Both Germany and Austria were divided into four occupation zones following World War II, and Vienna was divided like Berlin. So why was there an East Germany and a Berlin Wall for so long but there was never an East Austria and a Vienna Wall?
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1. Stalin died in 1953;
2. The Soviets got all they could out of the Austrian oil fields by that point so in a great historical irony, the Soviets’ lack of a profitable enterprise made them more willing to let their occupation zone go;
3. Austrian politicians insisted on a unified Austria, they were willing to declare neutrality in order to achieve this goal.
Like everyone has said the 4 powers (US, UK, France, and USSR) each had occupation zones in Austria and Vienna (the Innere Stadt 1st district in Vienna was jointly occupied with a rotating lead).
The Austrian communist party did not do well in post -war elections (can’t remember what year, maybe 1948?), and the Austrian socialists were not as Soviet aligned as German socialists. When West Germany and East Germany each declared their own governments it scared the bejesus out of the other side. When West Germany joined NATO in 1955, it was the last straw for the Soviets to want to make sure a “West Austria” didn’t joint NATO and the best offer was for the four powers to withdraw (no one liked it, but they did like the other side withdrawing) and for Austria to declare “permanent neutrality.”
The Austrian state treaty outlining the withdrawal and neutrality was signed at the Belvedere palace on 15. May 1955, and 90-days later on 26. October 1955, the last foreign troops withdrew and 26. October became a national holiday.
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