Austria–Germany relations

Austro-German relations

Austria	Germany

Austro-German relations are relations between Austria and Germany. Due to German and German ethnicity of the two European countries relations between them are close.

The Holy Roman Empire to German Unification

Main article: German Unification

The House of Habsburg was the family that dominated the Holy Roman Empire (HRE) until it was abolished in 1806. The Habsburg's seat of power was the German-speaking Archduchy of Austria but they controlled many non-German territories as well. Within the HRE the member states jostled for power and influence and often warred against each other. Austria's main rival from the 18th century on was Prussia. Prussia and Austria fought a series of wars over the province of Silesia. Before the HRE was abolished, in order to ensure they maintained the prestige of the title of "emperors," the Habsburgs declared Austria an empire. After the HRE was dissolved the new German Confederation was created and again Austria struggled for influence with Prussia. Prussia hoped to unite the German states in a union that excluded Austria. Prussia succeeded in creating a German Customs Union, and after the Austro-Prussian War, a new North German Confederation, both of which excluded Austria. This grouping became the precursors to the German Empire, proclaimed in 1871.

Austria-Hungary and the German Empire

Austria changed itself from a German-focused power into a multi-national Central European one with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867. Afterwards relations with the new Prussian-dominated German Empire improved but Germany was now clearly the stronger of the two powers. They cooperated in the League of the Three Emperors and the Dual Alliance, which became the basis for the Austro-German alliance during the First World War.

The Great War ended badly for the Central Powers, however, and both empires were disbanded.

Interwar

After the war Austria lost its many non-German territories and was reduced to a rump called German Austria. Some in that state wanted to join the new German republic but this was forbidden by the Treaty of Versailles. On September 1, 1920, an economic agreement was concluded between the two countries. After Austrian-born Adolf Hitler came to power in Germany, he demanded the right to Anschluss or Union between Austria and Germany. This was initially blocked by the Italian government under Benito Mussolini, who cooperated with his Austrian counterparts Engelbert Dollfuss and Kurt Schuschnigg, fearing that a German occupation of Austria would lead to territorial demands on the German speaking territories in Italy known as Alto Adige. It was under Italian pressure that on July 11, 1936, the German and Austrian governments signed a friendship agreement in which the German Reich renounced all claims to Austria. Later, however, Hitler and Mussolini developed closer ties and Hitler committed to refrain from any territorial demands in Italy. As a result, Mussolini decided to abandon the policy of protecting Austrian independence. In March 1938, the German army took Austria without meeting any resistance.

Postwar

In late April 1945, a provisional Austrian government led by Karl Renner declared the country's regained independence. Austria's democratic constitution was reinstated, and later that year elections paved the way for a new federal government, with Leopold Figl as the Chancellor of Austria. The former Germany remained a territory controlled by the Allied Forces until 1949 when both the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic emerged as new German states.

References

• Armour, Ian D. (2007). A History of Eastern Europe 1740-1918. Hodder Arnold. ISBN 0340760400.