Page - 344 - in Otto Bauer (1881–1938) - Thinker and Politician

344 chapter 8 ating instead theemergenceof aneworganisationwithadifferent structure and ideology.109He recommended formingapartyof aproletariancharacter similartotheLeninistmodel:anarrow,disciplined,hierarchiccadreorganisa- tionbasedondemocraticcentralism.MuchlikeLenin,heaspiredtograntthis party themonopolyof leading theworkingclass.Unlike theBolshevik leader, however,hedidnotgosofaras toconflate this taskwith lawlessnessandlack ofaccountability to themasses.However,Bauer’spositionwithinpartyactiv- itywasnotentirelyclear.AsidefromemployingLeninistphraseologywhen,for instance, referring to thepartyasacombatorganisation,healso spokeof the momentoushistorical importanceandcontinuityof theold ideas in thenew movement.AccordingtoMaimann,Bauer’sambiguityfollowedacertainlogic: hewanted tonurture the revolutionarycharacterof thenewparty toprevent former sdapmembers fromdrifting towardsCommunism; at the same time, byacquaintingthepartywithitstradition,hewantedtocreateapremiseupon which the old andnewwings could co-operate.110 Bauer attempted to over- comethesplitinthepartyataconventionofconfidantesinBlanskonearBrünn intheautumnof1934.111Althoughitsucceededintheshort-term,long-termco- operation between the two factions proved impossible because of divergent programmaticpositions. In1935, theleadershipofthersrelinquishedtherad- icalism ithadcultivated in its early stages, speaking critically of LéonBlum’s popularfrontinFrance,whichthe‘oldguard’supported.Italsoexpressedscep- ticismoverthechanges intheSovietUnionandthepossibilityofunifyingthe international workers’movement. Likewise, the party’s initial confidence in the triumphof theanti-fascist strugglewassoondispelled.112TheRevolution- arySocialists’trajectoryinspiredimpassionedprotestfromBauer,whoaccused their leadersof spreadingpessimismandfatalismintheranksof theworking class.113Bauer feltpersonallyhurtwhentheRevolutionarySocialistscriticised 109 Marschalek depicts Bauer’s model of the illegal party engagingly inMarschalek 1990, pp.41–4. 110 CompareMaimann1985,p.232. 111 Fora fewmonths, thepartyadoptedthenameUnitedSocialistPartyAustria.SeeWand- ruszka1954,p.468. 112 The relationship between the two parties soured after the congress in Brünn, which BauerandFriedrichAdlerattended.28congressattendeesweredetainedfortreasonand convicted in 1936.Among thosecondemnedto25years inprisonwasKreisky,whowas, however, soonreleased. 113 SeeBauer 1980dd,p. 209.GollerelaboratesontheconflictbetweenBauerandButtinger over programmatic and tactical differences between the old andnewparties inGoller 2008,pp.96–100.OttoLeichtersupportedBauer’sposition–seeLeichter1937,p.342.