Austria's Germanic Roots: A Cultural Identity Crisis?

Austria is a landlocked country in Central Europe with a population of around 9 million. It is bordered by Germany to the northwest, the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia to the northeast, Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west. The country has a rich history and has been inhabited since at least the Paleolithic period.

Historically, Austrians were regarded as Germans and viewed themselves as such. The Austrian lands were part of the Holy Roman Empire and the German Confederation until the Austro-Prussian War in 1866, which resulted in Prussia expelling the Austrian Empire from the Confederation. Thus, when Germany was founded as a nation-state in 1871, Austria was not a part of it.

After World War I and the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Austria briefly renamed itself the Republic of German-Austria in a bid for union with Germany. However, this was forbidden by the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (1919), and Austria was reduced to a rump state. The First Austrian Republic was founded 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 was reversed in 1945, and Austria was occupied by the Allies separately from Germany until 1955.

Today, the vast majority of Austrians do not identify as German and have developed their own separate and distinct national identity. Austria has a federal parliamentary system with a chancellor as the head of government and a president as the head of state. The country consists of nine states (Bundesländer), and both regional and federal governments exercise executive power.

In terms of culture and language, while German is the official language of Austria, there are also recognised minority languages such as Slovenian, Croatian, and Hungarian. Austrian German has been recognised as an official language since 1951.

Germanic tribes settled in the region that is now Austria during the Migration Period

The Germanic tribes settled in the region that is now Austria during the Migration Period (c. 6th century). The Bavarii, a Germanic people, occupied these lands until the 9th century when it fell to the Frankish Empire.

The Bavarii were a Germanic people who migrated into Western Europe during the 5th century. They were a powerful military force, with warriors fiercely devoted to their military leaders, or chieftains. The Bavarians were a migratory group with no fixed abode, and their population grew as they moved westwards into coastal floodplains due to the exhaustion of the soil in their original settlements.

The Bavarians were one of the five general groups of Germanic people that emerged by 250 BCE, each employing distinct linguistic dialects but sharing similar language innovations. The other four groups were the North Germanic, North Sea Germanic, Rhine-Weser Germanic, and Elbe Germanic. The Bavarians were relatively more geographically settled than the eastern Germanic people, who continued their migratory habits.

The Bavarians' westward migration led to conflict with the Celts, who were forced to either Germanize or migrate elsewhere. The Bavarians eventually settled in central Europe, becoming accustomed to agriculture. The Bavarians were also known as Bavars, Baioarians, or Baiovarii.

Austrians were historically considered Germans and viewed themselves as such

When Germany was founded as a nation-state in 1871, Austria was not a part of it. In 1867, Austria was reformed into the Austro-Hungarian Empire. After the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918 at the end of World War I, Austria was reduced to a rump state and briefly used the name 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.

During the interwar period, anti-parliamentarian sentiments culminated in the formation of an Austrofascist dictatorship under Engelbert Dollfuss in 1934. A year before the outbreak of World War II, Austria was annexed into Nazi Germany by Adolf Hitler, and it became a sub-national division.

After the defeat of Nazi Germany and the end of World War II in Europe, the political ideology of pan-Germanism and the union with Germany became associated with Nazism, resulting in Austrians developing their own separate and distinct national identity. Today, the vast majority of Austrians do not identify as German.

Austrians may be described either as a nationality or as a homogeneous Germanic ethnic group that is closely related to neighbouring Germans, Liechtensteiners, and German-speaking Swiss. Today, 91.1% of the population are regarded as ethnic Austrians.

Austria was part of the Holy Roman Empire and the German Confederation until 1866

The history of Austria is a complex one, with the territory understood by the term 'Austria' undergoing drastic changes over time. The area now known as Austria was inhabited by the Hallstatt Celtic culture from around 800 BC, and was annexed by the Romans in the late 1st century BC. In the 6th century, the Bavarii, a Germanic people, occupied these lands until it fell to the Frankish Empire in the 9th century. The name Ostarrîchi (Austria) has been in use since 996 AD, when it was a margravate of the Duchy of Bavaria. From 1156, it was an independent duchy (later archduchy) of the Holy Roman Empire.

In 1806, when Emperor Francis II of Austria dissolved the Holy Roman Empire, Austria became the Austrian Empire, and was also part of the German Confederation until the Austro-Prussian War of 1866. In 1867, Austria formed a dual monarchy with Hungary: the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

The Holy Roman Empire was a loose confederation of 39 predominantly German-speaking sovereign states, and Austria was part of this until the Austro-Prussian war in 1866, which resulted in the dissolution of the German Confederation and the creation of the North German Confederation led by Prussia and excluding Austria.

