(en) France, Alternative Libertaire AL #236 - 1934 The Austrofascism crushes Red Vienna (fr, pt)

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.