Petrus Pavlicek

So following World War II, Austria was partitioned, with Vienna divided and the Eastern Zone occupied by the Soviet Union, raising fears of a permanent communist takeover.

Father Rufus Petrus Pavlicek led the massive Rosary Crusade of Reparation, rallying hundreds of thousands of Austrians, including government leaders, to pray the rosary daily in the streets.

In 1955, Soviet leadership unexpectedly signed the Austrian State Treaty and withdrew all occupying troops without a shot being fired and event historians and clergy a tribute to the unified prayer movement.

This is documented through civic and religious history.

So the massive public demonstrations, the Rosary Crusade of Reparation led by Father Petrus Pavlicek, and the eventual signing of the Austrian State Treaty in 1955 are matter-of-fact historical events.

While historians attribute the Soviet troop withdrawal to Cold War geopolitics and diplomatic negotiations, contemporary Austrian clergy and participants heavily document the the massive public prayer movements that were sweeping through the

nation leading up to the treaty.