The Communist Question: Austria's Political Identity

Austria has a long and complex history with communism. The Communist Party of Austria (KPÖ) was established in 1918 and is one of the world's oldest communist parties. While the party has had varying levels of influence and success throughout its existence, it has never fully embraced communism as its governing principle. During the Cold War, Austria maintained a neutral status, which likely contributed to the KPÖ's lack of political dominance.

In recent years, the KPÖ has experienced a revival, particularly in local politics. In 2021, Elke Kahr, a member of the KPÖ, became the mayor of Graz, Austria's second-largest city. This victory marked a significant milestone for the party, and it has since retained and even increased its support in Graz and other regions.

Despite these gains, the KPÖ still faces challenges and criticisms. Some accuse the party of being too closely aligned with past communist dictatorships and their policies. However, the KPÖ has actively worked to address its historical legacy, and its supporters argue that it offers a credible and attractive alternative to traditional political parties.

Austria's complex relationship with communism continues to evolve, and the KPÖ's recent successes indicate that it remains a relevant force in the country's political landscape.

The Communist Party of Austria (KPÖ) is one of the world's oldest communist parties

The party was founded on 3 November 1918 at a conference in Vienna by comrades inspired by the October Revolution. In its early years, the KPÖ boycotted bourgeois elections, but this was soon rectified after a letter from Vladimir Lenin encouraged them to take part.

The KPÖ has had a tumultuous history, being banned between 1933 and 1945 under the Austrofascist regime and the Nazi German administration of Austria. During this time, the party continued to operate underground, and played a significant role in the Austrian resistance against Hitler's regime.

After World War II, the KPÖ reached national importance, with representation in the provisional government. However, it soon faced internal struggles and a decline in popularity, especially as it was closely associated with the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Despite this, the party has survived and continues to be active, particularly in the states of Styria and Salzburg.

In recent years, the KPÖ has seen a revival, with Communist Elke Kahr becoming mayor of Graz, Austria's second-largest city, in 2021. The party currently holds the mayorship of Graz and over 130 seats on district and municipal councils across the country. While it has not had representation in the National Council since 1959, the KPÖ's recent electoral gains have sparked discussions about its future prospects and potential impact on Austrian politics.

The KPÖ was banned between 1933 and 1945 under the Austrofascist regime and the Nazi German administration

The Communist Party of Austria (KPÖ), established in 1918, is one of the world's oldest communist parties. The KPÖ was banned between 1933 and 1945 under the Austrofascist regime and the Nazi German administration of Austria.

In 1933, the Austrofascist government of Engelbert Dollfuss issued an emergency decree banning the KPÖ. Despite the ban, the party continued to operate underground. The KPÖ had been anticipating this situation since the mid-1920s, and many former supporters of the Social Democratic Party (SPÖ) worked with them in secret. The KPÖ's resilience was also due to its ability to unite with former political enemies, such as Christian socialists, Catholics, monarchists, and farmers, in the fight against Hitler's regime.

The KPÖ played a crucial role in the Austrian resistance during World War II. Over 4,000 communists were imprisoned or sent to concentration camps, and more than 2,000 lost their lives during the resistance, including 13 members of the party's central committee. Their efforts were recognised by the Allied Powers in the Moscow Declaration of October 1943, which called for Austria's "own contribution" to its liberation from fascism as a prerequisite for the resurrection of their state.

The KPÖ's resilience and influence during this period can be attributed to its preparation, adaptability, and ability to forge alliances with diverse political groups. Despite being banned, the party remained active and played a significant part in opposing the Nazi regime.

The party has not had representation in the National Council since 1959

The Communist Party of Austria (KPÖ) has a long and complex history, dating back to its establishment in 1918 as the Communist Party of German-Austria (KPDÖ). While the party has had varying levels of influence and success in the country's politics over the years, it has not held representation in the National Council, Austria's federal parliament, since 1959.

The KPÖ's absence from the National Council can be attributed to several factors, including internal struggles, changes in the political landscape, and the party's relationship with the Soviet Union. One significant factor was the party's marginalization during the Cold War due to its close association with and uncritical attitude towards the Soviet Union. This led to a decline in support and isolation from other political forces.

