Austria's Soviet Experiment: A Historical Inquiry

Austria was occupied by the Soviet Union from 1945 to 1955, following World War II. The Soviet Union's occupation policies in Austria were largely shaped by the Moscow Declaration of 1943, in which the British, Americans, and Soviets proclaimed Austria as the first victim of Nazi Germany, but also held the country accountable for its participation in Nazi aggression. While Austria was not included in the Soviet sphere of influence, the country was subjected to heavy economic exploitation by the Soviets. The Soviets expropriated hundreds of German-owned businesses, with most of these companies close to bankruptcy by 1955. The Soviets also installed a provisional federal government under the Social Democrat Dr Karl Renner, with Austrian communists controlling crucial ministries. The Austrian Communist Party (KPÖ) failed to gain significant political support, and the country's electors identified the KPÖ with the Red Army's plundering and raping. The Soviets eventually agreed to a negotiated withdrawal from Austria in 1955, with the country regaining its independence and adopting permanent neutrality.

Soviet occupation of Austria, 1945-1955

The Soviet Union's occupation of Austria lasted from 1945 to 1955, in the aftermath of World War II. In 1945, Soviet commander Fyodor Tolbukhin's troops crossed the former Austrian border, and the Austrian politician Karl Renner established contact with the Soviets. Renner, a socialist, had previously welcomed Nazi Germany's annexation of Austria in 1938. However, the Soviets now sought to distance themselves from this association, and Renner was installed as the leader of a provisional government.

In 1945, the Soviet Union, along with the United States, the United Kingdom, and France, divided Austria into four occupation zones. Vienna, the capital, was similarly subdivided, with the central district under the collective administration of the four powers. The Soviet zone included Burgenland, Lower Austria, and the Mühlviertel area of Upper Austria, north of the Danube.

The Soviet occupation of Austria was marked by economic exploitation and political repression. The Soviets expropriated hundreds of businesses, primarily targeting those that were formerly German-owned. By 1955, the majority of these companies were close to bankruptcy. The Soviets also engaged in systematic sexual violence and repression of civilians, which harmed the Red Army's reputation and led to a Soviet order forbidding violent interrogations in September 1945.

During the occupation, the Soviets attempted to exert political influence through the Austrian Communist Party (KPÖ). However, the party failed to gain significant support in the 1945 and 1949 elections, receiving only around 5% of the vote. The Soviets' inability to establish a communist government in Austria may be attributed to the country's distance from the Soviet Union's frontiers and its status as a secondary theatre of the Cold War.

The Soviet occupation of Austria ended in 1955 with the signing of the Austrian State Treaty. This treaty granted Austria its independence and neutrality, and all occupying troops were withdrawn by October 25, 1955.

The Red Army's occupation of Austria

In the winter of 1945, troops from the 3rd and 2nd Ukrainian Fronts approached Austria's border from Hungary. After almost four years of brutal combat, the Red Army suffered heavy losses, with 140,000 killed or captured. In March 1945, the Germans launched their last major offensive of the war at Lake Balaton, aimed at stopping the Soviet march into the Third Reich. However, the 3rd Ukrainian Front launched a counterattack, resulting in the elimination of the bulk of German forces in the south and the capture of Vienna. After taking Vienna, Soviet troops advanced towards Linz and Graz in early May.

The Red Army's occupation policies in Austria were shaped by the Moscow Declaration of 1943, in which the British, Americans, and Soviets proclaimed that Austria was Germany's first victim but would also have to pay the price for its participation in Nazi aggression. As a result, Austria was divided into four occupation zones by the Western Allies and the Soviet Union, with the Red Army occupying parts of Austria, including the capital, Vienna.

During the occupation, the Soviet Union imposed heavy economic exploitation on Austria, expropriating over 450 formerly German-owned businesses. By 1955, the majority of these companies were close to bankruptcy. The Soviet Union also demanded entitlement to German assets in Austria, resulting in Austria paying more than what Stalin originally demanded. Local governments were burdened with the task of feeding and clothing the Red Army.

The Soviet occupation also saw widespread looting and sexual assaults by Soviet soldiers. To address this, Soviet commanders issued orders discouraging criminal conduct and reminding troops not to confuse Austrian civilians with German occupiers. However, the wild looting and sexual assaults continued, with officers often leading the way in plundering and attacking women.

Order was gradually restored in the Soviet zone, with the number of troops decreasing over time and more disciplined and better-trained troops, mainly from the NKVD, occupying the country. The sexual relations between Soviet men and Austrian women became less physically violent and more transactional, with around 8,000 "soldier's children" born between 1946 and 1953.

Soviet exploitation of Austrian resources

The Soviet Union's exploitation of Austrian resources was extensive and wide-ranging. The Soviets expropriated over 450 formerly German-owned businesses in Austria, and by 1955, the majority of these companies were close to bankruptcy. The Soviets also placed almost all Austrian oil fields under their administration. This was done through the so-called "Sowjetische Mineralölverwaltung" (SMV). The Soviet holding company, USIA, controlled about 10% of the Austrian workforce, or 50,000 employees, at its peak.

The Soviets used vague language in the Potsdam Agreement to confiscate "German external assets" in Austria. In less than a year, they dismantled and shipped industrial equipment valued at around $500 million to the East. The Soviets also demanded entitlement to German assets in Austria in their zone of occupation, which included industrial plants and production installations. The amount of goods confiscated totalled 31,200 freight cars.

