born Dec. 14, 1897, Riva del Garda, Trento, Austria-Hungary
died Nov. 18, 1977, Mutters, near Innsbruck, Austria
Austrian politician and chancellor (193438).
Elected to the Austrian parliament in 1927, he served in the government of Engelbert Dollfuss as minister of justice (1932) and education (193334). After Dollfuss was assassinated, Schuschnigg was named chancellor. He disbanded the paramilitary Heimwehr in 1936 and tried to prevent the German takeover of Austria. After making concessions to Adolf Hitler in February 1938, he sought to reassert national independence through a plebiscite to be held on March 13. However, on March 11 Germany invaded Austria and carried out the Anschluss , and Schuschnigg was imprisoned until the war ended. He later lived and taught in the U.S. (194867).