Photo: Leykam, Boltzmann Institute
By Guenter Bischof and Peter Ruggenthaler
The Cold War kept the world in suspense for almost half a century. When the Iron Curtain descended over Europe, Austria was also in danger of division. The victorious powers of the Second World War, which had liberated Austria from Nazism, were preparing for a prolonged occupation of the country. Austria was a major theater of the East-West conflict and thus also a stomping ground for the secret services. The propaganda war in the country also raged between East and West. The fear of the atomic bomb did not spare Austria either.
Austria bordered communist dictatorships for over a thousand kilometers. As a neutral state, Austria played an important role as a mediator, bridge-builder and negotiator. It was not until the division of Europe was overcome in 1989 and the Cold War ended that a new era began for Austria as well.
More information (in German):
https://www.leykamverlag.at/produkt/oesterreich-und-der-kalte-krieg/#description