Page - 184 - in Otto Bauer (1881–1938) - Thinker and Politician

184 chapter 5 Bydoingso, theycameout in favourofabourgeois-parliamentary republic.35 AlthoughtheydeclaredthattheywerereadytofighttotransformAustriaintoa ‘democraticrepublic’, theymainlydidsoinordertopacifytheworkingclass.In themindsoftheparty leadershipatthetime, therepublicwasadistantgoal– according to Renner’s draft of a provisional constitution of 30October 1918, thedirectparticipationof themasses ingovernmentwasoutof thequestion. Althoughthisdrafthardly liveduptotheexpectationsof theworkingclass, it didnotresult inasplit intheAustrianlabourmovement.Tworeasonsfor this weretheweaknessof theCommunistsandthespecial roleofAustromarxism. ThedoctrineofAustromarxisminparticular,definedmainlybyBauerduring therevolutionaryperiod,andthepoliticaldecisionshemadewhenthedanger of a proletariandictatorshipbasedon the ‘Bolshevikmodel’was acute,were able to counteract the rising revolutionary tide.Whether therewereany real chances for theintroductionofasovietrepublic in1918 isaseparatequestion, whichmustbesetasidefornow. Thesdap,whose leadershipBauer tookover followingVictorAdler’sdeath in the first daysof the republic, assumedkeyoffices in thenewlyestablished state: aside fromproviding the chancellor (Renner) and three secretaries of state(Bauer,FerdinandHanusch,andJuliusDeutsch), itoccupiedstrongpos- itions in thegovernmentand local administration.Thenewstate confronted twomainissues:thestatusofthehithertorulingdynastyandthesovietrepub- lics thatemerged inHungaryon21March 1919and inBavariaon5April 1919. Theactof3April1919solvedthefirstquestionbydeprivingthehousesofHabs- anannexationofAustria byGermany, theChristianSocials continued tobelieve in the restorationofthemonarchy,andthesdaphadnotgivenupitshopesforpoliticalreforms withintheframeworkoftheHabsburgmonarchy,consideringtheAnschluss toGermany as an alternative. The aforementioned attempt at a Communist coup had no political relevance, nor did thepeople of Vienna approveof it. In the given context, thebanner withtheinscription‘longlivethesocialistrepublic’displayedinfrontofparliamentwasa peculiarparadox,giventhatonlyradical factionsof theworkingclassandtheruralpoor desiredadictatorshipoftheproletariatinNovember1918.Whetherthesdap–haditbeen arevolutionarypartyratherthanonemerelytalkingaboutrevolution–wouldhavebeen able to lead thediscontentedmasses ofworkers, peasants, and soldiers into revolution is a separate question. The regime change inAustriawas peaceful – itwas not even a revolutionarychangeintheAustromarxistsense.Forthem,afterall,revolutionarychange meantwinning themajority in parliament and ruling independently, neither ofwhich conditionsapplied. 35 Outof fear that the radicalismof themassesmightescalate, the followingprinciplewas integrated into the constitution: ‘German Austria is a democratic republic. All public authoritiesareappointedbythepeople’–seeDeutsch1947,p.71.