Kurt von Schuschnigg Federal Chancellor of Austria Date of Birth: 14.12.1897 Country: Austria

Kurt von Schuschnigg: Biography

Kurt von Schuschnigg was an Austrian politician who served as the Federal Chancellor of Austria. He was born on December 14, 1897, in Riva, South Tyrol. Schuschnigg received his legal education at the universities of Freiburg and Innsbruck. He was a member of the Christian Social Party and became a deputy in the National Assembly in 1927.

In 1932, Schuschnigg became the Minister of Justice in the government of Dollfuss and held this position until 1934. Following the assassination of Dollfuss in 1934, Schuschnigg succeeded him as the Federal Chancellor of Austria. On July 11, 1936, Schuschnigg signed a friendship agreement with Germany.

In February 1938, under the threat of immediate military invasion into Austria by Hitler, Schuschnigg was forced to visit Berchtesgaden. There, he accepted three conditions, signing his own sentence: 1. Dr. Seyss-Inquart, a member of the Nazi Party since 1931, was appointed Minister of the Interior and Chief of the Secret Police, giving the Nazis full control over the Austrian police; 2. A new general political amnesty released Nazis who had been convicted of various crimes; 3. The Austrian Nazi Party joined the Patriotic Front.

In an attempt to disarm the Nazis and show the international community that Austrians wanted to remain independent, Schuschnigg announced a plebiscite to be held on Sunday, March 13, 1938. However, on March 11, 1938, Schuschnigg was forced to resign and on the dawn of March 12, German troops entered Austria.

Former Chancellor Schuschnigg was held under custody for several weeks at the Gestapo residence on Morzinplatz, where he was treated very roughly. He was later sent to a concentration camp, where he remained until May 1945. In 1956, Schuschnigg obtained American citizenship and became a professor at Saint Louis University.