Austria's Historical Ties To Germany: 1873 Perspective

Austria was not part of Germany in 1873. It was a separate country and had been since 1156, when it became a sovereign state.

Austria was, however, part of the Holy Roman Empire, which was officially a German polity from 1512 and was mostly led by Austria itself.

In 1804, Austria established its own empire, which became a great power and one of the largest states in Europe.

Austria was a prefecture of Bavaria created in 976. The word Austria is a Latinisation of the German name and was first recorded in the 12th century

Austria was a prefecture of Bavaria created in 976. The word "Austria" is a Latinisation of the German name and was first recorded in the 12th century. At the time, the Danube basin of Austria (Upper and Lower Austria) was the easternmost extent of Bavaria.

The name "Austria" is derived from the Old High German word "Ostarrîchi", which means "eastern realm". The word "Ostarrîchi" first appeared in the "Ostarrîchi document" of 996, referring to the territory of the Babenberg March. The Latinised version of the name, "Austria", was first recorded in the 12th century.

Austria was part of the German Confederation from 1815 to 1866 and led it

The German revolutions of 1848–1849, motivated by liberal, democratic, socialist, and nationalist sentiments, attempted to transform the Confederation into a unified German federal state with a liberal constitution (usually called the Frankfurt Constitution in English). The Federal Convention was dissolved on 12 July 1848, but was re-established in 1850 after the revolution was crushed by Austria, Prussia, and other states.

The Confederation was finally dissolved after the victory of the Kingdom of Prussia in the Seven Weeks' War over the Austrian Empire in 1866. The dispute over which had the inherent right to rule German lands ended in favour of Prussia, leading to the creation of the North German Confederation under Prussian leadership in 1867, to which the eastern portions of the Kingdom of Prussia were added. A number of South German states remained independent until they joined the North German Confederation, which was renamed and proclaimed as the "German Empire" in 1871, as the unified Germany (aside from Austria) with the Prussian king as emperor (Kaiser) after the victory over French Emperor Napoleon III in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870.

In 1867, the multi-ethnic Austro-Hungarian Empire was established and led by Austria; it was rivaled by the North German Confederation from 1866 to 1871 and German Empire led by the Kingdom of Prussia rivaled Austria

In the mid-19th century, Europe was a hotbed of political and territorial change, with the Austrian Empire at the heart of many of these shifts. The Austrian Empire, a diverse entity comprising numerous ethnic groups, underwent a significant transformation in 1867 with the establishment of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. This new political entity was a dual monarchy, with the Austrian Empire ruling over a vast array of ethnicities, including Hungarians, Czechs, Slovaks, Poles, Ruthenians, and South Slavs, in addition to Austrians.

The creation of the Austro-Hungarian Empire was a direct response to the rising power of another regional force: the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia had united most of the German states (excluding Austria) under its leadership, forming the North German Confederation in 1866, which existed until 1871. This confederation posed a direct challenge to Austrian hegemony in Central Europe and set the stage for a rivalry that would shape the region's politics for decades to come.

The North German Confederation, under Prussian leadership, was a powerful entity, and its existence heightened tensions between Prussia and Austria. This rivalry culminated in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, which Prussia won decisively. As a result, Prussia consolidated its dominance over the German territories, further diminishing Austrian influence in the region. The Confederation served as a precursor to the German Empire, which would come into existence a few years later, in 1871, with Prussia at its helm.

The German Empire, led by the Kingdom of Prussia, presented a formidable challenge to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Both empires vied for influence and power, not just in Central Europe but across the continent. While the Austro-Hungarian Empire boasted a diverse and extensive territory, the German Empire excelled in industrialization, military might, and political unity, having successfully unified most of the German-speaking territories under one nation.

This rivalry between the two empires, led by Austria and Prussia respectively, shaped the political landscape of Central Europe during this period. It also influenced the broader context of European power dynamics, with other nations forming alliances or rivalries based on their relationships with these two powers. The balance of power between the Austro-Hungarian and German Empires would continue to evolve, impacting the course of history in the region and beyond.

