Page - 4 - in Otto Bauer (1881–1938) - Thinker and Politician

4 chapter 1 semesterof 1900–1.14At the turnof thecentury,Viennawasnotonlyacentre of thescientific,cultural,andpolitical lifeof theAustro-Hungarianmonarchy, butalsoasignificant focusof thesocialistmovement ledbyVictorAdlersince 1889.15ThepoliciesenactedbyFranzJosephiofAustriaandthegovernments of Eduard Taaffe, CountKasimir Felix Badeni andErnst Koerber turned the Habsburgmonarchy into amodern capitalist state economically, and a con- stitutional state in the administrative realm. The convergenceof the aimsof monarchic state power and the interests of SocialDemocracywas typical of that state.The formerwas favourable topolitical circles thatdesiredstronger links between Austria-Hungary andGermany; in the broadest sense, it was alsowell disposed towards the advocates of federalism,whoaimed todivide themonarchy intomultiple federal states.TheSocialDemocrats,meanwhile, aspired topreserve theunityof themultinational state.Eachof theseparties haddifferentexpectationsconcerningelectoralreform.TheEmperorhopedto empower the government andempire,while the SocialDemocrats hoped to strengthentheworkingclass.Yetboth found it important to recogniseparlia- ment as theplatformofpolitical andeconomicdecision-making. Itwaspre- ciselythesdap’soverestimationofthesignificanceofparliamentthatlaterled to itsdownfall: itmisreadlegalmeasuresasguaranteedvictories for thework- ingclass.Attheturnofthenineteenthandtwentiethcenturies,however,Victor Adler’s tactics correspondedwith the consciousness of theproletariat at the time.They involved theunificationand reinforcementof theworkers’move- 14 Bauer’s years of studywere characterised by his titanic diligence anddistinctly ascetic lifestyle, which he would maintain for the rest of his life. He was a rather unsocial, radical teetotallerwho seldom forged friendships andkept people at a distance,which manyinterpretedasconceit.AsHanischconfirms,BauerenrolledinRomanandGerman law, history of Austrian law, and philosophy, and additionally, history of economy in the second semester and political economy and general statistics in the third. He had an academic gap year from 1902–3 in order to do hismilitary service. Upon returning to university, he focused his attentions onnational economics, political economy, and Austriancommerciallaw.SeeHanisch2011,pp.68–9.Inlateryears,Bauerbroadenedthese interestsbyhisownextensivestudies,whichwasreflectedinhiswork. 15 Theunificationof theworkers’movement inAustria tookplaceat theHainfeldcongress from 31 December 1888–1 December 1889, in which delegates from socialist groups of variousnationalities participated. In accordancewith theprogrammeauthoredbyVic- torAdler,acquiringuniversal suffragewasregardedas theultimateobjectiveof theclass struggle.Accordingly, thequestionof revolutionwaspostponedindefinitely.Sheernum- berstestifytothestrengthofthelabourmovementatthetime:150,000members,540,000 tradeunionmembers, onemillionvotes, eight seats inparliament. SeeAbendroth 1965, p.74.