History of Austria in Timeline

Austria, officially the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked Central European country situated in the Eastern Alps. It's a federation comprising nine states, with Vienna as its capital and most populous city. Austria shares borders with Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. It covers an area of 83,879 km2 (32,386 sq mi) and has a population of approximately 9 million.

1908: Annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina

In 1908, Austria-Hungary took the opportunity to annex Bosnia and Herzegovina as the Second Constitutional Era began in the Ottoman Empire.

1914: Declaration of war on Serbia

In 1914, after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, Emperor Franz Joseph declared war on Serbia, an event that rapidly escalated into World War I.

1914: Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

In 1914, the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo was used by Austrian politicians to persuade the emperor to declare war on Serbia, leading to World War I.

October 1918: Meeting of the Provisional National Assembly

In October 1918, specifically on 21 October, the elected German members of the Reichsrat met in Vienna as the Provisional National Assembly for German Austria.

November 1918: Declaration of German-Austria as a republic

In November 1918, German-Austria was declared a republic, with Karl Renner as provisional chancellor.

November 1918: Emperor's declaration and German-Austria's declaration as a republic

In November 1918, on 11 November, the emperor declared he would no longer take part in state business. Then, on 12 November, German-Austria declared itself to be a democratic republic.

1918: Proclamation of the Republic of German-Austria

In 1918, the empire's defeat in World War I led to its collapse and the subsequent proclamation of the Republic of German-Austria.

1919: Proclamation of the First Austrian Republic

In 1919, following the collapse of the empire, the First Austrian Republic was proclaimed.

1919: Treaty of Saint-Germain

In 1919, the Treaty of Saint-Germain confirmed the new order of Central Europe, reducing German-speaking parts of Austria to a rump state.

October 1920: Carinthian Plebiscite

In October 1920, the border between Austria and the Kingdom of Yugoslavia was settled with the Carinthian Plebiscite, allocating the major part of Carinthia to Austria.

November 1920: Passing of the Constitution

In November 1920, specifically on 10 November, the constitution was passed, renaming the Staatsrat as Bundesregierung and Nationalversammlung as Nationalrat.

1920: Federal Constitutional Law of 1920

In 1920, Austria became a federal, representative democratic republic through the Federal Constitutional Law.

1920: Constitution of 1920

In 1920, Austria's political system was defined by the constitution, which served as the foundation for the Second Republic.

1920: German as Official Language

In 1920, German became the official language of Austria based on article 8 of its constitution.

1920: Treaty of Trianon

In 1920, the Treaty of Trianon confirmed and consolidated the new order of Central Europe.

1922: International loan supervised by the League of Nations

In the autumn of 1922, Austria was granted an international loan supervised by the League of Nations to avert bankruptcy and stabilize the currency.

1925: Introduction of the Austrian schilling

In 1925, the Austrian schilling was introduced, replacing the Krone at a rate of 10,000:1.

1929: Amendment to the constitution

In 1929, The political system of the Second Republic with its nine federal states is based on the constitution of 1920, amended.

1929: Economic Crash after Black Tuesday

In 1929, the Austrian economy nearly crashed after Black Tuesday.

1929: Constitution of 1929

In 1929, the constitution of Austria was amended, further shaping the political system of what would become the Second Republic.

1931: Creditanstalt Event

In 1931, the Creditanstalt event occurred.

1933: Establishment of an autocratic regime

In 1933, Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss established an autocratic regime, marking the end of the First Austrian Republic.

February 1934: Execution of Schutzbund members and outlawing of Social Democratic party

In February 1934, several members of the Schutzbund were executed, the Social Democratic party was outlawed, and many members were imprisoned or emigrated.

February 1934: Austrian Civil War

In February 1934, the Austrian Civil War broke out, involving the Republikanischer Schutzbund.

May 1934: Imposition of the "Maiverfassung" and assassination of Dollfuss

In May 1934, the Austrofascists imposed a new constitution ("Maiverfassung"), and on 25 July, Dollfuss was assassinated in an Austrian Nazi coup attempt.

May 1934: Termination of the Federal Constitutional Law of 1920

On 1 May 1934, dictator Dollfuss terminated the Federal Constitutional Law of 1920.

1934: FIFA World Cup

In 1934, Austria placed 4th at the FIFA World Cup.

1934: Formation of an Austrofascist dictatorship

In 1934, during the interwar period, anti-parliamentarian sentiments culminated in the formation of an Austrofascist dictatorship under Engelbert Dollfuss.

1936: Austrian Serbian Society Founded

In 1936, the Austrian Serbian Society was founded.

