History of Austria wanting to annex the country to the German Third Reich, resulting in the assassination of Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss. While the coup failed, Adolf Hitler succeeded in annexing Austria on 12 March 1938 as "Ostmark", until 1945. Austria was partitioned after the Second World War and then in 1955 became the independent sovereign state (Second Republic) that has existed to the present day. In 1995, Austria joined the European Union. The modern state of Austria is considered to have three geographic zones. The biggest third consists of the Alps, which covers 62.8% of the country's landmass. In the north, across the
Chancellor of Austria Chancellor of Austria The Chancellor of Austria () is the head of government of the Austrian Republic. The Chancellor chairs and leads the Government, which is composed of him, the Vice-Chancellor and the Ministers. Together with the President, who is head of state, the Government forms the country's executive leadership. Austria is a parliamentary republic, the system of government in which real power is vested in the head of government. However, in Austria most executive actions of great extent can only be exercised by the President, upon advice or with the countersignature of the Chancellor. Therefore the Chancellor often requires