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Ancient Times to the Middle Ages

The region was inhabited by Celtic tribes (forming the kingdom of Noricum) before being annexed by the Roman Empire in the late 1st century BCE. After the Romans withdrew, various Germanic and Slavic tribes settled the area. Charlemagne conquered the region around 788 CE and established the Eastern March (Ostmark), a frontier territory that eventually became known as Ostarrîchi in 996 CE, the origin of the modern German name for Austria (Österreich). The powerful House of Habsburg rose to prominence in 1278 CE and would rule Austria for over 640 years until 1918.

The Habsburg Monarchy and Empire

The Habsburg dynasty expanded their territories through strategic marriages and military conquests, accumulating lands that included Bohemia and Hungary. From the 15th century onward, they almost continuously held the title of Holy Roman Emperor.

Conflicts and Expansion: The Habsburgs successfully defended Vienna twice from Ottoman sieges (in 1529 and 1683), leading to the acquisition of significant territory in Hungary and the Balkans.
Austrian Empire: The Holy Roman Empire was dissolved in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars, and the Habsburg domains were reorganized into the formal Austrian Empire in 1804.
Austria-Hungary: Facing rising nationalism and a defeat by Prussia, the empire was restructured in the Compromise of 1867 into the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary, a vast multi-ethnic state with two co-equal parts under one monarch.

The World Wars and Republics

The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the Austro-Hungarian heir, in Sarajevo in 1914 by a Serbian nationalist triggered World War I. The war led to the empire's defeat and collapse.

First Republic and Annexation: In 1918, the First Austrian Republic was proclaimed as a smaller, German-speaking state. This republic struggled economically and politically, leading to an Austrofascist dictatorship in the 1930s. In 1938, Austria was annexed into Nazi Germany in the Anschluss (union), a move that had some popular support at the time.
Second Republic and Neutrality: After its liberation by Allied forces in 1945, Austria was occupied by the four Allied powers (US, UK, France, and Soviet Union) for a decade. In 1955, the Austrian State Treaty was signed, restoring full sovereignty on the condition that Austria declare perpetual neutrality, which became a cornerstone of its foreign policy.