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Austria was occupied by the Allies and declared independent from Nazi Germany on April 27, 1945, following the Vienna Offensive. The country was jointly occupied by the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, the United States, and France until 1955, with Vienna being subdivided and jointly administered by all four powers. The Soviet occupation of Austria began in June 1941, when Hitler's regime launched a genocidal war against the Soviet Union. The Red Army suffered 94,185 casualties in Austria, with soldiers engaging in systematic sexual violence against women and other crimes. The Allies agreed in the 1943 Moscow Declaration that Austria would be regarded as the first victim of Nazi aggression, while also acknowledging the country's role in Nazi crimes. Austria's status as a neutral state during the Cold War allowed it to maintain independence and avoid becoming part of the Soviet bloc.
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What You'll Learn
Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany in 1938
Austrian and German Nazis had attempted a coup in July 1934, but it was unsuccessful. An authoritarian right-wing government then took power in Austria, preventing concerted resistance to the unification. In February 1938, Hitler invited Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg to Germany and forced him to agree to give Austrian Nazis a free hand. Schuschnigg, learning of a second conspiracy by Austrian Nazis to seize the Austrian government and unite with Germany, met with Hitler in an attempt to reassert his country's independence. However, he was pressured into naming several top Austrian Nazis to his cabinet and, on March 11, he resigned. On March 12, German troops invaded Austria, and Hitler was able to annex the country outright on March 13, with a controlled plebiscite on April 10 giving a 99.7% approval.
After the annexation, Austria was an integral part of the Third Reich, with 10% of the population joining the Nazi Party. More than 1.3 million Austrians were drafted into the Wehrmacht between 1938 and 1945, 242,000 of whom never returned. Austrians served loyally as soldiers and were complicit in Nazi atrocities on the Eastern Front.
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The Soviet Union lost 26.6 million people during the war
Austria was occupied by the Allies and declared independent from Nazi Germany on 27 April 1945, as a result of the Vienna Offensive. The country was divided into four occupation zones, jointly occupied by the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, the United States, and France. Vienna, too, was subdivided, with the central district being collectively administered by the Allied Control Council. The Soviet Union's occupation of Austria began in June 1941, when Hitler's regime launched Operation Barbarossa, a genocidal war against the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union lost 26.6 million people during World War II, with most credible estimates for military losses ranging between 11.4 and 14.6 million. The post-Soviet government of Russia puts the Soviet war losses at 26.6 million, based on a 1993 study by the Russian Academy of Sciences, which includes people who died as a result of the war's effects. This figure is accepted by most historians outside Russia.
The Red Army suffered 94,185 casualties in Austria, with 26,006 killed and 68,179 wounded. Soviet occupation policies in Austria were largely shaped by the Moscow Declaration of 1943, in which the British, Americans, and Soviets proclaimed that Austria was the first victim of Nazi aggression, but that it was also complicit in Nazi crimes and would need to pay the price for its participation. The Austrian flag was flown alongside the hammer and sickle and an image of Lenin in central Vienna in 1946. The Soviets aimed to liberate Austria and eliminate the German Army, and soldiers were instructed to respect Austrian civilians, their traditions, families, and private property. However, the Red Army engaged in systematic sexual violence against women, and Soviet soldiers were responsible for a large proportion of registered crimes in 1946.
The Vienna Offensive resulted in the capture of the Austrian capital, after which 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 and avoid Soviet captivity, continued into late May, even after fighting had ceased elsewhere in Europe. The Soviet Union suffered significant losses during World War II, with 8.7 million military deaths officially recognised. However, this figure has been disputed, with some Russian scholars arguing that the number of dead and missing POWs is inaccurate and requires further research. The population loss due to the war was estimated to be around 20 million, including direct losses and deaths due to the deterioration of living conditions.
The war had a significant impact on the Soviet Union's population, with a notable increase in the gap between the number of males and females. From mid-1941 to 1946, the gap grew from 8.3 million to 22.8 million, indicating a disproportionate number of male deaths during the war. The total war dead of 26.6 million included 20 million males and 6.6 million females. The civilian death toll in regions occupied by Germany was estimated to be around 13.7 million, with sources citing genocide and premeditated extermination when referring to deaths caused by direct, intentional violence. The Soviet gulags (labor camps) also led to the deaths of millions of civilians, including citizens of occupied countries and German prisoners of war. The war had a devastating impact on the Soviet Union, with losses of 26.6 million people, including military and civilian fatalities, and significant population displacement and changes.
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The Red Army suffered 94,185 casualties in Austria
Austria was occupied by the Allies and declared independent from Nazi Germany on April 27, 1945, as a result of the Vienna Offensive. The country was divided into four occupation zones and jointly occupied by the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, the United States, and France. The Soviet Union's occupation of Austria began in June 1941, when Hitler's regime launched a genocidal war against them. The Red Army suffered 94,185 casualties in Austria, with 26,006 killed and 68,179 wounded.
