Peeler
2023-09-08 19:01:59 UTC
By Mark Weber
"The Sound of Music" is perhaps the most popular American musical
picture ever produced. This entertaining 1965 movie, which includes
such catchy tunes as "My Favorite Things" and "Do-Re-Mi," won five
Academy Awards, including Best Picture. But whatever its merits as
entertainment, the film's presentation of history is deceitful. In
particular, its portrayal of the 1938 union or Anschluss of Austria
with the German Reich is a gross distortion of reality.
Ordinary Austrians are portrayed in the movie as decent, patriotic and
devout, and unhappy with the grim German takeover of their country.
For decades American educators and scholars have similarly presented
the Anschluss as an act of aggression. Historian William L. Shirer,
for example, in his best-selling book, The Rise and Fall of the Third
Reich, refers to the 1938 union as the "Rape of Austria."
What really happened?
According to the movie, the head of the von Trapp family decides to
flee the country with his wife and children to avoid having to serve
in the German navy. While it's true that Georg Ludwig von Trapp, who
is played in the movie by Christopher Plummer, was a monarchist who
was hostile to Hitler and National Socialism, he was never forced to
choose between service in the German armed forces or emigration from
the country.
In the movie, the von Trapps flee Austria in secret, hiking over the
mountains into Switzerland carrying their suitcases and musical
instruments. In reality, they left the country by train, and they did
so quite openly. And instead of going to Switzerland they traveled to
Italy before ultimately settling in the United States. As daughter
Maria said years later in an interview: "We did tell people that we
were going to America to sing. And we did not climb over mountains
with all our heavy suitcases and instruments. We left by train,
pretending nothing,"
A more serious distortion of reality is the movie's portrayal of
Austria in 1938, and the attitude of Austrians toward Hitler and
National Socialism. In fact, the vast majority of Austrians joyfully
welcomed the union of their homeland with Hitler's Reich. This is
explained in detail, for example, in Hitler's Austria, a scholarly and
well-referenced book by Evan Burr Bukey, a professor of history at the
University of Arkansas.
In the years before the March 1938 Anschluss, Austria was ruled by the
Dollfuss-Schuschnigg regime, a repressive one-party dictatorship that
called itself a "Christian Corporative" state. It imprisoned National
Socialists, Marxists and other dissidents. But there was one important
section of Austria's population that supported the dictatorial regime.
That was the Jewish community, which made up 2.8 percent of the total.
As Prof. Bukey writes: "The Jewish community regarded the
Dollfuss-Schuschnigg regime as its protector ... Under the
Dollfuss-Schuschnigg regime the Jewish community recovered a measure
of governmental protection it had not enjoyed since the days of the
Habsburgs. The public was outraged."
In spite of their small numbers, Austria's Jews wielded vast and
disproportionate wealth and power. As Prof. Bukey writes: "The
predominant position of the Jews in an impoverished country only
intensified the fear and loathing of the Austrians masses. As we have
already seen, Jewish businesses and financial institutions managed
much of the country's economic life. At the time of the Anschluss
three-quarters of Vienna's newspapers, banks and textile firms were in
Jewish hands ... The extraordinary success of the Jews in the learned
professions also inspired jealously and spite. Over 50 percent of
Austria's attorneys, physicians and dentists were Jewish. "
On the eve of the Anschluss, Austria's economy was in a catastrophic
condition, and nearly one-third of Austrians were out of work. But
people also knew that, just across the border in the German Reich,
unemployment had been eliminated, living standards and working
conditions had greatly improved, and economic, social and cultural
life was flourishing.
Even Hitler, who was himself a native of Austria, did not realize just
how eagerly Austrians looked forward to the union of their homeland
with the Reich. Commenting on his entry into his Austria in March
1938, Prof. Bukey writes: "What he [Hitler] did not take into account
was the tumultuous welcome he would receive from the Austrian people,
an outburst of frenzied acclimation seldom seen the days of the
Caesars."
Virtually the only people in Austria who did not join in the general
outpouring of joy was a small minority of Jews, Marxists and
monarchists. Hitler ordered a free and secret national referendum on
this great issue. As Prof Bukey notes:"Hitler sincerely believed that
'all state power must emanate from the people and [be] confirmed in
free state elections'."
In the run-up to the referendum, Austria's Roman Catholic and
Protestant leadership, along with the country's labor leaders, issued
statements welcoming the incorporation of their country into Hitler's
Germany. The Catholic primate of Austria, Theodor Innitzer, personally
welcomed Hitler to Vienna. Together with the country's other Bishops,
Cardinal Innitzer issued a pastoral letter urging the faithful to vote
for Hitler. The Catholic leaders also authorized the draping of
swastika banners from the country's churches. In Austria, well as in
the rest of the German Reich, approval of the Anschluss -- as
reflected in the plebiscite -- was nearly unanimous. Even foreign
observers acknowledged that the lopsided, 99 percent "Yes" vote
reflected popular sentiment.
