The German-Austrian Historical Link: Was Austria German?

Austria and Germany share a complex history, with both countries having been variously united and divided over the centuries. While Austria was a German state and part of the Holy Roman Empire, it also controlled non-German territories, which complicated its relationship with other German states. The ancestors of Austrians were the Germanic Baiuvarii (ancient German Bavarians). From 1815 to 1866, Austria was the permanent president of the German Confederation, a loose political association of 39 German states. However, Austria's influence declined, and it was eventually defeated and isolated by Prussia in 1866, leading to the establishment of the Prussian-dominated North German Confederation. Despite efforts by some to unite Germany and Austria, they remained separate entities until Nazi Germany annexed Austria in 1938. After World War II, the Allies promoted a separate Austrian identity, and the countries have remained distinct nations since.

Austria was a German state but didn't join the union

Austria was a German state, but it did not join the union to form the German Empire. The country was ethnically German and German-speaking, and it was the permanent president of the German Confederation in the 19th century. However, its ruler controlled more non-German territories than German ones, so joining the German Empire was not a viable option unless the Austro-Hungarian Empire was dismantled.

Austria has a long shared history with Germany, and the two countries have close relations. The ancestors of Austrians were the Germanic Baiuvarii (ancient German Bavarians). In early history, the Baiuvarii established the Duchy of Bavaria, ruled by the West Germanic Franks from 555 to 843, including 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. It then separated from the Duchy of Bavaria to become 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 mostly led by Austria itself.

After the end of the Holy Roman Empire and the fall of Napoleon as the French Emperor, Austria joined the German Confederation, along with the other German states. The German Confederation was a loose political association of 39 German states, established by the Congress of Vienna in 1815 to replace the destroyed Holy Roman Empire. It was formed for mutual defense and had no central executive or judiciary. However, Austria's efforts to unite with Germany were thwarted by its holdings outside of Germany, which it was unwilling to give up. This became known as the "Great German solution." As a result, Austria stopped the works of the assembly, and the revolution of 1848 failed.

In 1866, Austria was defeated by Prussia in the Seven Weeks' War, which further solidified their separate paths. After this war, a North German Confederation was established under the control of Prussia, explicitly excluding Austria. In 1867, the new North German Confederation was declared, and all German states united within it, still without the South German states. This marked the end of Austria as a German state, as it chose to keep its territories outside of Germany.

In 1918, after World War I and the fall of the Austro-Hungarian and German Empires, Austria briefly renamed itself the Republic of German-Austria and sought union with Germany. However, this was forbidden by the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (1919), created by the winners of World War I against Germany and Austria. Throughout the interwar period, Austria and Germany remained separate entities. It was only in 1938, under the Nazi regime, that Austria was annexed into Germany in the Anschluss, seen as a reunification. However, after World War II, the Allies decided to split them up again and promote a separate Austrian identity.

Austria was annexed into Germany by Nazi Germany in 1938

The idea of the Anschluss emerged after the 1871 unification of Germany, which excluded Austria and the German Austrians from the Prussian-dominated German Empire. Support for the union grew after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918, and the establishment of the Republic of German-Austria, which sought to join Germany. However, this was forbidden by the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye in 1919, created by the winners of World War I.

Despite the prohibition, the desire for unification persisted, especially among Austrian citizens of the political left and center. The proposal gained further traction in the 1920s due to Austria's economic struggles and the loss of its imperial land. However, popular support for unification gradually faded over time.

When Adolf Hitler rose to power in Germany in 1933, the desire for unification became associated with the Nazis. For them, it was an integral part of their "Heim ins Reich" ("back home to the realm") concept, which aimed to incorporate as many ethnic Germans outside Germany into a "Greater Germany". Hitler himself, being Austrian-born, shared this nationalist idea from a young age.

In the early 1930s, the Austrian government explored the possibility of a customs union with Germany. However, regional patriotism ultimately prevailed over pan-German sentiment. Additionally, the Austrian government, controlled by the Austrofascist Fatherland Front, opposed unification with Nazi Germany.

Despite the opposition, Hitler and the Nazis continued to pursue the annexation of Austria. They cultivated pro-unification tendencies in Austria and sought to undermine the Austrian government. In 1934, Austrian Nazis attempted a coup, during which Austrian chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss was assassinated. Although the coup failed, it sparked a wave of terrorist attacks by remaining Austrian Nazis, causing a significant death toll in the following years.

In 1938, under increasing pressure from pro-unification activists, Austrian chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg announced a referendum on a possible union with Germany. Hitler threatened an invasion and pressured Schuschnigg to resign, demanding the appointment of the Nazi Arthur Seyss-Inquart as his replacement. On March 11, 1938, the day before the planned referendum, German troops crossed the Austrian border. The referendum was canceled, and Austria was annexed into Germany the following day.

