Nazi defiance began with the “Anschluss” (Hitler’s annexation of Austria) on 13 March 1938, and followed by a referendum on 10 April 1938, in which the Anschluss officially recorded a support of 99.73% of all the voters. During the few short weeks between the Anschluss and the 10 April referendum the German Army had marched all over Austria, and 70,000 people had been arrested. Robert Kauer, President of the “Protestants in Austria”, greeted Hitler on 13 March 1938 as "saviour of the 350,000 German Protestants in Austria" and he announced his support for the Anschluss, and he appealed for Austrians to vote in favor of it on 10 April. Thus Austria became the German province of Ostmark. The referendum itself was subject to large-scale propaganda, as is depicted on this commemorative postcard which announces the forthcoming union, and honors it with a German “10 April Stamp” coupled with an Austrian Stamp, each with reciprocal cancellations. The writer sent this postcard from the city of Linz Austria (which is Adolf Hitler’s childhood hometown), to a family member in German Bavaria. The postcard celebrates the Anschluss three days prior to the referendum. Note the enthusiasm of the writer and the “Heil Hitler” salutation. (The postcard is part of Victor’s collections. The ballot card on right is not included).

BELOW AT RIGHT: Only 10 days after Hitler’s successful “Auschluss Referendum” the two newly unified German people celebrated Hitler’s 49th birthday. On that day, 20 April 1938, Hitler visited his Austrian birth-house illustrated on this commemorative postcard, which has been stamp-canceled (on the postcard’s front) in Vienna on that infamous date.

AT LEFT : This 1938 Nazi Christmas card commemorates the two newly unified Germanic nations celebrating together their first, and what would be their last, peacetime christmas festivities. This post-card has a special c o m m e m o r a t i v e stamp with a special c o m m e m o r a t i v e cancel dated 23 Dec 1938 Vienna, Austria

Sign of the times : This 1940

postcard of Benito Mussolini

(DUX) was used by a young

child as an Easter Greeting.

1941

1939

This space reserved.

Posting in progress.

Please go to next page.

Fuhrer-Dux postal cancels to commemorate

Hitler’s visit to Rome during 3-9 May 1938.

Set of 3 full-size double-sheets of 100 stamps each (six full-size sheets of 50 stamps each)

This space reserved.

Posting in progress.

This space reserved.

Posting in progress.

Item # 78 Item # 79 Item # 80

Set of three full-size sheets of 50 stamps each

This space reserved.

Posting in progress. This space reserved.

Posting in progress.

Item # 81 Item # 82

Item # 83

This space

reserved.

Posting still

in progress.

Continue to

next page

Benito Mussolini and his wife Donna Rachele

with their three sons Vittorio, Bruno, and Ro-

mano, and daughter Edda holding their young-

est girl Anna Marie. (These postcards were pur-

chased by Victor in Predappio, Italy.)

(Translation) The city of Mussolini:

Littoria. “Do not forget that death

dominated here for centuries, and

only the Black Shirt Revolution

brought you life forever” (Speech by

Mussolini on 18 December 1933 to

members of Agro-Pontino).

A fascist era ten-cents

contribution seal for

alleviating poverty.

This space

reserved.

Posting still

in progress.

Continue to

next page

This space

reserved.

Posting still

in progress.

Continue to

next page

This space

reserved.

Posting still

in progress.

Please come

back soon.

1995 stamps and postcard commemorating 50th anniv: End of WW2

Birthplace of Mussolini and bed where he was born

Mussolini’s

Tomb