Cards (14)

  • Soviet policy towards Austria = Germany 
  • Immediately after WW2, the USSR favoured a unified German state that was neutralised and offered no threat
  • Austria was divided into occupation zones and the USSR focused on receiving economic aid from Austria as they had from the Soviet Zone of Germany
  • Austria had the potential to become as great an issue as dividing East and West Germany had been until 1949
  • Austrian leaders in the Western Zones promoted the idea that Austria could easily be absorbed into the Soviet sphere of influence as Czechoslovakia had been a few years earlier
  • Some observers even referred to Austria as ‘Europe’s Korea’
  • By 1955USSR showed serious intentions for negotiations over the future of Austria 
  • May 19554 occupying powers reached agreement in the form of the Austrian State Treaty 
  • Led to the withdrawal of all occupying powers and the declaration that Austria was a neutral state
  • In line with USSR’s willingness to accept both Finland and Yugoslavia as neutral states and not liable to join the Soviet sphere of influence 
  • This agreement showed a serious intent towards mutual co-operation and removed a major source of potential conflict 
  • Western powers then removed their occupation forces from West Germany 
  • This cooperation consolidated the East-West position 
  • Next significant step was taken with the decision to resume summit diplomacy