Page - 330 - in Otto Bauer (1881–1938) - Thinker and Politician

330 chapter 8 movementagreedthattheuprisingwasabelatedaffair.76Asidefromthepolit- ical determinant, thepsychological aspectwasno less decisive in theheroic struggleof theSchutzbundtroops.Notonlydid theydefenddemocracy, they alsodefendedthereputationofapartymanyidentifiedwith,andwhosewill- ingnesstofighttheytrusted. Reacting to the unwelcomeuprising, the sdap leadership restricted itself to proclaiming a general strike. For a number of reasons, this strike turned out to be a fiasco lackingmass support. Economic limitations, such as the fear of losingone’s job in a timeof economic crisis, playeda role. So toodid sociological andpolitical aspects: themassesdidnotbelieve they couldwin, andthepartyhadimbuedthemwiththesuperiorityof legalstruggleformany years.Whatismore,therewereorganisationalissues:therewasnorealdefence planandscarceinformationwithrespecttoarmsandcoordinationofactions. Contradictory decisions and irresponsible conduct on the part of the sdap leaders further contributed to the debacle.77 The lone Schutzbund fighters, abandonedinstrugglebytheparty leadership, laiddownarmson18February 1934.78As theconflictwas still ongoing, thegovernmentdissolved theSocial- Democraticparty,arrestedits leaders,andsent10,000peopletoconcentration camps.79 76 SeeKautsky1934,p. 18;compareKun1934. 77 Sometelling facts testify to thepoororganisationof theuprising: turningoff theelectri- city–apre-arrangedsigntocommencethestrike–madeit impossibleforBrunoKreisky toprintBauer’s fightingappeal.Whenthestrikewascalled,DannebergandRennerwent to joinameetingwithChristian-Socialpoliticians, thusexposingthemselves to immedi- atearrest.Duetobadorganisation,BauerandDeutsch facedanarmycordon in frontof theminsteadof joiningthefightingmembersoftheSchutzbundasintended.AsHanisch writes, Bauer andDeutschwere transferred toCzechoslovakiaon the seconddayof the uprising. The combatantswereoutragedat the flight of their leaders. SeeHanisch2011, p.305. 78 After 1934,numerousSchutzbundmembers joined theCommunistPartyofAustriaand newlyformedsocialistgroups.Someofthemestablishedanillegalfactionnamed‘Auton- omousSchutzbund’ thatwasdisconnectedfromtheparty inthesameyear.Asignificant percentageofthememigratedtoCzechoslovakiaandtheSovietUnion,andthentoSpain in1936.SeeWest1978,p.44.Konradconfirmsthisdepictionofevents,addingthatin1934 manySocialDemocrats joined theNazis,whowere regardedas themainopponents of the corporative state. SeeKonrad 2004, p. 96.Hanisch statesmore precisely that some fighters (mostly from the big cities and industrial areas) joined the Communists and others joinedtheNazis (mostly fromtheprovinces),whilemost simplywent into ‘inner exile’.SeeHanisch2011,p.306. 79 Seitz andHugo Breitnerwere arrested, and some leaderswere executed. The uprising