Page 53 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide 2016 - Austria

THE HIST OR Y OF A USTRIA  51

divided into four occupation zones by the
Allied powers.
The first parliamentary elections, in
November 1945, were won by the Christian-
Democratic Party (ÖVP), with the Socialist
Party (SPÖ) coming second. Both parties
were to control the political life of the
country for the next 50 years. De-Nazification
continued until 1948. In 1955 the Austrian
State Treaty was signed, restoring Austria
to full sovereignty. Foreign troops were
withdrawn from its territory and Parliament
proclaimed permanent neutrality.
In December 1955 Austria became a
member of the United Nations, and in
1995 joined the European Union.
In the 1990s, the nationalist and anti-
Soldiers of the occupying forces salute each other
in Vienna, 1951 immigration Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ)
gained in popularity. It formed a coalition
Seyss-Inquart, proclaimed Austria’s integration government with the Austrian People’s Party
into the Third Reich (Anschluss) on 13 March ÖVP in 2000, arousing fears of a resurgence
1938, which met with the approval of the of Nazi activity in Austria. However, the
majority of the Austrian population. German coalition soon collapsed, and in 2002 the
troops marched into the country. In 1938, nationalist vote plummeted to around 10
some 200,000 Jews lived in Vienna, yet after per cent. In 2007, a coalition government
the Holocaust only 7,000 remained. was formed between the Socialist Party
(SPÖ) and the Austrian People’s Party ÖVP.
World War II and the Second Republic
Following the Anschluss, Austria became a
part of Greater Germany until the end of
World War II. Opposition against the Nazi
adminis tration was negligible. Before the
end of the war, at the Moscow Conference
in 1943, the Allied forces decided to restore
an indepen dent Austrian state. In April
1945, Karl Renner formed the first
provisional government of the restored
Second Republic, and in December he was Simon Wiesenthal and Ariel Musicant, Austrian inves tigators into
elected president. In July 1945, Austria was Nazi crimes, at the Jewish memorial

1973 Konrad Lorenz 2006 Austria heads 2012 New
receives Nobel Prize in 2004 Elfriede EU Presidency political party,
Physiology and Medicine Jelinek receives Team Stronach,
Nobel Prize for 2008 Far-right is launched
1995 Austria Literature leader Jörg Haider
joins the EU
dies in car crash
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
1972–1981 Austrian diplomat 2000 Nationalist 2010 Heinz Fischer of the
1961 Vienna Kurt Waldheim holds office of Austrian Freedom Social Democractic Party
Summit of John F. UN Secretary General Party enters wins the presidential
Kennedy and government elections with just under
Nikita Khrushchev coalition 80 per cent of the vote
Austrian anti-globalization protest

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