Leslie Massey
Austria and Germany are neighbouring countries in Central Europe with a shared history, language, and culture. Despite their similarities, they are two distinct countries with their own unique identities. Austria has a population of about 9 million people and is slightly smaller than Germany, which has a population of about 83 million people. Both countries have close economic ties, with Germany being Austria's most important economic partner and Austria being one of Germany's top trading partners. This raises the question: why are Austria and Germany separate countries?
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What You'll Learn
Austria's desire to preserve its Catholic identity
Austria and Germany have a shared history, with German being the official language in both countries, and Germans being the majority ethnic group in both. However, Austria's desire to preserve its Catholic identity has been one of the factors that have contributed to the two nations remaining separate.
Austria has historically been a strongly Catholic country, dating back to its time as part of the Roman Empire when Christianity, specifically Catholicism, was introduced to the region. The Catholic Church's power and presence have been a constant throughout Austria's history, and it has played a significant role in shaping the country's cultural, political, and social identity. The Habsburg monarchy, which ruled from 1273 to 1918, was devoutly Catholic and actively promoted Catholicism as a unifying force for its empire. They enacted strict Counter-Reformation measures to suppress the rise of Protestantism in the 16th century, which had gained traction due to the influence of the nobles.
Even after the fall of the Habsburg monarchy, Catholicism remained an important part of Austria's identity. In the 20th century, Cardinal König played a key role in healing the rift between the Catholic Church and the Austrian Socialist Party, and his early work in the area laid the foundation for the strong antinuclear movement in Austria. While the political power of the Catholic Church has waned in modern times, its cultural influence remains significant, and it continues to shape Austria's identity through traditions, holidays, and values.
Austria's Catholic identity has been one of the factors contributing to its desire to remain separate from Germany. During the debates over German unification in the 19th century, there were two competing visions: a "big Germany" that included Austria and was ruled by the Habsburgs, and a "small Germany" that excluded Austria and was limited to a multiethnic empire. The "small Germany" vision ultimately prevailed, with Prussia's military victory over Austria in 1866 leading to its hegemony over the German states.
After World War I, the entente forbade Austrian Germany from merging with Germany, and this separation was reinforced by the 1955 Austrian State Treaty, which banned reunification. Austria's desire to preserve its Catholic identity was a factor in this separation, as reunification with Protestant-majority Germany was seen as a potential threat to Austria's Catholic religious identity. Additionally, Austria's historical heritage, including its Celtic, Slavic, Avar, Rhaetian, and Roman origins, also contributed to its distinct identity.
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Austria's different historical heritage
Austria and Germany have a shared history, with German being the official language and Germans being the majority ethnic group of both countries. However, Austria has a distinct historical heritage that sets it apart from Germany.
Firstly, Austria has a complex history involving various ethnic groups and empires. Before the colonization of the Germanic Baiuvarii (ancient German Bavarians), Austria was inhabited by several different groups, including the Celts, Slavs, Avars, Rhaetians, and Romans. This diversity of influences has shaped Austria's culture and society differently from Germany's more homogeneous past.
Secondly, Austria has had a unique political trajectory. While both countries were part of the Holy Roman Empire, Austria often led the Empire and was a dominant state within it. After the Empire's dissolution in 1806, Austria emerged as an empire in its own right, while Germany remained a collection of smaller states until its unification in 1871. Prussia, in particular, became Austria's rival for influence over the German states.
Thirdly, Austria's experience with fascism and Nazism differed from Germany's. During the interwar period, Austrians actively worked to preserve their separate identity and avoid incorporation into Germany. The rise of Austrofascism in the 1930s reflected a desire to retain Austrian sovereignty. When Hitler, an Austrian himself, annexed the country in 1938, Austrians participated extensively in Nazi crimes, and the country became the first victim of Nazi aggression. After World War II, Austria claimed independence from Germany and worked to distance itself from Nazi guilt.
