The "Anschluss" to Germany in 1938 is one of the key events in Austria's 20th-century history: the country lost its state independence for seven years. An authoritarian regime was followed by a totalitarian rule with terrible consequences for all those who had no place in the worldview of its proponents. And all of this was celebrated or at least approved by many. How have historians and publicists interpreted the historical "worst case" since 1946? How do they assess the events of March and April 1938? How do they evaluate its various components? What factors do they attribute to the annexation and the rise of Nazi power? How do they explain the broad acceptance? And what differences exist between the portrayals of Austrian and non-Austrian historical interpreters? Based on answers to these questions, various interpretations can be drawn.