Nehru's mediation in Austria
First visit in 41 years
Modi’s visit to Austria is the first by an Indian prime minister in 41 years, since Indira Gandhi’s in 1983.
Recalling Nehru's Legacy
Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer Wednesday spoke of India’s role in helping the European country regain its sovereignty after World War 2, putting the focus on Jawaharlal Nehru’s abiding foreign policy legacy.
Visits by Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi had made two visits to the European country, in 1971 and 1983.
Anschluss
Adolf Hitler had annexed Austria, the country of his birth, to the German Reich in 1938 — the event known as Anschluss.
Occupied by Allied Powers
In July 1945, the four victorious Allied Powers of World War 2 — France, the UK, the USA and the USSR — agreed to create zones of occupation in Austria as its boundaries were on 31 December, 1937.
Austria was divided into four zones, while the capital, Vienna, was similarly divided among the four occupying powers.
- The North-East Zone of Austria was occupied by the Soviet Union,
- the North-West Zone by the US,
- the Western Zone by France and
- the Southern Zone by the UK.
Journey to free and independent state
On 3 June 1953, a day after the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, the then Austrian foreign minister, Karl Gruber met with Nehru in London
Nehru asked Gruber to come to Bürgenstock (a mountain soort in Switzerland), where Nehru was meeting Indian diplomatic representatives.
Purpose of visit was to explain Austrian position once again to Nehru, with hope Indians might be willing to sound out Soviets true intentions on state treaty, said Gruber.
Gruber’s visit to Nehru had, however, raised suspicions at the British Foreign Office as the Austrian foreign minister had failed to inform them of it.
India in 1952 endorsed an appeal from Vienna to the United Nations General Assembly regarding its international status.
- ! “The word of India was of major importance to us,” Gruber said.
On 5 March 1953, Joseph Stalin, the leader of the Soviet Union for over three decades, died after a stroke at the age of 74.
This led to the eventual rise of Nikita Khrushchev as the leader of the country, after an internal power struggle within the Communist Party.
Vienna in 1954 making a promise of joining no military alliances and to permit no military bases on its territory.
15 April 1955 memorandum between Austria and the USSR was signed.
In the memorandum, the Soviet Union took note of Austria’s promises of a Switzerland-like policy of neutrality and agreed to sign the Austrian State Treaty “without delay”.
A month later, on 15 May 1955, the four Allied powers signed the Austrian State Treaty in Vienna, declaring the re-establishment of Austria as a free and independent state.
First international leader visit
Nehru was the first international leader to visit newly independent Austria for a state visit in June 1955.
Law of Neutrality
On 26 October 1955, a day after the last Allied troops left the country, the Austrian National Council (lower House of Parliament), passed the Constitutional Law of Neutrality of the country.
