December 1960, Congo

For decades the Austrian Armed Forces has taken part in UN missions in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East. This history of foreign deployments began in 1960 when a medical unit was sent to the Republic of the Congo. Fifty-five Austrians, men and women, treated soldiers and civilians in the Central African country, which had gained independence that year and was descending into a state of civil war. Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba was murdered in 1961, allegedly with the support of Western governments. The Austrian units’ dangerous deployment came to an end in 1964.