Page - 331 - in Otto Bauer (1881–1938) - Thinker and Politician

the spectre of fascism 331 Atthatpoint,thepartynumberedmorethan700,000members,enjoyedthe support of 1.5million voters, had an 80,000-strong paramilitary organisation at itsdisposal,occupied71of 165parliamentaryseats, andhad25delegates in regionalgovernmentsand387townmayors.Thedefeatoftheuprisingandthe partybecame the subject ofnumerousassessments, analyses, andcontrover- sies,especiallyintheSocial-Democraticmovement.Afterall, itsleadershadan interestindenyinganyresponsibilityforthedefeat.Evenobserversnotdirectly involvedinAustrianpolitical lifeagreedthat theFebruaryuprisingamounted toaconsciousactbyasectionoftheworkingclassnotonlyagainstthegovern- ment’sactions,butalsoagainstthereformistlineofthesdapleadership.Atthe sametime, itwas synonymouswith thedefeatofBauer’spolitical line. Itwas Bauerwhowaschiefly responsible for reinforcing themasses’ illusions in the party’swillingnesstofight.80 Numerous1934articlesandhispamphletDerAufstandderösterreichischen Arbeiter(TheAustrianWorkers’Uprising)testifytothefactthatBauerfeltmore responsible for thecourseofevents thananyof theother sdap leaders.They alsoprovethathewasunable tounderstandtheessentialelementswhich led to theparty’s downfall – that is, the contradictionbetween its revolutionary rhetoric andpassivepolitical practice (its opponents recognised this contra- dictionandknewhowto takeadvantageof it). Furthermore,Bauer’swritings prove that his basic theoretical premises had beenwrong, leading to erratic judgement and inaccuratedecisions in response togiven socio-political con- ditions. InTheAustrianWorkers’Uprising, Bauer did admit to tactical errors, yet he did not subject the actual political line of the party to any criticism. In his view, a range of factors that could be blamedon the sdap leadership hadahuge impactabroad.By12February, the firstdemonstrations insolidaritywiththe Austrianworkers tookplace inCzechoslovakia.TheBritishLabourPartysetupafundto supportthefamiliesofworkerskilledintheuprising.Anti-fascistactivitiesinFrance,Italy andSpain followed in thewakeof theAustrianuprising.About2,000of thecombatants later joined theRepublican side in the SpanishCivilWar. They also formedabattalion named ‘12February’,which in 1938becamethe firstAustrianmilitary formation fighting forAustria’s independence.Theworkers’ uprisinghadawakenedAustriannational con- sciousness. 80 Onthisquestion, IconcurwithLeser,whostates: ‘The12Februaryuprisingwasnotonly a heroic sacrifice on behalf of theworking class of Vienna that had remained loyal. It wasalsothedaywhenanunconstitutional regimeemployedforceagainst thedefenders of democracy. It was the collapse of a politics onwhich Bauer had already stated the following in 1911, unaware that he would thus describe his own politics: “The worst politics isapoliticsof illusions. Intheend, itcanonlyever leadtomassdisappointment, discouragement,andineffectiveoutbreaksofdesperation”’–Leser1968,p.483.