Austria has been a buffer state between two rival or potentially hostile powers, acting as a buffer zone between Germany and Italy during the interwar period. In 1955, the Austrian State Treaty was signed, granting Austria independence and arranging for the withdrawal of all occupation forces. The treaty was signed with the understanding that the newly independent state of Austria would declare its neutrality, creating a buffer zone between the East and the West. This was the only treaty signed by both the Soviet Union and the United States in the decade after the 1947 Paris Peace Treaties, and it marked the only Cold War-era withdrawal by the Soviet Union from a territory it occupied.
Austria's neutrality was significant in the context of the Cold War, as it was situated between the Western Bloc, comprising the United States and its allies, and countries aligned with the Soviet Union. This strategic position allowed Austria to pursue a neutralist foreign policy, distinguishing it from satellite states.
However, it's important to note that the concept of a buffer state is not without its complexities and challenges. Research indicates that buffer states are significantly more likely to be conquered and occupied than non-buffer states. This is due to the strategic imperative of regional or great powers surrounding buffer states to take control and prevent their opponents from gaining influence.
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
Reason for buffer zone | To prevent conflict between two rival or potentially hostile great powers |
Austria's role | Austria acted as a buffer state between Germany and Italy during the interwar period |
Austria's status after WWII | Austria was occupied by foreign troops and divided into four zones, each governed by an Allied power |
Austria's status after the Cold War | Austria regained its sovereignty and maintained its neutrality |
What You'll Learn
Austria as a buffer state between Germany and Italy during the interwar period
Austria was a buffer state between Germany and Italy during the interwar period.
Austria's history is closely tied to Germany's, with German being the official language of both countries and the ancestors of Austrians being the Germanic Baiuvarii (ancient German Bavarians). From 555 to 843, 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, and 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.
After the fall of the Austro-Hungarian and German Empires in 1918, Austria was reduced to the main, mostly German-speaking areas of the empire (its current frontiers), and adopted the name, the Republic of German-Austria. However, union with Germany and the chosen country name were forbidden by the Allies at the Treaty of Versailles. This led to the creation of the First Austrian Republic (1919–1933).
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.
Eurail Pass: Railjet Austria to Hungary Coverage
You may want to see also
Austria's role in the Central European buffer zone
Austria has played a role as a buffer state between Germany and Italy during the interwar period.
In the context of the Cold War, Austria was a buffer state between the West and the Soviet Union. After the Second World War, Austria was divided into four zones of occupation, each governed by an Allied power. Austria was only able to regain its sovereignty after agreeing to remain neutral.
Austria's role as a buffer state in Central Europe is also reflected in the "Central European buffer zone", a term used to describe a group of post-Communist countries in Central Europe. These countries, including Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia, are sandwiched between the affluent countries of the European Union and countries with collapsing or backward economies.
Austria, along with Germany, has been a major source of foreign investment in the Central European buffer zone. Austrian and German firms have invested in the older and more traditional areas of the economies of these countries, such as large industrial plants and car manufacturing.
Austria-Hungary's Overseas Possessions: A Historical Perspective
You may want to see also
The Anschluss: Austria's annexation by Nazi Germany
The Anschluss, also known as the Anschluß, was the annexation of the Federal State of Austria into the German Reich on the 12th of March, 1938. The idea of a union between Austria and Germany, resulting in a "Greater Germany", was not new and had been a subject of debate since the 19th century. The unification of Germany in 1871, which excluded Austria, left many Austrians wanting to dissolve the German Confederation and unite with Germany. This desire for unification grew after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918, which left Austria stripped of its imperial land and amid an economic crisis.
By the 1920s, the Anschluss proposal had strong support in both Austria and Germany, particularly among Austrian citizens of the political left and centre. However, popular support for unification faded with time, although it remained a concept in contemporary Austrian political discourse.
After Adolf Hitler rose to power in Germany in 1933, desire for unification could be identified with the Nazis, for whom it was an integral part of the "Heim ins Reich" concept, which sought to incorporate as many Volksdeutsche (ethnic Germans outside Germany) as possible into a "Greater Germany". Hitler's plans for Austria were made clear in his 1925 autobiography and political treatise, Mein Kampf, in which he wrote:
> "German-Austria must be restored to the great German Motherland...People of the same blood should be in the same REICH."
