Allies' Austria: Who Controlled What After The War?

In the aftermath of World War II, Austria was divided into four occupation zones, with the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, the United States, and France each taking control of a section of the country. Vienna was similarly subdivided, with the central district being collectively administered by the Allied Control Council. This occupation lasted until 1955, when the Austrian State Treaty came into force, and the last occupation troops left.

The Soviet Union's occupation of Austria

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 the first victim of Nazi aggression but would also have to pay the price for its participation in Nazi crimes. This meant that Austria would eventually emerge as an independent state, as agreed by the Allies in the Declaration of Moscow in November 1943.

Another important aspect of the Soviet occupation was the presence of Soviet troops and their impact on the local population. The Soviet Army suffered significant casualties during the Battle of Vienna, losing 17,000 lives. Unfortunately, Soviet troops also engaged in systematic sexual violence against women, with reports of widespread looting and criminal conduct. According to research, during the initial eight months of the occupation, Soviet military tribunals arrested around 800 Austrian civilians, with charges ranging from belonging to the Nazi resistance to espionage and war crimes.

The Soviet Union, like the other occupying powers, also imposed financial burdens on Austria. Local governments were responsible for feeding and clothing the Red Army, which was a significant challenge given the large number of troops. The Soviet Union also demanded and acquired German assets in Austria, resulting in substantial reparations.

The Austrian State Treaty

The basis for the treaty was the Moscow Declaration of October 30, 1943, in which the British, Americans, and Soviets proclaimed that Austria was the first victim of Nazi Germany, but it would also have to pay the price for its participation in Nazi aggression. 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, similar to the division of Germany. Vienna, the capital, was also subdivided, with the central district being collectively administered by the Allied Control Council.

An important aspect of the treaty was the declaration of Austrian neutrality, which was not included in the original text but was declared by the Austrian parliament on October 26, 1955. This neutrality created a buffer zone between the East and West during the Cold War. Additionally, the treaty expressly detailed the minority rights of the Slovene and Croat minorities and prohibited any future political union with Germany (Anschluss).

The Vienna Offensive

The Offensive

The Battle for Vienna

The battle for Vienna began on 3 April 1945, with the Soviet troops approaching the city's suburbs. By this time, Vienna had already endured over 50 Allied bombing raids, which had destroyed a significant portion of the city's housing. Despite orders from Hitler to hold Vienna at all costs, the German forces were unable to delay the well-equipped Soviet advance and quickly retreated to the heart of the city.

The battle for Vienna was characterised by bitter street combat, with the Soviets advancing block by block. The German defenders put up fierce resistance in some areas, but they were ultimately outnumbered and outgunned. The battle lasted for nearly a week, resulting in the destruction of many of Vienna's historic buildings and all but one of the city's bridges over the Danube River.

The Outcome

On 13 April 1945, the Soviet soldiers of the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts completed their conquest of Vienna. The capture of the city was a significant victory for the Soviets and a major blow to the Germans. In the wake of the battle, Soviet soldiers engaged in looting and brutalised the population, leading to a period of lawlessness until Allied troops from other nations arrived to begin the joint occupation of Vienna.

The Anschluss

In the 1920s, the proposal for unification was popular in both Austria and Germany, particularly among Austrian citizens of the political left and centre. However, support for unification faded over time, and by the early 1930s, the Austrian government withdrew from economic ties with Germany.

In 1933, when Adolf Hitler rose to power in Germany, the desire for unification became associated with the Nazis, for whom it was an integral part of their "Heim ins Reich" concept. Hitler was an Austrian German by birth and had expressed his desire for a union between the two countries in his earliest writings and speeches. In 1934, Austrian and German Nazis attempted a coup in Austria, but they were unsuccessful. An authoritarian right-wing government then took power in Austria, keeping perhaps half the population from voicing legitimate dissent.

