The plebiscite of 10 April 1938 was held in all parts of the German Reich and resulted in a »Yes« vote of 99.73 % for the annexation of Austria. Between 300,000 and 400,000 Austrian citizens, however, were excluded from the ballot, mainly Jews and determined opponents of the new regime. A massive propaganda machinery, unprecedented in scope and cleverly devised, was intended to present a pseudo-democratic facade of participation and persuade those sectors of the population hitherto hostile or reserved toward Nazism. The plebiscite made clear for the first time that Nazi propaganda was also effective in Austria, binding the population emotionally to a regime that was able to use also naked terror. The Nazi propaganda machinery used all possible technical means – pageant-like mass meetings beside political myths (»one Führer, one People«) designed to transmit a sense of purpose and common identity.

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The newspaper interview with Karl Renner, one of Austria’s best-known Social Democrats, was part of National Socialist propaganda and was aimed at winning over the working class. (Neues Wiener Tagblatt, 3 April 1938)