Austria in the 1930s; From Wunderteam to Anschluss

In 1932, the Austrian football team had the world at their feet. A glorious victory in the Central European International Cup had seen them conquer the best teams that mainland Europe had to offer. With many South American heavyweights refusing to travel to the 1934 World Cup, it seemed highly possible that the so-called Wunderteam might soon be crowned the best football team on the planet.Yet just six years later, that same Wunderteam was no more. Despite successfully qualifying for the third edition of the World Cup in France, by 1938 Austria no longer had an international football team and were unable to take up their place in the tournament. Not only that, but they were not even considered to be an independent nation.In this episode of The Way We See Sport, The Way We See Life, Nathan and Chris explore the first decade of the Football World Cup through the lens of the Austrian national team. Against the rising tide of European fascism, the story considers how both Mussolini and Hitler impacted the fortunes of the Wunderteam and, ultimately, how a side with so much verve and promise were never able to fulfil their true potential.