Austria

[chaotica]

Was Austria bombed during the 2nd world war and if so by whom?

[heathfield]

Yes it was. American daylight and British night-time bombing raids were carried out. Targets included Vienna. 120,000 tons of high explosive were dropped on the country during WWII. Scroll down here

[Octavius]

Beginning in 1943, Allied bombing raids demolished vast neighborhoods of Vienna, damaging virtually every public building of any stature. The city's most prominent landmark, St. Stephan's Cathedral, suffered a roof collapse and fires in both towers. The city's death rate was one of the highest in Europe. For the Viennese, at least, the war ended abruptly on April 11, 1945, when Russian troops moved into the city from bases in Hungary. Hitler was in his Berlin bunker when he learned that the city of his youth, Vienna, had fallen to the Allies.

The victors found a wasted city on the verge of starvation. By 1945, Vienna had the highest death rate in Europe. Bombings had destroyed 20% of its buildings, and some 270,000 Viennese were left homeless.

Even today, the Viennese have bitter memories of the occupation, especially by the Soviet Union. A reminder of those dreaded years survives at Schwarzenbergplatz. Under the Nazis, this square was called Hitlerplatz. Today, a patch of landscaped greenery surrounds a fountain and a statue left by the Russians. The city has been none too happy with this "gift" from its former conquerors. Three times officials have tried to demolish the memorial, but so far Soviet engineering has proven indestructible. Viennese have nicknamed an anonymous Soviet soldier's grave "the Tomb of the Unknown Plunderer."

[chaotica]

Thankyou thats been most informative and helpful!

[colin6789]

I had forgotted how bad they had it in Austria during WW2.
Nobody said that it was divided like Germany for a couple of years after the war. My late father was in the REME and was there from 1945 - 1947, some of the time he was billeted in an ex SS R and R camp above Gratz, repairing the mountain railways.

[Nick's Dad]

Some pictures of the state of Vienna after the end of the war can be seen in the film "The Third Man" next time it appears on daytime television. It's a long time since I last saw the film but I'm fairly sure that it included scenes in many parts of the city, apart from the sewers.