Additionally, the KPÖ's failure to condemn the suppression of the 1956 Hungarian uprising and its initial condemnation of the 1968 Prague Spring further alienated the party from the Austrian electorate. The party's membership and influence continued to decline in the following decades, and it failed to regain representation in the National Council.

Despite its lack of representation at the federal level, the KPÖ has maintained a presence in local and regional politics. The party currently holds seats in state parliaments and has had success in municipal elections, such as in Graz, where Communist Elke Kahr was elected as the city's first communist mayor in 2021.

In recent years, the KPÖ has seen a revival, particularly in the state of Styria, and has made electoral gains, raising the possibility of entering the federal parliament once again in the future. However, the party has not had representation in the National Council since 1959, reflecting the challenges it has faced in gaining widespread support at the national level.

The KPÖ has been criticised for its uncritical attitude towards the Soviet Union and other socialist countries

The Communist Party of Austria (KPÖ) has been criticised for its uncritical attitude towards the Soviet Union and other socialist countries. The party's close relationship with the Soviet Union is often regarded as a significant factor in its marginalisation and isolation during the Cold War.

The KPÖ's uncritical solidarity with the Soviet Union and other socialist countries created a political burden for the party, and its activists struggled to make up for this through their day-to-day engagement in communities, factories, or social movements. The negative effects of these close ties became particularly apparent during the Hungarian Uprising in 1956 and the suppression of the Prague Spring in 1968-69.

The KPÖ's failure to criticise undesirable developments in these socialist countries, and its glossing over of injustices and crimes, was a major problem. The party's conformity with Soviet policies was not unique in the international movement, as the impact of the October Revolution meant that the leading role of the Soviet Union in the socialist camp did not have to be forcibly imposed. Additionally, the fact that Austria was liberated from fascism by the Red Army in 1945 further deepened the solidarity of KPÖ members with the Soviet Union.

However, the KPÖ's historical amnesia has been challenged. Historian Manfred Mugrauer argues that the party has been revisiting its past for a long time and insists that it is more critical of its history than other parties with less-than-pristine records in twentieth-century Austria. Mugrauer highlights the KPÖ's self-image, which is shaped by its sacrificial role during the years of the Nazi dictatorship and its contribution to democratic reconstruction after 1945. The KPÖ was the main force of the anti-fascist resistance in Austria and one of the three founding parties of the postwar Second Republic.

Despite these arguments, the KPÖ's handling of its past is still a topic of debate, and the party continues to face calls for a name change and accusations of being wedded to Stalinism.

The Communist Party is often accused of not having sufficiently addressed its historical relationship with Stalinism

The Communist Party of Austria (KPÖ) is often accused of not having sufficiently addressed its historical relationship with Stalinism. The party is criticised for its close association with the Soviet Union and other countries of "actually existing socialism". The KPÖ is seen as having been extremely loyal to Moscow, and its conformity with Soviet policies is regarded as a major factor in its marginalisation and isolation during the Cold War.

The party's near-absolute solidarity with the Soviet Union was largely uncritical of undesirable developments in the countries of "actually existing socialism". Injustices and even outright crimes were glossed over or made taboo. This uncritical attitude created a political burden that Communist activists struggled to make up for through their day-to-day engagement in communities, factories, or social movements.

The negative effects of the KPÖ's close ties to the Soviet Union became particularly apparent in 1956, during the popular uprising in Hungary, and after 1968-69, during the suppression of the Prague Spring. The party's failure to condemn the bloody suppression of the 1956 Hungarian uprising led to a wave of withdrawals from the party.

However, the KPÖ has a long record of wrestling with its past. After 1990, it initiated a reorientation in which a critical view of its history became the focus. In historiographical analyses published over the last thirty years in the KPÖ milieu, not a single problem area is left out. For instance, the rehabilitation of Austrian victims of Stalin's terror is one area that has been addressed.

The accusation that the KPÖ has done too little to deal with its history is considered a cliché by some. In reality, no other party in Austria has such a critical relationship to its own history as the KPÖ.

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