!!!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.

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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.

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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".

!Publications
Der Heimatschuetzer; Oesterreichische 
Heimatschutzzeitung; Die Heimat.

!Literature
Heimatschutz in Oesterreich, 1934; H. Arthofer, Vom 
Selbstschutz zur Frontmiliz, 1937; E. R. Starhemberg, Between 
Hitler and Mussolini, 1942; F. Schweiger, Geschichte der 
niederoesterreichischen Heimwehr, doctoral thesis, Vienna 1964; 
F. L. Carsten, Faschismus in Oesterreich, 1977; W. Wiltschegg, 
Die Heimwehr, 1985.


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