Page - 340 - in Otto Bauer (1881–1938) - Thinker and Politician

340 chapter 8 ingtotheGermannationnotonlyfailedtoencourageanemergingformu- lationofAustriannationalconsciousness(ErnstKarlWinter), itvirtually suppressedit.95 ourtranslation On19August 1933 inRiccione,Dollfuss,whowashoping for a future congru- ouswithItaly,broachedanagreementwithMussolinithatcommittedhimtoa corporativeconstitution.96Duringtheperiod inwhichtheauthoritariancon- stitutionwas finalised, a feat that lasted almost a year, only four important organisationsprevailedonAustria’spolitical stage; theChristianSocialParty, the Fatherland Front set up by the government (whichmergedwith associ- ationswhichsupportedAustrianindependence),theGreaterGermanPeople’s Party,andtheHeimwehr.TheMayconstitution(30April–1May1934)suppor- tedbythesegroupsintroducedthefollowingreforms:professionalsectorswere subject to strict state control, authoritarianvirtues granted to thechancellor, the government became the central authority in political decisions, bans on plebiscites, strikes, anddemonstrations.97 Therewas noplace for theHeim- 95 Ibid. Staudinger cites another important factor which weakened the influence of the ‘Austria’ ideology: ‘Without a doubt, the corporative “Austria” ideologywas intended to playadefensiveroleagainsttrendsthatdesiredaunionwithNationalSocialistGermany. Evaluating thedefensivepowerof this ideology, however, onemustnote that it hadno such effect. Theweakness of its defensive power cannot be explainedmerely by citing the phenomenon of theNational Socialist Anschlusspolicy’s success, but primarily by pointingtothe“Austria”ideology’sinadequatecharactergiventheeffectitaspiredtohave. Itsweakness is foundintheveryattempttocompetewithNationalSocialismtoachieve similar goals – i.e. to establish and organise a great empire, leadGerman culture, and cultivate “German folk traditions”, including abroad. Toobtain these aims, thepolitical power basis held byGermanyhad an incomparably stronger appeal than theAustrian position’ (ourtranslation)–Ibid. 96 Mussolini’s influence inAustriabecamemore significant after the signingof the ‘Rome protocols’ on 17March 1934.The Italian leveragewasunpopular amongAustrians.Mus- solini’s fascist decrees receivednoapplause, and theDuce’s policies inSouthTyrol pro- vokedaversionandfear. 97 The ‘Constitution1934’wasunanimouslydecreedbythecouncilofministerson30April 1934. Itwas ratifiedby theprovisionalparliament (76of 165delegates).Theconstitution was to transfigure the democratic republic, Austria, into an authoritarian corporative state.Itwaspublishedinthe‘FederalLawGazettefortheStateofAustria’asno.1on1May 1934.Wereszyckipointstotheillegalcharacterofthismeasure,explainingthataccording to the existing constitution of 1929, a constitutional change could only be decided by referendum,notbyparliament. Thenewconstitution changed theofficial nameof the country from ‘RepublicAus-