Twitter: https://twitter.com/Tenminhistory
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=4973164
Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/history-matters-store-2

Special Thanks to the following Patrons for their support on Patreon:

Franco La Bruna
James Baker
Daniel Lambert
Richard Wolfe
Chris Fatta
Joshua
William Foster
Blaine Tillack
Andrew Niedbala
Mitchell Wildoer
Bernardo Santos
Cornel
Thomas Mitchell
Norman A. Letterman
Danny Anstess
Matthew Crighton
Shaun Pullin
Joooooshhhhh
Perry Gagne
Fuzzythefair
Daan ter Elst
Byzans_Scotorius
Spencer Smith
Richard Manklow
Andrew Keeling
Rbj
Mark Bevan
João Santos
anon



This episode covers the postwar occupation of Austria and how this ten year period affected the country's character and outlook. Life in the country was pretty brutal after the war but after some economic aid and presenting a united front to their occupiers the Austrians were able to negotiate the end of their occupation in 1955. They just can't join Germany again. Ever.

With them lost the Austrians, having found themselves thoroughly Anschlussed in 1938.

Austria was occupied by allied forces much in the same way that Germany was.

The Soviet Union was placed in control of this territory and the United States, Britain and France getting the rest.

The Allies had declared Austria to be the first victim of Nazi aggression and thus they technically weren't occupied but were liberated.

From a social standpoint, post-war Austria was in a strange place.

Whilst the referendum to join Germany in 1930 wasn't exactly a fair 1, many in Austria did wish to remain a part of Germany and were still sympathetic to National Socialism.

In the Soviet occupation zone life for Austrians was miserable, and Soviet soldiers were responsible for about 90% of all crime in Austria in the years following the war.

Furthermore the USSR also relocated much of Austria's wealth away from the country by moving factories and seizing Austria's oil.

In the western occupation zones things were better.

They generally ruled with a light touch and when a bad winter wrecked harvests and the Austrian economy crashed they gave economic aid.

However this wasn't exactly a wholly benevolent gesture.

The cold War was just beginning and so the Western Allies were seeking to win over the Austrians to their way of life and deprive the Soviets of what would likely become another puppet state.

This fear of communism spreading was important when deciding the fate of the former Austrian province of South Tyrol.

The Austrians and the majority of the people living in South Tyrol were hoping that the 2 would be reunited as they were before World War 1.

The British and Americans were deeply concerned that taking too much territory away from Italy would increase the popularity of the Communist Party there and so South Tyrol remained a part of Italy.

The Soviets had at first placed a socialist, Karl Renner, in charge of Austria.

When the nation went to the polls in late 1945, the conservatives under Leopold Feigl won.

Feigl decided to present a united Austrian front to the occupiers and invited the Socialist Party to form a unified government with Adolf Schäfer as vice-chancellor.

Austrian leaders now denounced the notion that Austrians were somehow German, despite the fact that Renner had been very pro-Anschluss before.

In fact, the notion of Austrians not being Germans led to many German Germans being kicked out of the country, whereas many non-German Germans, like those who lived in the Sudetenland, were allowed to move to Austria.

Austria also went through the process of denazification, which saw half a million of Austria's former Nazi party members placed onto a national register.

In 1948, the process of denazification was ended when the majority of low-ranking party members were given amnesty.

The amnesty was largely a political move, since those 500, 000 former Nazis made up a large voting bloc, and both main parties wanted their votes in the future.

That said, even with amnesty, most former Nazis were forbidden from holding political office.

By 1949, the Austrian government wanted their occupation to come to an end.

The problem with pulling out of Austria was that there was a potential for them to fall into either the Soviet or American alliances.

Austria was itself a Western democratic nation, but 1 that was all too aware of the fact that communist Yugoslavia, Hungary and Czechoslovakia lay on its borders.

It was Austria's position between the 2 ideological blocs that forced its government to be a perpetual coalition of the conservative Austrian People's Party and the Social Democratic Party.

Internal party squabbling ended up getting rid of Feigl and he was succeeded by Julius Raab who made sure to improve relations with the USSR.

Raab began talks concerning Austria's independence with the Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov and its new leader Nikita Khrushchev.

In 1955 the state treaty was signed and it was agreed that in return for the withdrawal of Soviet and Western forces, Austria would ban all fascist parties and was forbidden, under any and all circumstances, to ever, literally ever, unite with Germany.