Hitler's rise to power in Germany and the formation of the Austrofascist state in Austria, which opposed unification, led to increasing violence and terrorism by Austrian Nazis, who were funded by Germany. In 1934, Austrian chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss was assassinated by Austrian Nazis during an attempted coup. Despite this, leading Austrian Nazis continued their efforts to unify the two countries from exile in Germany.
In 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 the 13th of March. Portraying this as defying the popular will in Austria and Germany, Hitler threatened an invasion and pressured Schuschnigg to resign. A day before the planned referendum, the German Army crossed the border into Austria on the 12th of March, unopposed by the Austrian military. A plebiscite was held on the 10th of April, in which the ballot was not secret, and threats and coercion were employed to manipulate the vote, resulting in 99.7% approval for the Anschluss.
The Anschluss was the first step in Hitler's takeover of Europe, and the international community's failure to intervene or punish Nazi Germany for violating international treaties set a precedent for future appeasement.
Austria-Hungary's Focus Tree: HOI4's Unique Features Explored
You may want to see also
Austria's occupation by four Allied powers post-WWII
Austria was occupied by the Allies and declared independent from Nazi Germany on the 27th of April, 1945. The country was divided into four occupation zones, jointly occupied by the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, the United States, and France. Vienna, the capital, was also subdivided, with the central district under the collective administration of the Allied Control Council.
The occupation ended when the Austrian State Treaty came into force on the 27th of July, 1955. During the occupation, the country was governed by a coalition of the Social Democrats and Christian Democrats, the traditional centre-left and centre-right Austrian parties.
The Soviet Union'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. The Soviets, therefore, treated Austria as a defeated Axis power but also as a victim of Germany. This meant that Austria avoided some of the worst aspects of Germany's fate, such as territorial loss and ethnic cleansing.
However, the Soviets demanded that they be entitled to German assets in Austria in their zone of occupation, and the Western Allies consented. This demand, along with the burden of feeding and clothing the Red Army, imposed a heavy cost on the war-ravaged country. The Soviets also deployed NKVD (Soviet secret police) teams to extract reparations through requisitions, seizing industrial plants and production installations.
The Soviets exercised control in their zone of occupation until 1955, when they, along with the Western Allies, left the country in exchange for Austria's promises that it would remain neutral in the Cold War.
The Origin Story of Red Bull: Thai or Austrian?
You may want to see also
Austria's role as a buffer between the West and Russia
Austria has been considered a buffer state between the East and the West since the mid-20th century. In 1955, the US, UK, France, and the USSR signed the Austrian State Treaty, requiring Austria to declare permanent neutrality and exist as a buffer zone between the West and the East.
Austria's position as a buffer has also brought economic benefits. It has enabled the country to integrate into the West's economic architecture while also reaping the benefits of trade with the Soviet Union and later, Russia. As the first Western country to sign a natural gas agreement with the USSR in 1968, Austria continues to rely on Russian hydrocarbons, which influences its interests in maintaining neutral relations with Russia.
However, Austria's role as a buffer has been challenged by the Ukraine-Russia conflict. Despite its neutrality, Austria has committed to supporting Ukraine by sending humanitarian assistance and non-lethal weapons. This has strained Austrian-Russian relations, reducing bilateral ties to a minimum.
Austria's position as a buffer state is further complicated by its integration with the European Union and its partnerships with NATO. While Austria remains committed to neutrality, its increasing alignment with Western powers has raised questions about its ability to maintain a neutral stance in the context of growing geopolitical tensions.
Upgrade to Business Class: Austrian Airlines Secrets Revealed
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Yes, there is a buffer zone between Austria and Germany. Austria acted as a buffer state between Germany and Italy during the interwar period.
Yes, there was a buffer zone between Austria and Czechoslovakia. In 1950, a buffer zone was created between Czechoslovakia and Western Germany and Austria.
No information found.