Stalin and Austria: New Evidence on Soviet Policy in a Secondary Theatre of the Cold War, 1938–53/55

Abstract

This article reassesses on the basis of recently discovered documents from Russian archives Soviet planning and policy on and in Austria after World War II. Given its small size and its location at the periphery of the Soviet orbit, Austria never had a high priority for Stalin. Due to its quadripartite occupation by the allies, the country could not be claimed openly as part of the Soviet sphere of influence. However, Stalin and his officers tried to set up a Soviet-friendly government in Austria and, until 1953, took measures to strengthen Soviet influence in the country and to induce its transition into a people's democracy. In the meantime, Soviet diplomacy used the occupation of Austria as a legal justification to keep Soviet troops in Eastern Europe and, therefore, refused to withdraw from Austria.

Acknowledgements

The author expresses his gratitude to Gennadii Bordiugov, William D. Godsey Jr., Norman M. Naimark, Larisa Rogovaia, Arnold Suppan, the Russian and the Austrian Academies of Sciences, and the Fonds zur Förderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung. Most Russian archival documents cited in this article will be published in: Wolfgang Mueller, Arnold Suppan, Norman M. Naimark and Gennadii Bordiugov (eds.), Sowjetische Politik in Österreich 19451955: Dokumente aus russischen Archiven/Sovetskaia politika v Avstrii 19451955gg: Dokumenty iz Rossiiskikh arkhivov (Vienna: Verlag der ÖAW, 2005).

Notes

 [1] On British policy: Stanley, “Great Britain and the Austrian Question”; Wagnleitner, “Großbritannien und die Wiedererrichtung der Republik Österreich”; on French policy: Angerer, “Frankreich und die Österreich-Frage”; Lettner, “Die französische Österreichpolitik”; on US policy: Bischof, “Between Responsibility and Rehabilitation”; Leidenfrost, “Die amerikanische Besatzungsmacht.”

 [2] Mair, “Austria,” 269–378; Stearman, The Soviet Union and the Occupation of Austria; Bader, Austria between East and West.

 [3] Aichinger, “Sowjetische Österreichpolitik”; Gärtner, Zwischen Moskau und Österreich.

 [4] Mueller, “Die politische Mission der sowjetischen Besatzung in Österreich 1945–1955”; , Die sowjetische Besatzung in Österreich.

 [5] Verosta, Die internationale Stellung Österreichs, 28–9.

 [6] Aichinger, “Österreichpolitik,” 14–16.

 [7] O'Sullivan, Stalins “Cordon sanitaire”, 85–6.

 [8] Kynin and Laufer, SSSR i Germanskii vopros 1941–1949, Vol. 1, 118–19.

 [9] Churchill, The Second World War, 558. Cf. Kynin and Laufer, SSSR i Germanskii vopros, vol. 1, 124–35.

[10] Vogelmann, “Die Propaganda der österreichischen Emigration,” 68–70.

[11] , “Österreichische Kommunisten,” 49–56.

[12] Lebedeva and Narinskii, Komintern i Vtoraia Mirovaia Voina, 386–90.

[13] Mastny, “Soviet War Aims,” 490.

[14] Verosta, Die internationale Stellung, 52–3.

[15] Cit. Aichinger, “Österreichpolitik,” 41.

[16] Sovetsko-angliiskie otnosheniia , 388–90. Cf. Stourzh, Um Einheit und Freiheit, 15.

[17] , “Soviet War Aims,” 499–500.

[18] Mastny, The Cold War and Soviet Insecurity, 20.

[19] Arkhiv Vneshnei Politiki Rossiiskoi Federatsii, Moscow (hereafter: AVPRF) f.06/op.7/pap.27/d.326/ pp.1–13, here 13, Lozovskii to Molotov, 23 January 1945. Cf. Rathkolb, “Historische Fragmente,” 145.

[20] AVPRF 0512/4/12/d.12/ pp.1–7, here 7, O poslevoennom ustroistve v Avstrii, 11 October 1943.

