Austrians
Historically, Austrians were regarded as ethnic Germans and viewed themselves as such. Austria was part of the Holy Roman Empire and the German Confederation until the Austro-Prussian war in 1866 which resulted in Prussia expelling Austria from the Confederation. Thus, when Germany was founded as a nation-state in 1871, Austria was not a part of it. In 1867, Austria was reformed into the Austro-Hungarian Empire. After the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918 at the end of World War I, Austria was reduced to a rump state and adopted and briefly used the name the Republic of German-Austria ("Republik Deutschösterreich") in an attempt for union with the Republic of Germany, but was forbidden due to the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (1919). The First Austrian Republic was founded in 1919. The Third Reich annexed Austria with the "Anschluss" in 1938.
List of rulers of Austria
In 1918, following the breakup of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, the [[First Austrian Republic|Republic of Austria]] was established, but ended with "[[Anschluß]]" into the Third Reich from 1938–1945. Following World War II, the current [[Austria|Republic of Austria]] was established in 1945, even though Austria remained under the control and protection of Allied and Soviet Forces between 1945–1955.