Leslie Massey
Immediately after World War II, Austria was jointly occupied by the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, the United States, and France, and divided into four occupation zones. Vienna was also subdivided, with the central district collectively administered by the Allied Control Council. The Soviet Union's occupation of Austria began in June 1941, when Hitler's regime launched a genocidal war against it. The Red Army committed many crimes, including looting and rape. By 1955, when the Red Army pulled out of the country, the Soviets had arrested 2,400 Austrians, with 1,250 prosecuted for various crimes. Austria received nearly $1 billion through the Marshall Plan, and its economy reached 61% of pre-war levels by 1947.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year Austria was annexed into Nazi Germany | 1938 |
| Percentage of Austrian population that supported annexation | 90% |
| Number of Austrians drafted by the Wehrmacht between 1938 and 1945 | 1.3 million |
| Number of Austrians who joined the Nazi Party | 700,000 |
| Number of Austrians who fought for Nazi Germany during World War II | 950,000 |
| Year Austria was liberated from Nazi Germany | 1945 |
| Year Austria was declared independent | 1955 |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
The Soviet Occupation of Austria
In the winter of 1945, troops from the 3rd and 2nd Ukrainian Fronts approached Austria's border from Hungary. The fighting in Hungary was brutal, with the two Red Army groups suffering heavy losses. The Germans launched their last major offensive of the war at Lake Balaton in March 1945, aiming to stop the Soviet advance into the Third Reich. However, the 3rd Ukrainian Front counterattacked, resulting in the elimination of the bulk of German forces in the south and the capture of Vienna, the Austrian capital.
After taking Vienna, Soviet troops advanced towards Linz and Graz in early May. Skirmishes between the Red Army and German soldiers, who sought to surrender to the Western Allies to avoid Soviet captivity, continued into late May, even after the fighting had ceased elsewhere in Europe. The Red Army suffered 94,185 casualties in Austria, with 26,006 killed and 68,179 wounded. Soviet soldiers engaged in systematic sexual violence against women, and repression against civilians harmed the Red Army's reputation.
In the aftermath of World War II, Austria was divided into four occupation zones, jointly occupied by the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, the United States, and France. Vienna, the capital, was similarly subdivided, with the central district collectively administered by the Allied Control Council. Soviet occupation policies in Austria were shaped by the Moscow Declaration of 1943, which proclaimed that Austria was a victim of German aggression but would have to pay the price for its participation.
While Austria was initially treated as a defeated Axis power, Moscow maintained the view that Austria was a victim of Germany. This stance spared Austria from losing any territory and prevented the expulsion or deportation of Austrians for slave labour, unlike the fate of ethnic Germans from Eastern Europe. The Soviets did not create a separate socialist government in their zone, and Austria was eventually granted full independence on May 15, 1955, with the last occupation troops departing on October 25, 1955.
Exploring Vienna: The Austrian Capital's Cultural Significance
You may want to see also
Explore related products
The Vienna Offensive
In the spring of 1945, Soviet Marshal Fyodor Tolbukhin led the 3rd Ukrainian Front through western Hungary, crossing the border into Austria. On 25 March, the 2nd Ukrainian Front launched the Bratislava-Brno offensive, crossing the Hron and Nitra rivers and advancing towards Bratislava. By 2 April, Soviet troops approached Vienna from the south, overrunning several towns and besieging the city. The 3rd Ukrainian Front surrounded and attacked Vienna, with the 4th Guards Army, 6th Guards Tank Army, 9th Guards Army, and 46th Army participating in the assault.
During the offensive, street-to-street fighting intensified in the southern and western suburbs of Vienna. The 3rd Ukrainian Front bypassed Vienna and advanced on Linz and Graz, while the 2nd SS Panzer "Das Reich" defended the city. By 15 April, the Soviets pushed further into Austria, and the remaining German forces were forced to flee. The Vienna Offensive resulted in significant casualties and destruction within the city.
The Soviet victory in the Vienna Offensive was not without controversy. While the initial Soviet assault forces maintained discipline, the second wave of Soviet troops engaged in looting, assault, and systematic sexual violence against civilians. The conduct of the Soviet troops damaged their reputation, and efforts to contain desertion and plunder proved challenging. The Vienna Offensive thus exemplifies the complexities of World War II, where military victories were often accompanied by civilian suffering and moral complexities.
Glock's Austrian Roots: Where Are They Made Now?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
The Austrian Resistance
Background
Austria was annexed into Nazi Germany by Adolf Hitler in 1938, with significant support from the Austrian population. This annexation, known as the Anschluss, made Austria an integral part of the Third Reich, with many Austrians joining the Nazi Party and serving in the German military. However, not all Austrians supported the Nazis, and some actively resisted the regime.
Forms of Resistance
- Propaganda and Leaflet Distribution: The resistance issued counter-Nazi political leaflets to spread anti-Nazi messages and counter Nazi propaganda.