It was also tacitly agreed that Austria would become a neutral, non-aligned nation.

This set the stage for Austria's place in the Cold War and the modern era.

It would be a nation whose past was to largely be ignored for the meantime, and whose newfound neutrality would soon go on to shape its national identity.

Perhaps the most important legacy of the decade after the Second World War was that Austrians would be Austrian.

I hope you enjoyed this episode and thank you


Speaker 0: 1945 and Germany has lost World War 2. With them lost the Austrians, having found themselves thoroughly Anschlussed in 1938. Austria was occupied by allied forces much in the same way that Germany was. The Soviet Union was placed in control of this territory and the United States, Britain and France getting the rest. The Allies had declared Austria to be the first victim of Nazi aggression and thus they technically weren't occupied but were liberated.

From a social standpoint, post-war Austria was in a strange place. Whilst the referendum to join Germany in 1930 wasn't exactly a fair 1, many in Austria did wish to remain a part of Germany and were still sympathetic to National Socialism. In the Soviet occupation zone life for Austrians was miserable, and Soviet soldiers were responsible for about 90% of all crime in Austria in the years following the war. Furthermore the USSR also relocated much of Austria's wealth away from the country by moving factories and seizing Austria's oil. In the western occupation zones things were better.

They generally ruled with a light touch and when a bad winter wrecked harvests and the Austrian economy crashed they gave economic aid. However this wasn't exactly a wholly benevolent gesture. The cold War was just beginning and so the Western Allies were seeking to win over the Austrians to their way of life and deprive the Soviets of what would likely become another puppet state. This fear of communism spreading was important when deciding the fate of the former Austrian province of South Tyrol. The Austrians and the majority of the people living in South Tyrol were hoping that the 2 would be reunited as they were before World War 1.

The British and Americans were deeply concerned that taking too much territory away from Italy would increase the popularity of the Communist Party there and so South Tyrol remained a part of Italy. The Soviets had at first placed a socialist, Karl Renner, in charge of Austria. When the nation went to the polls in late 1945, the conservatives under Leopold Feigl won. Feigl decided to present a united Austrian front to the occupiers and invited the Socialist Party to form a unified government with Adolf Schäfer as vice-chancellor. Austrian leaders now denounced the notion that Austrians were somehow German, despite the fact that Renner had been very pro-Anschluss before.

In fact, the notion of Austrians not being Germans led to many German Germans being kicked out of the country, whereas many non-German Germans, like those who lived in the Sudetenland, were allowed to move to Austria. Austria also went through the process of denazification, which saw half a million of Austria's former Nazi party members placed onto a national register. In 1948, the process of denazification was ended when the majority of low-ranking party members were given amnesty. The amnesty was largely a political move, since those 500, 000 former Nazis made up a large voting bloc, and both main parties wanted their votes in the future. That said, even with amnesty, most former Nazis were forbidden from holding political office.

By 1949, the Austrian government wanted their occupation to come to an end. This didn't happen, because Cold War. The problem with pulling out of Austria was that there was a potential for them to fall into either the Soviet or American alliances. Austria was itself a Western democratic nation, but 1 that was all too aware of the fact that communist Yugoslavia, Hungary and Czechoslovakia lay on its borders. It was Austria's position between the 2 ideological blocs that forced its government to be a perpetual coalition of the conservative Austrian People's Party and the Social Democratic Party.

Internal party squabbling ended up getting rid of Feigl and he was succeeded by Julius Raab who made sure to improve relations with the USSR. Raab began talks concerning Austria's independence with the Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov and its new leader Nikita Khrushchev. In 1955 the state treaty was signed and it was agreed that in return for the withdrawal of Soviet and Western forces, Austria would ban all fascist parties and was forbidden, under any and all circumstances, to ever, literally ever, unite with Germany. It was also tacitly agreed that Austria would become a neutral, non-aligned nation. This set the stage for Austria's place in the Cold War and the modern era.

It would be a nation whose past was to largely be ignored for the meantime, and whose newfound neutrality would soon go on to shape its national identity. Perhaps the most important legacy of the decade after the Second World War was that Austrians would be Austrian. I hope you enjoyed this episode and thank you

See all History Matters transcripts on Youtube

The Postwar Occupation of Austria: History Matters (Short Animated Documentary)