The Austrian Armed Forces (German: Bundesheer, lit. ‘Federal Army’) are the combined military forces of the Republic of Austria.

The military consists of 22,050 active-duty personnel and 125,600 reservists. The military budget is 0.74% of national GDP or €2.85 billion.

Between 1918 and 1920, the Austrian semi-regular army was called Volkswehr (“People’s Defence”), and fought against Yugoslavian army units occupying parts of Carinthia. It has been known as “Bundesheer” since then, except when Austria was a part of Nazi Germany (1938–1945; see Anschluss). The Austrian Army did develop a defence plan in 1938 against Germany^{[citation needed]}, but politics prevented it from being implemented.

World War II role of the “Bundesheer”:

• Elements of Austrian Army became 9th Panzer Division (Wehrmacht)
• Elements of Austrian Army became 44th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)
• 4th Austrian Division became the 45th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)

In 1955, Austria issued its Declaration of Neutrality, meaning that it would never join a military alliance. The Austrian Armed Forces’ main purpose since then has been the protection of Austria’s neutrality. Its relationship with NATO is limited to the Partnership for Peace programme.

With the end of the Cold War, the Austrian military have increasingly assisted the border police in controlling the influx of undocumented migrants through Austrian borders. The war in the neighbouring Balkans resulted in the lifting of the restrictions on the range of weaponry of the Austrian military that had been imposed by the Austrian State Treaty.