In February 1934, the working-class districts of Vienna rose against the fascist
Chancellor Dollfus, which prepares the bed of the Nazi Anschluss of 1938. In the current
consensus Austria, this episode is disturbing. The right has always at its premises, a
portrait of Dollfus, this clerical fascist who was a pawn of the Nazis. As for social
democracy, she refuses to admit that his pusillanimity led the Austrian proletariat
disaster. ---- The "walk" from 1 May 1933 ---- Under the threat of guns. ---- Social
Democracy in the Austrian born in the late nineteenth century. Belonging to the Second
International but revolutionary Marxist orientation, she wants at the forefront of the
socialist workerism, inspiring a 1920 International IIa [ 1 ].
Opposition to the monarchy to republic
From a very high weight from particular national liberation struggles of the
Austro-Hungarian Empire, it became the solution between Bolshevism and imperialist
habsbourgisme. The bourgeoisies of the Austrian part of the Empire have their parliaments
dominated by German bureaucracy. Nations administered by Hungary were granted fewer
concessions. The spring of 1917, after a winter marked by famine and strikes, sees labor
movements emerge everywhere. From Vienna in January 1918, a general strike against the
famine and war affects the entire Austro-Hungarian territory, and winter 1918 riots and
labor disputes multiply, Dalmatia, Czech Republic, Poland.
The "state of the four peoples" has no real existence, and to this fact, 21 October 1918,
the former parliament of the German "region" elected in 1911 met in Austria Provisional
National Assembly -Germany all parties. 31, the Austro-Hungarian state power abandons the
provisional National Assembly and its three presidents (a Pan-German nationalist, a
Christian Social, a social democrat), made the day before the Council of State. Meanwhile,
thousands of protestors demanding the abdication, the creation of a republic and a
National Guard. On November 11, the Kaiser is filed, the 12 is proclaimed the Republic of
Austria and Germany led by the Social Democratic Chancellor Karl Renner, even though 400
Red Guards communists fail to take the storm parliament.
Until 1919, the three ruling parties, Pangermanists, expect a meeting with Germany
rejected by France. When the First independent Federal Republic of Austria was declared in
October, the March elections have provided most social democrats, which together with the
Christian social coalition.
The move to 445 pounds of theory
This historical legacy AustroMarxism kept a strong impregnation. In a territory where the
Communists are a tiny minority, voluntarily anticapitalist language ensures a strong
working-class base and many electoral success [ 2 ]. He theorizes a "pragmatic socialist
third way" between social democracy and the dictatorship of the proletariat: the
establishment of workers' power must be done in stages. The main bearing is the electoral
conquest of government, making the transition then by successive reforms to "win
peacefully" all workers to socialism - the state is conceived as a fundamentally neutral
ideology that only the individual colors governing tool.
Karl Renner sets for daily Blum AustroMarxism as pragmatic synthesis publications Bauer,
Hilferding and himself [ 3 ]. Various trends coexist so. Ponte Renner, who keeps the
nostalgia of a paternalistic central authority of the monarchy, has views of the
territories in part Sudeten German, South Tyrol or Carinthia. Under the guise of
self-determination of peoples, it perpetuates the additional social oppression inflicted
by the German minority. His centrist opposition party leader, Otto Bauer, also marked by
the history of state formation: it considers the social emancipation of minorities as
necessary but decreed their absence in the absence of "culture" or rather its bourgeois
expression (literature, etc.). For him also, only Jews aligned with the German cultural
background can emancipate. The right wing of the Social Democrats (Pernerstorfer) goes to
the theory of a necessary rule of the German nation. The left wing, she pushes to radicalism.
The AustroMarxism in action in "Red Vienna"
In a bloodless after the war, with many problems of housing and subsistence countries
AustroMarxism will achieve many reforms demanded by its base, relying on "Free Trade
Unions" directly related to SDAP?. In their land experimentation Vienna, and when they can
throughout the country, austromarxistes implement pragmatic solutions [ 4 ] housing [ 5 ],
8 hour day, holidays, business councils, public health measures, taxation trappings of
wealth. Supported by a large part of the population, AustroMarxism also has a strong armed
militia in 1928 to 80,000 combatants, Schutzbund, created in 1923 from veterans and
workers' militias to deal with the nationalist Heimwehr bourgeois and nobility
Austro-Hungarian armed movement that soon integrated majority right wing Christian Social
Party.
