A United Future: Germany And Austria's Potential Alliance

Germany and Austria have a shared history and culture, with German being the official language of both countries. The ancestors of Austrians were the Germanic Baiuvarii (ancient German Bavarians). From 555 to 843, the Baiuvarii established the Duchy of Bavaria, which was ruled by Francia of West Germanic Franks and included the March of Pannonia that would become Austria in c. 970. Since then, the two countries have had a complex relationship, with Austria being annexed into Germany under the Nazi regime from 1938 to 1945, seen as a reunification. However, after World War II, there has been no serious effort among citizens or political parties to unite the two countries.

Austria and Germany's shared history and culture

Austria and Germany share a language, a major ethnic group, and a long history. The Germanic Baiuvarii (ancient German Bavarians) are the ancestors of modern Austrians. In early history, the Baiuvarii established the Duchy of Bavaria, ruled by Francia of West Germanic Franks from 555 to 843, including the March of Pannonia that would become Austria around 970. Later, the Bavarian Austria came under East Francia (Kingdom of Germany) from 843 to 962. It then separated from the Duchy of Bavaria to become a sovereign state in 1156. From 1156 to 1806, Austria (not including its non-German lands) and other German states under the Kingdom of Germany were parts of the Holy Roman Empire, officially a German polity from 1512 and mostly led by Austria itself. The Holy Roman Emperors during this period came from the House of Habsburg, which ruled the Empire from 1440 until its dissolution in 1806.

Austria was part of the German Confederation from 1815 to 1866 and led it. In 1866, Austria was separated from Germany and the German Confederation was dissolved. The following year, the Austro-Hungarian Empire was established and led by Austria. It was rivalled by the North German Confederation and the German Empire, led by the Kingdom of Prussia. Despite this rivalry, Austria and Germany were military allies at the time.

After World War I, Austria briefly renamed itself the Republic of German-Austria in an attempt to unite with Germany, but this was forbidden by the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye in 1919. In 1938, Nazi Germany, led by Austrian-born Adolf Hitler, annexed Austria into Germany in what became known as the Anschluss. This union ended in 1945 when Austria claimed independence from Germany. Since then, there has been no serious effort to unite the two countries, and the Austrian State Treaty forbids such a union.

In addition to their shared history, Austria and Germany also have close cultural ties. German cultural and academic exchange with Austria is probably more intense and wide-ranging than with any other country. Many German conductors, orchestras, musicians, singers, directors, producers, and actors work in Austria, and vice versa. There are numerous German-Austrian film and TV co-productions, and the two countries cooperate on the TV channels 3sat and ARTE. German publishing houses hold shares in Austrian media companies, and there is extensive coverage of each country in the other's media. As a result, there is a great deal of overlap in public debate on various issues.

Austria's role in the dissolution of the German Democratic Republic (GDR)

Austria played a minimal role in the dissolution of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) or East Germany. The GDR was established in 1949 when the Western Allies combined their zones in divided Germany and allowed the formation of the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) or West Germany. In response, the Soviet Union formed the GDR to govern their occupation zone.

Austria, which had been annexed by Nazi Germany in 1938, was separated from Germany by the Allies in 1945. The Austrian State Treaty of 1955 banned reunification with Germany. In 1990, Austria and East and West Germany were separate countries, and Austria did not play a role in the reunification of Germany. However, Austria's history and culture are closely linked to Germany, and the two countries have strong political relations and are members of the European Union.

The Anschluss

The proposal for unification, or Anschluss, gained support in the 1920s, particularly among Austrian citizens of the political left and centre, due to the belief that Austria was not economically viable without its imperial land. However, by the 1930s, the Austrian Nazi Party was weak and divided. The party gained supporters in 1931 and 1932 as Hitler's popularity in Germany increased, and in 1933, when he was appointed Chancellor of Germany.

In 1934, Austrian chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss was assassinated by Austrian Nazis in a failed coup. His successor, Kurt Schuschnigg, continued Dollfuss' political course and used the police to suppress Nazi supporters. However, Schuschnigg eventually came under increasing pressure from pro-unification activists and, in early 1938, announced that there would be a referendum on a possible union with Germany. Hitler threatened an invasion and, on March 11, gave the Austrian government a series of ultimatums: Schuschnigg must call off the plebiscite; Schuschnigg must resign as chancellor; and Austrian president Wilhelm Miklas must appoint Austrian Nazi Arthur Seyss-Inquart as the new chancellor.

On the evening of March 11, Schuschnigg announced his resignation and instructed Austrians and the Austrian military not to resist German troops if they invaded. The next morning, German troops crossed the border and were greeted by cheering Austrians. On March 13, Seyss-Inquart, who had been appointed chancellor the previous day, signed the "Reunification of Austria with Germany" law, formally incorporating Austria into Nazi Germany.

Austria's relationship with East Germany

Austria and Germany have a close relationship due to their shared history and culture, with German being the official language of both countries. The ancestors of Austrians were the Germanic Baiuvarii (ancient German Bavarians). From 555 to 843, the Baiuvarii established the Duchy of Bavaria, which included the March of Pannonia that would become Austria around 970. From 843 to 962, Bavarian Austria came under East Francia (Kingdom of Germany) before separating from the Duchy of Bavaria to become a sovereign state in 1156.

From 1156 to 1806, Austria (not including its non-German lands) and other German states under the Kingdom of Germany were parts of the Holy Roman Empire, which was officially a German polity from 1512 and mostly led by Austria itself. The Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation, as it was known, was ruled by the House of Habsburg from 1440 until its dissolution in 1806.

After the end of World War I and the fall of the Austro-Hungarian and German Empires, Austria briefly renamed itself the Republic of German-Austria in 1918, seeking union with Germany. This was forbidden by the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (1919), which was created by the winners of World War I against both Germany and Austria.

In 1938, Nazi Germany, led by Austrian-born Adolf Hitler, annexed Austria into Germany in what became known as the Anschluss. This act of territorial aggression and expansion was widely popular in both countries and resulted in an outburst of public violence against Austria's Jewish population. The Anschluss was reversed in 1945, and Austria was occupied by the Allies separately from Germany until 1955.

Since World War II, there has been no serious effort among citizens or political parties to unite Germany and Austria. The Austrian State Treaty forbids such a union, and Austria's constitution requires the country to maintain neutrality. A 1987 survey revealed that only 6% of Austrians identified themselves as 'Germans'. While Austria and Germany continue to cooperate closely in various fields, they have developed separate national identities.

The Treaty of Versailles

The treaty required Germany to disarm, make territorial concessions, extradite alleged war criminals, put Kaiser Wilhelm on trial, recognise the independence of states whose territory had been part of the German Empire, and pay reparations to the Entente powers. The Allies also demanded that Germany accept responsibility for causing all the damage and loss resulting from the war. This provision, Article 231, became known as the "War Guilt" clause.

The treaty stripped Germany of 65,000 square kilometres of territory and 7 million people. Germany was required to recognise the independence of Czechoslovakia and cede parts of Upper Silesia to them, as well as recognise the independence of Poland and renounce all rights and title over Polish territory. The treaty also restored the provinces of Alsace-Lorraine to France.

The United States never ratified the Versailles Treaty, instead making a separate peace treaty with Germany, albeit based on the Versailles Treaty. The treaty's harsh terms and the humiliation it caused in Germany contributed to the rise of the Nazi Party and the outbreak of the Second World War.

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