Serbia And Austria: Neighbors Or One Country?

Serbia and Austria have had a long and tumultuous relationship, with Serbian immigration to Austria dating back to the early 19th century. While Serbia is not located in Austria, the two countries share a complex history, with periods of conflict and cooperation. The roots of their relationship can be traced back to the Ottoman-Habsburg wars, when Serbian migration to Austrian lands was influenced by the expansion of the Ottoman Empire. This led to the development of Serbian communities in major Austrian cities during the 18th and 19th centuries. The two countries have also experienced military tensions, including the Austro-Hungarian occupation of Serbia during World War I, which resulted in mass killings and deportations of Serbian civilians to internment camps. Today, Serbia maintains diplomatic relations with Austria, with embassies and consulates in each other's capitals.

Serbia and Austria's foreign relations

Serbia and Austria have a long history of foreign relations, which can be traced back to the Great Turkish War and the Habsburg-occupied Serbia of the late 17th century. The two countries have had embassies in each other's capitals for over a century, with Serbia also maintaining a consulate-general in Salzburg. Today, there are between 200,000 and 300,000 people of Serbian descent living in Austria, making them the second-largest ethnic minority group in the country. Similarly, there are 3,000 Austrian expats in Serbia, the largest Austrian population in Eastern Europe (excluding Romania).

The history of relations between Serbia and Austria is a complex one, marked by conflict and cooperation. One notable flare-up between the two countries was the 1906-1909 economic conflict known as the Pig War, which was followed by a diplomatic and military crisis over the Austrian annexation of Bosnia. This annexation inflamed pan-Serb sentiment and helped lay the groundwork for World War I. The assassination of the Austrian Archduke by a young Bosnian Serb further strained tensions, providing an opportunity for the Austro-Hungarian government to attempt to curb Slav nationalism.

During World War I, Austro-Hungary launched several offensives against Serbia, with the support of German and Bulgarian forces, and eventually succeeded in conquering and dividing the country. However, the war ultimately destroyed the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and Serbia annexed many of its former holdings in the Balkans. In the interwar period, a number of Serb medical professionals received their education in Austria.

Today, Serbia and Austria continue to maintain diplomatic relations, and both countries are part of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). Serbia is also a candidate for membership in the European Union, of which Austria is already a member.

Serbian migration to Austria

Serbia is not located in Austria, but there is a significant Serbian population in Austria, and the two countries have a long history of relations.

Serbs have a long historical presence in modern-day Austria, dating back to the end of the Middle Ages. The expansion of the Ottoman Empire caused a migration of ethnic Serbs to Austrian lands. Serbian noble families were welcomed by Habsburg rulers, who granted them new possessions. In the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, Austrian policy towards Serbs was marked by special interests related to the complex political situation in various regions of the expanding Habsburg monarchy. Emperor Leopold I issued several charters granting Eastern Orthodox Serbs religious freedom in the Monarchy. During the 18th and 19th centuries, new communities of ethnic Serbs developed in major Austrian cities, consisting mainly of merchants, officers and students.

The first wave of Serbian migration to Austria began in the early 19th century, while the largest wave was during the migrant worker program of the 1960s and 1970s. Serb immigration to Austria continues today due to economic and familial factors. The Serb community in Austria consists mainly of Serbs from Serbia, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

There are an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 people of Serbian descent living in Austria, with some sources placing the figure at 250,000. Serbs in Austria are the second-largest ethnic minority group in the country, after Germans. Vienna is home to 100,000 Serbian residents, making it the largest Serbian community outside of Serbia. More than 100,000 Serbs in Austria hold Austrian citizenship.

Austria-Hungary's occupation of Serbia

Serbia is not in Austria, but there is a history of relations between the two countries, including the Austro-Hungarian occupation of Serbia during World War I. Here is a detailed overview of the occupation:

The Lead-Up to War

The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Habsburg throne, and his wife, Duchess Sophie of Hohenberg, by Bosnian Serb nationalist Gavrilo Princip on June 28, 1914, sparked tensions between Austria-Hungary and Serbia. Austria-Hungary deemed Serbia responsible for the murder and viewed Serbia's independence as a threat to the future of the empire due to its sizable South Slavic population.

Declarations of War

On July 23, 1914, Austria-Hungary presented Serbia with an ultimatum, demanding the suppression of anti-Austrian propaganda and the right to conduct an investigation into the archduke's killing. While Serbia accepted most demands, Austria-Hungary broke diplomatic relations on July 25. On July 28, exactly one month after the assassination, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, marking the beginning of World War I.

Early Offensives and Occupation

Austria-Hungary launched three unsuccessful offensives between August and December 1914. However, in October 1915, with the support of German and Bulgarian forces, they breached the Serbian front. By January 1916, all of Serbia was occupied. The country was divided into two separate occupation zones: an Austro-Hungarian zone and a Bulgarian zone, both governed under a military administration.

