Austria's 1945 Industrialization: A Historical Perspective

Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany in 1938, with the overwhelming support of the Austrian population. The country was an integral part of the Third Reich, with 700,000 people, or 10% of the population, joining the Nazi Party. The Wehrmacht drafted more than 1.3 million Austrians between 1938 and 1945, 242,000 of whom never came back home.

Austria was occupied by the Allies and declared independent from Nazi Germany on 27 April 1945. The country 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.

The Soviet Union treated Austria as a defeated Axis power, but adhered to the general line that Austria was a victim of Germany. Therefore, Austria avoided some of the worst aspects of Germany’s fate. It did not lose any territory, despite Yugoslavia’s claims to Carinthia, a province in the south of the country. Austrians also avoided the fate of the Volksdeutsche, ethnic Germans from Eastern Europe who were expelled to Germany or rounded up and deported to the Soviet Union for slave labour.

The Western Allies also successfully opposed the Kremlin’s plans to impose burdensome war reparations on Austria that Germany, Romania, and Hungary had to pay. However, the Western Allies consented to Moscow’s demand that the Soviets should be entitled to German assets in Austria in their zone of occupation.

The fact that Moscow did not plan or try to impose a communist dictatorship in Austria meant that the scale of political violence experienced by Austrians was more limited than in other countries occupied by the Red Army. According to the research of Harold Knoll and Barbara Stelzl-Marx, in 1945, or the initial eight months of occupation, Soviet military tribunals arrested around 800 Austrian civilians.

By the standards of the Soviet justice system, and given the significant Austrian contribution to Nazi war crimes, the Soviet repressive apparatus in the first months of occupation acted with considerable restraint. This restraint can be partly explained by the fact that Moscow did not fully control Austria and partly because Austria was far from the Soviet Union’s frontiers. Consequently, it did not rank high on Moscow’s list of geopolitical priorities.

Austria was liberated by the Red Army in 1945, but the end of the war was not a liberation for most Austrians. The end of the war was marked by looting, raping, and hunger. For them, the end of the war was not a liberation. The November 1945 parliamentary election, administered by the four occupying powers, resulted in the trouncing of the Communist Party of Austria, which won less than six per cent of the national vote. The new government was formed by the coalition of Social Democrats and Christian Democrats, the traditional centre-left and centre-right Austrian parties.

The Soviet occupation of Austria

The Soviets occupied only parts of Austria, including the capital, Vienna. The Anglo-American troops entered from Germany and Italy. Thereafter, France, Great Britain, the United States, and the Soviet Union divided Austria into four occupation zones.

The Soviet 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 would also have to pay the price for its participation in Nazi aggression. In the long run, the Declaration meant that Austria would emerge as an independent state.

The Soviets did not try to impose a communist dictatorship in Austria. However, they did impose burdensome reparations on the country. The Soviet secret police, the NKVD, were deployed to extract reparations through requisitions. The NKVD seized industrial plants and production installations while confiscating goods in the quantity of 31,200 freight cars. In June 1946, 30% of the national budget went into covering the occupation costs.

The Soviets pulled out of Austria in 1955, along with the Western Allies, in exchange for Austria's promises that it would remain neutral in the Cold War.

The annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany

The annexation, or *Anschluss*, of Austria into Nazi Germany was a significant event in the lead-up to World War II. On March 12, 1938, German troops crossed the border into Austria and met no resistance. This annexation was the culmination of a long-standing goal of Adolf Hitler, who was born in Austria and had attempted a coup in 1923 to try to seize power there. The *Anschluss* was also a crucial step in Hitler's plan to create a Greater Germany that would encompass all ethnic Germans.

In the years leading up to the *Anschluss*, Austria had been struggling economically and politically. The country had suffered severely from the global depression of the 1930s, with high unemployment and economic stagnation. This provided a fertile ground for the growth of nationalism and support for Hitler's Nazi Party, which had been illegal in Austria until 1933. As the Nazi Party gained strength in Germany, it also began to gain a following in Austria, particularly among those who felt that the Austrian government was corrupt and ineffective.

Hitler's desire to annex Austria was no secret, and it caused significant concern among the country's political leaders. In May 1936, the Austrian government signed a treaty with France and Britain, which guaranteed Austrian independence. However, by 1938, Hitler felt confident enough to move forward with his plans. He used the pretext of supporting the Austrian Nazi Party, which had been agitating for the *Anschluss*, to send German troops into the country.

The German invasion was met with widespread enthusiasm by the Austrian population, many of whom considered themselves Germans and supported the idea of unification with Germany. There was little resistance, and the Austrian government, led by Chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg, was quickly overthrown. Schuschnigg had attempted to maintain Austria's independence through a plebiscite, but he was forced to resign and flee the country as the German troops crossed the border.

A referendum was held in Austria on April 10, 1938, to ratify the *Anschluss*. It was passed with over 99% approval, though the vote was neither free nor fair. The country was fully incorporated into the German Reich, with Austrian Nazis taking key positions in the new government. The *Anschluss* marked the beginning of a period of persecution and terror for Austria's Jewish population, who were subjected to the same Nazi policies of discrimination, forced labor, and eventually, deportation to concentration camps as their German counterparts.

In conclusion, the annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany was a significant event that had far-reaching consequences for the country and the course of World War II. It demonstrated Hitler's aggressive expansionist policies and the appeal of Nazism beyond Germany's borders. The *Anschluss* also highlighted the failure of the international community to prevent Hitler's aggressive actions, despite their assurances of support for Austrian independence.