Following Austria's incorporation into the Reich, conditions improved
dramatically. As Prof. Bukey writes: "In one of the most remarkable
economic achievements in modern history, the National Socialists
reduced the number of unemployed in Austria from 401,000 in January
1938 to 99,865 in September; in Vienna from 183,271 to 74,162 ... By
Christmas [1938] 27 percent more jobs existed in Austria than before
the Anschluss." In 1940 the unemployment rate fell to just 1.2
percent.
Between June and December 1938 -- that is, in just seven months -- the
weekly income of industrial workers rose nine percent. "All in all,"
writes Prof. Bukey, "the Austrian GNP rose 12.8 percent in 1938, and
13.3 percent in 1939." Seldom in history has a country experienced
such rapid, dramatic economic growth.
Shortly after the Anschluss, Germany's National Labor Law and the
Reich's comprehensive social security system were introduced in
Austria. These guaranteed basic rights at the workplace, afforded
protection from arbitrary dismissal, quickly provided relief to more
than 200,000 desperately poor people, and extended health care
benefits to the working class. A large-scale construction program was
launched to provide affordable housing. Cultural life was greatly
encouraged, with energetic promotion of music, the fine arts and
literature. Together with the increase in prosperity and optimism came
a jump in the birthrate.
Economic growth continued even after the outbreak of war in September
1939, in spite of a shortage of labor and other difficulties. In 1941,
Austria's GNP increased by 7.2 percent. "By 1941," writes Prof. Bukey,
"wartime mobilization was bringing palpable improvement in the
material conditions of everyday life to many Austrians."
In November 1941, Austria's bishops issued a pastoral letter, which
was read in all churches, affirming support for the war against Soviet
Russia. In it the Catholic leaders solemnly declared that Germany was
conducting a crusade against a monstrous "threat to Western
civilization." Rather than "keep silent," the bishops went on,
Catholics should "recognize the danger for all Europe should
Bolshevism prevail."
During the war years, Austrians continued to apply in large numbers to
join the National Socialist Party, so that by May 1943 two-thirds of a
million had signed up. Austrian support for the regime remained strong
to the bitter end in May 1945.
In short, the "Sound of Music" portrayal of the Austrian people's
attitude toward Hitler and the National Socialist Reich is a deceitful
perversion of historical reality.
"The Sound of Music" is perhaps the most popular American musical
picture ever produced. This entertaining 1965 movie, which includes
such catchy tunes as "My Favorite Things" and "Do-Re-Mi," won five
Academy Awards, including Best Picture. But whatever its merits as
entertainment, the film's presentation of history is deceitful. In
particular, its portrayal of the 1938 union or Anschluss of Austria
with the German Reich is a gross distortion of reality.
Ordinary Austrians are portrayed in the movie as decent, patriotic and
devout, and unhappy with the grim German takeover of their country.
For decades American educators and scholars have similarly presented
the Anschluss as an act of aggression. Historian William L. Shirer,
for example, in his best-selling book, The Rise and Fall of the Third
Reich, refers to the 1938 union as the "Rape of Austria."
What really happened?
According to the movie, the head of the von Trapp family decides to
flee the country with his wife and children to avoid having to serve
in the German navy. While it's true that Georg Ludwig von Trapp, who
is played in the movie by Christopher Plummer, was a monarchist who
was hostile to Hitler and National Socialism, he was never forced to
choose between service in the German armed forces or emigration from
the country.
In the movie, the von Trapps flee Austria in secret, hiking over the
mountains into Switzerland carrying their suitcases and musical
instruments. In reality, they left the country by train, and they did
so quite openly. And instead of going to Switzerland they traveled to
Italy before ultimately settling in the United States. As daughter
Maria said years later in an interview: "We did tell people that we
were going to America to sing. And we did not climb over mountains
with all our heavy suitcases and instruments. We left by train,
pretending nothing,"
A more serious distortion of reality is the movie's portrayal of
Austria in 1938, and the attitude of Austrians toward Hitler and
National Socialism. In fact, the vast majority of Austrians joyfully
welcomed the union of their homeland with Hitler's Reich. This is
explained in detail, for example, in Hitler's Austria, a scholarly and
well-referenced book by Evan Burr Bukey, a professor of history at the
University of Arkansas.
In the years before the March 1938 Anschluss, Austria was ruled by the
Dollfuss-Schuschnigg regime, a repressive one-party dictatorship that
called itself a "Christian Corporative" state. It imprisoned National
Socialists, Marxists and other dissidents. But there was one important
section of Austria's population that supported the dictatorial regime.
That was the Jewish community, which made up 2.8 percent of the total.