The main weakness of the AustroMarxism is to govern from above. Direction SDAP? consists
of German theorists privileged and its base has no relay. This direction constantly
seeking compromise with the enemy just before his death in exile in 1938, Otto Bauer,
continued to believe that the solution to counter Nazism had been the alliance with the
fascists in 1933 [ 6 ]! Refusing to confront anti-Semitism, would stay away SDAP? Robert
Dannenberg [ 7 ] of the Presidency of Viennese parliament, mostly social democrat, to
avoid confrontation with the Nazis. Hunts Jews are not taken seriously until the doctor
and member of the Viennese government Julius Tandler be expelled from the university. The
Nazis are considered simple division of the bourgeoisie.
1927 and 1933, Farewell to Arms
Yet in 1926, the base faces nationalist Pan-German League, related Heimwehr, patrolling to
prohibit the movement of rural workers, assault and murder of activists and workers and
workers. Trials result in minor convictions.
January 30, 1927 Schattendorf one of these right-wing militia group pulls Schutzbund and
kills two people, including a child of 8 years. Wildcat strikes and spontaneous events are
held in Vienna during that conservatives and social democrats parliament blame. Following
the funeral, a general strike of a quarter of an hour was held in the country. The verdict
was rendered by the judge rather than the jury on July 14 at the Palace of Justice in
Vienna guilty released "without dishonor." It does not need more. A demonstration form
walking on the courthouse. Officials call Schutzbund to contain the anger and the police
are sent and received orders to fire when the fire started in the building: 89 dead and
more than a thousand injured. In response, strikes broke out in Vienna and throughout the
country for the transport sector. 15 evening social democratic leaders, who want to regain
control of the movement, called an indefinite strike to calm workers bases and Schutzbund
claiming weapons. They put an end on 17. This first encounter is aborted by the
directions, and opposite the Heimwehr recorded an influx of commitments. In 1933, while
unemployment reached 33% by the flourishing achievements AustroMarxism began its decline:
the radicals were excluded in 1927 and 1929, the "union-free" experience to the employer
repression. On March 4, the three presidents of parliament successively use the tactical
withdrawal during a heated vote on the punishment of striking railway. The situation is
unexpected and the suspended session. Using this as a pretext to declare the
"self-dissolved" parliament, the Christian Social Chancellor since May 1932, Engelbert
Dollfuss, close vaticanaux media takes full powers on March 7, establishes censorship and
banned rallies.
The left and the base of SDAP? Schutzbund wing bubble, hoping the call for a general
strike but the leaders merely verbal condemnations: . "do not replicate" Yet in 1926, Otto
Bauer had theorized "defensive violence ". Dollfuss dissolves Schutzbund March 31 and
prohibits the assembly of 1 May The Social Democratic leadership simply replace the parade
with a "walk" peaceful. On 26 May, it was the turn of the Communist Party be prohibited,
then a month later, the union of free-thinkers and the Nazi party, who wished exceed
Dollfuss, Mussolini too much to his liking. The climax of the struggle against the fascist
government will be sending a petition for the relocation of Parliament!
The revolt of February 1934
Passivity causes fatigue and criticism. Based demand the holding of meetings, but at the
October 1933 conference, while the Fascist government continues its demolition
austromarxistes reforms the party chose appeasement and unity. Pressed for months by
Mussolini who sees him as a part of its balance of power to Hitler, Dollfuss gives free
rein to anti-Marxism of the Austrian bourgeoisie: it banned in January 1934 the Social
Democratic newspaper and controls the search of premises the SDAP? looking for weapons,
mission entrusted to the police helped Heimwehr became official support. Schutzbund
members were arrested. While the head of the party recommended to leave, a search takes
place in Linz. After the refusal of the commander Bernaschek open the Heimwehr smashes the
door and stops Bernaschek. The remaining members of Schutzbund fold their arms cache to
trigger the firing of a gun. Austrian revolt begins.
