This film is featured in the Ephemeral Films Project: National Socialism in Austria. Watch the historic film through an innovative film player showing contemporary images, geographical mapping, and shot-level analysis at efilms.ushmm.org.
Title card: “11. März 1938. Der große nationale Umbruch in Österreich.” Title card: “Abends, nach dem im Rundfunk verkündeten Rücktritt der Regierung Schuschnigg, kam es zu großen spontanen Freudenkundgebungen in den Straßen Wiens.” Crowds of people yelling, smiling, cheering. Most of them are doing the Nazi salute. Some are holding swastika flags, others are holding torches. City lights can be seen in the distance. Title card: “12. März 1938, - um ½ 2 Uhr früh. Vom Balkon des Bundeskanzleramtes wird die neue nationale Regierung Seyß Inquart proklamiert.” Flashlights show men in long coats. A parade of teenage boys march, banging drums and carrying torches. Many of them have an armband on. A man in a suit speaks from a balcony, there is a swastika flag hanging beneath him. He is joined by several other men, who all perform the Nazi salute. Title card: “Das veränderte Stadtbild am Morgen des 12- März. Die Polizei versieht mit Frakenkreuz-Armbinden den Dienst. An den Fahrzeugen wehen die deutschen Wimpeln.” Several uniformed men stand in rows. Some of them have swastika armbands on. Some perform the Nazi salute. A uniformed man directs traffic on a busy street. Title card: “Strenge Kontrolle der Wien verlassenden Fahrzeuge an der Gemeindegrenze.” Two men in uniform speak to another man beside a car. They are looking over papers. There are skis tied to the car and a swastika flag hanging from the windshield. Title card: “Der Gummiknüppel wird abgeschafft.” Men in uniform stand in lines to throw their batons onto a growing pile of others. Title card: “Die Verbände der S.Fs. und S.S. werden ausgerüstet.” Men walk by with swastika armbands on. Men stand at attention with guns. They then get into a vehicle. It starts to snow. Title card: “Die erste Proklamation des Führers wird im Rundfunk übertragen.” A large crowd performs the Nazi salute towards what looks like a large gramophone. Title card: “Flugzeuge der Deutschen Luftwaffe erscheinen über Wien.” Many planes fly in the air with a city below. Title card: “Vor dem Bundeskanzleramte.” Planes fly overhead. A crowd of people are gathered to watch. A man on a balcony performs the Nazi salute while being photographed. The people below perform the salute as well. Men in uniform perform the Nazi salute and smile. Title card: “Vortrupps der Panzerdivision tretten abends in Wien ein.” Armored cars drive down a street at night while people stand on the sides to watch. Title card: “Fackelzug und Freudenkundegebung der deutschen Bevölkerung Wiens.” At night a crowd is cheering and performing the Nazi salute as motorcyclists cars ride by in the street. There are many swastika flags, torches, and people performing the Nazi salute on the sides and in the motorcade. Teenagers march by, some carrying large swastika flags, others banging drums. Many of them have swastika armbands. Men in a car perform the Nazi salute to the parade. A band goes by, with people playing their instruments and performing the Nazi salute at the same time. People hold a banner that says: “Gudetendeutschland grüßt!” and swastikas on it. People march by carrying skis. Another banner passes that says “Wir haben abge-” and is cut off by the dark. Another banner that says “Es lebe das Broßdeutliche Reich.” Another banner that says “...Adolf Hitler das Molkerie Gewerbe!” Men on horseback ride by. Title card: “Sonntag, den 13. März 1938. Gedenkfeier für die gefallenen kämpfer der nationalsozialistischen Bewegung.” Men in uniform stand at attention behind a large wreath, and in front of an ornate gate. A large crowd of people are gathered in a square, all standing at attention surrounding a large statue of a horse. Some are carrying large swastika flags. Soldiers play trumpets. The wreath is carried by soldiers through the square. Children and adults are performing the Nazi salute as the wreath goes by. The wreath is carried into a building. A group of soldiers march in the street. Many of them have swastika armbands on. Title card: “Reichsdeutsche Ordnungspolizei in Wien.” A motorcade of soldiers goes by while people stand on the sides and watch. Soldiers getting ready to depart, standing beside motorcycles and cars without tops. Soldiers stand at attention, they have what looks like skulls painting on their helmets. A soldier stands in line to get a bowl of food. Title card: “Kraftwagen aus dem Reich und aus den Bundesländern werden von den Wienern freudig begrüßt.” Truckloads of soldiers drive by, performing the Nazi salute and waving swastika flags while crowds of people watch and cheer. A man standing on top of a car with a camera drives by. Title card: “Einzug der deutschen Wehrmacht in Wien.” At night a motorcade of soldiers drive by while soldiers on a platform and civilians nearby stand and watch. An aerial view of soldiers marching in the streets. Swastika flags fly from nearby buildings.
Part 1 excerpt from Police Yearly Retrospect 1938