- Intelligence and Espionage: Some groups, such as the one led by priest Heinrich Maier, provided crucial intelligence to the Allies. They shared information on production sites of weapons and aircraft, which enabled the Allies to conduct precise airstrikes while minimising civilian casualties.
- Military Sabotage: Limited military resistance included occasional sabotage of key civil and military installations.
- Assistance and Escape: Some individuals helped thousands of Austrians, including many Austrian Jews, flee the country at the beginning of the war.
- Battle of Castle Itter: Austrian resistance fighters participated in this battle in May 1945, alongside American and anti-Nazi German soldiers, defending the castle against an attacking SS division.
Challenges and Impact
Resisting the Nazis in Austria was challenging due to the popular support for the regime and the risk of being labelled a "traitor". The Austrian resistance groups were often ideologically divided, reflecting the spectrum of political parties before the war. Despite these challenges, the resistance played a crucial role in providing intelligence to the Allies and contributing to the liberation of Austria from Nazi rule.
Aftermath
After World War II, Austria was occupied by the Allies, including Soviet troops who liberated Vienna in April 1945. Representatives from the resistance movement and former political parties established a free provisional government. In 1955, Austria regained its sovereignty, declared its neutrality, and became the Second Austrian Republic.
Exploring Border Control: Italy-Austria Border's Unique Scenario
You may want to see also
Explore related products
The Austrian Communist Party
Austria was liberated from Nazi Germany in 1945 and remained occupied by the Allies until 1955, when it regained its sovereignty and was declared the Second Austrian Republic. During the Nazi occupation, the Austrian Communist Party, or KPÖ, played a crucial role in the Austrian resistance, fighting alongside former political enemies such as Christian socialists, Catholics, monarchists, and farmers against Hitler's regime.
The KPÖ was founded by Franz Koritschoner, who was deported from the Soviet Union and handed over to the Nazis as a result of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact of 1939. However, once the war broke out between Germany and the Soviet Union, the Soviets supported the Austrian Communists in their fight against the Nazis. More than 4,000 communists were imprisoned or sent to concentration camps, and over 2,000 lost their lives during the resistance, including 13 members of the KPÖ.
In the first National Council elections after liberation, the KPÖ won only 5.4% of the votes, securing them 4 out of 165 seats in parliament. Despite this low number of seats, the right-wing ÖVP chancellor Leopold Figl offered the KPÖ a ministerial position, and communist Karl Altmann became the Minister for Energy. However, with the beginning of the Cold War and the continuing arguments over the Marshall Plan, Altmann resigned from his office in 1947, and the KPÖ became an opposition party.
The KPÖ's closeness to Moscow made many Austrian voters wary of the party and its aims, especially as they saw the Soviets undermine multiparty democratic systems in other former territories of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, such as Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Poland. The KPÖ's influence further diminished due to internal conflicts and accusations of undemocratic procedures, which led to several members leaving the party.
In the post-war period, Austria faced severe food shortages, spiraling inflation, and a struggling agriculture sector. Communists played a leading role in the largest strike action in Austria's post-war history, which started in the Steyr and Voest factories and the nitrogen plants in the American zone of occupation. The strike movement eventually lost momentum, and the Socialists in Vienna worked to weaken communist influence.
Arnold Schwarzenegger's Austrian Roots and Home
You may want to see also
The Mauthausen concentration camp
The camp was founded by a private company as an economic enterprise, but it was controlled by the German state from the beginning. The site was chosen for its proximity to a granite quarry and Linz. The granite was to be mined and used in the reconstruction of major German towns according to the plans of Nazi architects.
The main camp at Mauthausen opened on 8 August 1938, several months after the German annexation of Austria, and was liberated by the US Army on 5 May 1945. During this period, Mauthausen and its subcamps held around 190,000 prisoners, of whom at least 90,000 died. Mauthausen had nearly 100 subcamps located throughout Austria and southern Germany, including the three Gusen concentration camps, which held a significant number of prisoners.
Mauthausen initially served as a prison camp for common criminals, prostitutes, and other "incorrigible law offenders". In May 1939, it was converted into a labour camp for political prisoners. During World War II, the number and diversity of prisoners increased dramatically, with tens of thousands of prisoners arriving in large transports. The camp became the destination for evacuations from camps near the front line. The prisoners, who now included women, were used as forced labourers in the arms industry.
The conditions at Mauthausen were even more severe than at most other Nazi concentration camps, and it had the highest mortality rate. Inmates were rented out to various local businesses as slave labour. Those at the bottom of the camp hierarchy barely stood a chance of surviving for long. In 1941, the SS began constructing a gas chamber at Mauthausen for the systematic murder of large groups of people.
Hungarian History: Austrian Rule's Lengthy Legacy
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Austria was liberated from Nazi Germany in 1945.
Austria regained its sovereignty in 1955.
After World War II, Austria was divided into four occupation zones 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 played a significant role in liberating Austria from Nazi Germany. The Red Army of the Soviet Union advanced towards Austria in 1945, engaging in intense fighting with German forces. The Soviet troops took Vienna and other major cities, and their presence continued even after the war ended.