A plebiscite held on April 10, 1938, claimed a 99.7% approval for the Anschluss. However, the true opinions of the population are uncertain, as the plebiscite was subject to Nazi propaganda and coercion. The annexation of Austria demonstrated Hitler's aggressive territorial ambitions and further emboldened him toward future aggression.

Austria was a German kingdom and part of the Holy Roman Empire

The history of Austria is closely tied to that of Germany, with both countries sharing a common language and ancestry. 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, Bavarian Austria came under East Francia (the Kingdom of Germany) from 843 to 962.

In 1156, Austria separated from the Duchy of Bavaria to become a sovereign state. 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.

The Holy Roman Empire was a collection of independent states that pledged common allegiance to an elected Emperor. From the mid-1400s, the Emperor was usually the ruling member of the Habsburg dynasty. The first Habsburg Holy Roman Emperor was Frederick III, who ascended to the throne in 1452. The Holy Roman Empire came to an end during the Napoleonic Wars in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

In 1804, Francis II, the Holy Roman Emperor, proclaimed the Austrian Empire, unifying all Habsburg possessions under one central government. The Austrian Empire, also known as the Empire of Austria, was a multinational European great power from 1804 to 1867. It was the third most populous monarchy in Europe and the third-largest empire in Europe in terms of geography.

The Austrian Empire remained part of the Holy Roman Empire until the latter's dissolution in 1806. During this time, Austria and its allies fought against Napoleon, with the exception of a period between 1809 and 1813 when it was first allied with Napoleon during the invasion of Russia and then remained neutral during the first few weeks of the Sixth Coalition War.

In conclusion, Austria was a German kingdom and part of the Holy Roman Empire, sharing a close historical connection with Germany and playing a significant role in the Empire's politics and dynamics.

Austria was the permanent president of the German Confederation in the 19th century

Austria was a part of the German Confederation from 1815 to 1866 and led it as its permanent president. The German Confederation was a loose political association of 39 German states, formed for mutual defence, with no central executive or judiciary. The Confederation was established by the Congress of Vienna to replace the destroyed Holy Roman Empire.

The permanent presidency of the German Confederation was not Austria's first experience of being a sovereign state. The Duchy of Bavaria, ruled by the Germanic Baiuvarii (ancient German Bavarians), was established in 555 and included the March of Pannonia that would become Austria in c.970. In 1156, Bavarian Austria separated from the Duchy of Bavaria to become a sovereign state.

Austria's leadership of the German Confederation was dominated by Klemens, Prince von Metternich, who, alongside other conservative leaders, persuaded the Confederation's princes to pass the repressive Carlsbad Decrees in 1819. The decrees aimed to crush liberalism and nationalism. In the 1830s, Metternich led the federal assembly in passing additional measures to suppress these movements.

The formation of the Zollverein, a German customs union, in 1834, and the Revolutions of 1848, undermined the German Confederation. It was ultimately dissolved following Prussia's defeat of Austria in the Seven Weeks' War of 1866. This war was the culmination of tensions between the two powers, with Prussia aiming to isolate Austria and establish its dominance.

After the dissolution of the German Confederation, Austria experienced a decline in influence, which, alongside Prussia's growing power, resulted in the unification of the German states without Austria.

Austria and Germany are now separate member-states of the EU

Austria and Germany have a shared 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.

However, Austria and Germany are now separate member-states of the EU. Austria's history has been influenced by its desire to maintain control over its non-German territories, which made joining the German Empire impossible unless the Austro-Hungarian "Empire" was dismantled. In the 19th century, Austria was the permanent president of the German Confederation, but it controlled more non-German territories than German ones. After World War I, the Austro-Hungarian Empire was dissolved, and the new Austrian Republic voted to join Germany. However, this was forbidden by the Treaty of Versailles, which aimed to prevent the formation of a dominant German state.

In the lead-up to World War II, Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg attempted to resist the Nazi regime's efforts to seize the Austrian government and unite the two countries. However, he was pressured into naming top Austrian Nazis to his cabinet and eventually resigned. On March 12, 1938, German troops marched into Austria, and Hitler appointed a new Nazi government, annexing Austria into Germany. This annexation, known as the Anschluss, was seen as a reunification and lasted until the end of World War II, when the Allied powers declared it void and reestablished an independent Austria.

After World War II, there was no serious effort to unite Germany and Austria, and the Austrian State Treaty forbids such a union. Austria began to develop a separate national identity from Germany, and in 1995, it joined the European Union. Both countries are now separate member-states of the EU, with a common currency and a free border. However, they differ in their military alliances, with Germany being a member of NATO and Austria maintaining its constitutional requirement of neutrality.

Frequently asked questions