Leslie Massey
Austria-Hungary, also known as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, was one of the Central Powers in World War I. The war began when Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia on July 28, 1914, in response to the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the throne. This declaration of war stirred up tensions across Europe, drawing in supporters and allies on both sides. As a result, Russia backed Serbia, which led to Germany declaring war on Russia, bringing France into the conflict. Austria-Hungary's role in the war was largely passive and dominated by Germany, with the primary goal of punishing Serbia and preventing the ethnic breakup of the Empire.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Austria's side in World War II | Austria was part of Nazi Germany from 13 March 1938 until 27 April 1945, when Allied-occupied Austria declared independence from Nazi Germany. |
| Who occupied Austria? | The Soviet Union, United States, United Kingdom, and France. |
| Austria's role in Nazi Germany | 950,000 Austrians fought for the Nazi German armed forces. Other Austrians participated in the Nazi administration, from death camp personnel to senior Nazi leadership. |
| Austria's relationship with Nazi Germany | Austria was completely absorbed into Germany and renamed Ostmark. Any official memory of Austrian existence was destroyed and suppressed. |
| Treatment of Austrian Jews | Mass antisemitic violence took place immediately after the Germans crossed the border into Austria. Many Austrians, especially those of Jewish origin, were forced into exile. |
| Austria's role in Nazi crimes | The Moscow Conference of 1943 declared that Austria had a responsibility for "participation in the war at the side of Hitlerite Germany". |
| Austria's postwar treatment | Austria was treated as a victim of Nazi aggression and liberated and occupied by the Allies. |
| Austria's postwar political situation | Austria was divided into four occupation zones. Vienna was similarly subdivided, but the central district was collectively administered by the Allied Control Council. |
| Date of Allied withdrawal | The occupation ended and Austria gained full independence on 27 July 1955. |
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What You'll Learn
Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany in 1938
Austria's role in World War II was as an ally of Nazi Germany. This was a result of Austria being annexed by Nazi Germany in 1938.
Following World War I, Austria was weakened by a struggling economy and political strife. In the years leading up to the annexation, Nazi propaganda increased within Austria, and Austrian Nazis attempted to seize the Austrian chancellery and install their own government. They assassinated Austrian Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss, who was replaced by Kurt Schuschnigg. Schuschnigg attempted to maintain Austrian independence, but ultimately resigned as Germany prepared to invade. He was replaced by Arthur Seyss-Inquart, an Austrian Nazi-party member, who “requested” that Germany enter Austria.
On March 12, 1938, German soldiers entered Austria, and Hitler decided to fully annex the country into the Third Reich. This annexation, known as the Anschluss, was met with enthusiasm by many Austrians, who greeted Hitler with a rally of 200,000 people in Vienna. However, the annexation also involved physical and military violence, and Austrian political leaders who opposed Nazi rule were imprisoned and tortured.
Following the annexation, anti-Jewish legislation was quickly extended to Austria, and the Mauthausen concentration camp was established in the summer of 1938. The mass deportation of Austrian Jews began in October 1941.
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Austrians fought for the Nazis
Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany in 1938, an action known as the Anschluss. This was the Nazi German regime’s first act of territorial aggression and expansion. The annexation was met with the enthusiastic support of most Austrians. About 10% of the population, or 700,000 people, joined the Nazi Party. Many Austrians also participated in the Nazi administration, from death camp personnel to senior Nazi leadership.
During World War II, 950,000 Austrians fought for the Nazi German armed forces. The Wehrmacht drafted more than 1.3 million Austrians between 1938 and 1945, 242,000 of whom never returned. Austrians served loyally as soldiers and were responsible for Nazi atrocities on the Eastern Front. Austrian historian Helmut Konrad estimates that there were around 100,000 Austrian opponents to the regime who were imprisoned. However, Austrian resistance groups were often ideologically separated and most were exposed by the Gestapo and executed.
After the war, many Austrians sought comfort in the myth of Austria as the first victim of the Nazis. The country did not go through the same denazification process as post-war Germany, and Austrian society largely tried to advance the view that the Anschluss was an imposition of rule by Nazi Germany.
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The Allies declared Austria independent in 1945
Austria's involvement in World War II was complex. Initially, Austrians sought to remain independent, but after Hitler came to power in Germany in 1933, Austrian politics became increasingly unstable, and infighting and political violence were commonplace. Hitler, who had expressed a desire for an Austro-German union in his earliest writings, appointed a German Nazi to bring the small but growing Austrian Nazi Party in line. By 1938, the Austrian chancellor, Engelbert Dollfuss, had transformed Austria into a right-wing authoritarian regime, and Hitler himself entered Austria, accompanied by German troops. A Nazi government in Austria, headed by Seyss-Inquart, was established, and Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany. This event, known as the Anschluss, was widely popular in both Germany and Austria.
