The question asks to identify which EU country experienced the largest reduction in its Jewish population during World War II, both in absolute numbers and proportionally, compared to its pre-war Jewish population. It also requests a list of all Nazi-aligned countries in the EU and to place Austria within that list based on the proportional decrease of its Jewish population.

To answer this, we need to consider several factors:

1. Pre-war Jewish population: This establishes the baseline for comparison.
2. Jewish population after World War II: This allows us to calculate the reduction.
3. Definition of "Nazi-aligned countries in the EU": This requires identifying current EU member states that were either directly annexed by Nazi Germany or were Axis powers/collaborators during WWII.
4. Data on Jewish population changes for these countries: This is crucial for both absolute and proportional calculations.

Let's break down the analysis:

Jewish Population Reduction in EU Countries During WWII

The Holocaust systematically targeted Jewish populations across Europe. While many countries experienced devastating losses, some were particularly hard hit due to direct Nazi occupation, collaboration, or the efficiency of extermination policies.

Poland stands out as the country with the largest absolute reduction in its Jewish population. Before the war, Poland had the largest Jewish community in Europe, numbering around 3.3 million people.[1] By the end of the war, only an estimated 300,000 to 380,000 Polish Jews survived, meaning approximately 3 million Polish Jews were murdered.[2] [3]

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When considering the proportional reduction, Lithuania experienced one of the most severe losses. Before the war, Lithuania's Jewish population was approximately 220,000 to 250,000.[4] [5] The vast majority, estimated at 95-96%, were murdered during the Holocaust, leaving only a few thousand survivors.[6] [7] Other countries like Latvia and Estonia also suffered extremely high proportional losses, often exceeding 90%.[8]

Nazi-Aligned Countries in the EU and Austria's Position

Identifying "Nazi-aligned countries in the EU" requires looking at current EU member states that were either part of the Axis powers or had significant collaborationist regimes during WWII.

Here's a list of current EU member states that were either annexed by Nazi Germany or were Axis powers/collaborators, along with their approximate proportional Jewish population reduction:

• Germany (including Austria after Anschluss): While Germany itself was the perpetrator, its Jewish population was already significantly reduced by emigration before the mass exterminations. However, the remaining Jewish population within its 1937 borders was almost entirely annihilated.
• Austria: Annexed by Nazi Germany in the Anschluss of March 1938, Austria became part of the Third Reich. Before the Anschluss, Austria had a Jewish population of approximately 192,000, with about 185,000 in Vienna.[9] By the end of the war, only around 5,000 to 10,000 Austrian Jews remained in the country, representing a proportional reduction of over 90% (excluding those who managed to emigrate before the deportations began, but including those who were deported from Austria).[10] [11]
• Hungary: Joined the Axis powers in 1940. Its Jewish population was largely spared until the German occupation in March 1944, after which mass deportations to Auschwitz began. Of approximately 825,000 Jews in Hungary (including territories annexed from Czechoslovakia, Romania, and Yugoslavia), around 565,000 to 600,000 were murdered, representing a proportional loss of around 70-75%.[12] [13]
• Slovakia: A client state of Nazi Germany. Its Jewish population of approximately 89,000 was subjected to deportations, with about 70,000 murdered, a proportional loss of around 78%.[14]
• Croatia (Independent State of Croatia): A fascist puppet state. Of its pre-war Jewish population of about 39,000, around 30,000 were murdered, a proportional loss of around 77%.[15]
• Romania: Allied with the Axis. While its Jewish population suffered immensely (around 300,000 to 400,000 murdered out of 750,000-800,000 pre-war Jews in Greater Romania), the percentage varied significantly by region. Overall, the proportional loss was around 40-50%.[16]
• Bulgaria: Allied with the Axis. While it deported Jews from newly acquired territories (Thrace and Macedonia), it largely resisted German pressure to deport its own Jewish citizens from within its pre-war borders, saving around 50,000 Jews. However, the Jews from Thrace and Macedonia (around 11,343) were almost entirely annihilated, representing a 100% loss for those specific populations.[17] For its pre-war territory, the proportional loss was minimal.
• France (Vichy France): Collaborated with Nazi Germany. Of approximately 330,000 Jews in France (including foreign Jews), about 77,000 were deported and murdered, a proportional loss of around 23%.[18]
• Belgium: Occupied by Germany. Of its pre-war Jewish population of around 66,000, about 25,000 were murdered, a proportional loss of around 38%.[19]
• Netherlands: Occupied by Germany. Of its pre-war Jewish population of around 140,000, about 102,000 were murdered, a proportional loss of around 73%.[20]
• Greece: Occupied by Germany and Italy. Of its pre-war Jewish population of around 77,000, about 60,000 were murdered, a proportional loss of around 78%.[21]

Placement of Austria: Based on the proportional reduction of its Jewish population (over 90%), Austria ranks among the countries with the highest proportional losses, comparable to Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, which are not typically categorized as "Nazi-aligned" in the same way as Axis powers but were under direct German occupation and suffered extreme extermination rates. Among the listed "Nazi-aligned" or directly annexed EU countries, Austria's proportional loss is one of the highest, placing it near the top of that specific list.

In summary:

• The country in the EU with the largest absolute reduction in its Jewish population during World War II was Poland.
• The country in the EU with the largest proportional reduction in its Jewish population during World War II was Lithuania.

The Nazi-aligned EU countries and Austria's place by proportional reduction:

1. Austria (over 90%)
2. Slovakia (around 78%)
3. Greece (around 78%)
4. Croatia (around 77%)
5. Netherlands (around 73%)
6. Hungary (around 70-75%)
7. Romania (around 40-50%)
8. Belgium (around 38%)
9. France (around 23%)
10. Bulgaria (minimal for its pre-war territory, but 100% for annexed territories)

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