Page - 329 - in Otto Bauer (1881–1938) - Thinker and Politician

the spectre of fascism 329 aftermathleft itparalysed.Awareoftheanti-fascistsentimentsoftheworkers, itdecidedon8Februarytopostponetheoutbreakofcivilwarandon12Febru- ary 1934 it restrictedtheroleof theSchutzbundtopurelydefensivemeasures. Yettheparty’sapparentwillingnesstofightturnedouttobefalse–thecontrast betweenwordsanddeedsnotonlythreatenedtofatallyunderminetheleader- ship’scredibility inthepartyranks,butalsocostseveralhundredhumanlives. Thiswasthepricepaidforyearsofbandyingrevolutionaryphraseology–alas, Bauerandhisclosecircleofcomradesrealisedthis toolate. On 12 February 1934, the Schutzbund troops of Linz initiated, against the decisionof theparty leadership, a skirmishagainst theHeimwehrandarmed police, thus firingthestartingshot for theoutbreakof theworkers’uprising.72 TheensuingstreetbattlesravagedUpperAustria,Styria,andViennainpartic- ular.73ThedesperateSchutzbundtroops recognised thehopelessnessof their situationfromthestart.74Their leaders,ErnstFischerandErnstDraskowitsch, noted as early as 12 February: ‘This struggle is lost from theoutset.One can- not capitulate for awhole year and thenwin’.75 Neither did the chair of the Schutzbund,GeneralTheodorKörner, seeanychancesof success–andboth therightwing(Kautsky)andleftwing(BélaKun)oftheinternationalworkers’ bers of the Schutzbund. On 5 January 1934, theHeimwehr occupied the headquarters of the Innsbrucker Volkszeitung newspaper. The following day, it occupied the Social- DemocraticprintingpressesinLinz,GrazandEisenstadt,andon9February1934arrested tenSchutzbundleaders.AccordingtoRenner’srecollections,Feyboastedafterthedeploy- mentofHeimwehrunits inLangenzersforton 11February 1934: ‘Thisweek,wewill doa thorough job’. SeeRenner 1952b, p. 137. Ernst Starhemberg reportedlymadeacomment in thesamespirit– ibid. InTyrolandStyria, theHeimwehroccupiedgovernmentbuild- ings. 72 According toKonrad, ‘by 19 February, all regional and local leaders of the Schutzbund, numberingalmost200,hadbeenarrested’–Konrad2004.Inthenightfrom11–12February, theHeimwehrunit commanderofLinz,RichardBernaschek, informedBauer ina letter aboutthedecisiontoresistaplannedraidofthelocalpartybuildingwithfirearms.Inhis reply,Bauerdidnotapproveofthedecision.SeeRabinach1989,p.173;compareBraunthal 1961,p.35. 73 About20,000Schutzbundmembers, joinedby someCommunists, foughtagainstbetter armed and better organised units: the 4,200-strong army, the 7,500-strong police, and 9,600-strongbourgeoisparamilitaries.There isnoagreementamongAustrianhistorians astohowmanycombatantswerewoundedandkilled.AccordingtoGulick,therewere118 deadand486injuredonthepro-governmentside,and196deadand319woundedonthe rebelside.SeeGulick1948;Peball 1974,p.38. 74 SeealsoKulemann1979,p.400. 75 Ibid.