The Austrian Anschluss

The Anschluss, also known as the Annexation of Austria, was the annexation of the Federal State of Austria into the German Reich on 12 March 1938. The idea of a union between Austria and Germany was not new, and had been discussed since the 19th century. However, the Anschluss was the first act of territorial aggression and expansion by Nazi Germany, and was widely popular in both countries.

The idea of a union between Austria and Germany was first mooted in 1919 by Austria, but was forbidden by the Allies at the Treaty of Versailles. The unification of Germany in 1871 had excluded Austria and the German Austrians from the Prussian-dominated German Empire, and the new Republic of German-Austria attempted to form a union with Germany. However, this was forbidden by the 1919 Treaty of Saint Germain and Treaty of Versailles, which also stripped Austria of some of its territories.

By the 1920s, the idea of an Anschluss had strong support in both Austria and Germany, particularly among Austrian citizens of the political left and centre. However, support for unification faded with time, although it remained a concept in contemporary Austrian political discourse. After Adolf Hitler rose to power in Germany in 1933, the desire for unification could be identified with the Nazis, for whom it was an integral part of the Nazi "Heim ins Reich" ("back home to the realm") concept.

In early 1938, Austrian chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg announced that there would be a referendum on a possible union with Germany versus maintaining Austria's sovereignty, to be held on 13 March. Hitler threatened an invasion and pressured Schuschnigg to resign. On 11 March, the German Army crossed the border into Austria, unopposed by the Austrian military. A plebiscite was held on 10 April, in which the ballot was not secret, and threats and coercion were employed to manipulate the vote, resulting in 99.7% approval for the Anschluss.

The Anschluss was not inevitable, nor was the rapid Nazification of Austria. However, certain historical factors and events facilitated these processes. The Anschluss was the first step in Hitler's takeover of Europe, and the international community did not intervene to try and stop it. The German annexation of Austria marked a significant breach of the post-World War I international order, and the failure of the British and the French to take action emboldened Hitler towards further aggression.

The Austrian State Treaty

One of the key provisions of the Austrian State Treaty was the declaration of Austria's neutrality, which meant it would not join any military alliances and would remain free of foreign military bases. This neutrality was a significant factor in ensuring Austria's independence and stability, creating an environment conducive to economic growth and industrialization. With the treaty in place, Austria could focus on rebuilding its economy and infrastructure, many of which had been damaged during the war.

The treaty also addressed issues related to war reparations and the return of confiscated property. It stipulated that Austria would not be required to pay further reparations beyond what had already been agreed upon in previous treaties, such as the 1947 Austrian Peace Treaty. This provided a sense of economic relief and allowed Austria to allocate resources towards industrialization efforts. Additionally, the treaty ensured the return of property confiscated by the Nazi regime, providing a boost to the Austrian economy and laying the groundwork for a more stable and prosperous future.

The restoration of sovereignty and the departure of occupying forces allowed Austria to pursue its economic agenda more freely. The country could now develop and implement its own industrialization policies, focusing on areas such as heavy industry, steel production, and the development of a skilled workforce. This period also saw the growth of the service sector, particularly banking and tourism, which contributed to Austria's economic diversification and long-term prosperity.

In conclusion, the Austrian State Treaty of 1955 was a pivotal moment in the country's history, setting the stage for its industrialization and economic transformation. The treaty's provisions, including Austrian neutrality, the resolution of reparation issues, and the return of confiscated property, created a stable environment conducive to economic growth. With the end of the Allied occupation, Austria could chart its own course, developing a strong industrial base and a thriving economy that continues to benefit the country today.

The Austrian Anschluss and the Second World War

On 12 March 1938, German troops entered Austria, accompanied by Adolf Hitler himself, and were greeted with enthusiasm by the majority of the Austrian population. This event, known as the Anschluss, saw Austria annexed by Nazi Germany, and was the first act of territorial aggression and expansion by the Nazi regime.

The Anschluss was the culmination of a long-held desire by many Austrians for unification with Germany, which had been forbidden by the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain. The Nazi Party had been banned in Austria, but the Austrian Nazi Party, the Austrian SS, had been active as a terrorist organisation. Hitler, himself an Austrian, had made his intentions for unification clear in his earliest writings and speeches.

In the lead-up to the Anschluss, Hitler had been steadily increasing his influence in Austria. In February 1938, he invited the Austrian Chancellor, Kurt von Schuschnigg, to Germany and forced him to agree to give the Austrian Nazis a free hand. Schuschnigg attempted to assert Austrian independence by calling a plebiscite (referendum) for 13 March 1938. Hitler was infuriated and demanded that Schuschnigg cancel the plebiscite and resign. Schuschnigg gave in, and on the evening of 11 March, he announced his resignation on the radio.

The following day, swastika armbands and flags appeared on the streets, and Austrian Nazis seized power. Hitler crossed the border early on the morning of 12 March and was greeted with cheers and flowers as he travelled to Vienna. On 13 March, Arthur Seyss-Inquart, an Austrian Nazi, signed the "Reunification of Austria with Germany" law. Austria was now a province of Nazi Germany, and any memory of Austrian existence was suppressed.

The Anschluss was followed by an outburst of public violence against Austria's Jewish population. Jews were forced to clean public toilets and perform humiliating exercises, and their businesses were vandalised. Many Austrians participated enthusiastically in the persecution of the Jews, and in the mass murder of Europe's Jews during the Second World War.

During the war, hundreds of thousands of Austrians fought as German soldiers, and a substantial number served in the SS. By the end of the war, approximately 250,000 Austrians had been killed or were missing in action, and more than 20,000 were killed in US and British bombing raids.

Was Austria Industrialised in 1945?

Austria was not industrialised in 1945. By the end of the Second World War, much of the infrastructure of Austrian cities had been damaged or destroyed, and the country emerged from the war as one of the poorest in Europe.

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