Austria's Role In World War Ii

Austria's involvement in World War II is a complex issue. While the country was invaded by Germany in 1938 and annexed into the Third Reich, becoming a federal state of Germany, many Austrians supported the unification and were complicit in Nazi crimes. About 800,000 Austrians were drafted into the German Wehrmacht, and 150,000 served in the Waffen SS, an elite Nazi military unit. The country's geographic location shielded it from early direct involvement in the war, and initial German victories sustained popular support for the war and the Anschluss. However, after the German defeat at Stalingrad in 1943, support began to wane. The Allies also evolved in their position on Austria, declaring it a victim of Hitlerite aggression and calling for the re-establishment of an independent Austria while also holding it liable for its participation in the war.

Austria's complex relationship with Nazi Germany

In the 1920s, many Austrians felt that their country could not survive economically without the lands previously held by the Austro-Hungarian Empire. This sentiment was exploited by the DNSAP, whose leader, Walter Riehl, had connections to the emerging Nazi Party in Germany. The Austrian National Socialists linked to Hitler gained support, especially after he became Chancellor of Germany in 1933.

In Austria, Engelbert Dollfuss transformed the country into a right-wing authoritarian regime known as the Corporate State or Austrofascist state. Dollfuss's government was diplomatically aligned with Fascist Italy and authoritarian Hungary, and he was committed to crushing the political left. However, he and his allies were not Nazis themselves.

Despite this, the Austrian Nazi Party waged a propaganda and terror campaign beginning in May 1933, with funding and encouragement from Germany. This campaign aimed to undermine the Dollfuss regime, and it included disruptive protests, bombings, and attacks on political opponents. The violence escalated into a failed coup attempt in July 1934, during which Dollfuss was assassinated.

Dollfuss's successor, Kurt von Schuschnigg, continued authoritarian policies and tried to maintain Austrian independence. However, he was pressured by Hitler and eventually gave in to his demands, leading to the Berchtesgaden Agreement in February 1938. This agreement further undermined Austrian sovereignty and paved the way for the annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany, known as the Anschluss, on March 11-13, 1938.

The Anschluss was widely popular in both Germany and Austria, and it resulted in an outburst of public violence against Austria's Jewish population. Austrians participated in the Nazification of their country and the persecution of Jews, with many holding prominent roles in the Nazi regime. However, it is important to note that a small minority of Austrians actively resisted Nazism and paid a heavy price for their opposition.

During World War II, hundreds of thousands of Austrians fought as German soldiers, and a substantial number served in the SS. Austrian support for the war began to waver after the German defeat at Stalingrad in 1943. The Allied powers eventually declared the Anschluss void and reestablished an independent Austria after the war.

The Austrian resistance

Left-Wing Resistance Groups

Left-wing resistance groups, mostly communists with a smaller number of socialists, dominated the Austrian resistance movement. These groups were active in providing aid and support to Jewish families during the Holocaust, hiding individuals, managing or exchanging their property to generate funds, and aiding their escape from Nazi persecution. These actions carried immense personal risk as assisting Jews was punishable by imprisonment or death in Nazi concentration camps.

Conservative Resisters

Conservative resisters, mainly Christian Socialists and monarchists, were also active in the Austrian resistance. One notable conservative resister was the priest Heinrich Maier, whose group sought to reestablish a Habsburg monarchy after the war. Maier's group played a crucial role in providing the Allies with information on the production sites of V-1 and V-2 rockets, Tiger tanks, and aircraft. This intelligence enabled the Allies to conduct precise airstrikes while minimising civilian casualties.

Military Resistance

Military resistance within the Wehrmacht also existed, with Austrian members of the Wehrmacht planning "Operation Radetzky" in the spring of 1945. The goal of this operation was to assist the Red Army in liberating Vienna and preventing major destruction. However, the operation was betrayed, and the leaders were sentenced to death.

Other Resistance Groups

In addition to the left-wing and conservative groups, there were also resistance groups close to the Catholic Church, Habsburg groups, and individual resistance groups within the German Wehrmacht. Most resistance groups were exposed by the Gestapo, and their members were executed.

The Mauthausen concentration camp

On 12 March 1938, German troops marched into Austria to annex the German-speaking nation for the Third Reich. Two weeks later, August Eigruber, the National Socialist Gauleiter (regional head) of Upper Austria, announced that his Gau would have the 'distinction' of building a concentration camp. The location chosen was the town of Mauthausen, 20 kilometres east of Linz, on the bank of the Danube River.

In December 1939, the SS ordered the construction of a second concentration camp, Gusen, a few kilometres from Mauthausen. Gusen officially opened in May 1940. After the outbreak of World War II, people from across Europe were deported to Mauthausen, which gradually expanded into a system of several interconnected camps. Mauthausen and Gusen were known for their harsh imprisonment conditions and high mortality rates. Prisoners faced forced labour, malnutrition, overcrowded huts, constant abuse, and brutal working conditions in the quarries.

During the second half of the war, the prisoner population at Mauthausen became more diverse, including women for the first time. They were increasingly used as forced labourers in the arms industry. The SS established several subcamps to accommodate the growing number of prisoners. Mauthausen itself became a camp where the sick and weak were sent to die. Overcrowding, lack of food, and rampant disease led to mass deaths in the final months before liberation.

On 5 May 1945, the US Army reached and liberated Mauthausen and Gusen. Of the approximately 190,000 people imprisoned in the camp and its subcamps, at least 90,000 died. The Mauthausen concentration camp was one of the deadliest in the Nazi system, with conditions even more severe than most other camps.

The Anschluss

In the 1920s, the proposal for a union, or Anschluss, gained support in both Austria and Germany, particularly among Austrian citizens of the political left and center. However, support for unification faded over time, although it remained a concept in Austrian political discourse.

When Adolf Hitler rose to power in Germany in 1933, the desire for unification became associated with the Nazis, for whom it was an integral part of their "Heim ins Reich" ("back home to the realm") concept. This concept sought to incorporate as many Volksdeutsche (ethnic Germans living outside of Germany) as possible into a "Greater Germany".

In early 1938, Austrian chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg announced a referendum on a possible union with Germany, to be held on March 13. Portraying this as defying the popular will, Hitler threatened an invasion and pressured Schuschnigg to resign. On March 11, the day before the planned referendum, the German army crossed the border into Austria, unopposed by the Austrian military.

On March 12, Hitler accompanied German troops into Austria, where they were greeted by enthusiastic crowds. Hitler appointed a new Nazi government, and on March 13, the annexation, or Anschluss, was proclaimed. Austria existed as a federal state of Germany until the end of World War II, when the Allied powers declared the Anschluss void and reestablished an independent Austria.

The Vienna offensive

The offensive began with the 3rd Ukrainian Front's advance through western Hungary, crossing the border into Austria. On 25 March, the 2nd Ukrainian Front joined the offensive by launching the Bratislava-Brno offensive, crossing the Hron and Nitra rivers. The Soviets rapidly advanced towards Vienna, with Romanian troops also participating in the operation. By 2 April, Soviet troops approached Vienna from the south, capturing several towns and advancing towards the Austrian capital.

The battle for Vienna was characterised by fierce urban combat. The Soviet troops faced the German II SS Panzer Corps, along with ad hoc forces including garrison and anti-aircraft units. The fighting resulted in the destruction of many historic buildings and damage to the city's infrastructure. The Soviets infiltrated the centre of the city by 9 April, but street fighting continued for several more days. The Danube Flotilla played a crucial role in the final stages, landing troops on both sides of the Reichsbrücke Bridge and securing it. Vienna finally fell on 13 April 1945, when the last defenders surrendered.

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