Page - 41 - in Otto Bauer (1881–1938) - Thinker and Politician

otto bauer andhis time 41 on theGermanworkers’movement, andstill didnotbelieve that thegovern- mentwouldoutlawtheSocial-Democraticparty. InJanuary1934,Feyannouncedabanonthesdap.93Mussolinisentanemis- sary to Austria to convince theDollfuss government of the need for a final confrontationwith the Social Democrats.94 On 10 February 1934, the illegal kpöissuedaleafletcallingforageneralstrikeandchangeofgovernment.The leaderof theChristian tradeunions, LeopoldKunschak, identified the threat of imminentcivilwar, appealing invain to theSocialDemocrats to resist fas- cismtogether.95Theworkersfeltbetrayedbytheirparty.Since1933,theperiod of greatest unemployment, only 40percent of thosewithoutworkhadbeen receivingunemployment assistance,whichwas further reduced. In addition, their political rights had been confiscated. On 12 February, the Schutzbund engaged inopenstruggleagainst the forcesof theHeimwehr,policeandcon- stabularywithoutpriorcommunicationwith thesdap.The insurgents found themselves inadire situation. Fearingunemployment, theywere leaving the barricades inthemorningstogotothefactories, theywere lackingarms, food andmedication,andthecombatoperationswereinadequatelycoordinated.In hismemoirs,WilhelmEllenbogenwrotethatBauerfeltpersonallyresponsible forthefailureofthesdap’spoliticalline,thelonelystruggleoftheSchutzbund, and thedeathof hundredsof people.96He recognised thebloodyendof the Social-Democraticmovement of the First Republic as his own failure and a tragedy fromwhichhewouldnot recoveruntilhisdeath.Hisbadconscience wasmadeworseby the fact thathehad fledAustriaontheseconddayof the uprising, fearing arrest.97Onhisdayof departure, Bauer joinedDeutschand headed for theoutskirts ofVienna tomeet the Schutzbund fighters, yet they wereunable topass thepolicecordon.AsHanischstates,BauerandDeutsch boardedacaron the 13February 1934and, guardedbyErnstPaul and Joseph Plely,crossedtheAustrian-CzechoslovakianborderheadingforBern.98 93 Hewouldassumeleadershipoftheministryofdefenceandpolice inFebruary. 94 SeeSecret letterexchangebetweenMussoliniandDollfuss inLetters. 95 SeeRedeL.Kunschakvom9.Februar1934imGemeinderatWien inArchivalsources. 96 SeeEllenbogen1983,p. 120. 97 HanischexplainsBauer’sbehaviourbywayofapanicattack.SeeHanisch2011,p.305. 98 See Sporrer and Steiner 1983, p. 60; Braunthal 1976b, p. 12; Hanisch 2011, p. 305. Steiner states that from 1934–8, about 2,000 people found refuge in Czechoslovakian territory (Schutzbund fighters, socialists, Communists). The SocialDemocratic Party of Czecho- slovakialargelyprovidedfinancialsupport.DuringtheStalinistperiod,manyofthemwere accusedof espionage andarrested. In 1936–7, a significant percentageof themwent to SpainandenlistedwiththeInternationalBrigades.SeeSteiner1984,pp.535–40.