Page - 29 - in Otto Bauer (1881–1938) - Thinker and Politician

otto bauer andhis time 29 draftwasseenasproblematic.Bauerwasaccusedofnegligenceofpoliticalcon- ditions.Theproletariatwouldnotbeabletobearahighertaxburden,andthe bourgeoisiewouldcertainlynotvoluntarilyagreetoit.Atthepartycongressin June 1923, Bauer acknowledged that SocialDemocracyhadnot succeeded in convincingsocietytosharethecostofovercomingthecrisis.Nonetheless, the SocialDemocratsscoredapartialvictoryinthestruggleagainstthe‘restructur- ingprogramme’ofGeneva,whoseconsequenceshittheworkingclassandcivil servants first and foremost. The controversial points of theprogrammewere erased,andthepositionsofthepartyleadershipresultedinanincreaseinvotes by 23percent in the 1923 elections (theChristian Social Partywas oneman- dateshortofabsolutemajority).69Asanaside,Seipel’spolicies,althoughthey did not solve unemployment nor even temporarily benefit the poorer social classes,neverthelessstabilisedthecurrencyandsparedthecountry fromeco- nomiccollapse. Thegrowingsupportof theelectorate inthe1923electionsdidnotresult in thevictoryofSocialDemocracyjustyet.Only68socialistsweregrantedseatsin parliament,whiletheChristianSocialPartywasawarded82.Thesdapleader- ship,proudofmaintainingorganisationalunityandswellingparty ranks,was convincedthat their strategywould leadtowinningtheparliamentarymajor- ity andpeaceful radical change in the forthcomingyears. Theactualpolitical situation,however,wasnot thatadvantageous.Besideastrongbourgeoisbloc andadecidedlyright-winggovernmentthathadabolishedallsocialandpolit- ical revolutionary successes of theworking class, tensions between the city andthecountrysideandapooreconomicsituationforworkersprevailed.The middle class,which,due toSocial-Democraticpolicieswhichaimed tobene- fit the petty bourgeoisie, had previously bolstered the ranks of the sdap in 1919, changedsidesand joinedtheChristianSocial campinthewakeof infla- tion.Theparty’s strategywasbasedonamisreadingof thepolitical situation. Bauer’s stubbornadherencetohispolitical strategy,whichhecould innoway implement,solidifiedthecharacterofthesdapleadership’spoliciesandledto defeat. Bauercreatedthemainpillarsof thesepoliticsbasedonhisexperiences in RussiaandtherevolutionaryperiodinAustria.Hiswritingsfrom1919–24–such asWeltrevolution (WorldRevolution, 1919),DerWegzumSozialismus (ThePath toSocialism, 1919),BolschewismusoderSozialdemokratie? (BolshevismorSocial 69 Löwhasadifferentviewonthis,claimingthattheSocialDemocratsrelinquishedthepos- sibilityofwinningthemiddleclassesbyshowingtoomuchtolerancetowardssuggestions fromthebourgeoiscamp.CompareLöw1980,p.32.