Mitteilungen des Österreichischen Staatsarchivs 42. (1992)

BISCHOF, Günter: The Anglo-American Powers and Austrian Neutrality, 1953–1955

The Anglo-American Powers and Austrian Neutrality 1955-1955

for Raab in the Western capitals probably led to an underestimation of his political skills. Austria’s national political consensus to pay the price of neutrality for the end of the occupation, and Raab’s patient foreign policy-and courage to gamble in bilateral negotiations with the Soviets and pay the price of Austrian neutrality for the Treaty-proved more durable than the scepticism of the Western Allies.

Looked at from today’s point of view, the Austrian State Treaty negotiations of 1953 to 1955 leave us with a further legacy-one that should be recalled by Austria’s political leadship today when it is engaged in making a decision about the future of the country that might be as momentous as choosing the „neutral option“ in 1955. When we debate whether the neutral Austria should join the „Europe of 1992,“ we should remember that Raab found little encouragement abroad for his foreign policy departure. He did what he thought was best for Austria102).

was better to show him things like a Ford factory, Hancock minute, 26 March 1954, PRO, FO 371/109554/CA 1051/7. The cameo brief on Raab for the Queen, however, was right to the point: „He is a tough and humorous person and a firm believer in free enterprise. Sparing of speech, he has a great capacity for work and a steady persistence of getting things done,“ PRO, FO 371/109355/CA 1051/30.

102) This point is also argued in Giinter Bischof and Wolfgang Dankspeckgruber Ringen um den Staatsvertrag: Vorbild fiír EG-Verhandlungen, Die Furche (23 December 1988) 20-21.

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