In March 1938, after the Berchtesgaden Agreement, the National Socialists became more and more likely to take power, and many left-wing young people, including Hugo Pepper, joined the ÖJV in the hope of being able to form a united front for young people against the National Socialist threat. In fact, in the days leading up to Austria's integration, the state youth was one of the few active organizations on the part of the regime.