[21] Resis, “Spheres of Influence”.

[22] Pechatnov, “The Big Three after World War II”.

[23] Mastny, “Soviet Plans for Postwar Europe,” 66.

[24] Kynin and Laufer, SSSR i Germanskii vopros, vol. 1, 333–60, here 348, Maiskii to Molotov, 11 January 1944. Cf. Filitov, “V komissiiakh Narkomindela,” 56–7.

[25] Ulam, Expansion and Coexistence, 229–32.

[26] Mark, “Revolution by Degrees.”

[27] Kynin and Laufer, SSSR i Germanskii vopros, vol. 1, 333–60, here 335, Maiskii to Molotov, 11 January 1944.

[28] Volokitina, “Stalin i smena strategicheskogo kursa Kremlya v kontse 40-kh godov,” 13.

[29] Vogelmann, “Propaganda,” 55–7 and 115–19. Cf. Mueller, “Sowjetbesatzung, Nationale Front und der ‘friedliche Übergang zum Sozialismus’. ”

[30] Die Kommunisten im Kampf, 153–6.

[31] Rossiiskii Gosudarstvennyi Arkhiv Sotsial'no-Politicheskoi Istorii, Moscow, (hereafter RGASPI) f.17/op.128/d.781/pp. 22–7, Political Platform of the CPA, 1945. Text in Mueller et al., Sowjetische Politik/Sovetskaia politika, doc. 7. On earlier planning of the CPA see: Rathkolb, “Wie homogen war Österreich 1945?,” 167–8.

[32] RGASPI 17/128/781/p. 21, Khvostov to Paniushkin, 17 April 1945. Cf. Banac, The Diary of Georgi Dimitrov, 366; Fischer, Erinnerungen und Reflexionen, 467–9.

[33] AVPRF 06/7/26/322/pp. 16–17, political advisor in Austria Kiselev to deputy foreign commissar Dekanozov, 7 August 1945. Cf. Mueller, Die sowjetische Besatzung, 134.

[34] Mueller, “Die politische Mission der sowjetischen Besatzung in Österreich,” 245–54.

[35] Bollmus, “Staatliche Einheit trotz Zonentrennung,” 688.

[36] Russkii Arkhiv , 661–4, political Advisor Koptelov on meeting with CPA leaders, 16 May 1945.

[37] Knight, “The Renner State Government,” 32–3.

[38] RGASPI 17/128/112/pp. 112–15, Burtsev to Secretary CPSU Suslov, 23 May 1946.

[39] , vol. III, 647–8. Cf. Wodak, Diplomatie zwischen Ost und West, 177–8.

[40] FRUS 1945, vol. III, 677.

[41] Cit. Ableitinger, “Großbritannien und das Zweite Kontrollabkommen,” 98.

[42] Stourzh, “Die Regierung Renner,” 321–42.

[43] Merl, Besatzungszeit im Mühlviertel, 190–202; Wais, “Das Kriegsende im Bezirk Waidhofen,” 306–10.

[44] Wagnleitner, Understanding Austria, 313.

[45] “Eine durchsichtige Kampagne,” Österreichische Zeitung, 28 April 1946; “Alte Hetze – neu aufgetischt,” Österreichische Zeitung, 10 May 1946; “Verleumdung aus dritter Hand,” Österreichische Zeitung, 4 June 1946.

[46] “Österreich heute – Reaktion und Demokratie,” Österreichische Zeitung, 9, 11, 12 October 1946.

[47] “Die Politik der österreichischen Regierung,” Österreichische Zeitung, 25 July 1947. On the general Soviet propaganda line cf. Brooks, Thank you, Comrade Stalin, 209–11.

[48] RGASPI 17/132/5/pp. 115–63, here 136, Protocol of the conference on Soviet propaganda, 15–19 May 1948. Text in Mueller et al., Sowjetische Politik/Sovetskaia politika, doc. 50.