However, not all Austrians supported the union with Germany. Tens of thousands of Austrians were arrested for political reasons during the war, and many died in concentration camps or prisons. Additionally, a number of Austrians fought as Allied soldiers against the German army. Despite this resistance, Austria was generally recognized as part of Nazi Germany until 1943, when the Allies 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.
In April 1945, Soviet troops entered Austria, and on the 27th of that month, the Allies declared Austria independent from Nazi Germany as a result of the Vienna offensive. This was confirmed by the Berlin Declaration for Germany on 5 June 1945. However, Austria remained under the joint occupation of the Western Allies and the Soviet Union until 1955. During this time, the country was divided into four occupation zones, with Vienna being collectively administered by the Allied Control Council. The occupation ended when the Austrian State Treaty came into force on 27 July 1955, and Austria was accorded full independence.
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Austria was divided into four occupation zones
Austria was annexed by Germany in 1938, and as a result, it was considered a part of the Axis powers during World War II. However, after the war, the country was occupied and governed by the four main Allied powers: the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and the Soviet Union. This led to the division of Austria into four occupation zones.
The division of Austria into occupation zones was agreed upon by the Allies at the Potsdam Conference in July 1945. This conference set out the plans for the administration and reconstruction of Germany and Austria after the war. As a result, Austria was divided into four zones, each controlled by one of the four occupying powers. This division was similar to the one implemented in Germany, where Berlin also became divided into four sectors.
The US, UK, and France worked together to administer their zones in Austria, which were collectively known as the Western zones. These three powers aimed to help Austria rebuild its economy and establish a democratic government. The Soviet Union, on the other hand, administered its zone independently and had different goals for the country's future. Tensions between the Western powers and the Soviet Union during the Cold War also played out in Austria, with the country becoming another site of ideological confrontation.
Vienna, the capital of Austria, was also divided into four sectors, similar to Berlin. The city was an important center of attention for the occupying powers due to its strategic location and significance as a historical capital of the Habsburg Empire. The division of Vienna was a complex process, with the city's municipal government having to coordinate and work across the four zones. This arrangement continued until 1955 when the Austrian State Treaty was signed, ending the occupation and establishing Austria as a neutral, independent, and sovereign state.
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The Soviet Union's occupation of Austria
Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany in 1938, with the support of the Austrian population. In 1941, Hitler's regime launched a genocidal war against the Soviet Union, with the aim of eliminating the Soviet Union as a military threat and turning it into a German colony. In response, the Soviet Union launched a counterattack that led to the elimination of German forces in southern Austria and the capture of Vienna in April 1945. This marked the beginning of the Soviet occupation of Austria.
The Soviet Union, along with the United States, the United Kingdom, and France, divided Austria into four occupation zones. The Red Army occupied parts of Austria, including Vienna, while Anglo-American troops entered from Germany and Italy. The Soviet occupation of Austria lasted from 1945 until 1955, and during this time, the Soviet Union implemented policies to shape the country's future.
The Moscow Declaration of 1943, agreed upon by the British, Americans, and Soviets, stated that the German annexation of Austria would be considered "null and void". It also acknowledged Austria's role in Nazi crimes while treating the country as a victim of Nazi aggression. The Declaration set out a plan for Austria's demilitarization, denazification, and democratic reconstruction. Additionally, the Soviet Union expropriated over 450 formerly German-owned businesses, many of which were driven to bankruptcy by 1955.
The Soviet occupation of Austria was not without controversy. While the Soviet repressive apparatus showed some restraint in the first months, there were reports of systematic sexual violence against women and repression of civilians by the Red Army. The Soviets also deployed NKVD (secret police) teams to extract reparations through seizures and confiscations, impacting Austria's economy. The occupation ended in 1955 with the signing of the Austrian State Treaty, which granted Austria full independence and the withdrawal of all occupying troops.
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Frequently asked questions
Austria was annexed into Nazi Germany by Adolf Hitler in 1938, a year before World War II broke out. It was therefore on the side of the Axis powers.
Austria was part of the Central Powers during World War I, along with Germany, Bulgaria, and the Ottoman Empire.
Italy was initially neutral during World War I, but eventually joined the Entente and declared war on Austria in 1915.
Yes, the US entered World War I in 1917 and declared war on Austria-Hungary in December of that year.
