Editing Austrian Armed Forces (section)

===== Strategic considerations =====
The Austrian military assumed that Warsaw Pact forces would include [[Czechoslovak People's Army]], [[Hungarian People's Army]], and [[Soviet Army]] units. A mixed Czechoslovak-Soviet corps of three divisions was expected to mass in the [[Břeclav]]-[[Brno]]-[[Znojmo]] region and attack through the [[Weinviertel]] north of Vienna. The expected crossing of the [[Danube]] was expected to occur between [[Tulln]] and [[Krems an der Donau|Krems]], from where the enemy forces would have turned West to reach the [[Sankt Pölten]] area. In parallel the 5th Hungarian Army, consisting of Hungarian units, Soviet [[Central Group of Forces]] and [[Southern Group of Forces]] units, and Czechoslovak units based in [[Slovakia]] was expected to strike from [[Sopron]] through the Wiener Wald towards Sankt Pölten.<ref name="Rauchensteiner" /><ref name="Lampersberger" />

After taking Sankt Pölten the Austrian armed forces expected the combined Warsaw Pact forces to strike West to take possession of the [[Linz]]-[[Steyr]]-[[Wels]], supported by an advance of two Czechoslovak People's Army divisions through the [[Mühlviertel]] to the North of [[Linz]]. After taking possession of the Linz basin the Warsaw Pact attack would have continued into Bavaria. The Austrian military also expected an advance by up to three Hungarian People's Army divisions, supported by [[Romanian People's Army]] units, into [[Styria]] and across the [[Soboth Pass]] and [[Pack Saddle]] towards [[Klagenfurt]] and [[Villach]], from where the Eastern forces could turn South towards the [[Italian Army]]'s [[5th Army Corps (Italy)|5th Army Corps]] or West towards the Italian [[4th Army Corps (Italy)|4th Alpine Army Corps]].<ref name="Lampersberger" />

While it was imagined that NATO troops could likewise use Austria as a stepping stone for invasions of the Warsaw Pact countries, such a scenario was considered highly unlikely, unrealistic and eventually remained theoretical in strategic realization.