Austria's Historical Divide: Two Nations, One Legacy

Austria has been a unified state since the end of the first millennium, first as a frontier march of the Holy Roman Empire, then as a duchy in 1156, and finally as an archduchy in 1453. However, the territory of modern-day Austria has been inhabited since the Paleolithic period, and was settled by the Celts around 400 BC. It was annexed by the Romans in the late 1st century BC, and was invaded by Germanic tribes during the Migration Period.

In the 6th century, the Bavarii, a Germanic people, occupied the land until it fell to the Frankish Empire in the 9th century. The name Ostarrîchi (Austria) has been in use since 996 AD when it was a margravate of the Duchy of Bavaria. In 1156, Austria became an independent duchy (later archduchy) of the Holy Roman Empire.

Austria was dominated by the House of Habsburg from 1273 to 1918, and became the Austrian Empire when Emperor Francis II dissolved the Holy Roman Empire in 1806. In 1867, Austria formed a dual monarchy with Hungary, known as the Austro-Hungarian Empire. When this empire collapsed after the end of World War I in 1918, Austria was reduced to its current frontiers and adopted the name, the Republic of German-Austria.

In 1938, Austrian-born Adolf Hitler annexed Austria to Germany, which was supported by a large majority of Austrians. After the German defeat in World War II, the German identity in Austria was weakened, and in 1955, Austria again became an independent republic as the Second Austrian Republic.

The Roman Empire and the Duchy of Bavaria

The Roman Empire was established in 27 BC and ended in 476 AD. The Duchy of Bavaria was established in the 6th century and ended in 1918.

The Roman Empire was ruled by an emperor, while the Duchy of Bavaria was ruled by a duke. The Roman Empire was a vast empire that covered much of Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. The Duchy of Bavaria was a much smaller territory located in what is now southeastern Germany and parts of Austria.

The Roman Empire was a powerful and influential civilization that left a lasting impact on the world. It was known for its advanced engineering, architecture, and legal system. The Duchy of Bavaria, on the other hand, was a smaller and less influential territory, but it still played a significant role in the history of the region.

The Holy Roman Empire

The Holy Roman Emperor's power was gradually chipped away, starting with the Investiture Controversy in the 11th century, and by the 16th century the empire was so decentralized that it was little more than a loose federation. The empire came to an end in 1806, when Francis II abdicated his title as Holy Roman emperor in the face of Napoleon's rise to power.

The German Confederation

The Confederation had only one organ, the Bundesversammlung, or Federal Convention (also Federal Assembly or Confederate Diet). The Convention consisted of the representatives of the member states. The most important issues had to be decided on unanimously. The Convention was presided over by the representative of Austria. This was a formality, however, as the Confederation did not have a head of state, since it was not a state.

The Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia were the largest and by far the most powerful members of the Confederation. Large parts of both countries were not included in the Confederation, because they had not been part of the former Holy Roman Empire, nor were the greater parts of their armed forces incorporated in the federal army. Austria and Prussia each had one vote in the Federal Assembly.

The Austro-Hungarian Empire

The Empire was diverse, including Germans, Hungarians, Croats, Czechs, Poles, Rusyns, Serbs, Slovaks, Slovenes, and Ukrainians, as well as large Italian and Romanian communities. The government of Austria tried to accommodate these groups by publishing laws and ordinances in eight languages and ensuring that all national groups were entitled to schools in their own language and to the use of their mother tongue at state offices. However, ruling the Empire became increasingly difficult in an age of emerging nationalist movements, requiring considerable reliance on an expanded secret police.

The Empire was dissolved following its defeat in World War I, which led to the proclamation of the Republic of German-Austria in 1918 and the First Austrian Republic in 1919.

The First Austrian Republic

The new constitution created a bicameral legislature with the upper house—the Federal Council—formed by representatives from federal states and the lower house—the National Council—to which deputies were elected in universal elections. The Federal President was elected for a four-year term in a full session of both houses, while the Chancellor was elected by the National Council. As no political party ever gained a parliamentary majority, Austria was governed by coalitions of the conservative Christian Social Party and the right-wing Greater German People's Party or Landbund, which were more conservative than the first government of Social Democrat Karl Renner of 1919–20, which had established a number of progressive socioeconomic and labour legislations.

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