History of Austria
(1) Ancient times
The remains of human activity in Austria can be traced back to the late Paleolithic. Archaeologists have discovered tools, carvings, and rock wall paintings of this period, among which the more typical representative monuments are female statues of the province of Velendo.
After entering the Neolithic Age, residents of the Xiantao culture lived here. From about 750 BC to 450 BC, this place has entered the early Iron Age, where the Illyrians created a high level of Hallstatt culture.
In 400 BC, the Celts invaded from both the north and the south, Austria was quickly Celticized, and the Kingdom of Norricon, which included a wide area in the Eastern Alps, was established in the 2nd century BC and began its economy with Italy and the Balkans. Contact, the clan society began to disintegrate, and class relations gradually formed.
In the early 2nd century BC, the Roman Empire expanded into the Danube region. In 15 BC, it was occupied by armed forces. On the basis of the Kingdom of Crete, the province of Nauricombe was established on the basis of the Roman Empire. Eastern Austria was included in Roman Pannonia. province. Since then, the economy and culture have developed rapidly. On the basis of the Roman barracks and immigrant settlements, cities such as Vienna, Linz, and Salzburg were formed.
In 376 AD, the Visigoths (see Visigothic Kingdom) invaded, and the area became a race for national migration, with Germans, Huns, Avars, and Magyars overlapping in rule.
(2) The establishment of the Babenbao Dynasty
At the end of the 8th century, Charles the Great of the Franconian kingdom defeated the Avars and established the territory of the Earl of Frontiers as the eastern border of the Carolingian dynasty. The Magyar invaded the area in 881. In 955, Otto I defeated the Magyar in the battle of Leichfeld and recovered the border area. In 976, Leopold I of the Barbenburg family was named Otto I as the Count of the Frontier, expanding the territory to both sides of the Danube and establishing a new border area. In 996 AD, "Austria" was mentioned for the first time in the history books.
In 1141-1177, during the time of Heinrich II, the territory expanded northwards until the northern "forest area". He was promoted to the Principality in 1156, moved to Vienna, and the Barbenburg family reached its peak. Since then, its land has become the hereditary Duke of the Holy Roman Empire. In 1246, Frederick II (the combatant), the last king of the Babenberg family, was killed in battle against the Magyar. The male heir of the family was cut off, and Otakar II of Bohemia was the Duke of Austria. The territory is divided between Hungary and Bohemia. The Barbenburg family ruled the Principality for 270 years (976-1246), and there were 12 rulers. In the past three centuries, productivity has developed. When Leopold V was prosperous, the church became the center of theology and general culture.
(3) Establishment of the Habsburg Dynasty
In 1273, the vacant period of the Holy Roman Empire ended. The Count Rudolph of the Habsburg family was elected the Emperor of Germany (reigned 1273-1291). In 1278, he recaptured the divided territory of Babenberg, and the Habsburg family ruled for 640 years. In 1315, the grandson of Rudolph and the Emperor Frederick III failed to fight against Switzerland. In 1322, they lost to Bavaria, and the territory south of the Rhine was lost. Since then, the Habsburg family has achieved full rule over Austria. From 1379 to 1438, the dynasty extended to Fularlberg in the west and Trieste in the south.
In terms of expanding the territory, Emperor Maximilian I had more merits than his predecessors. Through marriage, he obtained Burgundy and the Netherlands in 1482, and through the marriage of his children, he obtained large Spanish and Spanish colonies, and Naples. -Sicily. When Charles V (reigned 1519-1556), Austria ’s territorial expansion reached its apex and was called the “Sunless Empire”. In 1521-1522, Charles V sealed part of his territory to his brother Ferdinand. Since then, the Habsburg family has been divided into Austria-Germany and Spain-Netherland. From 1438, except for 1742-1745, until 1806, the rulers of Habsburg, Austria, maintained the title of German emperor and Holy Roman emperor.
After the end of the Thirty Years' War in modern times, the Holy Roman Empire under the Habsburg family rule became a loose alliance of several independent countries. From the 17th century to the early 18th century, the Habsburg family continued to use troops to expand its territory. It competed with Turkey for Hungary and had many wars until it annexed Hungary in 1699. After the Spanish throne succession war, Austria acquired a large area of land and became a powerful country. However, in the Polish throne succession war, Austria has repeatedly defeated and its prestige has declined. In order to ensure the territorial integrity of Habsburg and the inheritance of the heirs and territories of the heirs, Emperor Charles VI promulgated the Edict of the State in 1713. After the death of Charles VI in 1740, her daughter Maria Theresia inherited the throne according to the "Essay of the State". In the succession war of the Austrian throne, Austria won a defensive victory, but lost Silesia and other places. In the following seven years of war, Austria was defeated by Prussia. In order to consolidate the domination of the Habsburg family, Maria Theresa and her son Joseph II are determined to reform, which has made great progress in Austria's economy and culture and has a great impact.
