ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Austria under National Socialism

Okay, so let's talk about Austria under National Socialism. National Socialism was a type of government in Germany and Austria during the 1930s and 1940s. The leader of National Socialism in Germany was a man named Adolf Hitler, and he wanted to expand his ideas to Austria.

In 1938, Germany invaded Austria and the country was taken over by the Nazis. This means that the government was controlled by the Nazis and everyone who lived there had to follow their rules. The Nazis believed in things like racism and hatred towards certain groups of people, like Jews and homosexuals.

The people of Austria were forced to support the Nazis and follow their laws. Many people were afraid to speak out against the Nazis because they could be punished or even killed. The Nazis also destroyed many things that they thought were not "pure" or did not support their beliefs.

During this time, many Jewish people were targeted by the Nazis. They were taken from their homes and forced to live in ghettos or concentration camps. Many of them were killed in gas chambers or shot by Nazi soldiers. This was a very sad and terrible time in history.

In 1945, the war ended and Austria was freed from Nazi control. The people of Austria were able to rebuild their country and try to move forward from the horrible things that had happened during the time of National Socialism.