Lyla Lindsey
The Soviet Union's failure to establish an Austrian communist state can be attributed to various factors, including the country's proximity to Western powers, the unfavorable attitude of Austrians towards communism, and the Soviet Union's geopolitical priorities. The Soviets, Americans, and British agreed at the 1943 Moscow Conference to restore Austrian independence and sovereignty, but the country became a central arena for intelligence-gathering operations and ideological clashes during the Cold War. The Soviet Union's occupation of Austria was marked by political violence, economic exploitation, and attempts to exert control over media and cultural production. However, the death of Stalin and the onset of the Cold War led to a renegotiation of the occupation, ultimately resulting in Austria's neutrality and independence from Soviet influence.
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What You'll Learn
Moscow's non-interventionist policy
Firstly, Moscow's primary geopolitical focus was on countries neighbouring the Soviet Union, such as Romania and Poland. These countries shared a border with the Soviet Union, making them potential military threats. Establishing friendly or communist regimes in these neighbouring countries was a higher priority for the Kremlin than imposing communist rule in Austria.
Secondly, the Soviet Union wanted to maintain a favourable relationship with the Western Allies, particularly the United States and the United Kingdom. At the 1943 Moscow Conference, the Soviet Union, the United States, and the United Kingdom jointly declared their intention to create a free and independent Austria after the war. The Soviet Union's acceptance of Karl Renner, an Austrian politician who formed a provisional government and declared Austria's independence from Nazi Germany, was in line with this agreement. By respecting Austrian independence, the Soviet Union avoided direct confrontation with the Western Allies over the country's future.
Additionally, the Soviet Union's experience with the Communist Party of Austria may have influenced its decision to refrain from imposing a communist state. The Communist Party of Austria faced significant electoral defeats in the November 1945 parliamentary elections, winning less than six percent of the national vote. This underscored the generally unfavourable attitude many Austrians held towards communism and the Soviet Union. Imposing a communist state in Austria against the will of its people could have led to increased resistance and further strained the Soviet Union's relations with the West.
Moreover, the Soviet Union's non-interventionist policy in Austria can be understood in the context of the country's postwar reconstruction and the desire to move away from its dark Nazi past. The Austrian State Treaty of 1955, which ended the Allied occupation, included a formal disavowal of pan-Germanism and any future unification with Germany. This treaty was internationally recognised and ratified, further solidifying Austria's independence and sovereignty.
Finally, it is important to consider the impact of the Soviet Union's occupation and reparations on Austria. The Soviet Union extracted significant reparations from Austria, including seized industrial plants and production installations, looted property, and final settlement agreements. However, the scale of political violence and repression experienced by Austrians was more limited compared to other countries occupied by the Red Army. The Soviet Union's focus on extracting reparations may have influenced its decision to refrain from directly imposing a communist dictatorship in Austria.
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Austria's distance from the USSR
The Soviet Union, along with the Western Allies, played a role in declaring Austria's independence from Nazi Germany in 1945. This was a significant shift from their earlier stance, as during the interwar period, the Soviet Union had denounced the Western powers' prohibition of the Anschluss, or the unification of Austria and Germany. However, once Hitler's armies were pushed back into Germany, the Soviet Union's attitude towards Austria changed. The Moscow Declaration of 1943, agreed upon by the British, Americans, and Soviets, stated that Austria was Germany's first victim but would also need to take responsibility for its participation in Nazi aggression.
The Soviet Union occupied parts of Austria, including Vienna, and their policies during this time were shaped by the Moscow Declaration. While there were instances of repression, plunder, and arrests of civilians by Soviet forces, the scale of political violence experienced by Austrians was more limited compared to other countries occupied by the Red Army. This restraint can be partly attributed to Austria's distance from the USSR, as well as the fact that Moscow did not fully control Austria and did not attempt to impose a communist dictatorship.
During the Soviet occupation, Austrian communists appealed to Stalin to partition the country along the lines of the German model, but this was vetoed. Instead, the Soviets supported the creation of a democratic state, and in the 1945 parliamentary elections, the Communist Party of Austria was trounced, winning less than six percent of the national vote. The Soviets continued to exercise control in their zone of occupation, but in 1955, they pulled out of the country, along with the Western Allies, in exchange for Austria's promise to remain neutral in the Cold War.
Despite Austria's distance from the USSR, there were still instances of close relations between the two countries. In 1968, Austria became the first Western European country to import natural gas from the Soviet Union, and it has long been a favourite country for Soviet (and later, Russian) commerce, banking, and espionage activities.
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Austria's small size and strategic location
Austria's location, despite its small size, was strategically important. It was close to other nations that were potential military threats to the Soviet Union, such as Romania and Poland. The Kremlin prioritized having friendly or communist regimes in these neighbouring countries to ensure their own security. Additionally, the Soviets valued Vienna as a seat for their popular movements and international groups, which provided them with influence and a platform for their ideological agendas.
The Soviet Union's foreign policy towards Austria aimed to keep their options open in the postwar order. They did not fully control Austria and had to navigate the presence of other Western powers, such as the Americans and British, who had their own plans and interests in the region. The Western allies proposed various solutions, such as a Danubian confederacy or a political union with Bavaria, to strengthen postwar Austria and prevent a resurgence of Prussian-German militarism.
