Lexi Webster
Austria and Germany have a long and complex shared history, with various unions and separations occurring between the two nations over the past two centuries. The most recent instance of unification between the two occurred in 1938 when Nazi Germany, led by Austrian-born Adolf Hitler, annexed Austria into Germany. This unification, known as the Anschluss, was prohibited by the Versailles and St. Germain treaties and was one of the most shameful and controversial events in Austria's history. Since the end of World War II, there have been no serious efforts among citizens or political parties to reunite Germany and Austria. However, the two countries continue to share close relations, and their cooperation is essential in countering the influence of Russia in Europe.
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What You'll Learn
The Austrian-East German relationship
The relationship between Austria and East Germany has been complex and marked by historical events. In the context of the Cold War, the Austrian-East German relationship took on a unique dynamic. Here is an overview of the key aspects of this relationship:
- Historical Context: Austria and Germany have a long history of political and cultural ties, dating back to the Holy Roman Empire. However, with the end of the Holy Roman Empire during the Napoleonic Wars and the subsequent creation of the Austrian Empire and the German Confederation, tensions arose between the two nations, particularly between Prussia and Austria, both vying for influence in a unified Germany.
- World War I and Interwar Period: After World War I, Austria briefly renamed itself the Republic of German-Austria, seeking union with Germany. However, this was forbidden by the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye in 1919. Despite this, Austria and Germany maintained close relations during the interwar period, with Austria-Hungary and the German Empire forming the Triple Alliance with Italy in 1882.
- Annexation by Nazi Germany: In 1938, Nazi Germany, led by Austrian-born Adolf Hitler, annexed Austria into Germany, known as the "Anschluss." This marked a dark period in their relationship, as Austria became a part of Nazi Germany during World War II, with many Austrians complicit in Nazi atrocities.
- Post-World War II: After World War II, Austria regained its independence from Germany and was separated into four governing zones, similar to Germany. However, there has been no significant effort by citizens or political parties in either country to pursue reunification.
- Austrian-East German Border: The border between Austria and East Germany became a pivotal point during the Cold War. The opening of Hungary's border with Austria in 1989 created a breach in the Iron Curtain, allowing thousands of East Germans to flee to the West, ultimately contributing to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the GDR.
- Austrian Ambitions and European Integration: Austria's relationship with East Germany was influenced by its ambitions for European integration. As East Germany's regime began to falter, Austria shifted its focus towards greater integration with the European Community (EC). The fall of the Berlin Wall and German reunification impacted Austria's pursuit of full EC membership.
- Limited Cooperation: Despite some interactions, the overall level of cooperation between Austria and East Germany remained modest. Mutual tourism and human contacts were limited, and exchanges beyond diplomacy, politics, and economics achieved only modest results.
In conclusion, the Austrian-East German relationship was shaped by historical events, the Cold War dynamics, and each country's domestic and international ambitions. While there were periods of interaction and influence, the relationship failed to reach the same level of closeness as Austria's relations with other countries, such as Hungary.
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Austria's annexation by Nazi Germany
Austria and Germany have a shared history, with German being the official language in both countries. Austrians and Germans also share similar architecture and art. In the 19th century, nationalism was a powerful force, and by all cultural and ethnic definitions of the time, the two countries were one people. However, Austria and Germany have not united since World War II, and there has been no serious effort among citizens or political parties to unite the two countries. The Austrian State Treaty forbids such a union, and the constitution requires Austria's neutrality.
The annexation occurred after Austrian Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss was killed in a failed coup d'etat by Austrian Nazis in 1934. In 1936, Austrian Chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg was pressured by Hitler into accepting Nazi ministers into his government. On March 9, 1938, Schuschnigg called for a national vote to resolve the question of the Anschluss, but he resigned under pressure from Hitler before the vote could take place. On March 11, German troops entered Austria, and on March 12, Hitler accompanied them into the country and appointed a new Nazi government. The next day, the annexation was officially proclaimed.
Austria 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.
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Austria's relationship with the two German states
Austria and Prussia (one of the two German states) have a long history of rivalry and conflict. In the 18th century, Prussia rose as a rival power to Austria within the Holy Roman Empire (HRE). The two nations fought against each other in the War of the Austrian Succession (1740-1748), with Prussia aiming to seize the province of Silesia. Prussia was victorious and annexed Silesia, which was part of the Austrian realm. This marked the beginning of "the German dualism", a period of tension where Prussia and Austria dominated German affairs and acted as checks on each other's power.
The two nations also clashed in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, which resulted in the abolition of the German Confederation and the exclusion of Austria from the North German Confederation. Prussia, along with other northern German states, formed the North German Confederation, which later became the German Empire under the leadership of Prussia. This further solidified the rivalry between Austria and Prussia, as Austria was left out of the unified Germany.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Austria-Hungary and the German Empire formed a military alliance with the Kingdom of Italy, known as the Triple Alliance (1882). However, Austria-Hungary's ambitions in the Balkans and its role in the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914 led to the First World War. After the war, both empires fell, and Austria briefly renamed itself the Republic of German-Austria, seeking union with Germany. However, this union was forbidden by the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (1919).
In the lead-up to World War II, Austria and Germany grew closer under the influence of the Nazi Party. In 1938, Nazi Germany, led by Austrian-born Adolf Hitler, annexed Austria, an event known as the Anschluss. Austria fought World War II as part of Nazi Germany, and many Austrians collaborated with the Nazi regime. After the war, Austria was separated from Germany and regained its independence. The Austrian State Treaty of 1955 banned reunification between the two nations.
