[citation needed] At the peak of their power, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and Austria's Habsburg monarchy enjoyed a very strong and cordial relationship.

Polish hussars under the banner of John III Sobieski helped Austrians to fend off the Turks in the Battle of Vienna, and there were many internal and political exchanges between both states.

Poland was a communist satellite of the Soviet Union, and Austria was under the Western Bloc and closely tied to the West and the United States.

Both countries are full members of the OECD, OSCE, European Union, Three Seas Initiative, Council of Europe, United Nations and World Trade Organization.

In 1362, King Casimir III of Poland and Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria concluded an agreement ensuring freedom and security of trade for merchants of their capital cities of Kraków and Vienna.

However, in the 18th century, the growing Russian influence and expansion, and the decline of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth made Austria switch its support from Poland to Russia.

[citation needed] Despite such a level of tolerance, Poles were quite active demanding independence and political rights, including the notable Kraków uprising of 1846.

Its two major cities (Kraków and Lwów) became cultural and political capitals of Polish people during the partition period.

[citation needed] During World War I, Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Joseph I feared a mutiny if the Poles fought in one battalion.

Relationship between the two nations started at 1920, but it was a tense era, and there had been no formal contact as most of Central and Eastern Europe had been razed by wars.

Many crimes against Poles were committed under the banner of Nazi Germany, also in the Mauthausen and Gusen concentration camps, which were located in German-controlled Austria.

Both countries followed different political systems; Austria went on to re-establish itself as a Republic and pledged neutrality, while Poland became a satellite of the Soviet Union with a Soviet-installed communist regime.