Austria's Historical Ties To Germany: A Complex Past

Austria and Germany share a history that goes back to the early Germanic tribes. The ancestors of Austrians were the Germanic Baiuvarii (ancient German Bavarians). In early history, the Baiuvarii established the Duchy of Bavaria, which included the March of Pannonia that would become Austria in c. 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, which was officially a German polity from 1512 and mostly led by Austria itself.

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. In 1867, the multi-ethnic Austro-Hungarian Empire was established and led by Austria. Austria was annexed into Germany in 1938 under the Nazi regime, in what was seen as a reunification. However, in 1945, the Allied Powers declared the annexation void and reestablished an independent Austria.

Austria was part of the Holy Roman Empire from 962 to 1806

Austria was a part of the Holy Roman Empire from 962 to 1806. The Holy Roman Empire was a union of crowns, with only partial shared laws and institutions other than the Habsburg court itself; the provinces were divided in three groups: the Archduchy proper, Inner Austria that included Styria and Carniola, and Further Austria with Tyrol and the Swabian lands. The territorial possessions of the monarchy were thus united only by virtue of a common monarch. The Austrian Empire was created by proclamation out of the realms of the Habsburgs in 1804. The Austrian Empire was a single state, although the overarching structure and the status of its component lands at first stayed much the same as they had been under the composite monarchy. The Austrian Empire was officially a German polity from 1512 and mostly led by Austria itself. The Austrian Empire was dissolved in 1806.

Austria was part of the German Confederation from 1815 to 1866

Yes, Austria was part of the German Confederation from 1815 to 1866. The German Confederation was an association of 39 predominantly German-speaking sovereign states in Central Europe. It was created by the Congress of Vienna in 1815 as a replacement of the former Holy Roman Empire, which had been dissolved in 1806 as a result of the Napoleonic Wars.

The German Confederation was led by Austria from 1815 to 1866. In 1866, Austria was separated from Germany and the German Confederation was dissolved. In 1867, the multi-ethnic Austro-Hungarian Empire was established and led by Austria; it was rivaled by the North German Confederation from 1866 to 1871 and German Empire led by the Kingdom of Prussia rivaled Austria.

Austria was annexed into Germany in 1938 under the Nazi regime

The idea of a union between Austria and Germany, or Anschluss, was not new. After the 1871 unification of Germany, Austria was excluded from the Prussian-dominated German Empire. The idea gained support after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918, and the new Republic of German-Austria attempted to form a union with Germany. However, the Treaty of Saint-Germain and Treaty of Versailles forbade both the union and the continued use of the name "German-Austria".

In the 1920s, the Anschluss proposal had strong support in both Austria and Germany, particularly among Austrian citizens of the political left and centre. However, support for unification with Germany faded with time, although it remained a concept in the contemporary Austrian political discourse.

Hitler, who had become Chancellor of Germany in 1933, was a vocal supporter of the Anschluss, which was an integral part of the Nazi "Heim ins Reich" ("back home to the realm") concept. Nazi Germany's agents cultivated pro-unification tendencies in Austria, and sought to undermine the Austrian government, which was controlled by the Austrofascist Fatherland Front, which opposed unification. In 1934, Austrian chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss was assassinated by Austrian Nazis in a failed coup.

In early 1938, under increasing pressure from pro-unification activists, Austrian chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg announced that there would be a referendum on a possible union with Germany versus maintaining Austria's sovereignty, to be held on March 13. Portraying this as defying the popular will in Austria and Germany, Hitler threatened an invasion and secretly pressured Schuschnigg to resign. A day before the planned referendum, on March 12, the German Army crossed the border into Austria, unopposed by the Austrian military.

Hitler accompanied the German troops into Austria, where they were met by enthusiastic crowds. Hitler appointed a new Nazi government, and on March 13 the 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.

Austria was occupied by the Allies separately from Germany from 1945 to 1955

Austria was occupied by the Allies and declared independent from Nazi Germany on 27 April 1945. This was confirmed by the Berlin Declaration for Germany on 5 June 1945.

Austria was then divided into four occupation zones and jointly occupied by the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, the United States, and France. Vienna was similarly subdivided, but the central district was collectively administered by the Allied Control Council.

Austria remained under joint occupation of the Western Allies and the Soviet Union until 1955. Its status became a controversial subject in the Cold War until the Khrushchev Thaw.

Austria was finally accorded full independence on 15 May 1955 and the last occupation troops left on 25 October that year.

Austria and Germany have been separate countries since 1955

In 1938, Nazi Germany, led by Austrian-born Adolf Hitler, annexed Austria into Germany in what was called the Anschluss. This was seen as a reunification, and a large majority of Austrians supported it. However, after World War II, the Allies removed Austria from the Third Reich, and on 27 April 1945, Austria claimed independence from Germany. The 1955 Austrian State Treaty allowed Austria to regain power from the Allies and banned reunification with Germany. Austria became a republic again in 1955, ten years after the end of World War II.

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