The Soviets also imposed heavy occupation costs on Austria. In 1946, 30% of the national budget went towards covering these costs, and from 1946 to 1955, Austria paid the Soviet Union 36.8 billion Schillings, or two percent of its accumulated GDP.

In addition to economic exploitation, the Soviets also engaged in political exploitation. Moscow unilaterally installed a provisional federal government under the elderly Social Democrat, Dr Karl Renner, in which Austrian communists controlled crucial ministries such as the interior and education. The Soviets also resisted the expansion and arming of the Austrian police force.

The Soviets also committed numerous atrocities against Austrian civilians, including widespread looting and sexual violence. According to one estimate, in Vienna alone, the Red Army raped between 70,000 and 100,000 women. The Soviets also engaged in mass arrests and executions, with Soviet military tribunals arresting around 800 Austrian civilians in the initial eight months of occupation. By 1955, the Soviets had arrested 2,400 Austrians, with 150 being executed.

Austrian resistance to Soviet occupation

Following the end of World War II, Austria was divided into four occupation zones, with the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, the United States, and France each taking control of a portion of the country. The Soviet Union's occupation of Austria, particularly its eastern regions, was marked by economic exploitation and political control.

The Soviet Union's economic exploitation of Austria was extensive. They expropriated over 450 formerly German-owned businesses, and by 1955, the majority of these companies were close to bankruptcy. The Soviet Union also placed almost all Austrian oil fields under their administration and controlled about 10% of the Austrian workforce. This economic exploitation led to Austria becoming an economic and political liability for the Soviets.

In addition to economic exploitation, the Soviet Union also exercised political control in Austria. They installed a provisional federal government under the Social Democrat Dr Karl Renner, with Austrian communists controlling crucial ministries such as the interior and education. The Soviets also resisted the expansion and arming of the Austrian police force.

However, the Soviet Union's influence in Austria was not absolute. The Western Allies, particularly the United States, played a significant role in countering Soviet expansionist intentions. American High Commissioner Mark W. Clark and diplomat George F. Kennan's reports to President Truman supported a tough stance against the Soviets. Additionally, the Western Allies successfully opposed Kremlin's plans to impose burdensome war reparations on Austria.

The Austrian people also resisted Soviet occupation in various ways. In the November 1945 parliamentary election, the Communist Party of Austria, which was closely associated with the Soviet Union, received less than 6% of the national vote. This was a clear rejection of Soviet influence and a sign of Austrian resistance to Communist rule.

Furthermore, Austrian diplomats seized the opportunity to build alliances with Western governments, laying the groundwork for Austria's reintegration into Western Europe. This, along with the Soviet Union's recognition that Austria was not a priority in their geopolitical interests, contributed to the eventual withdrawal of Soviet troops from Austria in 1955.

Soviet Union's post-war presence in Austria

The Soviet Union's post-war presence in Austria was characterised by heavy economic exploitation, the expropriation of German-owned businesses, and the imposition of burdensome reparations on the country.

Following World War II, Austria was divided into four occupation zones, jointly occupied by the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, the United States, and France. The Soviet Union occupied parts of Austria, including Vienna, while Anglo-American troops entered from Germany and Italy. Despite treating Austria as a defeated Axis power, the Soviet Union adhered to the Moscow Declaration of 1943, which proclaimed Austria as the first victim of Nazi Germany. This declaration ultimately led to Austria's independence and prevented it from losing any territory or facing the same fate as ethnic Germans from Eastern Europe, who were expelled or deported to the Soviet Union for slave labour.

The Soviet Union's occupation policies in Austria were shaped by its economic interests. It expropriated over 450 formerly German-owned businesses, placing them under the management of the Administration of Soviet Properties in Austria (USIA). By 1955, the majority of these companies were close to bankruptcy due to a lack of investment and general neglect. The Soviet Union also imposed burdensome reparations on Austria, with local governments being obliged to feed and clothe the Red Army. Moscow deployed NKVD (Soviet secret police) teams to extract reparations through requisitions, seizing industrial plants and production installations. According to historian Walter Iber, Austria paid the Soviet Union 36.8 billion Schillings, or two percent of its accumulated GDP from 1946 to 1955.

In terms of political control, the Soviet Union installed a provisional federal government under the Social Democrat Karl Renner, in which Austrian communists controlled crucial ministries such as the interior and education. However, the Soviet Union did not impose a communist dictatorship in Austria, and the scale of political violence was more limited compared to other countries occupied by the Red Army. Soviet military tribunals arrested around 2,400 Austrian civilians between 1945 and 1955, with approximately 150 being executed. The Soviet Union also influenced the Austrian Communist Party (KPÖ), which, however, failed to gain significant political support in the 1945 and 1949 elections.

The Soviet Union's presence in Austria was also marked by systematic sexual violence against women and widespread looting. Soviet soldiers committed hundreds of thousands of sexual assaults, robberies, and murders as they advanced through Austria. While the Soviet leadership issued orders discouraging criminal conduct, the wild looting and sexual assaults continued, violating standing policies.

The Soviet Union's occupation of Austria ended in 1955 with the Austrian State Treaty, which granted Austria full independence in exchange for promises of perpetual neutrality. The last occupation troops left Austria on 25 October 1955, and the country emerged as a neutral state during the Cold War.

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