When the French Revolution broke out in 1789, Austria participated in the anti-French coalition three times and was defeated. Franz II declared himself Emperor of Austria in 1804. In 1806, the "Rheinland Confederation" under the protection of France was established, Franz II officially gave up the title of emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, and Austria was called the Austrian Empire. Since 1809, Metternich has served as Austria's foreign minister, changing the anti-legal policy to strategic cooperation with the law. In 1813, Austria turned to join the anti-French coalition forces and captured Paris in March of the following year. After Mettner presided over the Vienna meeting, the Holy Alliance was established, and Austria regained its status as a great power.
In 1848, an armed uprising broke out in Vienna, the Metternich system was overthrown, and Austria produced the first constitution. In the 1866 Pu-Austrian War, Austria was defeated and domestic conflicts intensified. In 1867, Austria-Hungary compromised and established the dual-system Austria-Hungary Empire. The economy and culture developed during the Austro-Hungarian Empire, but ethnic contradictions were increasingly intensified. The Slavs in the empire strongly demanded political and ethnic equality. After the signing of the "Alliance" (1882), the Austro-Hungarian Empire announced the merger of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1908, which caused a strong aversion from the Kingdom of Serbia and sharpened the contradictions between Ossetia. In 1914, the Austrian Crown Prince Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo, leading to the outbreak of World War I. In 1918, the Allies were defeated and the Empire collapsed. On November 12, the Provisional National Congress was held to announce the establishment of the Republic. The next day, Emperor Charles was deposed and the feudal monarchy ended.
(5) The establishment of the First Republic of Austria
After the First World War, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Yugoslavia, Romania, and Poland each separated from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and the German-dominated Austrian Republic, that is, the First Republic was established by the Social Democratic Party and the Christian Socialist Party. Renner (K. Renner, 1870-1950) served as prime minister, the domestic economy is languishing, and social turmoil. In 1920, the Social Democratic Party became an opposition party. In 1922, Austria received economic assistance from the League of Nations.
In 1932, Engelbert Taolfis (1892-1934) became prime minister. He practiced dictatorship internally and relied on fascist Italy externally. In March 1934, he signed the "Roman Protocol" with fascist dictator Mussolini to fight against Nazi Germany and maintain national independence. In July 1934, the Nazi SS held an armed riot, and Taolfis was assassinated. Schönig succeeded the prime minister. In 1936, Germany and Italy formed an alliance, and Austria was completely isolated.
(6) The establishment of the Second Republic of Austria
In February 1938, Hitler forced Schönig to sign the "Bechtesgaden Agreement". On March 12, Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany and the First Republic was destroyed. Austria became the "Eastern District" of Nazi Germany. In 1942, Renamed "Alps and Danube Administrative Region" and participated in World War II as part of Nazi Germany. At the same time, the Austrian anti-fascist resistance movement was very active at home and abroad, and actively participated in the "July 20" anti-Hitler struggle in 1944. In May 1945, the Allied divisions occupied Austria, and the resistance led by Schockel cooperated with the Soviets to liberate Vienna. In the same year, the Socialist Party and the People ’s Party successively rebuilt. In April, an interim government headed by Renner was established to build the Republic, the Second Republic. In 1946, the powers of Parliament and the Cabinet were recognized by the occupation authorities of the United States, Britain, France, and the Soviet Union. On May 15, 1955, the four occupying powers and Austria signed the "Austrian National Treaty on the Reconstruction of Independence and Democracy" in Vienna, the Austrian National Treaty. In October of the same year, the occupying forces withdrew, and national sovereignty was completely restored. On October 26, the National Assembly adopted the Federal Constitution, proclaiming Austria ’s permanent neutrality, which was designated as National Day.
After the establishment of the Second Republic, the political situation was stable. From 1945-1952, with the assistance of the United Nations Relief Agency and the Marshall Plan, the economy was revived. He actively participates in European and international affairs diplomatically and is committed to relaxation and understanding. After the mid-1950s, Austria joined the United Nations, the European Council, and the European Free Trade Association. Austria pays attention to good-neighborly relations and implements "balanced diplomacy" between East and West. Joined the EU in 1995.
