Lexi Webster
Austria and Germany share a close history, with German being the official language in both countries and Germans being the majority ethnic group in both. However, Austria has not been absorbed into Germany due to a complex political history. In the 19th century, there were two competing visions for German unification: Greater Germany, which envisioned a unified state for all cultural Germans, and Lesser Germany, which aimed to include the northern German states and exclude Austria. The rivalry between Prussia and Austria, which had dominated the Holy Roman Empire for almost 400 years, led to the Austro-Prussian War in 1866, resulting in Prussia establishing itself as the dominant German power. After World War I, the Austrian Empire was broken up, and shortly before World War II, Austria was annexed into Nazi Germany. Following the war, Austria was reconstituted as a separate state, influenced by Cold War politics and its historical pedigree. Today, both countries are independent members of the European Union, with Austria maintaining its neutrality and remaining outside of NATO.
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What You'll Learn
Austria and Germany were separate after World War I
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. In the early history of the Germanic Baiuvarii (ancient German Bavarians), the Duchy of Bavaria was established, which included the March of Pannonia that would later become Austria. From 843 to 962, Bavarian Austria came under East Francia (the Kingdom of Germany), but in 1156, it separated from the Duchy of Bavaria to become a sovereign state. From 1156 to 1806, Austria (excluding its non-German lands) and other German states were part of the Holy Roman Empire, which was officially a German polity from 1512 and mostly led by Austria itself.
However, after World War I, the Austrian Empire was broken up, and Austria lost most of its non-German lands. In 1918, Austria briefly renamed itself the Republic of German-Austria in an attempt to unite with Germany, but this was forbidden by the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (1919), created by the winners of World War I against both Germany and Austria. Throughout the interwar period, Austria and Germany remained separate and distinct entities.
In 1938, Nazi Germany, led by Austrian-born Adolf Hitler, annexed Austria into Germany in what became known as the Anschluss. Austrian Nazis had conspired to seize the Austrian government and unite with Germany, and they were met with enthusiasm by the Austrian population when German troops marched into Austria. Austria then existed as a federal state of Germany until the end of World War II, when the Allied Powers declared the Anschluss void and reestablished an independent Austria.
After World War II, Austria was reconstituted as a separate state, partly due to its historical pedigree, but also because of Cold War politics. None of the Allies wanted a unified Germany, and Austria served as a buffer state between the Western Allies and the Soviet Union. Additionally, Austria's Catholic religious identity and its historical heritage, which includes Celtic, Slavic, Avar, Rhaetian, and Roman origins, further distinguish it from Germany.
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Austria was a powerful Catholic state
Austria has historically been a powerful Catholic state. In the 16th and 17th centuries, the country was at the heart of the Counter-Reformation, with the absolute monarchy of the Habsburgs imposing a strict regime to restore Catholicism's power and influence among Austrians. The Habsburgs viewed themselves as the vanguard of Catholicism, and all other confessions and religions were repressed.
The Austrian Empire was dissolved into the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary in 1866, and the new North German Confederation was declared by Bismarck in 1867. While the German Empire focused on building armaments, Austria-Hungary turned its imperial ambitions to the Balkan Peninsula. The two empires did, however, forge a military alliance with the Kingdom of Italy, forming the Triple Alliance in 1882.
In 1908, Austria-Hungary annexed Bosnia and Herzegovina, and in 1912, Islam was officially recognized in Austria. In 1918, after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian and German Empires, Austria briefly renamed itself the Republic of German-Austria in a bid for union with Germany. This was forbidden by the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (1919), and Austria and Germany remained separate and distinct entities throughout the Interwar period.
Austria was absorbed into Nazi Germany in 1938, but after World War II, it was reconstituted as a separate state, partly due to its historical pedigree and Cold War politics. Austria is now a member of the European Union and has a strict constitutional requirement of neutrality. It is rich enough to remain independent, and there is no good reason for it to join Germany.
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Austria was part of the Holy Roman Empire
Austria was a part of the Holy Roman Empire, a political institution that provided a loose affiliation between the German principalities, duchies, bishoprics, and kingdoms of central Europe. The Holy Roman Empire was officially a German polity from 1512 and mostly led by Austria itself. The Habsburg monarchy of Austria had been the emperors of the old Holy Roman Empire and were the southern German power that vehemently opposed Prussia, a newcomer. The Holy Roman Empire was in existence until 1806, when it was dissolved.