[49] Rossiiskii Gosudarstvennyi Arkhiv Noveishei Istorii, Moscow (hereafter RGANI) 5/28/70/pp. 1–56, here 45, Soviet high commissioner Sviridov to Central Committee CPSU on the improvement of the work of the Soviet Element in Austria, 21 March 1953. Text in Mueller et al., Sowjetische Politik/Sovetskaia politika, doc. 84.

[50] RGASPI 17/128/910/p. 234, Korotkevich to Suslov, 19 November 1946.

[51] RGASPI 17/162/38/p. 140, Politburo Decision No. 288 “Osobaia Papka” (Special File), 11 December 1946.

[52] RGASPI 17/162/40/p. 147, Politburo Decision No. 328 “Osobaia Papka” (Special File), 2 May 1949.

[53] RGANI 89/38/26/pp. 1–2, Protocol No. 84 of the Politburo, 1 December 1951. On the history of the “Fund”: Foitzik, “Aus der Buchhaltung der Weltrevolution”; Kuzmicheva, “V tseliakh okazaniia material'noi pomoshchi zarubezhnym levym partiiam…”

[54] Cf. Mueller, “Die politische Mission der sowjetischen Besatzung in Österreich,” 351–4.

[55] Protokolle des Kabinettsrates, 211–12, Report by Renner on meeting with Soviet officials, 7 August 1945.

[56] Luger, “Parlament und alliierte Besatzung 1945–1955,” 133.

[57] AVPRF 066/32/160/56/pp. 14–16, Gribanov to Vyshinskii, 31 January 1951. On the Soviet position in the Allied Council see: Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, Vienna (hereafter ÖNB)/Allied Commission for Austria/Executive Committee (hereafter EXCO), 180^th session, 2 February 1951. Cf. FRUS 1951, vol. IV, 1022–3.

[58] On the CPA's critique on the US proposal for the State Treaty in 1946 see: Stourzh, Einheit, 47. In 1949 the CPA's intervention aimed at discrediting the non-communist parties for their pro-American position. RGASPI 82/2/1114/pp. 63–4, Gromyko to Stalin, 22 September 1949.

[59] Gosudarstvennyi Arkhiv Rossiiskoi Federacii, Moscow (hereafter GARF) R-5446/86a/708/pp. 42–50 and 57–58, Decree of the Council of Ministers of the USSR on the Mission of the Soviet Element of the Allied Commission for Austria [20 February 1952]. Text in Mueller et al., Sowjetische Politik/Sovetskaia politika, doc. 80.

[60] AVPRF 066/25/119/9/pp. 121–2, Smirnov to Vyshinskii, 15 November 1945.

[61] RGASPI 17/137/112/pp. 21–32, here 32, deputy high commissioner Zheltov to CPSU Commission for Foreign Policy, [18 August?] 1949.

[62] “Österreich vor den Wahlen,” Österreichische Zeitung, 8 October 1949; “Die Prawda zu den Nationalratswahlen in Österreich,” Österreichische Zeitung, 9 October 1949, etc.

[63] Weber, Der Kalte Krieg in der SPÖ, 165–86.

[64] RGASPI 17/137/117/pp. 2–35, head of Soviet Propaganda Dept. in Austria Dubrovitskii on the elections in Austria, 27 October 1949.

[65] RGASPI 17/128/910/pp. 195–210, Conversation of Soviet high commissioner Kurasov with the leaders of the CPA, 16 September 1946.

[66] RGANI 5/28/70/pp. 1–56, Soviet high commissioner in Austria Sviridov to CPSU, 21 March 1953.

[67] RGASPI 17/162/47/pp. 5 and 56, Politburo Decision No. 84 “Osobaia Papka” (Special File), 18 October 1951.

[68] RGASPI 17/128/910/pp. 195–210, Conversation of Soviet high commissioner Kurasov with the leaders of the CPA, 16 September 1946. Text in Mueller et al., Sowjetische Politik/Sovetskaia politika, doc. 36.

