-11-11); First Republic of Austria (period: 1919-01-01 through 1925-04-30); Nazi Germany (end cause: death of Adolf Hitler; period: 1933-01-30 through 1945-04-30); Republic of German-Austria (period: 1918-01-01 through 1919-01-01)
- Occupation: painter (statement is subject of: paintings by Adolf Hitler); political writer; politician (reason for preferred rank: generally used form); soldier
- Member of political party: German Workers' Party (period: 1919-09-12 through 1921-07-11); Nazi Party (series ordinal: 556)
- Member of: Nazi Party
- Participant in: Aktion T4; Beer Hall Putsch; The Holocaust; ethnic cleansing
- Significant person: Albert Speer; Benito Mussolini; Eva Braun; Joseph Stalin
Date: 11 March 1939
Literal Title: Re: Operation Otto[.] Directive No. 2
Defendants: Alfred Jodl, Wilhelm Keitel
Total Pages: 1
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: C-182
Citations: IMT (page 576), IMT (page 584)
HLSL Item No.: 450684
Notes:The document was initialled by Jodl "and possibly Warlimont."
Document Summary
C-182: Typed Secret Order, signed by Hitler, dated 11 March 1938, ordering German armed forces to enter Austria at day break on the 12th of March, 1938.