Anniversary Exhibition at the Museum of Military History
September 9, 2025 – January 18, 2026

How can an autonomous army be established in a country that has just emerged from war and is furthermore occupied by four Allied powers? After 1945, Austria was under special supervision: the country was divided into four occupation zones, administered by the United States, Great Britain, France, and the Soviet Union. It was not until the Austrian State Treaty of 1955 that Austria regained its full sovereignity – and with it, the opportunity to establish its own Federal Army.
It took a long time to get there – shortly after the end of the war, plans for a military administration were already being considered, but these were prohibited by the Allies. It was not until the negotiations for the State Treaty that the question of a national defense force came back into focus. Under strict secrecy, the so-called B-Gendarmerie, a special unit within the Federal Gendarmerie, was established on August 1, 1952. It formed the core of the future Austrian Armed Forces and was crucial for securing Austria’s military sovereignity after the signing of the State Treaty in May 1955. On September 7, 1955, exactly 70 years ago, the Armed Forces of the Republic of Austria were formally established through the Defense Act.

The exhibition “70 Years of the Austrian Armed Forces” demonstrates how closely the history of the army is intertwined with the history of the Second Republic. It is dedicated to the entire existence of the Austrian Armed Forces – from its founding, through missions at home and abroad, the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, up to the present day. Original objects and historical documents invite visitors to experience 70 years of the Austrian Armed Forces up close.