Arthur Seyss-Inquart: Difference between revisions

== Life before the Anschluss ==

Augusta Hirenbach.

<nowiki> </nowiki>He was decorated for bravery on a number of occasions and while  

recovering from wounds in 1917 he completed his final examinations for  

August 1921) and Dorothea Seyss-Inquart (born 7 May 1928).

<nowiki> </nowiki>concepts of racial purity and sponsored various expeditions to Tibet  

and other parts of Asia in hopes of proving Aryan racial concepts and  

theories. He was not initially a member of the Austrian National Socialist party, though he was sympathetic to many of their views and actions.^[1] By 1938, however, Seyss-Inquart knew which way the political wind was blowing and became a respectable frontman for the Austrian National Socialists.

<nowiki> </nowiki>had threatened Schuschnigg with military actions against Austria in the

<nowiki> </nowiki>event of non-compliance. On 11 March 1938, faced with a German invasion

<nowiki> </nowiki>drafted the legislative act reducing Austria to a province of Germany  

and signed it into law on 13 March. With Hitler's approval he became  

<nowiki> </nowiki>Almost as soon as he took office, he ordered the confiscation of Jewish

collaborated in the deportation of Jews from Austria.

<nowiki> </nowiki>He fully supported the heavy-handed policies put into effect by Frank,  

including persecution of Jews. He was also aware of the Abwehr's murder of dozens of Polish intellectuals.

== Reichskommissar in the Netherlands ==

Following the capitulation of the Low Countries Seyss-Inquart was appointed Reichskommissar for the Occupied Netherlands

<nowiki> </nowiki>in May 1940, charged with directing the civil administration, with  

over 1,500, including the executions of people under the so-called  

"Hostage Law", the death of political prisoners who were close to being  

There were two small concentration camps in the Netherlands – KZ Herzogenbusch near Vught, Kamp Amersfoort near Amersfoort, and Westerbork transit camp

commonly used nickname for Seyss-Inquart. The quarter also refers to his crippled leg

<nowiki> </nowiki>he took measures to remove Jews from the government, the press and  

leading positions in industry. Anti-Jewish measures intensified after  

1941: approximately 140,000 Jews were registered, a 'ghetto' was created

When the Allies advanced into the Netherlands in late 1944, the Nazi regime had attempted to enact a scorched earth policy, and some docks and harbours were destroyed. Seyss-Inquart, however, was in agreement with Armaments Minister Albert Speer

scorched earth orders.^[2] At the very end of the "hunger winter" in April 1945, Seyss-Inquart was with difficulty persuaded by the Allies to allow airplanes to drop food for the hungry people of the occupied northwest of the country. Although he knew the war was lost, Seyss-Inquart did not want to surrender. This led General Walter Bedell Smith to snap: "''Well, in any case, you are going to be shot''". "''That leaves me cold''", Seyss-Inquart replied, to which Smith then retorted: "''It will''".^[4]

<nowiki> </nowiki>who had long since fallen out of favour, as Foreign Minister. It was a  

tribute to the high regard Hitler felt for his Austrian comrade, at a  

== Nuremberg trials ==

At the Nuremberg trials,

<nowiki> </nowiki>Seyss-Inquart was defended by Gustav Steinbauer and faced four charges:

<nowiki> </nowiki>an American army psychologist, was allowed to examine the Nazi leaders  

who were tried at Nuremberg for war crimes. Among other tests, a German  

Seyss-Inquart was acquitted of conspiracy, but convicted on all other

[[Category:Criminals]]

[[Category:Execution]]

[[Category:Totalitarians]]

[[Category:Modern Villains]]

[[Category:Villains of World War 2]]

[[Category:European Villains]]