Page - 155 - in Otto Bauer (1881–1938) - Thinker and Politician

the national question 155 ciple through thebackdoor.However, the seriousmistake about his concept was the following:Renner took for granted that individual countriespursued thesameeconomicandpoliticalinterestsasthemonarchyandthatstateunity shouldthereforebepreservedastheonlyfavourablesolution.AsHelmutZim- mermann correctly observes, this led to the following conclusion: ‘Reducing matters to cultural autonomynot only allowed for existing economic condi- tionstopersist,butalsopervertedrelationsbetweendifferentnationalgroups ofworkers intoopeneconomichostility’ (our translation).80 It isworthhigh- lightingthatRenner’smodelonlycontainedanostensibleequalityofnations– theprinciplesofproportionand independencewere limited toculturalques- tions suchas language, thedevelopmentof theeducationandschool system, scienceandart.Theydidnotapply, for instance, topoliticalpublic life, i.e. the appointmentofofficialposts.81Itisalsonoteworthythattherewasnomention of the interrelationshipbetween thenational struggle and the class struggle. Rennerassumedthatdemocraticreformsinthebourgeoismultinationalstate wouldstaveoffthehungerforsocialismforanextendedperiod.Aslateas1918, whentherewasno longeranychance topreserve themonarchy,hecompuls- ivelydefended thedraft fornational-cultural autonomy(evenaspresidentof theSecondAustrianRepublic, hehadstill not cometo termswith the lossof Austria’s territorialoutline). TheunifyingelementbetweenBauer’ssocio-political thoughtandRenner’s scheme was their belief that political democracy would solve the national question.82Parliamentwouldbecomeatool for reformbeneficial tothequar- relling peoples of themonarchy. This was rooted in the idea that constitu- tionalguaranteesofnationalequalitywouldconvincethenationstorelinquish theirdemandsandmutuallyaccept their respectivenationalgoals.Moreover, Bauer andRennerbelieved that institutional anddemocratic formsof social lifewould allowAustria-Hungary to reduce thenationalities question to the cultural sphere. Fourpoints related toRenner’s ideas guidedBauer’s concep- tionofnational-cultural autonomy.Firstly,headvocatedaseparationof state and nation. Secondly, he proposed the exterritoriality principle as ameans to determine nationality. Thirdly, he wanted to limit autonomy to the cul- tural sphere.Fourthly,his thinkingwassteepedinGreaterGermancategories, coupledwithaconcernthattheGermannationmightbeslavicised. 80 Zimmermann1976,p.385. 81 SeeKann1973,p.6. 82 CompareMommsen1963,p.202.