070342 UE Guided Reading Austrian History 2 - Austria International (2025S)

Today, Vienna enjoys the image of an international city and Austrian foreign policy regards the country as a relevant player on the international stage. The country owes this image, among other things, to the fact that Vienna is the seat of numerous international organisations (including the United Nations since 1979) and that the country acted as a hub between 'East' and 'West' during the Cold War. But how has Austrian foreign policy developed? What were its priorities? And how was Austria perceived by international actors?
This course examines the history of Austria from an international perspective. Central aspects of Austrian history from the end of the Habsburg monarchy, the First Republic, Austrofascism and the Second Republic will be discussed, including Austria's relationship to the League of Nations and the United Nations, Vienna as the seat of international organisations (e.g. UN, IAEA, OSCE), as a venue for international meetings (e.g. the Kennedy-Khrushchev summit in 1961) and as a centre for secret service activities (e.g. the occupation period, The Third Man). The aim is not only to explore aspects of Austrian foreign policy, but also to examine international perspectives on Austria.
The aim of the course is to provide students with an overview of Austrian history from an international perspective and to enable them to read, analyse and discuss literature and sources in a professional and critical manner.