History of Austria
Video
The history of Austria stretches back to the late Iron Age when it was inhabited by the Hallstatt Celtic culture around 800 BCE. These Celtic groups organized themselves into a kingdom known as Noricum, which flourished until Roman expansion. In the late 1st century BCE, Rome annexed Noricum, integrating the territory south of the Danube into its empire.
Following the decline of the Roman Empire, the Migration Period brought waves of new settlers. By the 6th century CE, the Bavarii, a Germanic tribe, had established control over the region. This land eventually came under the dominion of the Frankish Empire during the 9th century. By 996 CE, the name “Ostarrîchi” (an early form of Austria) appeared, signifying a margravate within the Duchy of Bavaria. In 1156, Austria became a duchy in its own right and was later elevated to an archduchy, remaining a key part of the Holy Roman Empire from 962 to its dissolution in 1806.
The House of Habsburg emerged as the dominant political force in Austria in 1273, holding power for centuries. Austria transitioned into the Austrian Empire in 1806 after Francis II dissolved the Holy Roman Empire. The empire's influence spread through participation in the German Confederation, but following Austria’s defeat in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, its focus shifted away from German unification efforts. In 1867, Austria restructured into the Austro-Hungarian Empire, a dual monarchy that managed diverse populations and territories.
The Austro-Hungarian Empire disintegrated at the end of World War I in 1918. What remained was a smaller, predominantly German-speaking territory, initially named the Republic of German-Austria. However, the Treaty of Versailles prohibited Austria’s unification with Germany, forcing the establishment of the First Austrian Republic in 1919. Political instability followed, and Engelbert Dollfuss's Austrofascist regime sought to preserve Austria’s independence from Nazi Germany, despite many Austrians identifying as both German and Austrian.
In 1938, Adolf Hitler, born in Austria, orchestrated the Anschluss (annexation) of Austria into Nazi Germany, a move supported by many Austrians at the time. After Germany’s defeat in World War II, Austria's German identity diminished, and the country was occupied by Allied forces until 1955, when it regained independence and established the Second Austrian Republic.
Austria’s postwar recovery led to its modernization and reorientation toward Europe. It joined the European Union in 1995, solidifying its place within the broader European community.