Page - 187 - in Otto Bauer (1881–1938) - Thinker and Politician

the ‘thirdway’ to socialism 187 taskof theworking classwasnot to establish its own rule, but to strengthen existingdemocracy.Theconceptofapeaceful roadtosocialismwasonecon- sequenceof thisperspective.During therevolutionaryperiod,allmaintheor- eticiansofAustrianSocialDemocracy sharedBauer’s view, includingRenner, MaxAdler,andleftistFriedrichAdler.40 Historiansagree that thechancesof establishingadictatorshipof thepro- letariat would have been high in the early days of the republic. The Social- Democraticparty still had the trustof theworkingclassandenjoyedsupport in revolutionary industrial centres, radical towns, and fromtheurbanpoor. It isdifficult to judgeafter sucha long time towhatextentBauerand theother sdap leaders’diagnosisof thesituationwasaccuratebasedonanassessment of theactualbalanceof forces.Likewise, it isdifficult toanswerwhether their rejectionofsoviet rulewasapoliticaldecision–astraightforwardresponse is impossible,andhistoriansdisagreeontheissue.41Thereismuchtosuggestthat therejectionofproletariandictatorshipinfavourofparliamentarydemocracy inthewatershedyearof1918waslargelyapoliticaldecisionrootedinthetheory ofpeacefulrevolution.Thatsaid,oneshouldnotplaydownthesocio-political balanceof forces inAustriaoroverestimate therevolutionarypotentialof the Austrianworkingclass.42Therearetwowaystodeterminewhetherthechoice ofmethodswasideologicalratherthanmerelycircumstantialortactical:(1)by contrastingBauer’s argumentswith thepolitical andeconomicconditionsof Austria andEurope at the time; and (2) by analysinghis attitude toward the soviets. Letusfirstconsiderwhichdomesticandexternalpoliticalfactorsmighthave moved thesdap leaders to refrain fromassuming leadershipover the revolu- tionarymasses. Itshouldbemadeclearfromtheoutsetthat itwasanexagger- ationtoclaimthatAustriahadnoeconomicchancesofsurvival.True,Austria hadlostindustrialterritoriesintheNorth,Northwest,andSouthduetothewar andthedemiseoftheempire,andViennalostitsstatusascapitalofanempire of54millioninhabitantstobecomethecapitalofastatecomprisedofnomore 40 Adler claimed that themost pressing task of theworkers’ partywasnot the realisation of socialism, but rather finalising the bourgeois revolution, abolishing absolutism, and introducinganabsolutedemocracy.SeeF.Adler 1919. 41 Seealsotheworksofotherauthors:Duczyńska1975;Leser1968;Kulemann1979;Löw,Mattl andPfabigan1986;Saage1986;Hanisch2011and2007. 42 HanischalsoviewsthefateofrevolutionaryAustriapessimistically: ‘Contrarytoallrevolu- tionaryromanticism,itisfairtosaythatasovietrepublicinAustriawouldhaveinevitably usheredinacivilwar,interventionbytheAllies,andunavoidabledefeatoftheleftforces– perhapsevenanauthoritarianregime’(ourtranslation)–Hanisch2007,p. 12.