Ici l´Autriche – Pays ami!

Jürgen Klöckler

France and de-nazification in occupied Austria 1945/46

The de-nazification measures introduced by the French occupation in Austria can be viewed against the backdrop of the “épuration” within France. After an initial wave of purges by the occupying troops in early summer 1945, a system was installed in Austria which banked on close participation with the Austrian population.

The resistance in Vorarlberg and Tyrol participated in the political cleansing until early 1946 by drawing up political reports and thereby providing basic information on appraising National Socialists. In contrast to Germany, France entrusted the Austrians themselves with the political cleanup after the second control agreement in June 1946. The French occupation's brand of rigor, mitigation, amnesty and re-integration in the cleanup and restoration of order helped shape the character of de-nazification in the first two years after the war.