p Early in March 1938, Hitler speeded up the drive to seize Austria. To make sure of his stakes, former German Ambassador in London von Ribbentrop now appointed Germany’s Foreign Minister, arrived in London on March 10 to "take leave”. Chamberlain and Halifax used the occasion to offer Hitler their heart and soul. ^^27^^

p There was another meeting on the same day, not so official, yet no less important. That was the meeting of Horace Wilson, Chamberlain’s closest adviser, who clearly had the latter’s instruction to disclose more of the British government’s cherished plans to the Nazis, with an official of Ribbentrop’s staff, Krich Kordt. Wilson declared that Chamberlain was determined "to persist in his policy of bringing about an understanding with Germany and Italy”. Referring to co-operation between the West European powers and revealing the British government’s ultimate objective, Wilson stressed: "Russia ought to be left out entirely at the present time. The system there was bound to melt away some day." ^^28^^

p Ribbentrop immediately reported to Hitler about the initial results of the assignment he had carried out to find out the position Britain would take up "if the Austrian question cannot be settled peacefully”. He expressed his conviction that Britain would offer no opposition. Chamberlain and Halifax were trying, Ribbentrop wrote, "to reach a peaceful understanding among the four Great Powers of Europe without the Soviet Union".^^29^^

p Hitler found once more that lie could go ahead with his plans without fear of intervention by the Western powers. On March 11 he issued his directive for the invasion of Austria. "Unless other means achieve the end”, he wrote in that directive, "I propose to enter Austria with my armed forces." ^^30^^ On orders from Berlin, the Austrian Nazis made a take-or-leave-it demand to Chancellor K. Schusclmig of Austria to resign and to be succeeded by the Fiihrer of local Nazis SeyB-Inquart. In the night of March 12, Hitler’s forces crossed into Austria and got her annexed to Germany. That act of the Nazis was in no way opposed by Britain, France or the United States. As one can see from a note in Chamberlain’s diary on March 13, in spite of the AnschluB he still hoped to start the Anglo-German talks again some day.^^31^^

p It should, however, be pointed out that neither London nor Paris, nor Washington could Tail to realise that the AnschluB was the beginning of the end of the Versailles- Washington system of treaties which served as a prop for their dominant position both in Europe and in the rest of the world. Ambassador Maisky wrote on March 12, 1938, that there was "clear confusion" within the British ruling circles following the Nazi seizure of Austria. "The Premier’s prestige has been struck hard and the chances of an early realisation of a Four Power Pact have come to nought right away." ^^32^^

p The Nazi annexation of Austria went far towards straining the situation in Europe. On March 14, the People’s Commissariat for Foreign Affairs stated that it appeared to be the major development since the First World War arid one "fraught with the greatest perils and, not in the least, for our Union”.^^33^^

p Referring to Germany’s seizure of Austria, the People’s Commissar for Foreign Affairs, Litvinov, pointed out in an interview that in the last few years the Soviet government had more than once denounced international crimes and declared itself to be prepared to "take an active part in all the measures directed towards organising collective resistance to the aggressor”. The Soviet government condemned the armed invasion of Austria and the act of violence in depriving the Austrian people of their independence. ^^34^^

p At the same time the Soviet Union was exposing those 151 who, by their policy of compromising with the aggressors, made the German takeover of Austria possible and paved the way for Hitler to Vienna. It is quite certain, Pravda pointed out, that the unbridled fascist aggression is a direct consequence of Chamberlain’s political strategy. "His policy of an explicit collusion with the aggressors and of renouncing the system of collective security has given the warmongers a free hand."^^35^^

With Austria annexed to the Reich, a direct danger faced Czechoslovakia.