In the context of German reunification in 1989-1990, Austria's relationship with East Germany was marked by modest cooperation in diplomacy, politics, and economics. Austria's position became less relevant as Moscow's consent to German unification depended on other factors. Austrian policy shifted towards greater emphasis on European integration, and the country sought full membership in the EC.
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Austria's influence on German unification
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 6th century, the Germanic Baiuvarii (ancient German Bavarians) established the Duchy of Bavaria, which included the March of Pannonia, which would later become Austria. From 555 to 843, the Duchy of Bavaria was ruled by Francia, the West Germanic Franks. Bavarian Austria then came under the Kingdom of Germany from 843 to 962, separating from Bavaria to become a sovereign state in 1156. From 1156 to 1806, Austria 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.
After Napoleon's defeat in 1815, Austria created the German Confederation as a new organisation among the German states, in which Prussia and Austria were reunited. The German Confederation lacked a monarch or a central government with real unifying force, leading to diplomatic tension between Prussia and Austria, who had competing proposals for unifying the German states. Austria proposed a union centred on and dominated by the Habsburgs, while Prussia wanted to exclude Austria from its affairs and become the central force. This tension led to the 1866 Austro-Prussian War, which Prussia won with the help of Italy. As a result, the Austrian Empire was dissolved into the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary, and Prussia formed the North German Confederation, excluding Austria-Hungary. After Prussia's victory in the Franco-Prussian War in 1870, Bismarck announced the creation of the German Empire, again excluding Austria-Hungary.
In the 19th century, nationalism was a powerful force, and by all definitions of culture and ethnicity, Austria and Germany were one people. However, Austria was the seat of power for the Habsburgs and had ambitions to dominate any unified German states. Prussia, on the other hand, wanted to exclude Austria from a unified Germany and become the central force. This dynamic, along with the rise of Pan-Germanism, set the stage for competition and tension between the two powers, ultimately resulting in the exclusion of Austria from the unified German Empire.
After World War I, the majority in both Austria and Germany wanted unification into a Greater German nation. However, this was forbidden by the Treaty of Versailles to prevent a dominant German state. After Hitler came to power in Germany in 1933, he demanded the right to Anschluss (union) between Austria and Germany. In 1938, Berlin forcibly joined Austria and Germany, despite being prohibited by the Versailles and St. Germain treaties. After World War II, there has been no serious effort to unite the two countries, and the Austrian State Treaty forbids such a union. Austria has developed a separate national identity from Germany, although they continue to cooperate closely in economic and cultural fields.
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Austria-Hungary's imperial ambitions
The Austro-Hungarian Empire was a major European power, spanning almost 700,000 square kilometres and containing approximately 52 million people. It was the second-largest nation in Europe by territory and the third-largest by population. Within its borders, the empire encompassed a diverse mix of geography, people, languages, and cultures, with 11 major ethno-linguistic groups, including Germans, Hungarians, Poles, Czechs, Ukrainians, Slovaks, Slovenes, Croatians, Serbs, Italians, and Romanians.
The Dual Monarchy's military force consisted of three armies: the Imperial and Royal Army, and the two older armies of Austria and Hungary. The Imperial and Royal Army faced considerable challenges due to language barriers between officers, who were predominantly Austrian, and enlisted soldiers, who were often Hungarians, Czechs, Slovaks, and others. Despite these difficulties, the Austro-Hungarian imperial army was professional and well-equipped, drawing on Prussian military methods.
After being excluded from a unified Germany in 1867, Austria-Hungary turned its imperial ambitions to the Balkan Peninsula. Austria envisioned a multi-ethnic, religiously diverse empire under Vienna's control. Count Gyula Andrássy, a Hungarian who served as Foreign Minister from 1871 to 1879, made the centerpiece of his policy one of opposition to Russian expansion in the Balkans and blocking Serbian ambitions to dominate a new South Slav federation. He wanted Germany to ally with Austria, not Russia. In 1878, with Britain's support, Austria–Hungary stationed troops in Bosnia to prevent the Russians from expanding into nearby Serbia.
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Frequently asked questions
Austria and Germany were united under the Holy Roman Empire until the Napoleonic Wars in the 1790s and 1800s. In 1804, Francis II, the Holy Roman Emperor, proclaimed the Austrian Empire. After Napoleon's defeat in 1815, Austria created the German Confederation, a new organisation among the German states in which Prussia and Austria became reunited. In 1867, the new North German Confederation was declared by Bismarck, excluding Austria-Hungary. In 1918, after the end of World War I, Austria briefly renamed itself the Republic of German-Austria in a bid for union with Germany. However, this was forbidden by the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (1919). In 1938, Nazi Germany, led by Austrian-born Adolf Hitler, annexed Austria into Germany.
Austria and Germany separated due to various factors, including the rise of nationalism, the ambitions of Prussia and Austria to create a unified Germany under their respective proposals, and the exclusion of Austria-Hungary from the North German Confederation. Additionally, the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (1919) created by the winners of World War I forbade the union of Austria and Germany.
There has been no serious effort among citizens or political parties to unite Germany and Austria after World War II. However, there have been speculations and concerns about the potential reunification. Some have argued that a united German state could lead to a return of fascism or Nazism. Others have expressed concerns about Germany expanding its territory and becoming the dominant power in Europe.