March 1938: Austrian Nazis take over the government

On 12 March 1938, Austrian Nazis took over the government, and German troops occupied the country, preventing Schuschnigg's referendum from taking place. On 13 March 1938, the Anschluss of Austria was officially declared.

March 1938: Annexation of Austria by the Third Reich

On 13 March 1938, Austria was annexed by the Third Reich. The Aryanisation of Jewish Austrians' wealth started immediately and Adolf Eichmann was transferred to Vienna to persecute the Jews.

March 1938: Announcement of referendum on Austria's independence

On 9 March 1938, Kurt Schuschnigg announced a referendum, to be held on 13 March, concerning Austria's independence from Germany.

April 1938: Referendum confirms union with Germany

In April 1938, a referendum was held, confirming the union of Austria with Germany.

April 1938: Parliamentary elections in Germany

On 10 April 1938, parliamentary elections were held in Germany, including recently annexed Austria, taking the form of a referendum on a single Nazi-party list and the annexation of Austria. Turnout in Austria was 99.71%, with 99.73% voting yes.

1938: Flight of Jewish Austrians

From 1938 to 1939, about 140,000 Jewish Austrians fled from the country.

1938: Anschluss to Nazi Germany

In 1938, Austria became part of Nazi Germany.

1939: Austrian military deaths

From 1939 to 1945, the total number of Austrian military deaths was 260,000.

1942: Renaming of Austria

In 1942, the Nazis renamed Austria the "Alpine and Danubian Gaue" (Alpen-und Donau-Reichsgaue).

1943: Moscow Declaration

In 1943, as stipulated in the Moscow Declaration, a subtle difference was seen in the treatment of Austria by the Allies.

April 1945: Fall of Vienna

On 13 April 1945, Vienna fell during the Soviet Vienna offensive, just before the total collapse of the Third Reich.

April 1945: Declaration of Independence

On 27 April 1945, Karl Renner, Adolf Schärf, Leopold Kunschak, and Johann Koplenig declared Austria's secession from the Third Reich and set up a provisional government in Vienna.

May 1945: Revalidation of the Federal Constitutional Law of 1920

On 1 May 1945, the Federal Constitutional Law of 1920 was declared valid again, after having been terminated by dictator Dollfuss on 1 May 1934.

May 1945: Re-enactment of the Constitution

On May 1945, the constitution of 1920, amended in 1929, was re-enacted, forming the basis for the political system of the Second Republic.

October 1945: Recognition of the Austrian government by the Allies

In October 1945, the Austrian government was recognized by the allies of World War II.

1945: Liberation and Allied occupation

In 1945, after its liberation, Austria underwent a decade of Allied occupation.

1945: Reintroduction of the Constitution

In 1945, the constitution of 1920 and 1929 was reintroduced, forming the basis of the political system in the Second Republic of Austria.

1945: Governing via a single-party government

Since 1945, governing via a single-party government has occurred twice: 1966–1970 (ÖVP) and 1970–1983 (SPÖ).

July 1946: First nationalization law passed

On 26 July 1946, the Austrian Parliament passed its first nationalization law, seizing approximately 70 mining and manufacturing companies.

1951: Österreichisches Wörterbuch Published

In 1951, the Österreichisches Wörterbuch was published by the Ministry of Education, Science and Research, standardizing Austrian German.

1954: FIFA World Cup

In 1954, Austria placed 3rd at the FIFA World Cup.

1954: Football Team's Success at World Cup

In 1954, the Austrian national football team achieved a significant sporting success by finishing third at the World Cup, contributing to national self-confidence after World War II.

May 1955: Austria regains full independence

On 15 May 1955, Austria regained full independence by concluding the Austrian State Treaty with the allies of World War II.

October 1955: Austrian State Treaty and Neutrality

In October 1955, the Austrian State Treaty ended the occupation of Austria following World War II. On 26 October 1955, Austria declared its perpetual neutrality via a constitutional article.

October 1955: Declaration of permanent neutrality

On 26 October 1955, all occupation troops had left and Austria declared its permanent neutrality by an act of parliament.

1955: Austrian State Treaty

Following the Austrian State Treaty (Staatsvertrag) of 1955, Slovenes in Carinthia, as well as Croats and Hungarians in Burgenland, were recognized as a minority and granted special rights.

1955: Membership in the United Nations

In 1955, Austria became a member of the United Nations.

1955: Regaining sovereignty and declaration of neutrality

In 1955, Austria regained its sovereignty and declared its perpetual neutrality after a decade of Allied occupation.