The Austrian Empire, officially known as the Empire of Austria, was a multinational European great power from 1804 to 1867. It was created by proclamation out of the realms of the Habsburgs. During its existence, it was the third most populous monarchy in Europe after the Russian Empire and the United Kingdom. It was also the third-largest empire in Europe geographically. The empire was proclaimed by Francis II in 1804 in response to Napoleon's declaration of the First French Empire, unifying all Habsburg possessions under one central government.
The fall and dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire were accelerated by French intervention in the Empire in September 1805. On 20 October 1805, an Austrian army led by General Karl Mack von Leiberich was defeated by the French near the city of Ulm, resulting in the capture of 20,000 Austrian soldiers and many cannons. Napoleon's army won another victory at Austerlitz on 2 December 1805. Francis was forced into negotiations with the French, which concluded with an armistice on 6 December 1805. The French victories encouraged the rulers of certain imperial territories to ally themselves with the French and assert their formal independence from the Empire.
In 1866, Austria was defeated in the Austro-Prussian War, after which the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 was adopted, joining the Kingdom of Hungary and the Empire of Austria to form Austria-Hungary. Changes shaping the nature of the Holy Roman Empire took place during conferences in Rastatt (1797–1799) and Regensburg (1801–1803). On 24 March 1803, the Imperial Recess was declared, which reduced the number of ecclesiastical states from 81 to only 3 and the free imperial cities from 51 to 6. This measure was aimed at replacing the old constitution of the Holy Roman Empire, but the actual consequence of the Imperial Recess, along with the French occupying the Electorate of Hanover, was the end of the empire.
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Austria and Germany are independent countries
Historically, the Austrian Empire and the German Empire had different ambitions and trajectories. Austria, led by the Habsburg monarchy, was a southern German power that opposed the rise of Prussia. Prussia, led by Otto von Bismarck, sought to unify the German states under its dominance and actively worked to exclude Austria from its affairs. The tension between these two empires eventually led to the Austro-Prussian War in 1866, resulting in Prussia's victory and the dissolution of the Austrian Empire into the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary.
After World War I, the Austrian Empire was further broken up, losing most of its non-German lands. Meanwhile, Prussia absorbed many smaller states into the German Empire, solidifying its position as the dominant German power. Despite a brief union during World War II under Nazi Germany, Austria and Germany have largely maintained their independence from each other throughout their histories.
In the present day, Austria and Germany are both members of the European Union (EU) and share the same currency and free border movement. However, they maintain their distinct identities and institutions. Austria, for example, has a strict constitutional requirement of neutrality and is not a member of NATO, unlike Germany. Additionally, Austria has a unique cultural heritage as the core of a multi-ethnic empire, contributing to its distinct identity.
In summary, Austria and Germany have had complex and competing trajectories throughout their histories, resulting in their independence from each other. While they share close relations and similarities, they are ultimately two separate sovereign nations with their own unique cultures, industries, and state lineages.
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Austria was absorbed into Germany before World War II
The unification of Germany by Otto von Bismarck in 1871 had created a Prussian-dominated entity that explicitly excluded Austria. However, Austria and Germany shared a close history, with German being the official language in both countries and Germans being the majority ethnic group in both. In addition, Austrians and Germans shared ancestry in the Germanic Baiuvarii (ancient German Bavarians). In early history, the Baiuvarii 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, which was officially a German polity from 1512 and mostly led by Austria itself.
The absorption of Austria into Germany before World War II was met with enthusiasm by most Austrians, and throughout the war, 950,000 Austrians fought for the Nazi German armed forces. Other Austrians participated in the Nazi administration, from death camp personnel to senior Nazi leadership. However, a small minority of Austrians actively participated in the resistance against Nazism. After World War II, Austria was reconstituted as a separate state, partly due to its historical pedigree, but also because of Cold War politics. None of the Allies wanted a unified Germany, and Austria served as a buffer state between the spheres of influence of the Western Allies and the Soviet Union.
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Frequently asked questions
Austria and Germany have close relations due to their shared history, with German being the official language in both countries and Germans being the majority ethnic group in both. However, they are two separate sovereign states with different cultures, industries, and histories. Austria has no reason to want to join Germany as it already has free trade and freedom of movement within the European Union. Austria is also rich enough to not need subsidies from the German central budget.
Austria was briefly renamed the Republic of German-Austria in 1918 after World War I, in a bid for union with Germany. However, this was forbidden by the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (1919). Shortly before World War II, Austria was annexed into Nazi Germany. After World War II, Austria claimed independence and was reconstituted as a separate state, partly due to Cold War politics.
Prussia did not want to include Austria because it did not want a majority Catholic state, and it considered Austria a friendly neighbor and useful for controlling Central Europe and the Balkans.
