On this day in 1938, Austria was annexed by Germany. This incorporation was known as the Anschluss was supported by most of the Austrian population. In July 1934, Nazis from Germany and Austria attempted a coup but failed. This led to an authoritarian government taking control of Austria. Austria was able to stop Germany from taking over by establishing the Rome Protocols, a deal between Italy, Austria, and Hungary. By 1938, Mussolini had given up the idea of protecting Austria and instead chose to work with Germany. That led to Hitler inviting the Austrian Chancellor, Kurt von Schuschnigg, to Germany in February 1938. Hitler forced Schuschnigg to give control to the Austrian Nazis, but Schuschnigg went back on the agreement and decided to hold a referendum. The Nazis forced him to cancel the referendum and resign and order the Austrian Army not to fight back against the German army. However, Wilhelm Miklas, the Austrian president, refused to appoint Arthur Seyss-Inquart, the leader of the Austrian Nazi Party, as Chancellor. As a result, Germany invaded Austria on March 12. Due to Austria's quick acceptance of the German Army, Hitler annexed Austria only one day later and the Anschluss was complete.The Anschluss was retroactively approved in April 1938, via a controlled referendum. Jews and Roma were not allowed to vote and the manipulated results showed that 99.7% of Austrians approved the Anschluss; following that, antisemitism spread throughout Austria. All of the antisemitic laws that had been passed in Germany, such as the Nuremberg Laws, were applied in Austria. The Gestapo, with the help of Austrian Nazis, began looting the belongings of Jews and seizing their property. Anyone who did not surrender was arrested along with politicians who opposed the Nazis.