To answer the question directly, Austria was not a part of Germany in 1873. Instead, it was a rival power, leading the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which competed with the German Empire for influence and dominance in Central Europe. The complex dynamics between these two entities, and the broader political landscape of the time, set the stage for the tumultuous history of the region in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (1919) created by the winners of World War I against both Germany and Austria and as a result; throughout much of the Interwar period, Austria and Germany continued to remain as separate and distinct entities

The Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye was signed on 10 September 1919 between the victorious Allies of World War I and the Republic of German-Austria. The treaty officially registered the breakup of the Habsburg Empire, recognising the independence of Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, and the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (Yugoslavia) and ceded eastern Galicia, Trento, southern Tirol, Trieste, and Istria. The treaty included war reparations of large sums of money, directed towards the Allies, as well as provisions for the liquidation of the Austro-Hungarian Bank.

The treaty forbade the union of Austria with Germany. Article 88 of the treaty required Austria to refrain from directly or indirectly compromising its independence, which meant that Austria could not enter into political or economic union with the Weimar Republic without the agreement of the council of the League of Nations. The new republic's initial self-chosen name of German-Austria (German: Deutschösterreich) had to be changed to Austria.

The Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye was one of several treaties that concluded World War I. It was signed at the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, near Paris, on 10 September 1919, and came into force on 16 July 1920. It was signed by Austria and twenty-seven Allied and associated countries.

The Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye was controversial. Austrian officials protested the violation of the principle of self-determination in the treaty, the placement of so many ethnic Germans under Czechoslovak and Italian rule, and the forbiddance of unity with Germany. The Austria created by the treaty was financially and militarily weak and therefore a chronic force of instability in Europe between the two World Wars.

The Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye was one of several treaties that led to the creation of new states and altered others. The Treaty of Trianon with Hungary and the Treaty of Versailles with the Weimar Republic were also created by the victorious Allies of World War I.

In 1938, Nazi Germany led by Austrian-born Adolf Hitler annexed Austria into Germany in what would come to be called the Anschluss

In 1938, Nazi Germany, led by Austrian-born Adolf Hitler, annexed Austria into Germany in what would come to be called the Anschluss. This was not the first time that the idea of a union between Austria and Germany had been proposed. The concept, known as Anschluss, first arose after the 1871 unification of Germany, which excluded Austria and the German Austrians from the Prussian-dominated German Empire. The idea gained support after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918. The new Republic of German-Austria attempted to form a union with Germany, but this was forbidden by the 1919 Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain.

Hitler, an Austrian himself, had expressed his desire for an Austro-German union in his earliest writings and speeches. In his 1925 book, Mein Kampf, he wrote:

> German-Austria must return to the great German motherland, and not because of economic considerations of any sort. No, no: even if from the economic point of view this union were unimportant, indeed, if it were harmful, it ought nevertheless to be brought about. Common blood belongs in a common Reich.

Hitler's plans for Austria were part of his wider goal to redraw the map of post-World War I Europe. He considered the postwar international borders unfair and illegitimate, and he wanted to unite all Germans in a Nazi German empire.

In the early 1930s, the Austrian Nazi Party was weak, divided, and ineffective. However, by 1931, the bulk of Austrian Nazis recognised Hitler as their leader. Hitler, in turn, appointed a German Nazi to bring the Austrian party in line. Austrian Nazis gained more supporters as Hitler's popularity in Germany increased, particularly after he was appointed German chancellor in 1933.

In 1933, Austrian Nazis attempted a coup, assassinating Austrian chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss. The coup failed, and many leading Austrian Nazis fled to Germany, where they continued to push for unification. 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. On 12 March 1938, German soldiers crossed the border into Austria, encountering no resistance. The next day, Austria's parliament formally approved the annexation.

The annexation of Austria was the first act of territorial aggression committed by Nazi Germany. It was widely popular in both Germany and Austria, but it was also the first step in Hitler's takeover of Europe. The international community did not intervene, nor did they punish Nazi Germany for violating international treaties. This set a precedent for Hitler's future expansionist policies, which ultimately led to World War II.

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