1955: Constitutional Law on Neutrality

In 1955, part of the Constitutional Law on Neutrality that remains fully valid is not to allow foreign military bases in Austria.

1964: Winter Olympics in Innsbruck

In 1964, Innsbruck hosted the Winter Olympics, which included bobsleigh and luge competitions held in Igls.

1966: ÖVP single-party government

From 1966 to 1970, the ÖVP governed Austria via a single-party government.

1970: SPÖ single-party government

From 1970 to 1983, the SPÖ governed Austria via a single-party government.

1972: Nuclear Power Plant Construction

In 1972, Austria began construction of a nuclear power plant at Zwentendorf on the River Danube.

1975: Niki Lauda's F1 World Championship

In 1975, Niki Lauda won his first Formula One World Championship.

1976: Winter Olympics in Innsbruck

In 1976, Innsbruck again hosted the Winter Olympics, with bobsleigh and luge competitions held in Igls.

1977: Niki Lauda's F1 World Championship

In 1977, Niki Lauda won his second Formula One World Championship.

1978: FIFA World Cup

In 1978, Austria placed 7th at the FIFA World Cup.

1978: Referendum on Nuclear Power

In 1978, a referendum voted against nuclear power, leading to a law forbidding its use despite the nuclear power plant already being completed.

1982: Abolishment of compulsory voting

In 1982, the abolishment of compulsory voting in Austria began in steps.

1983: End of SPÖ single-party government

In 1983, the SPÖ's period of single-party government ended in Austria.

1984: Niki Lauda's F1 World Championship

In 1984, Niki Lauda won his third Formula One World Championship.

1986: Kurt Waldheim Elected President

In 1986, Kurt Waldheim, former secretary-general of the United Nations, was elected President of Austria. He had been a Wehrmacht officer in the Second World War and was accused of war crimes.

1990: Forest Cover Statistics

In 1990, Austria had 3,775,670 hectares of forest.

1991: Overflight rights for UN-sanctioned action against Iraq

In 1991, Austria granted overflight rights for the UN-sanctioned action against Iraq.

1992: Acknowledgement of Austrian participation in Nazi crimes

In 1992, Chancellor Franz Vranitzky officially acknowledged that thousands of Austrians had taken part in serious Nazi crimes.

1992: End of Waldheim Presidency

In 1992, Kurt Waldheim's term as President of Austria came to an end. He had been accused of war crimes during his time as a Wehrmacht officer.

1994: Referendum on EU Membership

In 1994, a referendum was held in Austria regarding membership in the European Union, with a two-thirds majority voting in favor.

1994: Recognition of Romani and Sinti

Since 1994, the Romani people and Sinti have been an officially recognized ethnic minority in Austria.

January 1995: Austria Joins the European Union

On January 1995, Austria officially became a member of the European Union.

1995: Start of M&A Activity in Eastern Europe

From 1995, Austrian companies started to be active players and consolidators in Eastern Europe.

1995: Membership in the European Union and Schengen Agreement

In 1995, Austria became a member of the European Union and signed the Schengen Agreement.

1995: Thomas Muster wins French Open

In 1995, Thomas Muster won the French Open.

1995: Participation in the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy

Since 1995, Austria has developed participation in the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy and joined NATO's Partnership for Peace.

1995: European Court of Justice Overrules Decisions

Since 1995, the European Court of Justice may overrule Austrian decisions in all matters defined in the laws of the European Union.

1996: Thomas Muster ranked number 1

In 1996, Thomas Muster was ranked number 1 in the ATP ranking.

1997: ÖVP argues for stronger integration into the EU's security policy

In 1997, some ÖVP politicians argued for stronger integration into the EU's security policy, even considering future NATO membership.

1998: Women allowed to become professional soldiers

Since 1998, women volunteers have been allowed to become professional soldiers in Austria.

1999: Adoption of the euro currency

In 1999, Austria adopted the euro currency.

2000: Acquisition of Bank Austria

In 2000, HypoVereinsbank acquired Bank Austria for 7.8 billion EUR.

2001: Foreign Nationals Census

According to the 2001 census information published by Statistik Austria, there were a total of 710,926 foreign nationals living in Austria.

2001: Loss of Lutheran Adherents

Between 2001 and 2016, the Lutheran church recorded a loss of 74,421 adherents.

2001: Religious Demographics

In 2001, approximately 74% of Austria's population were registered as Catholic, while about 5% considered themselves Protestants.

June 2003: Österreich -Konvent convened

On June 2003, a constitutional convention called the Österreich -Konvent was convened to consider reforms to the constitution.

