L’interdiction de l’ Anschluss dans les traités de paix de 1919. Aspects économiques d’une question politique

In its proclamation of 12 November 1918, the Provisional National Assembly of "German Austria" (Deutschösterreich) proclaimed itself a "Democratic Republic" (Article 1) and a "component of the German Republic" (Article 2). From its birth, the question of the Anschluss, i.e. union with Germany in a form to be determined, was on the agenda of the "little" Austria born at the end of the First World War alongside the other successor states of the ?Dual Monarchy?. Negotiations were held with Germany at the end of February 1919 in order to speed up the process. But the Anschluss suffered a double prohibition: in the Treaty of Versailles of 28 June 1919 (Article 80) and in the Treaty of Saint-Germain of 10 September 1919 (Article 88). By highlighting the economic and social situation of Austria at the end of the First World War, this article wants to show on the one hand that the Anschluss was at that time above all a demand emanating from a German Austria that was in the midst of chaos, and on the other hand that economic issues played a key role not only in the discussions with Germany, but also at the Peace Conference that opened in Paris in January 1919: Austria was forced to ask the United States and the Entente for food aid at the end of 1918, which placed it in a position of dependence on the victors of the war.