Finally, Austria and Germany have taken divergent paths in their international relations. While Germany is a member of NATO, Austria maintains a strict constitutional requirement of neutrality and is not a NATO member. Additionally, Austria has recognized minority languages alongside German, such as Burgenland Croatian, Slovenian, and Hungarian, reflecting its diverse cultural influences.
In conclusion, while Austria and Germany share cultural and linguistic ties, Austria's distinct historical heritage, shaped by its diverse ethnic roots, political dynamics, experiences with fascism, and international relations, sets it apart as a separate country.
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Austria's rejection of reunification
Austria and Germany have a shared history, with German being the official language in both countries and Germans being the majority ethnic group in both. Austria and Germany were both part of the Holy Roman Empire (HRE) from 1156 to 1806, and Austria was the dominant state within the realm. However, the two countries have also had a history of rivalry and conflict, particularly over dominance of their neighbouring German states. This rivalry led to the Prussian-Austrian War in 1866, resulting in Prussia gaining hegemony over nearly all German states and excluding Austria and the German Austrians from Germany.
The idea of unifying all Germans into one nation-state, known as the "German question", has been a subject of debate since the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806. There were two main proposals for how to unite Germany: the "big Germany" answer, which was pro-Austria and favoured rule by the Habsburgs, and the "small Germany" answer, which sought to keep Austria out and limit them to ruling their multi-ethnic empire.
In the 1920s, the proposal to unify Austria and Germany, known as the Anschluss, gained strong support in both countries, particularly from Austrian citizens of the political left and centre. However, there were also forms of Austrian identity that rejected reunification with Germany, based on preserving Austrians' Catholic religious identity and their different historical heritage.
In 1938, Nazi Germany, led by Austrian-born Adolf Hitler, annexed Austria into Germany in what became known as the Anschluss. This was the result of a campaign by Nazi agents to cultivate pro-unification tendencies in Austria and undermine the Austrian government, which opposed unification. Despite the annexation, many Austrians continued to reject a unified German identity, as evidenced by the popularity of the "first victim" theory, which held that Austria was the first victim of Nazi Germany and therefore had no involvement in Nazi crimes.
After World War II, the 1955 Austrian State Treaty, which allowed Austria to regain power from the Allied occupation, banned the reunification of Germany and Austria. Austria's subsequent entry into the European Union in 1995 further solidified its separate status from Germany, as it adopted the same currency and open borders while remaining neutral and non-aligned with NATO.
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Austria's independence from Allied-controlled Germany
Austria and Germany have a shared history, with German being the official language and Germans being the majority ethnic group of both countries. In early history, the Germanic Baiuvarii (or ancient German Bavarians) established the Duchy of Bavaria, which included the March of Pannonia that would become Austria in c. 970. Later, Bavarian Austria came under East Francia (the Kingdom of Germany) from 843 to 962. It then separated from the Duchy of Bavaria to become a sovereign state in 1156. From 1156 to 1806, Austria (not including its non-German lands) and other German states under the Kingdom of Germany were parts of the Holy Roman Empire (HRE), which was officially a German polity from 1512 and mostly led by Austria itself.
The rise of Napoleon and his conquest of German-speaking territories led to the dissolution of the HRE, with Austria emerging as an empire in its own right. Prussia essentially became a "third Germany" at this point. The “German question" of how to unite Germany had two answers: the “big Germany" answer was pro-Austria, with the Habsburgs ruling over all of Germany, while the “small Germany" answer was to keep the Austrians out and limit them to ruling their multiethnic empire. In the revolutions of 1848, a single greater Germany was possible—the crown was offered, and German cities in Austria and many other German cities were in revolt. However, Prussia's military victory over Austria in 1866 allowed it to gain hegemony over nearly all German states, leading to two German nations from 1871 to 1918.
