Arthur Seyss-Inquart (1892- 1946) was an Austrian Nazi politician and lawyer who was appointed as the last Chancellor of Austria before its annexation into Nazi Germany. He was born on 22 July 1892 in the town of Stannern, Moravia, which is now part of the Czech Republic. He was the son of a schoolmaster and grew up in a Catholic household.
Seyss-Inquart studied law at the University of Vienna, graduating in 1914. He served in the Austro-Hungarian army during World War I, and was decorated for bravery. After the war, he returned to Vienna and began practicing law. He was an active member of the Catholic student fraternity and the conservative Christian Social Party.
In March 1938, the German Army invaded Austria and annexed it into the Third Reich. Seyss-Inquart was appointed to the position of Reichsstatthalter, the Nazi governor of Austria. He quickly proved to be a loyal Nazi, implementing the Nazi racial policies and introducing laws that stripped Jews of their rights. He also adopted a policy of Aryanization, whereby Jewish businesses were seized by the Nazis and given to German citizens.
Seyss-Inquart was appointed as the last Chancellor of Austria before it was annexed into Nazi Germany. He held the position for only four days, from 11 to 15 March 1938. During this time, he signed the Anschluss agreement, which legally annexed Austria into Germany.
In June 1940, Seyss-Inquart was appointed as the Reichskommissar of the occupied Netherlands. He was largely responsible for the implementation of Nazi policies in the occupied Dutch territories. He also ordered the deportation of Dutch Jews to concentration camps. He was later appointed as the Deputy Governor-General of Poland, responsible for the implementation of Nazi policies in the occupied Polish territories.
Seyss-Inquart was arrested and tried at the Nuremberg Trials in 1945. He was found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity, and was sentenced to death. He was hanged on 16 October 1946.
Seyss-Inquart is remembered as a loyal Nazi who willingly implemented the Nazi racial policies in the territories he controlled. He is also remembered for his role in the annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany.
