A Brief History of Austria

Austria was conquered by the Celts, Romans, Lombards, Huns, Bavarians, Goths, French, Germans, and Babenberg. They dominated the country from the 10th to the 13th century.

Their successors were the Habsburg who governed the country up to the 20th century.

In 1806 the Austrian Empire was founded.

The Empire was dismantled with the Napoleonic wars. After Napoleon’s abdication, the House of Habsburg recovered most of its territories.

In 1918 the Habsburg Empire was dissolved after its defeat in World War One.

That same year the German Austria state was declared. One month later the German-Austrian Republic was proclaimed.

The first Republican government was headed by the socialist Karl Renner.

In 1932, Engelbert Dollfuss’s Christian-Social government confronted social democracy and Nazism. The Nazis assassinated him in 1934 in a failed coup d'état.

In 1938 German troops invaded Austria.

In 1945 Austria was divide in 4 zones after Hitler’s fall.

Austria’s Second Republic was governed by conservatives and socialists.

Austria regained full independence in 1955.

In 1970 the Socialist Party (SPO) obtained victory and formed government headed by Bruno Kreisky.

Kreisky resigned after the SPO party lost the power in 1983.

In 1992 Thomas Klestil was elected Austria’s President.

In 1994 Austria became a European Union member.

In 1999, the Libera Party (FPO) became the second strongest party.

In 2004, Heinz Fischer of the Social Democrat Party was elected president.

In 2005 Haider announced the formation of a new political party the AFA (Alliance for the Future of Austria).