Leslie Massey
Austria was occupied by the Allies and declared independent from Nazi Germany on 27 April 1945. The Allies' occupation of Austria was motivated by several factors, including the country's strategic location, its natural resources, and the desire to establish a presence in Central Europe. The Allies also sought to punish Austria for its collaboration with Nazi Germany during World War II, and to prevent the spread of communism in the region. The occupation ended when the Austrian State Treaty came into force on 27 July 1955, and Austria regained its independence.
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What You'll Learn
- Austria was divided into four occupation zones, jointly occupied by the UK, US, France, and the Soviet Union
- The Soviets committed war crimes, including sexual violence, which harmed their reputation
- The US and UK wanted to prevent the Soviets from assuming control over Austrian oil fields
- Austria was a key route for the Soviets to invade Germany and end the war
- Austria was a victim of Nazi aggression and the Allies wanted to liberate and restore its independence
Austria was divided into four occupation zones, jointly occupied by the UK, US, France, and the Soviet Union
Austria was annexed by Germany in 1938 and became part of the Third Reich. However, in 1945, the Allies declared the annexation void and Austria was divided into four occupation zones, jointly occupied by the UK, US, France, and the Soviet Union. Vienna was also subdivided, but the central district was collectively administered by the Allied Control Council. This occupation was a result of the Vienna offensive and ended when the Austrian State Treaty came into force in 1955.
The presence of the Allied forces in Austria was not without tension. The Soviet troops, in particular, engaged in systematic sexual violence against women and looting. This conduct harmed the Red Army's reputation, and Moscow issued an order forbidding violent interrogations. Despite this, the Red Army's morale remained low as soldiers prepared to return home, and looting and desertion continued. The Western Allies did not have first-hand intelligence from Eastern Austria, and the Soviets assumed control over Austrian oil fields.
The Austrian people also experienced internal economic and social crises, with a severe drop in real wages and a deadlock between the government and unions. This gave the communists an opportunity to organise general strikes in 1950, which the Soviets and Western Allies did not intervene in. Despite the strain of the Korean War, the US amassed 227,000 tons of materiel for the Austrian armed forces by the end of 1952.
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The Soviets committed war crimes, including sexual violence, which harmed their reputation
The Allied Forces wanted to occupy Austria to ensure the country was independent from Nazi Germany. After the Anschluss in 1938, Austria was generally recognised as part of Nazi Germany. However, the Allies agreed in the 1943 Declaration of Moscow that Austria would be regarded as the first victim of Nazi aggression and would be treated as a liberated and independent country after the war.
The Soviet Union was one of the Allied Forces that occupied Austria. The Soviets committed war crimes, including sexual violence, which harmed their reputation. Soviet troops engaged in systematic sexual violence against Austrian women, beginning in the first days and weeks after the Soviet victory. According to Austrian police records for 1946, "men in Soviet uniform", usually drunk, accounted for more than 90% of registered crimes. One study indicated that 5.8% of all women between 15 and 60 years of age were raped in one Austrian district. Widespread looting accompanied the sexual assaults, with soldiers seizing food and forcing civilians to cook for them.
The sexual violence perpetrated by Soviet troops extended beyond Austria and into other occupied territories, such as Germany. Mass rapes of women took place by soldiers from all advancing Allied armies, although a majority of scholars agree that records show a majority of the rapes were committed by Soviet occupation troops. It is estimated that up to 2 million German women were raped by Soviet soldiers, with some women being victims of repeated rapes, up to 60 to 70 times. The social psychology of women and men in the Soviet zone of occupation was marked by the crime of rape, with the effects lasting long after the war ended.
The Soviet leadership was aware of the sexual violence being perpetrated by their troops but did little to stop it. Soviet propaganda initially suggested that most of the rapes were being conducted by Germans disguised as Soviet soldiers. However, as the extent of the violence became apparent, Soviet commanders issued orders to troops to discourage criminal conduct as they entered Austria, proclaiming that Austria was Hitler's first victim and that the Red Army entered the country to liberate it. Despite these efforts, the reputation of the Red Army was harmed by the sexual violence and other crimes committed by its troops.
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The US and UK wanted to prevent the Soviets from assuming control over Austrian oil fields
Austria was jointly occupied by the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, the United States, and France after World War II. Vienna was subdivided, but the central district was collectively administered by the Allied Control Council. The Soviets and Western allies had different interests in Austria, which led to some conflict. The Soviets, for instance, resisted the expansion and arming of the Austrian police force.
