William N. Walker

 
Overview

A Spy in Vienna is a novel of political intrigue and diplomatic intrigue. Like Mr. Walker’s earlier novel Danzig, it is based on historical fact and inspired by actual events.

Readers are re-introduced to Paul Muller, the tri-lingual diplomat, as he assumes the dangerous role of a spy, seeking to prevent Hitler’s brazen campaign to swallow up Austria and incorporate it within the German Reich. Muller also mounts a risky project to move Austria’s gold out of the central bank and keep it out of Hitler’s grasp.

From Muller’s perch as a key insider, we are able to watch Hitler ratchet up diplomatic pressure and issue intimidating threats aimed at forcing Austria to capitulate to his demands. But we are also privy to the stubborn resistance of the Austrian government—in particular to the actions of the Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg—as it fights off Hitler and mounts a determined campaign to preserve Austrian independence.

The novel captures the fraught atmosphere in Vienna as this struggle engulfs the Austrian nation, unleashing bitter quarrels and deep conflicts that threaten its very existence. It also reveals Hitler’s desperation to extend Germany’s power and the risks he was willing to take to achieve his goals.

All this drama plays out in the lives of Muller and the other characters in the novel as the compelling narrative brings to life the fearful choices they must make and the dire consequences they confront.

This is a work of fiction, but it vividly captures the fast-paced events of a dramatic episode in history: The Austrian Anschluss.