Austrian legislative election, 1945
Encyclopedia
The elections to the Austria
n National Council
held in fall of 1945 were the first after World War II
. The elections were held according to the Austrian election law of 1929, with all citizens at least 21 years old eligible to vote, however former Nazis were banned from voting, official sources putting their numbers at around 200,000. The Communist Party of Austria
only gained four seats, which some blamed on the conduct of the Red Army
in the Soviet
occupied zone of Austria. This was highly embarrassing for the Communists, who had assured the Soviets that they could win as much as 30 percent of the vote. This proved to be the beginning of a long decline for the Communists, though they would manage to stay in the chamber until 1959.
The Austrian People's Party
led by Leopold Figl
won a sweeping victory, taking just under half of the vote and an absolute majority of seats in the National Council. Despite winning a majority, Figl opted to continue the three-party grand coalition
with the Socialists
and Communists. However, the Communists, who had been equally represented in the Renner
government since the end of the war, only received one Cabinet post. On 20 December 1945 the Federal Assembly of Austria
unanimously elected incumbent Chancellor
Karl Renner of the Socialist Party as President of Austria
, who swore in Leopold Figl as new Chancellor on the same day.
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n National Council
National Council of Austria
The National Council is one of the two houses of the Austrian parliament. According to the constitution, the National Council and the complementary Federal Council are peers...
held in fall of 1945 were the first after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The elections were held according to the Austrian election law of 1929, with all citizens at least 21 years old eligible to vote, however former Nazis were banned from voting, official sources putting their numbers at around 200,000. The Communist Party of Austria
Communist Party of Austria
The Communist Party of Austria is a communist party based in Austria. Established in 1918, it was banned between 1933 and 1945 under both the Austrofascist regime, and German control of Austria during World War II...
only gained four seats, which some blamed on the conduct of the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
in the Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
occupied zone of Austria. This was highly embarrassing for the Communists, who had assured the Soviets that they could win as much as 30 percent of the vote. This proved to be the beginning of a long decline for the Communists, though they would manage to stay in the chamber until 1959.
The Austrian People's Party
Austrian People's Party
The Austrian People's Party is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Austria. A successor to the Christian Social Party of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it is similar to the Christian Democratic Union of Germany in terms of ideology...
led by Leopold Figl
Leopold Figl
Leopold Figl was an Austrian politician of the Austrian People's Party and the first Federal Chancellor after World War II...
won a sweeping victory, taking just under half of the vote and an absolute majority of seats in the National Council. Despite winning a majority, Figl opted to continue the three-party grand coalition
Grand coalition
A grand coalition is an arrangement in a multi-party parliamentary system in which the two largest political parties of opposing political ideologies unite in a coalition government...
with the Socialists
Social Democratic Party of Austria
The Social Democratic Party of Austria is one of the oldest political parties in Austria. The SPÖ is one of the two major parties in Austria, and has ties to trade unions and the Austrian Chamber of Labour. The SPÖ is among the few mainstream European social-democratic parties that have preserved...
and Communists. However, the Communists, who had been equally represented in the Renner
Karl Renner
Karl Renner was an Austrian politician. He was born in Untertannowitz in the Austro-Hungarian Empire and died in Vienna...
government since the end of the war, only received one Cabinet post. On 20 December 1945 the Federal Assembly of Austria
Federal Assembly of Austria
The Federal Assembly is the name given to a formal joint session of the two houses of the Austrian federal parliament, the National Council and the Federal Council....
unanimously elected incumbent Chancellor
Chancellor of Austria
The Federal Chancellor is the head of government in Austria. Its deputy is the Vice-Chancellor. Before 1918, the equivalent office was the Minister-President of Austria. The Federal Chancellor is considered to be the most powerful political position in Austrian politics.-Appointment:The...
Karl Renner of the Socialist Party as President of Austria
President of Austria
The President of Austria is the federal head of state of Austria. Though theoretically entrusted with great power by the constitution, in practice the President acts, for the most part, merely as a ceremonial figurehead...
, who swore in Leopold Figl as new Chancellor on the same day.