Quickly, fighting spread throughout Linz. The army deploys. The next evening, the
government took over the city. But the civil war has already spread. Long resistance is
conducted in the home of Ennsleiter workers Steyr. The Holzleiten minors arrive even
disarm Heimwehr, but the army far more neutral eventually occupy the premises and execute
unarmed Social Democrats nurses remained. Other industrial bastions stand as St. P?lten,
Weiz, Eggenberg near Graz, Kapfenberg, Graz, Ebensee and W?rgl. Resistance is particularly
fierce in Judenburg or Bruck Mur, where it is led by Koloman Wallisch, a former delegate
of the Republic of Hungary advice. Cities are reduced 13 and crushed the last pockets 15
and 16. More resistant suffer the death penalty restored recently.
Homes resistance lie in the working periphery.
In Vienna, the call for a general strike launched by fluke Bauer and Deutsch (Schutzbund)
gives rise to the release in power plants [ 8 ] and trams but is not followed by the mass
scalded. The government declared a state of emergency and establish a cordon sanitaire
around the bourgeois city center. The police begin to systematically round up the workers'
districts where it is hung. Simmering and Favoriten Meidling Margareten, Floridsdorf.
Buildings of Karl-Marx-Hof, the Schlingerhof of Goethehof do not realize. As Bruck is the
army that will make a difference by giving artillery. Mortars, guns and howitzers two days
will reduce the Karl-Marx-Hof, 15 in the morning. 17, the press can titrate a calm
environment. The AustroMarxism crashed. Dollfuss decrees banning SDAP?, whose leaders
fled, leaving the care of survivors resistance, and then proclaims austrofascime.
Preparing the Anschluss
Dollfuss decreed single party the Patriotic Front, from the Christian and social
Pangermanists and prohibits unions. Fascist pawn in the power struggle between the
Vatican, Mussolini and Hitler, he was killed in a Nazi putsch failed [ 9 ] the same year
and replaced by Schusnigg that amnesty the Nazis in 1936 and does not oppose resistance to
the Anschluss, the number one enemy has always been Marxism. The Christian labor movement,
but more moderate minority since 1918, subservient to the party, disarmed since the merger
of its armed wing with Heimwehr, could not use the contribution of the Social Democrats
are seeking refuge after 1934 against the powers, its leaders are acquired fascism and not
Dam the transition to corporatism.
Crown revolutionary socialist party SDAP? is low the communist KP? a little more, resist
Austrofascism as the Stalinization. In a country rotten anti-Semitism, anti-Marxism and
Pan-German elites, the Nazis, who are often passed by the Heimwehr (like Eichmann) have
already submitted fascist Austria when Hitler arrived in 1938.
Theo Van H. (AL Alsace)
[ 1 ] The union of socialist parties to international action is an attempt to reconstruct
a Socialist International after its collapse in 1914 without joining the Communist
International. It includes, in addition to the Austrians, the French Socialist Party, the
USPD (Independent Social Democrats) German or Spanish PSOE.
[ 2 ] From 1919 to 1934, the Land of Vienna remains SDAP? which carries around 60% of the
vote, and around 40% elsewhere without ever accessing the Chancery after 1920.
[ 3 ] The People, August 29, 1930.
[ 4 ] remaining the work of Max Adler The most interesting education through personal
development of its "Enlightenment" (philosophical) and taking into account the
satisfaction of children, to open a channel anti- authoritarian in Austrian schools.
[ 5 ] 60,000 apartments in Vienna fully funded by the government in 1392 with the
Karl-Marx-Hof.
[ 6 ] He admits still have procrastinated to launch resistance.
[ 7 ] Robert Dannenberg, who is Jewish, is located to the left of Bauer among centrist
SDAP?. He was murdered in 1942 in Auschwitz.
[ 8 ] The government unprepared to find in the dark full religious service.
[ 9 ] A Nazi specialty course.
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