Notes on Austria

Following is a partial transcription of a document prepared by the Military Division of the Allied Commission for Austria in February 1946, entitled “Notes on Austria. A Brief Account of Mlitary Forces in Austria, British Zone,” courtesy of The National Archives.

After an account of the machinery and establishment of the Allied Commission for Austria, subsequent chapters of the pamphlet “consist of a description of the task of the British Military Authorities in Austria, a short account of Austrian economic history and some notes on the political situation, including biographies of the leading members of the Federal and Provincial Governments. A staff list of the Commission, BTA and of the Military Government Staffs in the British-occupied Provinces are also attached, together with two maps showing the Zonal Boundaries in Austria and the boundaries of the national sectors in Vienna.”

II: BRITISH TROOPS IN AUSTRIA

SHORT ACCOUNT OF THE ENTRY OF BRITISH TROOPS INTO AUSTRIA

On 2nd May, 1945, the German Army Group “C” surrendered and 5 Corps, under operational command of Eighth Army, were allotted the role of occupying Austria. Meanwhile, 13 Corps, who were the right-hand formation of Eighth Army, had been directed on TRIESTE, and on the day on which the German Army surrendered, New Zealand troops entered Trieste and made contact with Tito’s forces.

5 Corps was at this time disposed as follows:

6 British Armoured Division in the lead, with orders to advance until they met Soviet forces, and then halt.

78 Infantry Division following up behind with instructions to swing left into Western Carinthia

46 Infantry Division (from Army Reserve) with orders to come up on the right of 6 Armoured Division on entering Austria.

The principal means for entry was the road Udine-Tarvisio-Villach.

The British zone of occupation had previously been agreed as the provinces of Styria and Carinthia. In effect Soviet forces had occupied the greater part of Styria before the British Army arrived.

The leading troops of 6 Armoured Division crossed the Austrian Frontier on 7th May, and by the next day had occupied Villach and Klagenfurt. 78 Infantry Division, following up, moved into Western Carinthia in roughly the area of Spittal and Oberdrauburg. 46 Infantry Division, which had originally been intended to move up into Styria, was unable to do so, owing to the presence of the Russians, and concentrated in the area Voelkermarkt-Wolfsberg. Contact with Soviet forces was first made on 9th May by the leading troops of 6 Armoured Division at Voitsberg about 25 miles West of Graz.

At this point it would be well to give some account of the conditions which the troops of 5 Corps found as soon as they entered Austria.

First, there was a large defeated German Army, estimated at some 250,000 troops of varying nationalities, over whom their commanders had little or no control.

Among these were a complete Cossack Corps and a Hungarian Corps.

There were in addition something in the neighbourhood of 80,000 displaced persons comprising 30 different nationalities, all crowded into the British Zone of Occupation. Owing to the westward advance of Soviet forces, coupled with the advance of the British from the West and of Tito’s forces from the South, a continuous stream of defeated Wehrmacht and displaced persons poured into the Klagenfurt Valley,

Finally, considerable forces under Marshall Tito, driving 200,000 Croats before them, had invaded Southern Carinthia.

All this represented a scene of complete chaos. No civilian services were in working order, and the postal, telegraph and railway system were in utter confusion. Added to this, nearly all the prominent members of the civil administration were Nazis and had, therefore, either disappeared or been arrested.

Thus it fell to the Army to achieve the task of restoring order and setting up a workable administration. The situation was further complicated by the difficulty of dealing with detachments of the Jugoslav Army, whose military methods were foreign to those of any nation previously encountered, and who attempted to set up Military Government in Carinthia,

However, by 13 May, by Government decision, the Jugoslav Forces began to evacuate CARINTHIA, and by the end of the month there were few Jugoslavs left in Austria. It was further agreed that the 200,000 CROATS should be sent back into Jugoslavia.

The main problems which faced the Army were as follows:

(a) To round up the surrendered German troops.

(b) To sort out, feed and care for the thousands of displaced persons who might otherwise become a lawless mob and resort to brigandage as a means of livelihood.

(c) Restore the civilian administration and the public services.

Allied Military Government, under Eighth Army, was set up as territory was occupied, and Eighth Army retained control of the Military Government until it was transferred to the Allied Commission for Austria on 15th October.

By the end of May the American and French occupying forces had moved into their allotted areas. The Americans set up their Headquarters at Salzburg and the French at Innsbruck, though by the end of the year both had moved into Vienna. Negotiations were at the same time set on foot for the withdrawal of the Russians from Styria,, though the hand-over was not completed until July.

During May and June the process of restoring order and normal life in the British Zone continued. On the 29th May agreement was reached whereby German surrendered personnel would be repatriated to Germany in the area controlled by SHAEF, all Cossacks would be handed over to the Soviets and all Croats to the Jugoslavs. This has the effect of lightening the task which had fallen on 5 Corps.

