Page - 350 - in Otto Bauer (1881–1938) - Thinker and Politician

350 chapter 8 Therecollectionsofhispartycomradesandhisdispersednotesareevidence that Bauer never lost his faith in socialism’s appeal. This was the case even thoughhelivedtoseethedemiseofhislifetimeachievements,i.e.thedefeatof theparty, growingpessimismin the illegalmovement, andStalinandHitler’s intensifying terrorism. That he suddenly died after all his hopes had been squashedseemstoconfirmthathetrulyembodiedhisbeliefs. It isdifficult to tellwhetherhewouldhave stuck to thesehadhe lived towitness theHitler- Stalin pact, the annexation of Polish territories to the SovietUnion, and the forceful creation of the bloc of countries onwhich ‘really existing socialism’ was imposed. It is not the task of historians to indulge in such speculations. Hence, it is fittingtoconcludethisanalysisofBauer’sthoughtwheredeathput anendtoit.