Page - 163 - in Otto Bauer (1881–1938) - Thinker and Politician

the national question 163 Slavicnations.98Thevictorious1917socialistrevolutioninRussiafurtherpolar- isedpositionsinSocialDemocracy.Rennercontinuedtodefendhisoldpointof view,whileBauer inspiredaleftgrouptoproclaimanationalitiesprogramme. Forthefirst time, thesdap–orrather,a factionof theparty–pleadedfor the rightofnations toself-determination.Evenso, theprogrammeof 1917didnot have the slightest significance: as early as January 1918, it emergedat adeleg- ates’ congress of theAustrian, Czech andPolish left inVienna that theAus- trianSocialDemocrats, includingBauer,neverfullysupportedtherighttoself- determination.Theleftadoptedanewnationalitiesprogrammeatthisconfer- ence.AlthoughitendorsedCzechandPolishaspirationstoindependenceand concededtherighttoself-determinationtotheSlavicpeoples,itdidnotrepres- entasignificantturninthenationalitiespolicyofSocialDemocracy.99Rather, itwastheoldfederalistideadressedupinnewgarb–anattempttopreservethe greateconomicterritoryeitherthroughunionorthroughtheGreaterGerman solution.Theprogrammeenvisionedthefollowingpoints: 1. Austria-Hungarywould be divided into seven territories according to the languageprinciple:German,Czech,Polish,Ukrainian,SouthSlavic, Italian, and Romanian regions; these communities would decide their national identity inaplebiscite. 2. Ineachterritory, thenationalassemblywoulddecidewhattypeofconstitu- tiontoadoptandwhatneighbourlyrelationstopursuebyvirtueofuniversal suffrage. 3. Politicalautonomywouldnotimplycompleteindependenceoftheformerly Austro-Hungarianpeoples;neworganswouldbeconvenedtoregulateeco- nomicquestions inco-operation.100 TheprogrammeupheldtheideaofaSocial-Democraticpartythatwouldunite nationalparties ina federal structureandonanequal footing. To justify this 98 AsLeserwrites,themajorityofthepartydidnotfindBauer’s1917speechescredible.Many Austrianworkers regardedtheSlavicpeoples’ struggle for independenceasabetrayalof class interests.SeeLeser1964,p.20. 99 Myassessment ismirrored inMommsen1979,p. 216;Panzenböck 1985,p. 83;Kulemann 1979,p.210;Hautmann2007,p.93.AsHautmanndemonstrates, theprogrammefactually meantthatthenationsof theAustro-Hungarianmonarchywouldbegrantedtherightto decidetheirfuture,whichincludedtherighttocreatesovereigncountries.InHautmann’s opinion,theleft’sagreementonthisquestionwastheonlywaytojustifyitsprogrammatic demandtoannextheGerman-speakingterritoriestodemocraticGermany. 100 SeeBauer1980g,p.951.ComparePanzenböck1985,p.83.