On 3rd June, the Soviets received a combined British, US and French Mission in Vienna, which was charged with the task of making the preliminary arrangements for setting up the Allied Commission for Austria.

By the end of July the general situation in the British Zone had become stabilised as follows:

(a) Eighth Army, now known as B.T.A. was responsible only for British Zone of Austria, 13 Corps having been placed directly under command of AFHQ.

(b) 6 Armoured Division was responsible for Eastern Carinthia, with Headquarters at Klagenfurt.

(c) 78 Division with responsibilities covering Western Carinthia with Headquarters at Millstatt.

(d) 46 Division responsible for the whole of Styria with Headquarters at Graz.

(e) Elements of A.C.A. were established in Vienna, with certain administrative units and a representative garrison for the British Zone in the City.

Headquarters 5 Corps and 6 Armoured Division moved to Italy during September, leaving 78 and 46 Divisions directly under command of Headquarters B.T.A., which established itself in Klagenfurt on 11th September. Since then there has been no major change in troops dispositions, and 78 Division are now responsible for Carinthia  and 46 Division for Styria.

Divisional areas have been sub-divided into four Zones, supervised by one of the three Brigade Headquarters or the Divisional R.A. Headquarters.

The first meeting of the Allied Commissioners took place in Vienna on 11th September, and from that date A.C.A. took over the functions of government and the responsibility for advice and assistance in the rehabilitation of Austria. On 15th October, the British Element of the Commission relieved Headquarters B.T.A. of the responsibility for the M.G. organization.

THE OCCUPATIONAL ROLE OF THE ARMY

While retaining a measure of mobility for possible operational employment, troops of B.T.A. have also to perform the duties of a static occupational force in support of the Military Government organisation. This dual role, in view of the size of the territory, has caused a considerable demand on manpower, difficult to meet after reduction in the size of the forces available consequent upon disbandment and redeployment. Work carried out by the military, or by Surrendered Enemy Personnel (SEO) under military supervision, is gradually being transferred to the Austrians and every effort made to accelerate this transfer.

In order that Headquarters of mobile forces shall not become unduly involved in static organisational duties, the Headquarters at Divisional and Brigade levels are so organised that at short notice they can be split. Each Divisional Headquarters contains a static District Headquarters, and each Brigade Headquarters contains a static Area Headquarters. The District and Area Headquarters deal with the Military Government role, leaving in each case the basis of operational Headquarters which can be quickly detached if required. The layout is shown in the diagram at the end of this chapter.

The main tasks of the occupational forces can be briefly described as follows:

(a) Frontier Control. The Austrian frontier is closed to civilians and the British forces are responsible for a section of frontier with Italy and Jugoslavia, as well as the common boundaries of the Zone with those of the Soviet, US and French occupied zones. Effective control of the frontier with Italy and Jugoslavia on the frontier line itself is not practicable, so a “Prohibited Frontier Zone”, some twenty kilometres in depth, has been established on the Austrian side. Static and mobile patrols are maintained in this Zone (about sixty patrols by each Division) and only civilians provided with a “Certificate of Residence” are allowed to move freely in it. One of the main purposes of the control established is to check unauthorised movement of displaced persons.

(b) Guards. Over and above those necessary for security of unit billets and equipment, guards are provided for:

(i) Frontier Posts, as 3(a) above.

(ii)  Military installations – ammunition, food and stores of all descriptions, included the British Advanced Base in the Graz area.

(iii) Camps containing civil internees and certain types of SEP (there are five camps in the Zone and one in Vienna).

(iv) Special buildings, bridges and public services and other vulnerable points, principally an anti-sabotage measure, e.g., Banks and convoys during the currency conversion or provision of drivers during elections.

(v) Railway yards and trains – essential to prevent pilfering.

(vi)  Vienna garrison, for occupational duties within the British Zone of Vienna, and guards and ceremonial duties on behalf of the Commission, especially heavy during the British chairmanship periods.

(c) Internal Security. British troops, by their presence in Austria, not only ensure that there will be no forcible frontier adjustments without agreement of all concerned, but also ensure maintenance of good order within the Zone itself by a system of garrisons in or near the larger towns, assisted by Field Security Sections and the Special Investigation Bureau, in conjunction with the Austrian civil authorities.

    In the past, this has entailed:

    (i)      Search of inhabited areas for illegal or unregistered persons.

    (ii)     Arrest of persons falling within the “arrestable categories”.

    (iii)    Investigation of robberies, murders, etc.

    (iv)     Search of DP Camps for arms, etc.

    (v)      Investigation of minor disturbances (usually involving DPs).

