Leslie Massey
The history of Austria is a complex and fascinating one, with the territory understood by the term 'Austria' undergoing drastic changes over time. The first traces of human settlement in the region date back to the Paleolithic Age, with the fertile Danube Valley and the Alpine valleys inhabited by early humans. Over the centuries, Austria has been influenced by various empires, including the Romans, the Habsburgs, and the Napoleonic Empire. The Austrian Empire, officially known as the Empire of Austria, was a powerful force in Europe from 1804 to 1867, and the country continued to face challenges and changes following World War I and World War II. Today, Austria is a developed country with a strong economy, boasting close ties with other European Union member states.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year McDonald's first opened in Austria | 1977 |
| Location of the first branch | Vienna's Schwarzenbergplatz |
| Number of stores in Austria | 174 |
| Number of franchisees in Austria | 53 |
| Number of people working for McDonald's Austria | 8,000+ |
| Number of farms in Austria that McDonald's Austria works with | 50,000 |
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What You'll Learn
The First World War
Austria-Hungary, with German encouragement, declared war on Serbia on 28 July 1914. This declaration of war was partly due to the influence of the Austro-Hungarian chief of staff, Conrad, who had advocated for a preventive war since 1906. The Austro-Hungarian Empire's invasion of Serbia was intended to prevent the rise of a Serbian nation. However, the Austrian army suffered setbacks due to its position as a military satellite of Germany and the incompetence of its high command.
Russia's support for Serbia brought France into the conflict, leading Germany to declare war on Russia on 1 August and France on 3 August. Germany's violation of Belgian neutrality and Britain's fears of German domination in Europe prompted Britain and its empire to join the war on 4 August. Thus, within weeks, Europe's largest powers were primed for war, and the conflict quickly escalated into a global war.
During the war, the Austro-Hungarian armed forces were predominantly conscripted from the Kingdom of Hungary, despite it comprising only 42% of the empire's population. The Hungarian half provided sufficient supplies to enable the Austro-Hungarian Empire to continue waging war. However, by late 1916, food supplies from Hungary became intermittent, and the empire suffered severe casualties on multiple fronts. The collapse of the Italian front led the Austrians to accept the Armistice of Villa Giusti on 3 November 1918, bringing an end to their involvement in the First World War.
GNI Per Capita: Austria's Wealth and Prosperity
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![The House of Habsburg - A Short History of Austria from 1232 to 1792 [Quintessential Classics] (Illustrated)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91pUwHF6+ML._AC_UY218_.jpg)
The Second World War
Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany in 1938, with the overwhelming support of the Austrian population. This event is known as the Anschluss, a German word that means "connection" or "joining". The annexation of Austria was the first act of territorial expansion committed by Nazi Germany, and it demonstrated their disdain for the post-World War I European order. The international community did not intervene to stop the Anschluss, which allowed Hitler to continue his expansionary policies unchecked.
The Mauthausen concentration camp was established in the summer of 1938 after the German incorporation of Austria. Mauthausen became the main Nazi camp in Austria, with inmates forced to carry out harsh labour, including carrying heavy stone blocks up 186 steps from a quarry, which became known as the "Stairway of Death". During the war, the use of concentration camp prisoners for forced labour became increasingly important to German armaments production.
Antisemitism was widespread in Austria, even in the highest government offices. The degradation of the Austrian Jewish community, including the widespread threats against Jews’ lives, the destruction or confiscation of Jewish property, and the exiling of Austrian Jews, became known as the "Viennese model". By the time World War II began in 1939, more than 100,000 Jews had left Austria, and those who remained suffered further persecution and violence.
During the war, hundreds of thousands of Austrians fought as German soldiers, and a substantial number served in the SS, the elite military corps of the Nazi Party. Approximately 250,000 Austrians were killed or missing in action, and many more were held as prisoners of war. Austrian soldiers were responsible for Nazi atrocities on the Eastern Front, and many thousands of Austrians were arrested, sent to concentration camps, or executed for their political beliefs or resistance activities.
After the war, Austria was divided into four occupation zones and jointly occupied by the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, the United States, and France. Vienna was also subdivided, but the central district was collectively administered by the Allied Control Council. Austria remained under joint occupation until 1955, when the Austrian State Treaty came into force, ending the occupation.