In February 1938, Hitler invited the Austrian chancellor, Kurt von Schuschnigg, to Germany and forced him to agree to give the Austrian Nazis free rein. Schuschnigg later announced a plebiscite on the question of unification, but he was bullied into cancelling it and resigned, ordering the Austrian army not to resist the Germans. On 12 March 1938, Germany invaded, and the enthusiasm that followed gave Hitler the cover to annex Austria outright on 13 March. A controlled plebiscite on 10 April gave a 99.7% approval.

Austria remained part of Germany until the end of World War II, when it was declared independent on 27 April 1945.

The Vienna Strategic Offensive Operation

• The Győr Offensive Operation (13 March-4 April)
• The Veszprem Offensive Operation (16-25 March)
• The Sopron-Baden Offensive Operation (26 March-4 April)
• The Nagykanizsa-Körmend Offensive Operation (26 March-15 April)
• The Assault on Vienna Operation (4-13 April)

The operation was preceded by agreements between Premier Iosif Stalin and the Western Allies, which largely concerned the countries' spheres of influence in Eastern and Central Europe after the war. However, these agreements did not address the fate of Austria, which was officially considered part of Greater Germany after the Anschluss. As a result, the Soviet offensive against Austria and the subsequent occupation of a large part of the country were very beneficial for postwar negotiations with the Western Allies.

The Soviet counter-offensive began on 16 March 1945, in the afternoon, after 'Frühlingserwachen' (ii) had been checked. The Soviet attacks started in snowy and foggy conditions, without major armoured or air support, against the IV SS Panzerkorps and the southern flank of the Hungarian 3rd Army on the front between Lake Velencze and Bicske. The original Soviet plan was to send the 2nd Ukrainian Front toward Vienna, advancing along the Danube river. However, to exploit the opportunity to trap the 6th SS Panzer Army in the area east of Lake Balaton, the main effort was shifted to the right flank of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, with the thrust directed west and northwest toward Vienna.

On the second day of the offensive, the Hungarian 3rd Army's flank collapsed, and the Soviets drove through the Vertes mountains north of Mor. By 20 March, the 6th Guards Tank Army attacked between Varpalota and Szekesfehervar, advancing toward the tip of Lake Balaton. Despite Hitler's demands to hold Szekesfehervar, the The Vienna Strategic Offensive Operation was a Soviet operation by Marshal Sovetskogo Soyuza Fyedor I. Tolbukhin's 3rd Ukrainian Front to take Vienna, the capital of German-annexed Austria. The offensive lasted from 16 March to 15 April 1945.

The operation fell into several parts: the Győr Offensive Operation, the Veszprem Offensive Operation, the Sopron-Baden Offensive Operation, the Nagykanizsa-Körmend Offensive Operation, and the Assault on Vienna Operation. The operation was the culmination of the Soviet counter-offensive after the failure of Operation Spring Awakening, which saw Sepp Dietrich's 6th SS Panzer Army retreat to the Vienna area.

The operation involved the 4th Guards Army, the 6th Guards Tank Army, the 9th Guards Army, and the 46th Army of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, and the 46th Army, XIII Tank Corps, and II Guards Mechanised Corps of the 2nd Ukrainian Front. The operation was supported by air elements from the 5th Air Army and the 17th Air Army, as well as vessels from the Danube Military Flotilla.

During the operation, the Soviet forces attacked from the east and south, while also bypassing the city from the west to cut off escape routes for the retreating Germans. The fighting was characterised by fierce urban combat in some areas, while the Soviets advanced with little opposition in other parts of the city. The German defenders included the II SS Panzer Corps of the 6th SS Panzer Army, along with ad hoc forces made up of garrison and anti-aircraft units.

The operation resulted in the capture of Vienna, with the last defenders surrendering on 13 April 1945. The 3rd Ukrainian Front then pushed further into Austria, with the remnants of the 6th SS Panzer Army fleeing towards Linz. The Soviet troops occupying Vienna were replaced by more disciplined and better-trained troops, mainly from the NKVD, and the sexual relations between Soviet men and Austrian women became less violent and more transactional.

The operation was followed by the establishment of a provisional government in Vienna by Austrian politician Karl Renner, with tacit approval from the Soviets. Austria was subsequently divided into four occupation zones, jointly occupied by the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, the United States, and France.

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