Austria And The Ussr: Unlikely But True Alliance

Austria was never part of the USSR. After World War II, it was jointly occupied by the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, the United States, and France. Vienna was subdivided and collectively administered by the four powers. The rest of the country was divided into four occupation zones, with the Soviet Union occupying the east. This occupation lasted from 1945 until 1955, when the Austrian State Treaty came into force and the last occupation troops left.

Austria was never part of the USSR

The Soviet Union did not create a separate socialist government in its zone as it did in East Germany. Instead, Austria was required to sign the Austrian State Treaty of 1955, in which it pledged total neutrality in the Cold War confrontation between the Soviet Union and the U.S.-led West. The treaty also mandated that Austria never seek to unify with other German-speaking nations and that it perpetually maintain the Soviet War Memorial in Vienna.

Austria was, however, subjected to Soviet occupation from 1945 to 1955. The Red Army occupied parts of Austria, including its capital, Vienna, while Anglo-American troops entered from Germany and Italy. During this time, the Soviets expropriated over 450 formerly German-owned businesses, and by 1955, the majority of these companies were close to bankruptcy. The Soviets also committed various atrocities during their occupation, including mass sexual violence and wild looting.

In 1955, the Soviets pulled out of Austria, along with the Western Allies, in exchange for Austria's promise to remain neutral in the Cold War.

Austria was occupied by the USSR from 1945-1955

The Red Army's occupation of Austria began in 1945, as troops from the 3rd and 2nd Ukrainian Fronts approached Austria's border from Hungary. After capturing Vienna, Soviet troops advanced towards Linz and Graz in early May. Skirmishes between the Red Army and German soldiers continued into late May, even after fighting had ceased elsewhere in Europe. The Red Army suffered 94,185 casualties in Austria, with 26,006 killed and 68,179 wounded.

During the occupation, the Soviet Union expropriated over 450 formerly German-owned businesses in Austria, and by 1955, the majority of these companies were close to bankruptcy. The Soviets also took control of Austrian oil fields and placed them under the management of the Sowjetische Mineralölverwaltung (SMV). This economic exploitation of Austria was aimed at rebuilding the Soviet Union, which had been ravaged by the war.

In addition to economic exploitation, the Soviet occupation of Austria also involved political repression. Soviet military tribunals arrested around 800 Austrian civilians during the first eight months of the occupation, with charges ranging from belonging to the Nazi resistance to espionage and war crimes. By 1955, when the Red Army withdrew from Austria, the Soviets had arrested a total of 2,400 Austrians, with 1,250 prosecuted for various crimes.

The Soviet Union's occupation of Austria ended in 1955 with the signing of the Austrian State Treaty. Under the terms of the treaty, Austria pledged to remain neutral in the Cold War confrontation between the Soviet Union and the U.S.-led West. The treaty also stipulated that Austria would never seek to unify with other German-speaking nations and that it would perpetually maintain the Soviet War Memorial in Vienna.

The USSR's occupation of Austria was influenced by the Moscow Declaration of 1943

Austria was never part of the USSR. However, the USSR did occupy Austria from 1945 to 1955, along with the Western Allies. The Soviet occupation of Austria was influenced by the Moscow Declaration of 1943, which was signed by the foreign secretaries of the United States, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, and the Republic of China.

The Moscow Declaration of 1943 included four sections: the Declaration of Four Nations on General Security, the Declaration Regarding Italy, the Declaration on Austria, and the Statement on Atrocities. The Declaration on Austria stated that the annexation (Anschluss) of Austria by Germany was null and void and called for the establishment of a free Austria after victory over Nazi Germany. It also recognized that Austria would need to pay the price for its participation in Nazi aggression.

The Soviet Union's occupation of Austria was shaped by the Moscow Declaration. While the Red Army occupied only parts of Austria, including the capital Vienna, the country was divided into four occupation zones by France, Great Britain, the United States, and the Soviet Union, similar to what was done in Germany. Although Moscow treated Austria as a defeated Axis power, it also acknowledged that Austria was a victim of Germany. As a result, Austria avoided some of the harshest consequences faced by Germany, such as territorial loss and mass expulsions of its population.