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The Cold War
In the aftermath of World War II, Austria was jointly occupied by the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, the United States, and France, and Vienna was subdivided into four occupation zones. This occupation lasted from 1945 until 1955, with the last occupation troops leaving on 25 October 1955. During this time, Austria was considered a Cold War neutral state, playing a crucial role as a mediator and "bridge-builder" between East and West.
The Soviet Union's occupation policies in Austria included the confiscation of "German external assets" and the extraction of reparations through requisitions of industrial plants and production installations. The Soviets also dismantled and shipped industrial equipment valued at around US$500 million to the East. The Western Allies, however, successfully opposed plans for burdensome war reparations on Austria.
Austria's status during the Cold War was unique, and it was considered the superpowers' "darling." Vienna was a significant site for summit meetings and arms-control conferences, hosting important meetings such as Kennedy-Khrushchev in 1961 and Carter-Brezhnev in 1979. Austria's embassies in Washington and Moscow were also crucial diplomatic missions during this period. The country's relationship with the U.S. evolved over time, with a decline in political relations and a shift in foreign policy priorities after the end of the Cold War.
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The Reformation
The Protestant Reformation spread from northern Germany to Austria in the 16th century. By the Council of Trent in 1545, almost half of the Austrian population had converted to Lutheranism, with a smaller minority endorsing Calvinism. Eastern Austria was more affected by this phenomenon than western Austria.
The nobility in particular turned toward the Lutheran creed. For generations, eminent families provided the protagonists of Protestantism in the Lower and Inner Austrian territories. The sons of the nobility were often sent to North German universities to expose them more fully to Protestant influence. From 1521, Austrian printers began producing Protestant pamphlets, which were banned from 1523 onwards, but these bans proved ineffective. Among the peasant population, the Anabaptists had a stronger appeal than the Lutherans, but they had no support from the estates and their radicalism hindered their growth.
The Austrian Habsburgs enacted measures of Counter-Reformation as early as 1527 and harshly repressed Austrian Protestantism, although a minority of Austrians remained Protestant. The Habsburgs imposed a strict regime to restore the influence of the Catholic Church among Austrians, and their campaign proved successful. The Jesuits and Peter Canisius took the lead in this Catholic counteroffensive, which was based on persuasion. The Counter-Reformation scored its first successes in Gorizia and Carniola, where Protestantism had remained insignificant. In other parts of Austria, official religious commissions started to replace the Protestant preachers with Catholic clergymen.
The strength of the Reformation in Upper Austria was blunted by internal schisms, while in Lower Austria Melchior Klesl led a vigorous Catholic response, expelling Protestant preachers and promoting reconversion. The conversion of the cities and market centers of Lower Austria to Catholicism was conducted by Klesl, who later became a bishop and cardinal. In Upper Austria, where the Protestants had their strongest hold, the situation remained undecided, with the Catholic governor Hans Jakob Löbl of Greinburg and the Calvinist Georg Erasmus of Tscher.
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The Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman-Habsburg wars continued, with the Habsburgs assembling a large coalition of European powers known as the Holy League to fight the Ottomans and regain control over Hungary after the siege of Vienna in 1683. The Great Turkish War ended with the decisive Holy League victory at Zenta in 1697, resulting in the Treaty of Karlowitz in 1699, which secured the rest of Hungary and overlordship of Transylvania for the Austrians. The Austro-Turkish War of 1788–1791 was the last major conflict between the two empires, with Austria joining Russia in attacking the Ottomans. The war ended with a negotiated peace at Sistova, with Austria's gains described as "meagre".
In the years before World War I, the two former enemies found themselves allies against the French, the Russians, and the British. However, neither empire survived long into the twentieth century, as both multi-ethnic empires were broken apart in the aftermath of World War I.
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Frequently asked questions
The name 'Austria' first appeared in 996, in a document of King Otto III written as 'Ostarrîchi', referring to the territory of the Babenberg March.
The first traces of human settlement in the territories of Austria date back to the Lower Paleolithic Period (Old Stone Age). The area of today's Austria, including the fertile Danube Valley and the Alpine valleys, was settled in the Paleolithic Age (until approximately 8000 BC).
Rudolf I of the house of Habsburg was elected German king in 1273, beginning six centuries of Habsburg rule in Austria.
The Austrian Empire, officially known as the Empire of Austria, was a multinational European great power from 1804 to 1867. It was proclaimed by Francis II in response to Napoleon's declaration of the First French Empire.
