Austria And Germany: Two Nations, One History

Austria and Germany share a border, a common language, and some history. However, they are two separate countries. Austria, officially the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, with Vienna as its capital. Austria has a population of around 9 million people and occupies an area of 83,879 sq km (32,386 sq mi). On the other hand, Germany is a country in Western Europe with a population of over 80 million people and an area of 357,022 sq km (137,847 sq mi). While Germany is a member of NATO, Austria is not and maintains a strict constitutional requirement of neutrality.

Austria and Germany share a border and have a common language

The border between Austria and Germany was first established in 1363 with the independence of the Duchy of Tyrol, and it has changed several times throughout history. The founding of the Republic of Austria in 1918 stabilized the border, but it disappeared in 1938 when Austria was annexed by Germany. The border was restored at the end of World War II, and it has remained unchanged since then.

Both countries have German as an official language, which facilitates cross-border cooperation. However, the dialect of German spoken in Austria, known as Austrian German or Austro-Bavarian, differs significantly from Standard German and can be challenging for German speakers from other regions to understand.

Austria was annexed into Germany by Nazi Germany in 1938

During the 1920s and 1930s, the desire for unification was closely associated with the Nazis and their concept of "Heim ins Reich" ("back home to the realm"), which aimed to incorporate as many ethnic Germans as possible into a "Greater Germany". In 1933, when Adolf Hitler rose to power in Germany, Austrian Nazis attempted a coup in their home country, assassinating the Austrian chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss. Although the coup failed, it prompted many leading Austrian Nazis to seek exile in Germany, where they continued to advocate for unification.

In early 1938, Austrian chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg announced a referendum on the potential union with Germany, which was scheduled for March 13. Hitler, portraying this as defying the popular will, threatened to invade Austria and pressured Schuschnigg to resign. On March 12, the day before the planned referendum, the German army crossed the border into Austria unopposed. A plebiscite was held on April 10, with coercion and threats employed to manipulate the vote, resulting in 99.7% approval for the Anschluss. While the true opinions of the population are unknown, it is estimated that about 70% of Austrians would have voted to preserve Austrian independence.

Austria remained a federal state of Germany until the end of World War II, when the Allies declared the Anschluss void and reestablished an independent Austria.

Austria was a prefecture of Bavaria in 976

In the early history of the region, the Germanic Baiuvarii (ancient German Bavarians) established the Duchy of Bavaria, which was ruled by Francia of West Germanic Franks from 555 to 843. This included the March of Pannonia, which would later become Austria in c. 970. Later, from 843 to 962, Bavarian Austria was under the rule of East Francia (the Kingdom of Germany).

In 976, Austria was a prefecture of Bavaria, and it was during this time that the Danube basin of Austria (Upper and Lower Austria) marked the easternmost extent of Bavaria. However, Austria's time as a prefecture of Bavaria was short-lived. In 976, Bavaria lost large territories in the south and southeast due to the revolt of Henry II, Duke of Bavaria.

Following this loss, Austria separated from the Duchy of Bavaria and became a sovereign state in 1156. From 1156 to 1806, Austria (excluding 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 was mostly led by Austria itself.

Over the centuries, Austria and Bavaria's paths diverged, and they became separate political entities, with Austria eventually gaining independence and establishing its own empire in 1804.

Austria is a landlocked country in Central Europe

The area of today's Austria has been inhabited since at least the Paleolithic period. Around 400 BC, it was inhabited by the Celts and then annexed by the Romans in the late 1st century BC. Christianization in the region began in the 4th and 5th centuries, during the late Roman period, followed by the arrival of numerous Germanic tribes during the Migration Period.

Austria, as a unified state, emerged from the remnants of the Eastern and Hungarian March at the end of the first millennium, first as a frontier march of the Holy Roman Empire. It then developed into a Duchy in 1156 and was made an Archduchy in 1453. Being the heartland of the Habsburg monarchy since the late 13th century, Austria was a major imperial power in Central Europe for centuries. From the 16th century, Vienna also served as the Holy Roman Empire's administrative capital.

Austria is a semi-presidential representative democracy with a popularly elected president as head of state and a chancellor as head of government and chief executive. The country has the 13th highest nominal GDP per capita and high standards of living. It is a member of the United Nations, the European Union, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

The landscape of Austria is characterised by mountains and forests, with the Austrian Alps forming the physical backbone of the country. The country is also known for its lakes, many of which were formed during the Pleistocene Epoch. Nearly all Austrian territory drains into the Danube River system.

Although German is the official language of both Austria and Germany, and the two countries share a border and a common history, they are separate and distinct nations.

Austria is a semi-presidential representative democracy

Austria's federal legislative authority is concentrated in the National Council, which is one of the two houses of the Austrian Parliament and is frequently referred to as the lower house. The constitution endows the National Council with far more power than the Federal Council. The National Council has 183 members, elected by nationwide popular vote for a term of five years. Each Austrian aged sixteen or older on the day the election takes place is entitled to one vote.

The executive branch of the Austrian government is supposed to be headed by the President, but is also answerable to the National Council. In practice, however, nearly all of the day-to-day work of governing is left to the Chancellor and Cabinet, who are dependent on the confidence of the National Council. The President has the theoretical right to name anyone eligible to serve in the National Council as a minister or Chancellor. However, the National Council's right to sack a minister or the entire cabinet makes it all but impossible for Presidents to appoint a government entirely of their own choosing.

Austria's political system after the re-establishment of democracy and self-determination is referred to as the Second Republic. The Second Republic is governed according to the principles of representative democracy and the rule of law. The constitutional framework of Austrian politics and the marrow of the constitution's practical implementation are widely agreed to be robust and adequately conducive to peaceful change.

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