After the Second World War the Communist Party of Austria (CPA) was the only communist party in Western Europe to build up a network of successful business enterprises. These companies utilized the position of Austria, which found itself at the intersection of two opposing world systems, to conduct profitable trade with Eastern Europe. Between 1945 and 1955, when Austria was occupied by the forces of the Soviet Union and the Western Allies, the business of these companies flourished. Also after the conclusion of the State Treaty by which Austria achieved neutrality status the companies continued to be successful despite the fact that Austria had been integrated into the Western economy. It is extremely difficult to ascertain or even to uncover the activities of this ‘CPA business Empire’ or to gauge the extent of its position in Austria's trade with Eastern Europe.

The CPA was and still is tight lipped about its business empire. Political opponents argued and still argue controversially against the party's business practices. Attacks against the companies became more fervent with their continuing success. However, these strongly ideologically tainted criticisms fail objectively to assess the role these party-associated companies played.

During the Cold War the political opposition claimed that the CPA-run companies used their trading success with the Eastern bloc to undermine the Austrian economy by trying to make it dependent and thus destabilize the political system. In later years newspaper articles repeatedly tried to prove the existence of not inconsiderable fortunes possesed by a party which by then had lost all political significance.