The Soviets also had to consider the attitude of the Austrian people themselves. The November 1945 parliamentary election saw the Communist Party of Austria receive less than six percent of the national vote, indicating widespread opposition to communism and the Soviets among Austrians. This electoral defeat influenced the Soviet Union's calculations, as they recognized the unfavorable sentiment towards them in Austria.
Moreover, the death of Joseph Stalin in 1953 and the subsequent thaw created an opportunity for renegotiation and a new direction in Soviet-Austrian relations. The Soviet Union pulled out of Austria in 1955, along with the Western Allies, as part of the Austrian State Treaty, which included Austria's promise to remain neutral in the Cold War. The Soviets' decision to not impose a communist dictatorship in Austria resulted in a more limited scale of political violence compared to other countries occupied by the Red Army.
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Soviet Union's acceptance of Renner
The Soviet Union's acceptance of Karl Renner, an Austrian politician, as the head of a provisional government in Austria was a significant event in the country's history. Renner established contact with the Soviets during the Vienna Offensive in April 1945. At the time, Joseph Stalin had already planned a future Austrian cabinet comprised of the country's communists in exile. However, a telegram from Soviet commander Fyodor Tolbukhin changed Stalin's mind in favour of Renner.
Renner was instructed by the Soviets to form a provisional government on April 20, 1945, without consulting their Western allies. Renner's cabinet took office just seven days later, declaring Austria's independence from Nazi Germany and advocating for the creation of a democratic state akin to the First Austrian Republic. The Soviet Union's endorsement of Renner was not an isolated incident. Their officers also re-established district administrations and appointed local mayors, frequently heeding the counsel of the locals, even before the fighting had ended.
Renner's cabinet included Austrian Communists in important positions such as the Secretary of State of the Interior and the Secretary of State for Education. This raised suspicions among the Western allies, who believed that a puppet state was being established and refused to recognise Renner's government. Even the British, who were particularly hostile, and American President Harry Truman, who doubted Renner's independence, denied him recognition. Despite this, Renner maintained inter-party control by appointing two Under-Secretaries of State from each of the parties that did not designate the Secretary of State in each ministry.
Stalin's negotiations with Renner, a Social Democrat, stood in stark contrast to the Western Allies' negotiations with Nazis. Stalin's deal with Renner was conducted in secret, and when the West was notified, it was presented as a fait accompli. The Soviets continued to exercise control in their zone of occupation even after the election in November 1945, in which the Communist Party of Austria was defeated, receiving less than six percent of the national vote. The Soviet Union pulled out of Austria in 1955, along with the Western Allies, after Austria pledged to remain neutral during the Cold War.
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The Truman administration's proposal
In 1947, the Truman administration proposed dividing Austria into two zones, an eastern zone under Soviet control and a western zone controlled by the West. This proposal was a shift from the previous Roosevelt administration's stance, which had looked unfavourably at similar plans proposed by the British. The Truman administration's proposal was likely influenced by the electoral defeat of the Austrian communists in the November 1945 elections, which indicated widespread Austrian opposition to the Soviets.
The Soviets, however, were reluctant to agree to the Western proposal. They feared that accepting the West's terms would weaken their position and benefit the West. This concern was heightened by the growing tensions of the Cold War and the Soviets' desire to maintain their security interests in the region. Additionally, Moscow's primary geopolitical priorities were focused on neighbouring countries like Romania and Poland, which shared a border with the Soviet Union and posed a potential military threat.
The rejection of the Truman administration's proposal led to a stalemate in Austria until negotiations for the State Treaty began following the death of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin in 1953. The Soviet occupation of Austria during this period was marked by efforts to extract reparations, the presence of Soviet secret police (NKVD), and the arrest of Austrian civilians by Soviet military tribunals. The Western powers, including the Americans and British, also engaged in their own activities, such as quietly arming Austrian gendarmes and training an underground Austrian military.
The situation in Austria remained unresolved until 1955, when the Soviet Union, along with the Western Allies, withdrew from the country in exchange for Austria's promise to remain neutral during the Cold War. The Austrian State Treaty, ratified that year, formally ended the Allied occupation and marked the beginning of Austria's independence and neutrality.
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Frequently asked questions
The Soviet Union did not form an Austrian Communist state because they wanted to maintain a friendly relationship with the West and did not want to risk their security. The Truman administration proposed an East-West division of Austria in 1947, but the Soviets rejected this idea.
The Soviet Union occupied Austria along with the Western Allies after World War II. They extracted reparations and arrested civilians, but their occupation was less violent than in other countries. The Soviet Union pulled out of Austria in 1955 when Austria promised to remain neutral in the Cold War.
The Communist Party of Austria did not have much support. In the 1945 parliamentary election, they won less than six percent of the national vote. Austrians tended to have an unfavourable view of the Soviets.
The Western Allies were suspicious of the Soviet Union's intentions and believed they were trying to establish a puppet state. They engaged in intelligence-gathering operations and worked to counter Soviet influence through propaganda and the backing of the Austrian government.
The Soviet Union's foreign policy towards Austria was shaped by their desire to maintain their security and their geopolitical priorities. They wanted to ensure that neighbouring countries, such as Romania and Poland, had friendly regimes that wouldn't pose a military threat.