[69] RGASPI 17/128/907/pp. 81–3, Koplenig and Fürnberg to Filippov [ = Stalin], 20 March 1946.

[70] RGASPI 17/128/908/pp. 52–6, here 55, Koplenig and Fürnberg to Stalin, June 1946. Text in Mueller et al., Sowjetische Politik/Sovetskaia politika, doc. 30.

[71] RGASPI 17/128/1089/pp. 18-9, Korotkevich to Baranov, 25 October 1947. On 18 March 1948 the International Department of the CPSU reported that Yugoslavia had supported the partition plan in order to strengthen its position in the Danubian countries. See: Muraschko et al., “Das Zentralkomitee der WKP(B),” 24–5.

[72] RGASPI 77/3/100/pp. 1–8, Conversation of Zhdanov with Koplenig and Fürnberg, 13 February 1948. Text in Mueller, “Die Teilung Österreichs.” For the Russian text see: Mueller et al., Sowjetische Politik/Sovetskaia Politika, doc. 48.

[73] Bader, Austria, 181. Cf. Lewis, “Austria 1950.”

[74] For the armistice with Rumania and Hungary see: Department of State Bulletin XI, 273; Treaties and other International Agreements , vol. 3. For the draft peace treaties see: FRUS 1945, vol. II, 131 and 147–150.

[75] Stourzh, Einheit, 34–5. Cf. FRUS 1946, vol. V, 296–7.

[76] ÖNB/Allied Commission for Austria/Allied Council (hereafter ALCO), Proceedings P(46)38, US Proposal, 20 February 1946.

[77] FRUS 1946, vol. V, p. 326.

[78] AVPRF 066/6/123/27/pp. 2–3, head of 3rd European Dept. Smirnov to deputy foreign minister Vyshinskii, 18 April 1946.

[79] Stourzh, Einheit, 46. Cf. Bischof, Austria in the First Cold War, 107.

[80] Zubok and Pleshakov, Inside the Kremlin's Cold War, 99.

[81] FRUS 1949, vol. III, 1167–8.

[82] Goldgeier, Leadership Style and Soviet Foreign Policy, 42 and 48–51.

[83] Cit. Cronin, Great Power Politics, 87.

[84] RGASPI 82/2/1114/pp. 95–7, Gromyko to Stalin, 22 October 1949.

[85] RGASPI 17/162/41/pp. 34 and 103, Politburo Decision No. 479 “Osobaia Papka” (Special File) with directive to Vyshinskii, 24 October 1949.

[86] Stourzh, Einheit, p. 167. Vgl. FRUS 1949, vol. III, 1125–7; 1160–63; 1173–5.

[87] AVPRF 066/35/187/28/pp. 1–5, Pushkin, Il'ichev, Gribanov to Molotov, 27 November 1953.

[88] Khrushchev, Vremia, liudi, vlast’, 213.

[89] RGASPI 82/2/1115/pp. 47–9, Gromyko to Stalin, January 1952.

[90] Stourzh, Einheit, 184–5.

[91] On the Stalin Note see: Steininger, Eine vertane Chance; Loth and Zarusky, Die Stalin Note vom 10. März 1952.

[92] Steininger, Der Staatsvertrag, 116–18.

[93] AVPRF 066/33/169/29/pp. 100-2, Vyshinskii to Stalin, 18 March 1952.

[94] RGASPI 82/271115/p. 110, Vyshinskii to Stalin, 12 May 1952.

[95] Stourzh, Einheit, 220–22.

[96] Gehler, “Kurzvertrag für Österreich,” 277. On the Soviet attitude to the State Treaty cf. the articles by Alexei Filitov, Vojtech Mastny, Gerald Stourzh and Wolfgang Mueller in: Suppan, Stourzh and Mueller, Der österreichische Staatsvertrag 1955.

[97] FRUS 1952–54, vol. VII, 1770–71, here 1771.