Heimwehr#

Heimwehr (Heimatschutz, Heimatwehr, Heimwehren), collective name for the voluntary and initially all-party self-defence units that had formed immediately after World War I in the federal provinces as local defence groups, citizens' guards and veterans' associations (e.g. for defensive action in Carinthia). They were first united on an organisational level in the Tirol, then also in other Alpine provinces and were particularly supported by Upper Styrian industrial magnates, who saw them as a counterbalance to the workers' organisations. They were equipped with a large number of weapons (some from Italy), wore their national colours (for instance the Styrian white-and-green) and traditional costumes (Heimwehr hat = peaked cap with cock's tail feathers) as uniforms and organised public parades. These resulted in clashes with the Social-Democratic Republikanischer Schutzbund and cost several lives.

Following the polarisation of internal unrest in the First Republic, particularly after the Ministry of Justice building had been set fire to in 1927 ( July Revolt), the Heimwehr turned into an armed civil defence force against the Social-Democrats and, supported by I. Seipel, became increasingly influential in the field of domestic politics. Besides their leader R. Steidle, other prominent figures were E. R. Starhemberg, W. Pfrimer and major E. Fey. The Heimwehr also maintained contact with other countries, in particular with Fascist Italy. The march of the Styrian Heimatschutz on October 7, 1928 in Wiener Neustadt was the first public demonstration of the Heimwehr in a stronghold of Social-Democratic workers. In the Korneuburger Programm of 1930 the Heimwehr´s leading figures acknowledged the principles of Fascism ( Austro-Fascism), rejected democracy and parliamentarism, claimed the state power and advocated corporate organisation of the state. Among the weak points of the Heimwehr were the continuous rivalry among its leaders and its division into a royalist and a German-nationalist wing; it was also weakened when J. Schober expelled the German W. Pabst, the founder of the Heimwehr movement, from Austria. During the short term of the C. Vaugoin government, E. R. Starhemberg was interior minister and F. Hueber minister of justice. At the elections to the Nationalrat of 1930 the Starhemberg group put forward its own list (Heimatblock), while the group led by E. Fey united with the Christian-Socialists (particularly in Lower Austria and Vienna). The difference between Starhemberg and Fey remained a decisive factor in the internal development of the Heimwehr. The Heimatblock list won 8 seats in the Nationalrat, but internal disagreements rendered it inefficient. After the failure of the September 1931 putsch, led by W. Pfrimer ( Pfrimer Putsch), his Styrian section joined the National Socialists. Ultimatums issued in several provinces and aggressive speeches delivered by Starhemberg and Fey initiated the Uprising, February 1934, during which the Heimwehr, as also on the occasion of the 1934 July Putsch, was employed as an auxiliary police force.

During the first years of the corporative state the Heimwehr occupied important positions of power including the posts of vice chancellor, interior minister and other ministers. Starhemberg temporarily even held the post of federal leader of the Vaterlaendische Front (Fatherland Front). Due to internal rivalries and tactical mistakes in foreign policy the Heimwehr began to lose power. Following the downfall of Starhemberg in October 1936 the Heimwehr was dissolved and its defence units were integrated into the Fatherland Front as "Frontmiliz".

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