(d) Communications. The complete breakdown of the Austrian administrative machinery at the time of the collapse of Germany inevitably resulted in the breakdown of communications. Considerable effort by British troops has been necessary to restore and maintain telephone services and essential road and rail routes.

In an effort to reduce the guard commitments for troops and thereby to reduce the forces of occupation to a minimum as duties as possible are delegated to Austrian Police. These include guard duties on the minor Prohibited Frontier Zone boundaries, guards on civil supply depots and some posts on the inter-zonal boundaries.

SURRENDERED ENEMY PERSONNEL (SEP)

On the entry of the British troops into Austria approximately 250,000 enemy troops were found in the British Zone at the first check and were gathered into improvised camps. They consisted of:

137,500 Germans.
68,700   Russians, including Cossacks, Ukrainians and White Russians.
14,300   Hungarians.
13,000   Jugoslavs.
7,500    Austrians.
3,600    Other Nationalities.

The vast majority of Austrians had deserted and had returned or were trying to return to their homes. Of those with homes in the British Zone some 103,000 have since been rounded up and discharged. Considerable numbers of Hungarians and other nationalities were also gathered in later, and it would probably be truer to say that there were 350 – 400,000 enemy troops in the British Zone at the time of surrender.

By May, 1946, about 86,000 Austrians had been repatriated into the British Zone from elsewhere in Europe and discharged to civil life, and a further 11,000 had been traced and were awaiting repatriation (6,000 in British hands in UK and overseas). The position in May was therefore roughly as follows:

Discharges in the British Zone continue at the rate of about 2 – 3,000 per week.

SEP found in the British Zone on occupation and mentioned in para. 1. above have been disposed of as follows:

Large numbers of desertions have taken place owing to the difficulties of guarding SEP in dispersed and improvised camps and whilst at work. The risk of desertions was accepted in order to make the maximum number available during the autumn and winder for agriculture, forestry and other work.

Former members of the Waffen SS and similar prescribed organizations are held under guard in permanent camps.

DISPLACED PERSONS

At the beginning of February, there were approximately 41,000 D.Ps in hutted camps which have been constructed under army supervision. Nearly half of these camps were being administered by U.N.R.R.A., the remainder by Military Government. Detailed figures are always available as to the numbers in camps and the nationalities involved, but there are about 120,000 D.Ps NOT in camps, living by private arrangments throughout the Zone.

Missions from Soviet Russia and Poland have recently been given facilities to interview D.Ps in the Zone in an endeavour to persuade those of Soviet and Polish origin respectively to accept repatriation. Many are unwilling, and their disposal, together with stateless persons, constitutes a long-term problem.

Recently complications have been caused by the compulsory expatriation from Jugoslavia of more than a thousand persons, many of Slovene origin. It has been necessary to make arrangements to “screen” organised parties before permitting their entry into Austria, but unfortunately, D.Ps have been driven across the frontier in small groups at unauthorized crossing points.

REHABILITATION IN AUSTRIA

The forces of occupation have contributed materially to the restoration of normal services in Austria. The following gives briefly the main forms which assistance has taken:

(a) ROAD TRANSPORT:

Three RASC Transport Companies with British cadres have been provide for Vienna.

Captured enemy vehicles have been repaired in British workshops and released for civilian use.

REME officers have supervised garages and workshops to assist with the repairs of Austrian vehicles.

(b) ROAD MAINTENANCE:

British Sapper units have been primarily responsible for maintenance of the main routes and have revitalised the civilian organization to such an extent that it can now undertake all the work. The abnormal winder of 1945/6 added to the difficulties.

(c) RAILWAY OPERATION:

Only 25% of the system was workable on the German capitulation. Under Army supervision, services have been restored and besides catering for military and Military Government traffic, now permit a limited service for civilians. Technical operating staff is provided by the Austrians, but direction is still a British responsibility.

(d) COMMUNICATIONS:

Telephone and telegraph services have been largely restored for both military and civilian use. Within the British Zone, this has been achieved largely through the efforts of the Royal Corps of Signals. International trunk services have been organized under the direction of an Allied Signals Executive.

The Army Post Office has also assisted with the carriage of civilian mail between Vienna and the British Zone.

(e) FUEL:

The cutting of wood for fuel was one of the Army’s most urgent tasks during the autumn. Troops cut many thousands of tons for their own use, and thousands of tons were also cut by troops, SEP and civilian organizations, and transported to the main centres of population for civilian use.

Mechanical equipment and other assistance was also provided to increase the output of the mines.

(f) MEDICAL:

The Army Medical Staff has been constantly on the alert to detect disease. Two minor epidemics in the British Zone were quickly brought under control. In addition, vaccines and transport have been made available to civilian hospitals.