2004: Abolishment of compulsory voting

In 2004, compulsory voting for the president and for the parliament was fully abolished in Austria.

2005: Acquisition of Banca Comercială Română

In 2005, Erste Group acquired Banca Comercială Română for 3.7 billion EUR.

October 2006: General Elections

In October 2006, the Social Democratic Party (SPÖ) emerged as the strongest party in Austria's general elections, with the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) coming in second.

2006: GDP Growth

In 2006, Austria experienced a 3.3% growth in GDP.

January 2007: Grand coalition formed

In January 2007, the People's Party and SPÖ formed a grand coalition with the social democrat Alfred Gusenbauer as Chancellor.

2007: Tourism Statistics

In 2007, Austria ranked 9th worldwide in international tourism receipts, with 18.9 billion US$, and 12th in international tourist arrivals with 20.8 million tourists.

2007: Voting age lowered

In 2007, the voting age in Austria was lowered from 18 to 16 years old.

June 2008: Grand coalition broke up

In June 2008, the grand coalition between the People's Party and SPÖ in Austria broke up.

September 2008: Elections weakened major parties

In September 2008, elections further weakened both major parties (SPÖ and ÖVP) in Austria, but they still held 70% of the votes.

October 2008: Death of Jörg Haider

On October 2008, Jörg Haider died in a car accident.

2008: UEFA European Football Championship

In 2008, Austria co-hosted the UEFA European Football Championship with Switzerland.

2008: End of assistance to Austrian border guards

In 2008, assistance from the Austrian military to Austrian border guards in preventing border crossings by illegal immigrants came to an end when Hungary and Slovakia joined the EU Schengen Area.

2008: Financial Crisis

In 2008, the financial crisis affected Austria.

December 2009: Hypo Alpe-Adria-Bank International Purchase

In December 2009, the Austrian government purchased Hypo Alpe-Adria-Bank International for 1 euro due to credit difficulties.

2009: Acquisition of Porsche Holding Salzburg

In 2009, Volkswagen Group acquired Porsche Holding Salzburg for 3.6 billion EUR.

November 2010: Withholding EU Bailout Contribution

In November 2010, Austria indicated that it would withhold the December installment of its contribution to the EU bailout of Greece.

2010: End of M&A Activity Measurement

Until 2010, 4,868 mergers and acquisitions with a total known value of 163 billion EUR with the involvement of Austrian firms have been announced.

2011: Liechtenstein joins the Schengen Area

In 2011, after Liechtenstein joined the Schengen Area, Austria's neighboring countries ceased border controls towards it.

2012: Defence expenditures

In 2012, Austria's defence expenditures corresponded to approximately 0.8% of its GDP.

2012: First Winter Youth Olympics

In 2012, the first Winter Youth Olympics were held in Innsbruck.

August 2013: Highest Recorded Temperature

In August 2013, Austria recorded its highest temperature at 40.5 °C (105 °F).

2013: Legislative elections

In 2013, the legislative elections in Austria resulted in the Social Democratic Party receiving 27% of the vote and 52 seats, and the People's Party 24% and 47 seats.

February 2014: HGAA Situation

As of February 2014, the HGAA situation was unresolved, prompting Chancellor Werner Faymann to warn that its failure would be comparable to the 1931 Creditanstalt event.

2015: Irreligious Population

By 2015, the share of the population declaring themselves without a religion had grown to 20%.

2015: Forest Ownership Statistics

In 2015, 18% of Austria's forest area was under public ownership, and 82% was under private ownership.

2015: Births to Unmarried Women

In 2015, 42.1% of births in Austria were to unmarried women.

May 2016: Christian Kern sworn in as Chancellor

On May 2016, Christian Kern from Social Democrats (SPÖ) was sworn in as the new chancellor of Austria, continuing in a "grand coalition" with the conservative People's Party (ÖVP).

2016: Loss of Lutheran Adherents

Between 2001 and 2016, the Lutheran church recorded a loss of 74,421 adherents.

2016: Biocapacity and Ecological Footprint

In 2016, Austria had 3.8 global hectares of biocapacity per person, while its ecological footprint of consumption was 6.0 global hectares per person, resulting in a biocapacity deficit.

2016: Life Expectancy

In 2016, the life expectancy in Austria was estimated at 81.5 years (78.9 years male, 84.3 years female).

2016: Muslim Population

In 2016, the number of Muslims doubled in the fifteen years to 700,000.

January 2017: Alexander Van der Bellen sworn in as President

On January 2017, Alexander Van der Bellen was sworn in as the Austrian president.