The Moscow Declaration also influenced the Soviet Union's approach to reparations and economic exploitation in Austria. The Soviet Union expropriated over 450 formerly German-owned businesses, and by 1955, most of these companies were close to bankruptcy. Additionally, Moscow demanded entitlement to German assets in Austria within its zone of occupation, which further burdened the Austrian economy.

The Moscow Declaration's recognition of Austria's responsibility for its participation in the war also influenced the Soviet Union's treatment of Austrian civilians and prisoners of war. Soviet military tribunals arrested and prosecuted Austrians for various charges, including war crimes, espionage, and membership in the Nazi Werewolf resistance group. However, the scale of political violence experienced by Austrians was relatively limited compared to other countries occupied by the Red Army, as Moscow did not intend to impose a communist dictatorship in Austria.

In summary, the USSR's occupation of Austria from 1945 to 1955 was influenced by the Moscow Declaration of 1943, which shaped the Soviet Union's policies and actions during that period. The declaration's acknowledgment of Austria's responsibility for its role in the war, as well as its call for Austria's liberation from German domination, guided the USSR's approach to occupation and influenced the country's post-war trajectory.

The USSR's occupation of Austria was also influenced by the Second Allied Control Agreement of 1946

Austria was not part of the USSR. However, it was occupied by the USSR, along with the UK, the US, and France, from 1945 to 1955.

In 1943, the USSR, the US, and the UK agreed in the Declaration of Moscow that Austria would be regarded as the first victim of Nazi aggression and treated as a liberated and independent country after the war. This was despite the fact that Austria had been recognised as part of Nazi Germany since its annexation in 1938.

In 1945, the Allies divided Austria into four occupation zones. The Soviet Union occupied the eastern part of Austria, which contained around a quarter of the Austrian population.

The Second Allied Control Agreement of 1946 loosened the Allies' dominance over the Austrian government. From then on, the Austrian Parliament's decisions could only be overturned by a unanimous vote by all four Allies.

The Soviet Union's occupation of Austria was also influenced by the Second Allied Control Agreement of 1946. The agreement reduced the Allies' control over Austria and limited their ability to interfere in Austrian politics and governance. This may have contributed to the Soviet Union's economic exploitation of Austria, as it sought to extract reparations and rebuild its own economy.

The Soviet Union expropriated hundreds of businesses in its occupation zone and placed 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 Austria. The USIA's profits were confiscated by the Soviets, and its taxes went unpaid, giving it a competitive advantage over other businesses.

The Second Allied Control Agreement also allowed for the gradual emancipation of Austria from foreign control. Over time, Austria evolved from a "nation under tutelage" to full independence, with its own independent vision for the future.

The USSR's troops committed atrocities in Austria, including looting and sexual violence

Austria was never part of the USSR. In 1938, Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany with the support of the Austrian population. It was only in 1945, after the end of World War II, that Austria was liberated and declared independent from Nazi Germany. Following the war, Austria was jointly occupied by the Western Allies and the Soviet Union until 1955.

During the Soviet occupation of Austria, there were reports of atrocities committed by the USSR's troops, including looting and sexual violence. The Soviet Union's Red Army committed widespread sexual violence against women in Austria, with estimates ranging from 70,000 to 100,000 rapes in Vienna alone. This was accompanied by rampant looting, with the NKVD (Soviet secret police) seizing industrial plants, production installations, and other goods. The sexual violence and looting by Soviet troops were significant issues that revolted Austrians and contributed to the defeat of the Communist Party of Austria in the 1945 parliamentary elections.

The Soviet leadership attempted to curb these atrocities through propaganda and orders from commanders. On April 4, 1945, a directive was issued to all frontline soldiers, emphasizing that Austria was Hitler's first victim and that the Red Army aimed to liberate the country. The directive appealed to the troops to respect Austrian traditions, families, and private property. However, these efforts had limited success, and sexual violence and looting continued.

The scale of political violence in Austria was relatively limited compared to other countries occupied by the Red Army, as Moscow did not intend to impose a communist dictatorship in Austria. The Soviet Union's primary interest in Austria was economic exploitation, and they expropriated numerous businesses and assets. The occupation ended in 1955, with the withdrawal of Soviet and Western Allied troops, and Austria's declaration of perpetual neutrality.

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