The Soviet troops' conduct towards Austrian civilians harmed their reputation. They engaged in systematic sexual violence against women and violent interrogations. Soviet officers also led the way in plundering and attacking women. As a result, on September 28, 1945, Moscow issued an order forbidding violent interrogations. Despite the Moscow Declaration of 1943, which stated that Austria was the first victim of Nazi aggression, the Soviets' actions as occupiers caused them to be viewed as just another invading force.
The Red Army's morale suffered as soldiers prepared to return home, and all levels of Soviet command struggled to contain desertion and looting by rank-and-file soldiers in 1945 and 1946. According to Austrian police records for 1946, "men in Soviet uniform" accounted for more than 90% of registered crimes. The Soviets resisted expanding and arming the Austrian police force, and their governors sympathized with their soldiers over civilians. This behavior by the Red Army contradicted the directives issued to them before entering Austria, which instructed them to respect Austrian civilians and their property and to "let [their] conduct cause respect everywhere for the Red Army."
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The Western Allies and the Soviet Union occupied Austria until 1955
Austria was jointly occupied by the Western Allies (the United States, the United Kingdom, and France) and the Soviet Union from 1945 until 1955. This occupation followed the country's annexation by Nazi Germany in 1938, which was supported by the majority of the Austrian population.
In 1943, the Allies agreed in the Declaration of Moscow that Austria would be regarded as the first victim of Nazi aggression, despite its role in Nazi crimes. This declaration stated that Austria would be treated as a liberated and independent country after the war. However, it also acknowledged Austria's responsibility for its participation in the war alongside Germany.
In the immediate aftermath of World War II, Austria was divided into four occupation zones, with Vienna, the capital, being subdivided and its central district collectively administered by the Allied Control Council. The Western Allies occupied the western zones, while the Soviet Union occupied the eastern zones, including Vienna. The occupation of Austria by both the Western Allies and the Soviet Union was motivated by a desire to strip Germany of its territorial gains during the war and to return to the pre-war status quo.
During the occupation, the Western Allies and the Soviet Union had different approaches to governing Austria. The Soviet Union implemented occupation policies shaped by the Moscow Declaration, aiming to liberate Austria from Nazi rule while also holding the country accountable for its participation in Nazi aggression. Meanwhile, the Western Allies sought to foster a positive image of their military presence in Austria, as seen in their directives to respect Austrian traditions, families, and private property. However, there were also instances of misconduct by soldiers from both sides, including systematic sexual violence against women by Soviet troops and criminal activities by soldiers from both forces.
Austria regained its independence in 1955, ending the decade-long occupation. The Austrian State Treaty, which came into force on July 27, 1955, marked the official end of the occupation. Austria's promises of perpetual neutrality played a crucial role in securing its independence, as it pledged never to join NATO, satisfying the Soviets. As a neutral state, Austria was able to maintain its independence and avoid becoming part of the Soviet bloc during the Cold War.
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Austria negotiated independence by becoming a neutral state
Austria was occupied by the Allies and declared independent from Nazi Germany on 27 April 1945, following the Vienna Offensive. However, it remained under the joint occupation of the Western Allies and the Soviet Union until 1955. During this time, Austria's status was a controversial subject in the Cold War.
In 1943, the Allies agreed in the Declaration of Moscow that Austria would be regarded as the first victim of Nazi aggression, without denying its role in Nazi crimes, and treated as a liberated and independent country after the war. Despite this, the Soviet Union's occupation policies in Austria were shaped by the belief that Austria should pay the price for its participation in Nazi aggression. This belief was also reflected in the Moscow Declaration of 1943, which stated that Austria bore responsibility for "participation in the war at the side of Hitlerite Germany".
The Soviet Union's occupation of Austria was marked by widespread plunder and assaults, which undermined Soviet rule and delegitimized their Austrian allies, the Communist Party of Austria. This led to low morale among Soviet soldiers and widespread desertion and plunder throughout 1945 and 1946.
To end the occupation and gain full independence, Austria negotiated its neutrality. On 26 October 1955, the Austrian Parliament enacted the Declaration of Neutrality, declaring the country permanently neutral as part of its constitution. The declaration stated that Austria would not join any military alliances or permit foreign military bases on its territory. The Soviet Union agreed to the State Treaty, which ended the occupation, because Austria committed to neutrality after the allied forces left.
Austria's neutrality has become a deeply ingrained element of Austrian identity, with 76% of Austrians favoring remaining neutral in a 2022 opinion poll, as opposed to 18% who supported joining NATO. Austria's commitment to neutrality has influenced its foreign policy decisions, such as its participation in UN-led peacekeeping and humanitarian missions, and its membership in NATO's Partnership for Peace program.
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Frequently asked questions
Austria was occupied by the Allies to be liberated and independent from Nazi Germany, which had annexed it in 1938. The Allies and Soviets wanted to strip Germany of the land it had gained through the annexation, and return to a pre-war status quo.
The Soviets wanted to liberate Austria from the Germans and eliminate them as a military threat. The Soviet Union had also lost 26.6 million people during the war and wanted to punish Germany.
Austria was divided into four occupation zones by the US, UK, USSR, and France, as agreed upon at the Moscow Conference in 1943. This was done to treat Austria as a victim nation rather than an aggressor, despite Austrians taking part in Nazi crimes.