October 2017: Snap election proclaimed for October 2017

In October 2017, a snap election in Austria saw the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) with Sebastian Kurz emerge as the largest party.

December 2017: New government sworn in

On December 2017, the new government in Austria, a coalition between the centre-right wing and the right-wing populist party under Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, was sworn in.

2017: Physician Statistics

In 2017, Austria had 271 hospitals with a total of 45,596 physicians, with approximately 54% working in hospitals.

2017: Total Fertility Rate

In 2017, Austria's total fertility rate (TFR) was estimated at 1.52 children born per woman.

2018: Forest Landscape Integrity Index

In 2018, Austria had a Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 3.55/10, ranking it 149th globally out of 172 countries.

2018: Health Professional Registry

In 2018, Austria set up a new mandatory health professional registry.

2018: Early Childhood Education Attendance

In 2018, approximately 90% of children between the ages of three and five attended early childhood education programs in Austria.

September 2019: New elections called for

In September 2019, new elections were called in Austria after the collapse of the coalition government due to the "Ibiza" corruption scandal.

2019: Health Spending per Capita

In 2019, Austria's health spending per capita ranked third in the EU.

2019: Cancer Deaths

In 2019, approximately 21,500 people in Austria died of cancer, with lung cancer being the primary cause.

January 2020: ÖVP and Greens coalition government sworn in

On January 2020, a coalition government between the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) and the Greens was sworn in with Sebastian Kurz as chancellor.

May 2020: Klaudia Tanner minister of defence

As of May 2020, Klaudia Tanner is the minister of defence in Austria.

2020: Oldest Population Ranking

In 2020, Austria had the 14th oldest population in the world, with an average age of 44.5 years.

2020: Forest Cover Statistics

In 2020, Austria's forest cover was approximately 47% of the total land area, equivalent to 3,899,150 hectares. Naturally regenerating forest covered 2,227,500 hectares, while planted forest covered 1,671,500 hectares.

2020: Dominic Thiem wins US Open

In 2020, Dominic Thiem won the US Open.

2020: Suspension of Compulsory Registration

In early 2020, due to the elapsing of the COVID-19 pandemic, compulsory registration for health professionals was suspended.

October 2021: Sebastian Kurz resigned

On October 2021, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz resigned following pressure from a corruption scandal.

December 2021: Karl Nehammer sworn in as chancellor

On December 2021, Karl Nehammer was sworn in as chancellor of Austria, succeeding Alexander Schallenberg.

2021: Religious Statistics

In 2021, 22.4% of the population in Austria identified as having no religion. 436,700 residents were members of Eastern Orthodox Churches, 26,600 were Buddhists, 10,100 were Hindus, about 21,800 were active Jehovah's Witnesses, and 5,400 were Jews.

2021: Participation in Dual Education System

In 2021, 34.1% of secondary level II students in Austria participated in the dual education system, integrating theoretical learning with practical training.

2021: Education Spending

In 2021, Austria allocated 4.9% of its GDP to education, with spending per student averaging USD 16,734.

December 2022: Austria prevented Bulgaria's and Romania's accession to the Schengen Area

In December 2022, Austria prevented Bulgaria's and Romania's accession to the Schengen Area, leading to considerable outrage and diplomatic actions.

2022: Long-Term Superintendency Activities

By late spring 2022, professional activities in long-term superintendency were possible without registration until the end of the pandemic.

2023: Catholic Church Membership

In 2023, there were 4,638,000 members of the Catholic Church in Austria, representing around 50% of the total population, with only 3.7% attending Sunday church.

January 2024: Romania and Bulgaria to become part of the Schengen free-travel zone

On January 2024, Romania and Bulgaria became part of the Schengen free-travel zone.

April 2024: Population Estimate

In April 2024, Austria's population was estimated to be 9,170,647 by Statistik Austria.

December 2024: Austria lifted its veto

As of December 2024, Austria had lifted its veto, allowing Romania and Bulgaria to become part of the Schengen free-travel zone on 1 January 2024.

2024: Foreign-Born Residents

At the beginning of 2024, there were 1.8 million foreign-born residents in Austria, which is 22.3% of the total population.

2024: Global Innovation Index Ranking

In 2024, Austria was ranked 17th in the Global Innovation Index.

2024: Government Formation and Leadership Changes

In 2024, following the election, coalition negotiations in Austria collapsed leading to Nehammer’s resignation and Alexander Schallenberg stepping in as interim chancellor. Eventually, a coalition government was formed with Christian Stocker (ÖVP) as chancellor.