Life Under Occupation

The Austro-Hungarian occupation aimed to denationalise and depoliticise the Serb population. They imposed a military legal system, banning political organisations, forbidding public assembly, and controlling schools. The occupation was marked by harsh measures, including martial law, hostage-taking, punitive raids, and public hangings. Additionally, Serbia's cultural institutions, such as the Royal Serbian Academy and the National Museum, were closed and looted.

Resistance and Liberation

During the occupation, guerrilla groups called Chetniks, made up of former Serbian soldiers, waged a guerrilla campaign against the occupiers. Serbia's allies, including Russia, Britain, and France, also exerted pressure. In September 1918, Allied forces broke through the Salonica front, leading to the surrender of Bulgaria. This was followed by the liberation of Serbia and the retreat of Austro-Hungarian troops by the end of October. By November 1918, all of pre-war Serbia had been liberated, ending the three-year occupation.

Serbian minority in Austria

Serbia is not in Austria, but there is a significant Serbian minority in Austria, which numbers between 200,000 and 300,000 people. This makes them the second-largest ethnic minority group in Austria, after Germans. The first wave of Serbian migration to Austria began in the early 19th century, but the largest wave was during the migrant worker program of the 1960s and 1970s. Serb immigration to Austria is still active today, largely due to economic and familial factors. The Serb community in Austria mainly consists of Serbs from Serbia, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Serbs have a long historical presence on the territory of modern Austria. By the end of the Middle Ages, the expansion of the Ottoman Empire caused many ethnic Serbs to migrate towards Austrian lands. Exiled members of Serbian noble families were welcomed by Habsburg rulers, who granted them new possessions. In 1479, Emperor Friedrich III granted castle Weitensfeld in Carinthia to exiled members of the Branković dynasty of Serbia.

During the period of Ottoman–Habsburg wars (from the 16th to 18th century), Austrian policy towards Serbs was marked by special interests, related to the complex political situation in various regions of the expanding Habsburg monarchy. Emperor Leopold I issued several charters (in 1690, 1691, and 1695) to Eastern Orthodox Serbs, who sided with the Habsburgs during the Vienna War (1683-1699), granting them religious freedom in the Monarchy.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, new communities of ethnic Serbs were established in major Austrian cities, consisting mainly of merchants, officers, and students. These communities were under the spiritual jurisdiction of the Serbian Orthodox Metropolitanate of Karlovci. In 1936, the Österreichisch Serbische Gesellschaft (Austrian Serbian Society) was founded. In 2011, the Serbian Orthodox Eparchy of Austria and Switzerland was created, centered in Vienna.

According to the 2014 census, there were 132,553 (2.2%) Austrian citizens who declared Serbian as their native language. However, the real number of ethnic Serbs in Austria is estimated to be much higher. The membership of "Serbische Gemeinschaft in Österreich" (Savez Srba u Austriji), an ethnic Serb association in Austria, exceeds 250,000 people. Vienna is home to 100,000 Serbian residents, making it the largest Serbian community outside of Serbia. The common estimation is a total of 300,000 Serbs in Austria.

Austria-Hungary's annexation of Bosnia

Serbia is not in Austria, but there is a significant historical connection between the two countries. There is a large ethnic Serb community in Austria, and Serbs have a long historical presence in the country, dating back to the end of the Middle Ages.

Now, here is some detailed information on Austria-Hungary's annexation of Bosnia:

On October 6, 1908, the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary announced its annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, two provinces in the Balkan region of Europe. While the provinces were still nominally under Ottoman control in 1908, they had been administered by Austria-Hungary since 1878, following the Congress of Berlin, where the great powers of Europe awarded the monarchy temporary control. This arrangement preserved the delicate balance of power in Europe, as both provinces were coveted by many, including Austria and Hungary themselves. The largely Slavic population of Bosnia and Herzegovina, however, had their own nationalist ambitions, which were shared by their fellow Slavs in nearby Serbia.

In 1908, the Young Turks' rebellion against the Ottoman government presented an opportunity for Austria-Hungary to assert its dominance in the Balkans. Baron Aloys von Aerenthal, the foreign minister, saw this as a chance to act, given the weakness of the Sultan and Russia's preoccupation with the aftermath of its defeat in the Russo-Japanese War and internal revolution. On October 6, 1908, Austria-Hungary announced its annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, upsetting the fragile balance of power in the region and enraging Serbia and pan-Slavic nationalists.

The annexation had significant repercussions. It permanently damaged relations between Austria-Hungary and its neighbours, especially Serbia, which felt its nationalist sentiments inflamed by this move. This annexation was one of the factors that contributed to the outbreak of World War I. Serbia mobilised its army and demanded that Austria cede a portion of Bosnia and Herzegovina or provide compensation. When these demands were rejected, Serbia began forming secret guerrilla bands and plotting insurrection in Bosnia. The crisis was eventually resolved in March 1909, but it left a lasting impact on the region's geopolitics.

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