Page - 35 - in Otto Bauer (1881–1938) - Thinker and Politician

otto bauer andhis time 35 andinsufficientresponsetothepopularmoodbecameapparent.However,the defeatof theworkers’movementdidnot shatterBauer’s faith that theparty’s strategywascorrect.79DuringBauer’s indictmentsagainst thegovernment in parliamentandattheOctobercongress,hedid,however,admittotwomistakes with a deep sense of guilt: he regretted abandoning the mobilisation and neglectingtomobilisetheSchutzbundinordertoprotectthedemonstrations. However, hewasnot fully convinced that the constitutionhadbeenbroken. In his public speeches, his fear of provoking a civil war prevailed.80 At the time,hepetitionedagainstdrivingaharderpolitical line,arguingatoddswith historicalrealities.Heclaimedthatthestrengthoftheworkers’partyhadgrown in opposition, and that fascism did not constitute a threat. In his political naiveté,heevenwentso faras tocall for thedisarmamentofpoliticalparties, whichprovedheunderestimated thepowerof thepolice andmilitaryof the bourgeoisstate. It isdifficult tosaywithcertaintywhetherBauerwasawareof thecontradictionsbetweenhiswayofthinkingandhispoliticalpractice,andto whatextent.Facedwithanurgentpossibilityoffurtherbloodshed,theintellect triumphedover thewill,whichprovedthesdap’s loyalty tostate institutions. In practice, it alsomeant victory for Seipel and a reinforcedHeimwehr. As Rennerobserved,Bauer’sdecisionswerecolouredbyhis ‘strengthofcharacter, hisearnest,unbendingadherencetohisconvictions’.81 In late 1927, a wave of repression against the working class, which had beenprotesting against the restrictionof civil liberties and social legislation, heightened further.After theevents of 15 July, thepublic expected thatpara- military organisationswouldbedisarmed, yet the opposite tookplace.With increasingfrequency, squadswere involvedinskirmishesthat jeopardisedthe normal functioningof the state. In their trust in thepowerof themassparty, thesdapleadersfailedtorecognisethegrowingcounter-offensiveofbourgeois forces and restricted themselves to criticising government policies in parlia- ment. They rejected theFebruary 1927proposal of thekpö,whichoffered to support the sdap in the forthcoming elections considering the growing fas- cisisationof the country. The sdapdidnotwant to endanger party unity by associatingwith a party thatwas irrelevant inAustria.82 The sole issue that the leaders of the respective party wings – Renner, Bauer andMaxAdler – 79 At theconferenceof themetal industry federation,Bauerexplained that thepositionof thepartywasdeterminedby its recognitionof thebalanceof forces inEurope– i.e. the lackofrevolution. 80 Seee.g.Bauer1976k,pp.698–729. 81 Ourtranslation,quotedfromBraunthal 1976,p.23. 82 1927, thekpöhad3,000members–seeBurian1974,p.21.