Austria's Communist Past: A Historical Overview

Austria was not a communist country, but it did have a Communist Party, the KPÖ, which was established in 1918 and is one of the world's oldest communist parties. After World War II, Austria was divided into four zones, occupied by the Allies: Russia, America, France, and Britain. The country was in a similar situation to much of Europe at the time, facing food shortages, housing problems, and issues with refugees, production, currency, power, and labour. The Allies emphasised the threat of Communism, and the Soviet Union gave every indication that they wanted to turn Austria into a Communist state. However, the Allies, particularly the United States, were determined to prevent this. They provided aid to Austria, including food, medical supplies, fuel, and other necessities, and waived reimbursement for occupation. This stabilised Austria's economy and reduced its dependence on the Soviet Union. In addition, the Austrian government, particularly Chancellor Leopold Figl of the Austrian People's Party, resisted Communist influence. In the 1945 election, the Communist Party received only 5.4% of the votes, and in subsequent elections, their popularity continued to decline. In 1955, the Soviet Union agreed to restore Austrian sovereignty and evacuate its troops in exchange for a promise of Austrian neutrality. This marked the end of the Allied occupation and the beginning of Austria's independence as a non-Communist state.

The Communist Party of Austria (KPÖ)

The KPÖ was banned between 1933 and 1945 under the Austrofascist regime and the Nazi German administration of Austria. During the First Republic, the KPÖ had little influence and struggled with internal factional struggles. The party also disagreed with the Communist Party of the Soviet Union on several issues, including the branding of social democracy as a form of "social fascism".

After World War II, the KPÖ gained national importance, partly due to the support of the occupying Soviet authorities. In the first provisional government, the party was represented by seven members and Johann Koplenig, the party chairman, became vice-chancellor. However, the KPÖ lost support following the economic recovery and the end of the occupation in 1955. The party also faced internal crises and a wave of withdrawals after failing to condemn the suppression of the 1956 Hungarian uprising.

In recent years, the KPÖ has experienced a revival, particularly in the state of Styria. In the 2023 Salzburg state election, the party won 11.7% of the vote and four seats in the state parliament. The KPÖ has also been successful in Graz, Austria's second-largest city, where they have held the mayorship since 2021.

The KPÖ's campaign focuses include housing policy and direct contact with constituents. The party has been credited with practicing a form of politics that emphasises face-to-face interaction and providing direct support to constituents, such as assistance with bureaucratic matters.

Austria's liberation from Nazi Germany

Austria was liberated from Nazi Germany in 1945, following the Vienna offensive.

The Liberation

On 29 March 1945, Soviet commander Fyodor Tolbukhin's troops crossed the former Austrian border. On 3 April, at the beginning of the Vienna Offensive, the Austrian politician Karl Renner, then living in southern Lower Austria, established contact with the Soviets. On 20 April 1945, the Soviets instructed Renner to form a provisional government. Seven days later, Renner's cabinet took office, declared Austria's independence from Nazi Germany, and called for the creation of a democratic state.

Post-Liberation

In the immediate aftermath of World War II, Austria was divided into four occupation zones and jointly occupied by the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, the United States, and France. Vienna was similarly subdivided, but the central district was collectively administered by the Allied Control Council.

Independence

Austria was declared independent from Nazi Germany on 27 April 1945, confirmed by the Berlin Declaration for Germany on 5 June 1945. The country remained under joint occupation by the Western Allies and the Soviet Union until 1955. After Austrian promises of perpetual neutrality, Austria was accorded full independence on 15 May 1955, and the last occupation troops left on 25 October that year.

The Austrian Resistance

The Austrian resistance was launched in response to the rise of fascism across Europe and the resulting occupation of Austria by Germany. An estimated 100,000 people participated in this resistance, with thousands subsequently imprisoned or executed for their anti-Nazi activities. The Moscow Declarations of 1943 laid a framework for the establishment of a free Austria after victory over Nazi Germany. The Austrian resistance groups reflected the spectrum of political parties before the war.

The Communist Party of Austria

The Communist Party of Austria (KPÖ) was established in 1918 and is one of the world's oldest communist parties. The party played an important role in the Austrian resistance, fighting alongside former political enemies such as Christian socialists, Catholics, monarchists, and farmers against Hitler's regime. After Austria regained its independence from Germany, the KPÖ reached national importance, as it was mostly able to count on the support of the occupying Soviet authorities.

The Communist Party of Austria in Government

In the first provisional government under Karl Renner, the KPÖ was represented by seven members, along with ten socialists, and nine Christian socialists. Party chairman Johann Koplenig became vice-chancellor, while fellow communists Franz Honner and Ernst Fischer were made ministers responsible for home affairs and education, respectively. However, the KPÖ's influence waned, and it has not had representation in the National Council (Nationalrat) since 1959.

Soviet occupation and the Cold War

Austria was occupied by the Allies and declared independent from Nazi Germany on 27 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, too, was subdivided, with the central district collectively administered by the Allied Control Council.

In the immediate aftermath of World War II, 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. However, it was also acknowledged that Austria would have to pay the price for its participation in Nazi aggression.

