Page - 301 - in Otto Bauer (1881–1938) - Thinker and Politician

the spectre of fascism 301 Thequestiontodayisnotoneofcapitalismorsocialism…[R]ightnow,we arefacingadifferentquestionentirely.Surroundedbyreactionarystates– fascism in the south, south-east, east, andwest – it is the big, but also glorious, task of theAustrian proletariat to preserve the country as an islandofdemocratic freedom.16 ourtranslation ThisaspirationwouldsoondiewhenDollfussintroducedthecorporativestate on1May 1934(aswillbe furtherexplained in the fourthsection).Austriawas then subjected tochanges thatpaved theway forHitler’s annexation, even if thiswasnot done consciously or intentionally. In the year 1931, Schober and Curtius signed the draft for a tariffs union between Austria and Germany; however, asmentioned earlier, international political factors prevented this frombeingputintopractice.Anotherstepwhichhelpedcreatetheconditions for the annexationwas the agreement signed between theGreater German People’sPartyandtheAustriansectionofthensdapin1933–arudeawakening for leftandrightgroupsalike. Intheautumnofthatyear, theleadershipofthe sdapandsfgadoptedaresolutionondefendingAustriaagainstNazism.For thesamepurpose,theChristianSocialPartyandHeimwehrjointlyformedthe FatherlandFronton20April 1933 (it becamea legalparty in 1934).Kunschak identifiedthegrowingsignificanceofbrownfascismandimpendingcivilwar. Ina speechheldat theVienna local council on9February 1934,heappealed to the sdap leaders to join forces to defend the country against National Socialism.Alas,hiscall fellondeafears.17Thethirdandfourthsectionsof this chapterarededicatedtotheconsequencesoftheapproachesofBauerandthe othersdapleaders. 16 ‘DasProblemstehtheutenichtzwischenKapitalismusundSozialismus; (…)sondern im AugenblickstehenwirhiervoreinerganzanderenFrage.Umzingeltvondenreaktionären Staatenringsumuns,vomFaschismus imSüden,Südosten, imOstenundimWesten ist es die ungeheuer große, aber auchungeheuer ruhmvolleAufgabe des österreichischen Proletariats hier eine Insel demokratischer Freiheit zu erhalten’ – sdap 1932, p. 39, in Documents,Programmes,Protocols. 17 Shortly after, on25 July 1934,ChancellorDollfusswaskilledduringa failedNaziputsch attempt. After his death, Schuschnigg’s government arrested numerous Nazis, yet this wasonly anostensibledefeat forNational Socialism.Nazi propaganda increased,Nazis employedinthepoliceorjudiciaryjoinedtheFatherlandFront,anti-Semiticmembersof theChristianSocialPartystillheldNazisympathies,andmembersofthegovernmentand HeimwehrmaintainedtheirsecretcontactstotheNazis.SeeHindels 1981,p.35.