The Austrian Empire was officially known as the Empire of Austria, and was created by proclamation out of the realms of the Habsburgs. It was the third most populous monarchy in Europe after the Russian Empire and the United Kingdom. It was created by Francis II in 1804 in response to Napoleon's declaration of the First French Empire, unifying all Habsburg possessions under one central government. It remained part of the Holy Roman Empire until the latter's dissolution in 1806.

The Kingdom of Hungary was administered separately from the rest of the empire, and after Austria was defeated in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 was adopted, joining the Kingdom of Hungary and the Empire of Austria to form Austria-Hungary.

Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany in 1938

In the early 20th century, the idea of unification had strong support in both Austria and Germany, particularly among Austrian citizens of the political left and centre. However, support for unification faded over time, although it remained a concept in contemporary Austrian political discourse. After 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 the "Heim ins Reich" ("back home to the realm") concept.

In early 1938, Austrian chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg announced a referendum on a possible union with Germany versus maintaining Austrian sovereignty, to be held on 13 March. Portraying this as defying the popular will, Hitler threatened an invasion and pressured Schuschnigg to resign. A day before the planned referendum, on 12 March, the German army crossed the border into Austria. A plebiscite was held on 10 April, in which the ballot was not secret, and threats and coercion were used to manipulate the vote, resulting in 99.7% approval for the Anschluss.

While the population's true opinions are unknown, it has been estimated that about 70% of Austrians would have voted to preserve Austrian independence. The Allies were committed to upholding the terms of the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of St. Germain, which specifically prohibited the union of Austria and Germany, but their reaction was only verbal and moderate. No military confrontation took place, and Austria became a province of Ostmark, with Arthur Seyss-Inquart appointed governor.

The annexation demonstrated Hitler's aggressive territorial ambitions, and the failure of Britain and France to take action against him emboldened him towards further aggression. The Republic of Austria ceased to exist as an independent state, and it remained part of Germany until the end of World War II. A provisional government in Allied-occupied Austria declared the Anschluss "null and void" on 27 April 1945, and Austria was recognised as a separate country.

Austria is a member of the European Union and has close relations with Germany

Germanic Europe

Austria is considered a part of Germanic Europe due to its historical and cultural ties to Germany. The ancestors of Austrians were the Germanic Baiuvarii (ancient German Bavarians). In early history, the Baiuvarii established the Duchy of Bavaria, which was ruled by Francia of West Germanic Franks from 555 to 843 and included the March of Pannonia that would become Austria in c. 970. Later, Bavarian Austria came under East Francia (Kingdom of Germany) from 843 to 962.

Austria-Germany Relations

Austria and Germany have close relations due to their shared history, with German being the official language of both countries. In addition to linguistic similarities, the two countries also share a border.

Historical Ties

Austria and Germany have a long history of political and cultural ties. 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. After the Holy Roman Empire came to an end during the Napoleonic Wars in the late 1700s and early 1800s, Austria and Prussia allied and became part of the German Confederation in 1815.

In the mid-1800s, Austria and Prussia fought the Austro-Prussian War, which resulted in Prussia expelling the Austrian Empire from the German Confederation. Thus, when Germany was founded as a nation-state in 1871, Austria was not a part of it. Instead, Austria became part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which was established in 1867 and lasted until the end of World War I in 1918.

Post-World War I

After World War I, Austria briefly renamed itself the Republic of German-Austria in an attempt to unite with Germany. However, this action 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. Despite this prohibition, the majority in both countries wanted unification.

Annexation by Germany

In 1938, Nazi Germany, led by Austrian-born Adolf Hitler, annexed Austria into Germany in what became known as the Anschluss. This annexation was seen as a reunification of the two countries and was initially supported by many Austrians. However, the Anschluss was reversed in 1945, and Austria was occupied by the Allies separately from Germany until 1955.

Post-World War II

After World War II, there has been no serious effort among the citizens or political parties to unite Germany and Austria. In addition, the Austrian State Treaty forbids such a union, and the Austrian constitution requires the country to maintain neutrality. A 1987 survey revealed that only 6% of Austrians identified themselves as 'Germans'. Instead, Austria began to develop a separate national identity from Germany, although the two countries continued to cooperate closely in economic and cultural fields during the Cold War.

European Union

In 1995, Austria joined the European Union, of which Germany is also a member. This removed the physical land border between the two countries and allowed them to further consolidate their already strong links. Both countries are also members of the Eurozone and adopted the Euro as their legal currency in 2001.

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