In 1938, Hitler took Austria, with the Austrofascist government declining to resist. Austria remained part of Germany until the end of World War II. On April 27, 1945, Austria was declared independent from Nazi Germany by the Allies as a result of the Vienna offensive. The Soviet Union, United States, and the United Kingdom had already jointly decided in 1943 that the German annexation of Austria would be considered "null and void". The first victim theory, which stated that Austria was the first victim of Nazi Germany and therefore not complicit in its crimes, was popular in Austria from 1949 to 1988 but has since been disproved by Austrians themselves. Over the next nine years, Austria evolved from a “nation under tutelage" to full independence, officially gaining independence in 1955 when the Austrian State Treaty came into force. The country's status was a controversial subject in the Cold War until the warming of relations known as the Khrushchev Thaw. Austria's independence was also bolstered by its entry into the European Union in 1995, which removed the physical land border between the two countries.
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Austria's unique Austrian German language and dialect
Austria and Germany have a shared history, with German being the official language and Germans being the majority ethnic group of both countries. German is the de facto first language of Austria, with over 98% of the population speaking it. German is used in the media, in schools, and for formal announcements. However, there are several dialects of German spoken in Austria, and these dialects give the language its unique characteristics.
Austrian German, or Österreichisches Deutsch, is the variety of Standard German written and spoken in Austria and South Tyrol. It is influenced by Austro-Bavarian, Bavarian, and Alemannic dialects, which are traditionally spoken but rarely written in Austria. Austrian German has its beginnings in the mid-18th century when Empress Maria Theresa and her son Joseph II introduced compulsory schooling and several reforms of administration in their multilingual Habsburg Empire. The written standard at the time was Oberdeutsche Schreibsprache (Upper German written language).
Alemannic, or Swiss German, is spoken by about 300,000 people in Vorarlberg, Austria. This dialect is very difficult for most German speakers to understand. The main native language of Austria outside Vorarlberg is Austro-Bavarian. The north-eastern parts of Austria, including Vienna, speak Central Austro-Bavarian dialects, while the southern parts speak Southern Austro-Bavarian dialects. Austro-Bavarian differs significantly from Standard German, and Germans from other regions may struggle to understand it.
There are many official terms that differ in Austrian German from their usage in most parts of Germany. For example, "Jänner" is used for "January" instead of "Januar," and "Stiege" for "stairs" instead of "Treppen." There are also many differences in culinary, administrative, legal, and political terms. The Austrian chancellery language, or Österreichische Kanzleisprache, is a very traditional form of the language used for official government documents. It has a complex structure and vocabulary that can be challenging to understand, even for native speakers.
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Frequently asked questions
Austria and Germany have a long shared history, and German is the official language of both countries. However, they are considered separate nations due to a combination of geographical, cultural, political, and historical factors.
Germany is the larger of the two countries in terms of both population and land area. Germany has a population of over 83 million people, while Austria's population is around 9 million. Germany also has a more varied topography, ranging from the High Alps in the south to the North German plains. Austria, which is situated south of Germany, has a predominantly mountainous landscape.
While Austrians and Germans share many cultural similarities, there are also notable differences. Austrians are generally considered more outgoing and cheerful, while Germans can be more formal and distant. Austrians tend to use the informal "du" when addressing others, whereas Germans favour the more formal "Sie". Additionally, there are variations in dialect and accent between the two countries, and certain terms used in everyday language differ, such as the greeting "Moagn" in Austria, compared to "Guten Morgen" in Germany.
The question of unifying Germany and Austria has been a subject of debate for centuries, with proponents of a big Germany including Austria, and those advocating for a small Germany excluding it. After World War I, the Entente forbade Austrian Germany from merging with Germany, and the rise of Austrofascism in the 1930s further solidified Austria's separate identity. Following World War II, the Austrian State Treaty of 1955 banned reunification, and Austria's entry into the European Union in 1995 removed the physical land border between the two countries.
The Holy Roman Empire, which encompassed both Germany and Austria for centuries, dissolved in 1806. This led to the emergence of independent German states, including Prussia, which rivalled Austria for dominance over their neighbouring German states. The Napoleonic Wars and the creation of the Confederation of the Rhine further contributed to the separation of German-speaking territories. Later, the participation of Austrians in Nazi crimes during World War II led many Austrians to dissociate themselves from Germany and emphasise their separate identity.
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