As Prof. Bukey writes: "The Jewish community regarded the
Dollfuss-Schuschnigg regime as its protector ... Under the
Dollfuss-Schuschnigg regime the Jewish community recovered a measure
of governmental protection it had not enjoyed since the days of the
Habsburgs. The public was outraged."
In spite of their small numbers, Austria's Jews wielded vast and
disproportionate wealth and power. As Prof. Bukey writes: "The
predominant position of the Jews in an impoverished country only
intensified the fear and loathing of the Austrians masses. As we have
already seen, Jewish businesses and financial institutions managed
much of the country's economic life. At the time of the Anschluss
three-quarters of Vienna's newspapers, banks and textile firms were in
Jewish hands ... The extraordinary success of the Jews in the learned
professions also inspired jealously and spite. Over 50 percent of
Austria's attorneys, physicians and dentists were Jewish. "
On the eve of the Anschluss, Austria's economy was in a catastrophic
condition, and nearly one-third of Austrians were out of work. But
people also knew that, just across the border in the German Reich,
unemployment had been eliminated, living standards and working
conditions had greatly improved, and economic, social and cultural
life was flourishing.
Even Hitler, who was himself a native of Austria, did not realize just
how eagerly Austrians looked forward to the union of their homeland
with the Reich. Commenting on his entry into his Austria in March
1938, Prof. Bukey writes: "What he [Hitler] did not take into account
was the tumultuous welcome he would receive from the Austrian people,
an outburst of frenzied acclimation seldom seen the days of the
Caesars."
Virtually the only people in Austria who did not join in the general
outpouring of joy was a small minority of Jews, Marxists and
monarchists. Hitler ordered a free and secret national referendum on
this great issue. As Prof Bukey notes:"Hitler sincerely believed that
'all state power must emanate from the people and [be] confirmed in
free state elections'."
In the run-up to the referendum, Austria's Roman Catholic and
Protestant leadership, along with the country's labor leaders, issued
statements welcoming the incorporation of their country into Hitler's
Germany. The Catholic primate of Austria, Theodor Innitzer, personally
welcomed Hitler to Vienna. Together with the country's other Bishops,
Cardinal Innitzer issued a pastoral letter urging the faithful to vote
for Hitler. The Catholic leaders also authorized the draping of
swastika banners from the country's churches. In Austria, well as in
the rest of the German Reich, approval of the Anschluss -- as
reflected in the plebiscite -- was nearly unanimous. Even foreign
observers acknowledged that the lopsided, 99 percent "Yes" vote
reflected popular sentiment.
Following Austria's incorporation into the Reich, conditions improved
dramatically. As Prof. Bukey writes: "In one of the most remarkable
economic achievements in modern history, the National Socialists
reduced the number of unemployed in Austria from 401,000 in January
1938 to 99,865 in September; in Vienna from 183,271 to 74,162 ... By
Christmas [1938] 27 percent more jobs existed in Austria than before
the Anschluss." In 1940 the unemployment rate fell to just 1.2
percent.
Between June and December 1938 -- that is, in just seven months -- the
weekly income of industrial workers rose nine percent. "All in all,"
writes Prof. Bukey, "the Austrian GNP rose 12.8 percent in 1938, and
13.3 percent in 1939." Seldom in history has a country experienced
such rapid, dramatic economic growth.
Shortly after the Anschluss, Germany's National Labor Law and the
Reich's comprehensive social security system were introduced in
Austria. These guaranteed basic rights at the workplace, afforded
protection from arbitrary dismissal, quickly provided relief to more
than 200,000 desperately poor people, and extended health care
benefits to the working class. A large-scale construction program was
launched to provide affordable housing. Cultural life was greatly
encouraged, with energetic promotion of music, the fine arts and
literature. Together with the increase in prosperity and optimism came
a jump in the birthrate.
Economic growth continued even after the outbreak of war in September
1939, in spite of a shortage of labor and other difficulties. In 1941,
Austria's GNP increased by 7.2 percent. "By 1941," writes Prof. Bukey,
"wartime mobilization was bringing palpable improvement in the
material conditions of everyday life to many Austrians."
In November 1941, Austria's bishops issued a pastoral letter, which
was read in all churches, affirming support for the war against Soviet
Russia. In it the Catholic leaders solemnly declared that Germany was
conducting a crusade against a monstrous "threat to Western
civilization." Rather than "keep silent," the bishops went on,
Catholics should "recognize the danger for all Europe should
Bolshevism prevail."
During the war years, Austrians continued to apply in large numbers to
join the National Socialist Party, so that by May 1943 two-thirds of a
million had signed up. Austrian support for the regime remained strong
to the bitter end in May 1945.
In short, the "Sound of Music" portrayal of the Austrian people's
attitude toward Hitler and the National Socialist Reich is a deceitful
perversion of historical reality.