The Red Army occupied only parts of Austria, including the capital, Vienna, while Anglo-American troops entered from Germany and Italy. The Soviets installed a provisional federal government under the elderly socialist politician Karl Renner, in which Austrian communists controlled crucial ministries. The Western allies suspected the establishment of a puppet state and refused to recognise Renner's government.

During the occupation, the Soviets engaged in systematic looting and sexual violence against women. By 1946, the Soviets changed their economic policy from outright plunder to running expropriated Austrian businesses for profit. They expropriated over 450 formerly German-owned businesses, placing them under the management of the Administration of Soviet Properties in Austria (USIA). This conglomerate controlled a substantial share of the glass, steel, oil, and transportation industries.

In 1947, the Austrian economy reached 61% of pre-war levels, but food remained a significant problem. The country survived on meagre rations, with daily rations remaining below 2000 calories until the end of 1947. The severe winter of 1946-1947 was followed by a disastrous summer, with potato harvests barely reaching 30% of pre-war output. This food shortage sparked workers' strikes and violent food riots, some led by communists.

In 1948, the Austrian Communists appealed to Stalin to partition the country, but this idea was vetoed. Austria had more value as a bargaining chip than as another unstable client state. The Soviets preferred to keep Austria as a neutral country, which would act as a buffer zone between East and West during the Cold War.

In 1955, after Austrian promises of perpetual neutrality, the country was granted full independence, and all foreign occupying troops left. The Soviet Union released Austrian prisoners and pulled out its troops, along with the Western Allies. Austria's parliament enacted a Declaration of Neutrality, pledging never to join a military alliance like NATO or the Warsaw Pact.

The Austrian State Treaty

Austria was never a communist country. In fact, the Austrian State Treaty, signed on May 15, 1955, established Austria as a democratic and neutral sovereign state. The treaty was signed by the governments of the Soviet Union, Great Britain, the United States, and France, and it ended a decade of occupation and joint rule by these four powers.

The full title of the treaty is "Treaty for the Re-establishment of an Independent and Democratic Austria, signed in Vienna on 15 May 1955." The basis for the treaty was the Moscow Declaration of October 30, 1943, in which the Allies agreed to treat Austria as a liberated and independent country after the war, recognising it as the first victim of Nazi aggression.

The Road to Independence

After World War II, Austria was divided into four occupation zones, jointly occupied by the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, the United States, and France. Vienna, the capital, was similarly subdivided, with the central district collectively administered by the Allied Control Council. This arrangement mirrored the four-power occupation of Germany, but unlike Germany, Austria maintained its government throughout this period, although any new legislation could be vetoed by the occupying powers if they unanimously agreed.

The first attempts to negotiate a treaty for Austria were made by the first postwar Austrian government, but they failed as the Allies wanted to see a peace treaty with Germany first. The development of the Cold War further diminished the likelihood of a treaty. However, the death of Joseph Stalin in 1953 and the resulting warming of relations, known as the Khrushchev Thaw, improved the climate for negotiations.

Negotiations and Compromises

The negotiations over Austria's final status began in 1947, but were stalled by disputes over the issue of German assets in Austria and the question of Austrian neutrality. The Soviet Union repeatedly delayed the completion of the treaty as it reconsidered its desired benefits from the agreement. Tense Cold War relations and the Korean War also contributed to the delay.

In the end, Austria agreed to pay for the "German assets" and oil fields left by the Soviets, and it promised perpetual neutrality, staying out of NATO and other defensive alliances. This concession was crucial in securing the agreement of the Western powers, who were concerned about the potential extension of Soviet influence in Central Europe.

The Impact of the Austrian State Treaty

The signing of the Austrian State Treaty ended seventeen years of foreign occupation in Austria. The last occupation troops left on October 25, 1955, and Austria declared and maintained its neutrality for the remainder of the Cold War. This neutrality played a significant role in shaping Austria's political status during the Cold War, as it became a buffer zone between the East and the West.

The Austrian Independence Treaty

The Austrian State Treaty, also known as the Austrian Independence Treaty, was signed on May 15, 1955, in Vienna, at the Schloss Belvedere, and came into force on July 27, 1955. The treaty was signed by the Allied occupying powers (France, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Soviet Union) and the Austrian government. The treaty established Austria as a sovereign, democratic, and free country.

The basis for the treaty was the Moscow Declaration of October 30, 1943, in which the Allies agreed to regard Austria as the first victim of Nazi aggression and to treat it as a liberated and independent country after the war. This was despite the fact that Austria had been recognised as part of Nazi Germany following the Anschluss in 1938.

The treaty's nine parts included political and territorial provisions, military and air travel provisions, and ownership, law, and interests. It also expressly detailed the minority rights of the Slovene and Croat minorities and forbade another Anschluss. Nazi and fascist organisations were prohibited.

Austria's neutrality, which was a key factor in its independence, was not actually included in the original text of the treaty. However, on October 26, 1955, after the last Allied troops left, the Austrian parliament declared the country's neutrality, stating that Austria would never join a military alliance such as NATO or the Warsaw Pact. This declaration was made in exchange for independence and served as a buffer zone between East and West during the Cold War.

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