Seite - 282 - in Otto Bauer (1881–1938) - Thinker and Politician

282 chapter 7 ofpreservingthemultinationalstate,thesdapassumedagovernment-friendly position,citingfearofRussiaasjustification.Thestanceofthepartyleadership waspartlydowntotheenthusiasmofthemasses,whoparticipatedinapro-war demonstrationon the streets ofVienna.17 The rightwingof theparty (Victor Adler,Austerlitz,Renner,Pernerstorfer,Leuthner),whorepresentedthemajor- ity,sympathisedwiththispatrioticturnanddidnotattempttohideitsGerman nationalistsentiments.Thedelegateswereonlyabletoavoidacompulsoryvote onwarcreditsduetothedissolutionofparliament.Thepartypresswereapo- logetic,publishingarticles thatservedtoprovethesdap’s ideological support for thewar. In a special issue of theArbeiter-Zeitungof 1August 1914, Russia wasdeemedsolelyresponsibleforimperialistendeavours. Inthe2August1914 issue,AusterlitzabsolvedGermanyandAustriafromanyresponsibility forthe outbreakofwarinhisarticle,‘DerWeltkriegdesZaren’(‘TheTsar’sWorldWar’). On5August1914,Austerlitz’sfamouscomment, ‘DerTagderdeutschenNation’ (‘Dayof theGermanNation’)waspublished: itendorsedthesdappositionon war credits and conceded the right of self-defence of every country. Austerl- itz referred to thedaywhenthe interestsof theSocialDemocracymovement mergedwiththoseoftherulingapparatusas ‘adayoftheproudestandmighti- estrevoltoftheGermanspirit’.18WellawarethattheSocialDemocrats’support for thegovernmentat theoutbreakofwarhadexposed, to theworkingclass, thehithertowell-concealeddefensivepositionoftheparty,Bauerwroteatthe endofhis life: The 4August 1914 exposed all forwhat itwas. For decades, the revolu- tionary socialistmovement expected that a Europeanwarwould allow theproletariat to takeadvantageof the shockadministered tocapitalist societybywarand thearmingof themasses. Itwoulduse it toconquer statepowerbyrevolutionarymeansandthus transformthesocialorder. Had the socialistmovement really stuck to a revolutionaryperspective, itwouldhave immediatelyhad toblame thecapitalist classes and their governments for thewarwhen itbrokeout…Itwouldhavehad topre- pare, even if forced into illegality, to exploit the revolutionary situation thatwouldhaveinevitablypresenteditselfduringthewaroratitsend.In 17 Formoreontheenthusiasmofthemasses, seeWandruszka1954,p.438;Wereszyski 1975, p.258.AccordingtoBurian,amajorityofthepopulationoftheAustro-HungarianEmpire supported thewarnotoutof loyalty to theHabsburgmonarchy, butbecauseof its own national interest.SeeBurian1974,p. 11. 18 ‘…TagderstolzestenundgewaltigstenErhebungdesdeutschenGeistes’–Austerlitz1914b.