Austria's oil reserves are relatively small on a global scale, ranking 77th in the world as of 2016, with 45,400,000 barrels of proven oil reserves. This accounts for about 0.0028% of the world's total oil reserves. Austria's annual consumption levels exceed its production capacity, and the country must import 56% of its oil consumption to meet its needs.
The US and UK may have wanted to prevent the Soviets from controlling Austrian oil fields to maintain a balance of power and ensure the Soviets did not gain a strategic advantage in the region. Oil was (and remains) a critical resource for industrial development and military power projection. Control over oil fields could provide the Soviets with increased economic and strategic leverage in the post-war world.
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Austria was a key route for the Soviets to invade Germany and end the war
Austria's inclusion in the Third Reich meant that the Allies now viewed it as a target for invasion. The Soviets saw Austria as a route into Germany, and the capture of Vienna, followed by advances towards Linz and Graz, demonstrated their intention to push into the heart of the Third Reich. The Soviets also wanted to liberate Austria from Nazi rule, positioning themselves as saviours in their propaganda.
The Western Allies, including the Americans, British, and French, also had a vested interest in Austria. They wanted to prevent the Soviets from solely occupying the country and gaining too much power. This led to the division of Austria and Vienna into four occupation zones, each controlled by one of the major Allied powers: the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, the United States, and France.
The presence of the Western Allies in Austria was crucial to counterbalance Soviet influence and ensure that Austria did not become a satellite state of the Soviet Union. The Western Allies also played a role in rebuilding and restoring democracy in Vienna, with the first City Council elections held in November 1945.
Austria's position as a buffer between Western Europe and the Soviet Union during the early stages of the Cold War further highlights its strategic importance to both the Soviets and the Western Allies.
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Austria was a victim of Nazi aggression and the Allies wanted to liberate and restore its independence
Austria was annexed by Germany in 1938 and became part of the Third Reich. Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg attempted to maintain Austria's independence but was pressured by Hitler to name several Austrian Nazis to his cabinet. Schuschnigg called for a national vote on the question of annexation, but before the vote could take place, he resigned under coercion from the Nazis. Austrian forces were instructed not to resist the German "advance". After the annexation, elections were held, and Austrians voted in favour of joining Germany. However, the validity of this vote has been questioned due to the presence of German troops and the possibility that people felt pressured to vote a certain way.
Hitler's motivation for annexing Austria was his desire to unite all German-speakers into one country. Many prominent Nazis, including Hitler himself, were Austrian, and Austria played a significant role in the Holocaust, with approximately 65,000 Jews deported from Vienna to concentration camps. Despite Austria's complicity in Nazi crimes, the Allies recognised that Austria was the first victim of Nazi aggression and sought to liberate and restore its independence.
During World War II, Austria was occupied by the Allies, including Soviet, American, British, and French troops. Vienna, the Austrian capital, was subdivided and jointly occupied, with the central district collectively administered by the Allied Control Council. The Allies agreed in the 1943 Declaration of Moscow that Austria would be regarded as a victim of Nazi aggression and treated as a liberated and independent country after the war. This was reaffirmed in the Berlin Declaration for Germany on 5 June 1945, which declared Austria independent from Nazi Germany.
The liberation of Austria from Nazi rule was not without challenges. There were reports of widespread looting and sexual assaults by Soviet troops, which harmed their reputation and led to efforts to contain such behaviour. The Allies also faced difficulties in governing the occupied zones, with tensions and disagreements among themselves and with the Austrian government. Despite these challenges, the Allies remained committed to restoring Austria's independence, which was achieved with the Austrian State Treaty coming into force on 27 July 1955.
In summary, Austria was initially a victim of Nazi aggression, and the Allies recognised this and sought to liberate and restore its independence. The occupation of Austria by the Allies was complex and challenging, but ultimately, Austria regained its independence and was able to rebuild and recover from the war.
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Frequently asked questions
The Allied Forces wanted to liberate Austria from Nazi Germany and to treat it as the first victim of Nazi aggression.
Austria was annexed by Germany in 1938 and became a part of the Third Reich. Austrians voted in favour of joining Germany, but German troops overlooked the elections.
The Vienna Offensive was a military campaign by the Allied Forces that resulted in the elimination of German forces in southern Austria and the capture of Vienna.
After the Vienna Offensive, Soviet troops advanced towards Linz and Graz in early May 1945. Skirmishes between the Red Army and German soldiers, who sought to surrender to the Western Allies, lasted into late May.
The Allied occupation of Austria lasted from 1945 to 1955 and was marked by social and economic crises, including the 1950 Austrian general strikes. The occupation also saw the restoration of democracy in Vienna, with the first City Council elections held in November 1945.
