"Ribbentrop, do you know what the purpose of your trip is?"
With the help of a local guide, Mainz led an elite team deep into the Alps along a hidden mountain trail that bypassed Salzburg and Kufstein. This path had been discovered by hunters from Rosenheim, and very few people knew of its existence.
Compared to the main roads in Salzburg, the trail was rough and treacherous. Travel was difficult and even life-threatening, especially with snow wolves still roaming the Alps, threatening merchants and travelers. To ensure the safety of everyone on this mission, Mainz assigned his personal guard, Dietrich, to escort Ribbentrop into Austria and make contact with factions advocating a union with Germany.
Austria's importance to Germany was twofold: its population of ethnic Germans and its strategic geography. Almost entirely mountainous, Austria controlled the key highlands of Central Europe, bordered the Alps in the west, the Carpathians in the east, and had the Danube River running through it. Its plains near Vienna were among the few flat regions, serving as a crucial corridor from the Balkans to Western Europe.
Controlling Austria would allow Germany to block any southern invasion, while also opening routes into the Balkans and Eastern Europe, laying the foundation for future expansion. It was precisely because of Austria's strategic significance that Mainz worked tirelessly to facilitate the German-Austrian merger.
Historically, the Third Reich would successfully annex Austria in 1938, setting the stage for a global conflict. Without Austria, southern Bavaria would have been vulnerable, and Germany could not have dominated Eastern Europe and the Balkans so effectively.
The appeasement policy of Britain and France—and the British Empire—had been disastrous. By allowing Germany to annex Austria, the Allies signaled weakness. Mainz agreed that the policy had failed, but he considered the critical failure not just the annexation itself, but the subsequent concessions, such as the Sudetenland.
Had Britain and France firmly opposed Germany's annexation of Austria—even threatening force—Hitler might have reconsidered his actions. But their indulgence encouraged him to push further. After Austria, Germany demanded the Sudetenland, and Britain and France, hoping to redirect German ambitions eastward, acquiesced, betraying Czechoslovakia's interests and ceding its most important defensive terrain.
With Austria secured, Germany could now operate from multiple directions, surrounding vulnerable states. Without British and French interference, these nations would have struggled to resist Germany at all.
The appeasement policy, however, was not entirely without consequence. Germany's annexation of Austria brought it closer to Russia, where the Bolsheviks (Red Woolly Bear) were consolidating power after the chaos of the Russian Civil War. Though still preoccupied with internal struggles, the Bolsheviks posed a potential long-term threat to Germany, especially if they regained the strength to project influence into Central Europe.
According to the plans of Britain, France, and other powers, Germany was expected to turn east and confront the Russia, allowing the two forces to weaken each other while the Allies observed from a distance. But Germany chose a different path, consolidating Austria first and securing control over the southern approaches. Meanwhile, the British Empire's promises to protect smaller states boosted their confidence, preventing Germany from a swift conquest but also delaying any eastern confrontation.
The chain reaction that ultimately led to World War II can be traced back to this decisive step: the annexation of Austria. For Mainz, aware of the historical significance, this was an opportunity that could not be ignored. Securing Austria in 1919 would accelerate Germany's reconstruction, shorten the timeline toward the Third Reich, and provide strategic advantages decades ahead of history.