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Austria End of the Kreisky Era
During Kreisky's tenure as chancellor, Austria enjoyed
unprecedented prosperity, but by the time the April 1983 election
approached, the SPÖ had few fresh ideas with which to attract
critical swing voters. Its image also suffered from various
political and financial scandals
(see Political Developments since 1983
, ch. 4). Its proposal for a tax hike aimed at
upper-income Austrians to finance job creation was countered by
the ÖVP with promises of no new taxes and more careful use of
existing government tax revenues. Although the ÖVP failed to
unseat the SPÖ as the largest party in the Nationalrat, the ÖVP
benefited from a significant shift in voter sentiment, and the
SPÖ lost its majority, winning ninety seats, which was five seats
fewer than in 1979. The ÖVP gained four seats for a total of
eighty-one. The FPÖ won an additional seat, for a total of
twelve, despite a decline in its share of the vote. Two "green"
parties, the United Greens of Austria (Vereinigte Grüne
Österreichs--VGÖ) and the Alternative List of Austria
(Alternative Liste Österreichs--ALÖ), sought to rally voters on
environmental issues. Together they took about 3.3 percent of the
vote but won no parliamentary seats.
Kreisky had campaigned strongly for an absolute majority and
resigned rather than lead a coalition government. His minister of
education, Fred Sinowatz, became chancellor in 1983, heading an
SPÖ-FPÖ coalition. Kreisky's departure marked a major turning
point in Austria's postwar history, and the Sinowatz government
was to be a transitional phase into the contemporary era.
* * *
Given the scope of Austrian history and Austria's complex
relationships with the other countries of Central Europe,
English-language histories of Austria generally focus on
particular segments of Austrian history rather than on an attempt
to give equal attention to all centuries. Alexander Wigram Allen
Leeper's A History of Medieval Austria is a key source for
medieval history prior to the Habsburgs. The Habsburg Empire,
1790-1918 by Carlile Aylmer Macartney is an excellent and
inclusive treatment of the late history of the Habsburg Empire,
although its level of detail and thoroughness may be more than
the casual reader desires. Robert A. Kann's A History of the
Habsburg Empire, 1526-1918 is a more accessible text,
focusing on broader themes rather than on the minutiae of
history. Robert John Weston Evans's The Making of the Habsburg
Monarchy, 1550-1700 also takes a thematic approach but covers
only a portion of the Habsburg centuries. However, it provides a
useful examination of the intellectual underpinnings of the
Habsburg state.
Barbara Jelavich has written two excellent books covering
the post-1815 era: The Habsburg Empire in European Affairs,
1814-1918 and Modern Austria: Empire and Republic,
1815-1986. Their relative brevity and conciseness make them
excellent overviews.
The selection of books covering specific topics is growing
steadily. Of particular interest and merit are Samuel R.
Williamson, Jr.'s Austria-Hungary and the Origins of the First
World War; Radomir Luza's two books, Austro-German
Relations in the Anschluss Era and The Resistance in
Austria, 1938-1945; and Alfred D. Low's The Anschluss
Movement, 1918-1938.
For those interested in more current history, Melanie A.
Sully's A Contemporary History of Austria focuses on the
post-Kreisky era. (For further information and complete
citations,
see
Bibliography.)
Data as of December 1993
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