Austria And Germany: One Country Or Two?

Austria and Germany share a border, a common language, and a history that includes unification under the Holy Roman Empire and the Third Reich. However, Austria and Germany are two separate countries. Austria has been an independent country since 1945, when it was liberated from Nazi Germany and Allied occupation.

Austria and Germany's shared history

Austria and Germany share a history that dates back to the early Middle Ages. 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 (the Kingdom of Germany) from 843 to 962.

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 mostly led by Austria itself. During this time, Austria was a major imperial power in Central Europe, and Vienna served as the administrative capital of the Holy Roman Empire.

In the 18th century, the rise of the Kingdom of Prussia created a rivalry between Austria and Prussia for dominance over their neighbouring German states. This rivalry led to the Austro-Prussian War in 1866, which Prussia won. As a result, Austria was excluded from the German Confederation, and the North German Confederation was established in 1867, excluding Austria.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the desire for unification with Germany was a popular opinion in both Austria and Germany. However, the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, imposed by the victorious Allies after World War I, explicitly forbade the union of the two countries to prevent the creation of a dominant German state. Despite this, Austria and Germany shared a common language and close cultural ties.

In 1938, Austria was annexed into Nazi Germany under the leadership of Austrian-born Adolf Hitler. This annexation, known as the Anschluss, was seen as a reunification of the two countries. However, after World War II, Austria claimed independence from Germany in 1945 and developed a separate national identity. Since then, there has been no serious effort among citizens or political parties to unite the two countries.

Austria's sovereignty

After World War I, there were strong desires for unification between Austria and Germany, and the country briefly renamed itself the Republic of German-Austria. However, this unification was forbidden by the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye in 1919, which was created by the winners of World War I to prevent the formation of a dominant German state. Despite this, in 1938, Nazi Germany, led by Austrian-born Adolf Hitler, annexed Austria into Germany once again.

Following World War II, Austria was separated from Germany and occupied by the Allied Powers. On April 27, 1945, a provisional Austrian government declared the country's regained independence, and in 1955, the Austrian State Treaty further solidified Austria's sovereignty by banning any reunification with Germany. This treaty also declared Austria's neutrality, which has been a key aspect of its foreign policy since then.

Since regaining its independence, Austria has developed its own national identity, distinct from that of Germany. Austrians now consider themselves ethnic Austrians rather than Germans, and the country has established its own political system, economy, and cultural offerings. Austria has also joined several international organizations, such as the United Nations, the European Union, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, further solidifying its status as a sovereign nation.

Austria's neutrality

Despite external pressures and internal debates, Austria's commitment to neutrality remains strong. An opinion poll from March 2022 found that 76% of Austrians favoured remaining neutral, while only 18% supported joining NATO. This preference for neutrality is deeply ingrained in Austrian society and is likely to continue influencing the country's domestic and international policies.

Austria's national identity

Austrian nationalism asserts that Austrians are a nation and promotes the cultural unity of Austrians. Austrian nationalism originally developed as a cultural nationalism that emphasized a Catholic religious identity, which was perceived as a potential threat to the Protestant-majority Prussia. Austrian nationalism was also used to protect the rule of the Habsburgs.

Austrian nationalism first arose during the Napoleonic Wars, with Joseph von Hormayr as a prominent Austrian nationalist political leader at the time. In the 1930s, Engelbert Dollfuss and Kurt Schuschnigg's Fatherland Front government rejected current pan-German aspirations to join Austria with a Protestant-dominated Germany. They claimed that any unification of Austria with Germany would require a federal German state where Austria and Austrians were guaranteed privileged status, recognizing an Austrian nation within a German Kulturnation.

Following World War II and the fall of the Nazi regime, Austrians began to reject the German identity, and a broader Austrian identity replaced it. Austrians went as far as describing themselves as "Hitler's first victim". Proponents of an Austrian nation-state emphasized the non-Germanic heritage of Austrian culture, including Celtic, Illyrian, Roman, Slavic, and Magyar influences. Austrians express pride in their Celtic heritage, and the country possesses one of the largest collections of Celtic artifacts in Europe.

In addition to German, the State of Austria also recognizes three minority languages: Slovenian, Croatian, and Hungarian. Austrian nationalism has faced internal challenges, primarily from German nationalism and, after World War I, Bavarian nationalism, which proposed that Austria should join Bavaria.

In the post-World War II era, the desire for unification with Germany among Austrians declined. In 1987, only 6% of Austrians identified themselves as "Germans," and by 2008, over 90% saw themselves as an independent nation.

Austria's annexation into Germany

Background

Austria and Germany share a history, with German being the official language of both countries. 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.

After the fall of the Holy Roman Empire, Austria established its own empire in 1804, which became a great power and one of the largest states in Europe. However, the empire's defeat in wars and the loss of territories in the 1860s paved the way for the establishment of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1867, which was ruled by Austria. This empire included various ethnic groups such as Hungarians, Slavs, and Italians, which caused tension between the different groups.

The Rise of Nazism and the Annexation

The idea of a united Austria and Germany ("Anschluss") gained support after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918. The new Republic of German-Austria attempted to form a union with Germany, but the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint Germain forbade both the union and the continued use of the name "German-Austria". These treaties also stripped Austria of some of its territories.

During the 1920s, the idea of Anschluss had strong support in both Austria and Germany, particularly among Austrian citizens of the political left and center. However, popular support for the unification faded over time. After Adolf Hitler rose to power in Germany in 1933, desire for unification became associated with the Nazis, for whom it was an integral part of their ideology.

In Austria, Engelbert Dollfuss established an Austrofascist dictatorship, which opposed unification with Germany. This led to a failed coup attempt by Austrian Nazis in 1934, during which Dollfuss was assassinated. Dollfuss was succeeded by Kurt Schuschnigg, who continued Dollfuss' policies. However, facing increasing pressure from pro-unification activists, Schuschnigg announced a referendum on a possible union with Germany, to be held on March 13, 1938.

Hitler, furious at the prospect of the referendum, threatened to invade Austria and demanded Schuschnigg's resignation. On March 11, 1938, Schuschnigg resigned under pressure from Hitler, and Arthur Seyss-Inquart, a supporter of the Nazis, was appointed chancellor. The next day, March 12, German troops crossed the border into Austria, unopposed by the Austrian military. On March 13, Seyss-Inquart announced the abrogation of the treaty prohibiting the unification of Austria and Germany, and Austria officially became a province of Germany.

Aftermath

The annexation of Austria was the first step in Hitler's plan to create a Greater German Reich. It was followed by the occupation of the Sudetenland, the dismantling of Czechoslovakia, and the invasion of Poland, which marked the start of World War II.

The annexation was met with mixed reactions in Austria. While many Austrians supported the idea of a united Germany, others opposed it, particularly those who wished to preserve Austrian independence and those who were targeted by the Nazis, such as Jews and political dissidents. The annexation also sparked violence against Austria's Jewish population, who were subjected to discriminatory laws and public humiliation. Many Jews decided to leave the country, while those who remained would eventually become victims of the Holocaust.

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