Page - 17 - in Otto Bauer (1881–1938) - Thinker and Politician

otto bauer andhis time 17 provethattheyendorsedthegovernment’smilitarymeasures.42Bauerdidnot shareVictorAdler’s attitude to thewar, nordidheagreewithhispessimistic assessmentofthestrengthoftheAustrianworkers’movement.Heagreedwith theGermanandAustrian SocialDemocrats, however, that theworking class of a beleaguered country had the right of self-defence, even if it countered itsclass interests.43Thisperspectivewasdominantamongtheactivistsof the SecondInternational–JeanJaurès,ÉdouardVaillantandGeorgiPlekhanovall tooksimilarpositions.Lenin,RosaLuxemburg,KarlLiebknechtandother left participantswhoargued for instrumentalisationof thewar to transform the stateorderwereadistinctminority.TheconflictintheBalkansplainlydemon- stratedforBauer that imperialistaimsandconflicting interestsofAustriaand Russiawould leadtoawar thatwouldalter thebordersofEuropeandunder- minethefoundationsoftheAustro-Hungarianempire.His lettertoKautskyis evidencethathedidnotbelievethewarcouldbestoppedbyinitiatingarevolu- tion.44 A few days after the outbreak of war, Bauer was drafted to the Galician frontaslieutenantandsoonbecamecompanycommander.Heparticipatedin Austria-Hungary’svictoriousbattlesofKomarów,Rava-Ruska,andPrzemyśl.45 The letters he sent to his party comrade, Karl Seitz, and his then-partner, Helene, in theperiod from27August–23 September 1914, testify to his cour- ageandfightingspirit.However, theywerealsoanattempt toabsolvehimself ofguilt forparticipatingintheimperialistwarthathehadearlierdescribedas a threat to thedevelopmentof the internationalworkers’movement, and ini- tiatedby the interests ofbig capital.46Bauer felt justified, ashenowthought thewaragainst imperialRussia, thebulwarkof reaction inEurope,was inthe interestof theentireworkingclassandwouldaccelerate its liberation.During the battle on the fringes of Krakow,where theAustrians had retreated from Russian attacks, Bauer becameaRussianprisoner-of-war.47He spent almost 42 SeeAusterlitz 1914and1914b. 43 Consequently,Hindel’sclaimthatBaueropposedtheparty’spolicyof ‘homelanddefence’ isunjustified.SeeHindel1981,p.13.Duringthisperiod,BauerdidnotjoinFriedrichAdler’s leftwingof theparty,which ina letterof7August 1914 regardedthedefence theoryasa warobjectiveoftheSocialDemocrats. 44 Letter fromOttoBauertoKarlKautsky,3 January1913. 45 Theexactdatesof thesebattlescanbefoundinBotz1978,p.32. 46 SeeSinger1979,p. 104. 47 SeeBauer1980v,pp. 1035–6.On22November,Bauerreceivedorderstoholdthelineatall costs.During theRussianattackon theeveningof thenextday, he remainedwithonly fourother soldierswhile the restdeserted.His conducton the frontwas rewardedwith