Civil War's Lingering Effects On Austria's Wwii Fate

The Austrian Civil War of 1934 was a series of clashes between the forces of the authoritarian right-wing government of Engelbert Dollfuss and the Republican Protection League, the banned paramilitary arm of the Social Democratic Workers' Party of Austria. The socialists' defeat led to arrests, executions, and the banning of the Social Democratic Party. In May 1934, Austria's democratic constitution was replaced by the Austrofascist constitution of the Federal State of Austria, with the Fatherland Front as the only legal party. The Austrian Civil War was a significant factor in weakening Austria's ability to resist National Socialism, and by later estimates, only about a third of the Austrian population supported the dictatorial state.

The Austrian Civil War led to the banning of the Social Democratic Party and its affiliated trade unions

The Austrian Civil War of February 1934 was a series of clashes between the forces of the authoritarian right-wing government of Engelbert Dollfuss and the Republican Protection League, the paramilitary arm of the Social Democratic Workers' Party of Austria. The socialists' defeat led to the banning of the Social Democratic Party and its affiliated trade unions.

The Austrian Civil War was a culmination of years of political polarisation in the country. After the dissolution of Austria-Hungary in 1918, the Republic of Austria formed as a parliamentary democracy. However, politics in the new country were dominated by two major factions: socialists and conservatives. The socialists, represented by the Social Democratic Workers' Party, had their strongholds in the working-class districts of the cities, while the conservatives, represented by the Christian Social Party, drew support from the rural population and the upper class. The conservatives also maintained close ties to the Catholic Church.

In the late 1920s, the polarised political situation in Austria was further exacerbated by the emergence of paramilitary units on both the right and the left. The Home Guard (Heimwehr) on the right became openly fascist and opposed democracy, while the Republican Protection League of the Social Democrats saw itself as a protector of the Austrian Republic and held pro-democracy views. The Austrian Nazi Party, though still small, also had its own paramilitary units.

Political antagonisms escalated in 1927 when members of the right-wing Front Fighters' Union shot and killed two people during a demonstration by the Republican Protection League. The acquittal of the perpetrators by a jury led to outrage and demonstrations by an incensed crowd. The Vienna Palace of Justice was stormed and set on fire, and in the ensuing violence, over 100 people were killed, including four policemen, and 1,000 were wounded.

In March 1933, Engelbert Dollfuss, the Christian Social chancellor, suspended the Austrian Parliament, claiming it had ceased to function. The Christian Socialists, facing pressure from the left and infiltration by Nazis from Germany, began to rule by decree, suspending civil liberties and imprisoning members of the Social Democratic Party. The Communist Party of Austria was banned in May 1933, followed by the Republican Protection League a few days later.

Dollfuss, along with the Fatherland Front and the Heimwehr, then set out to destroy the remnants of the Social Democratic and Marxist-oriented workers' movement. On 24 January 1934, the order was given to search party buildings and members' homes for weapons. In the early morning hours of 12 February 1934, police attempted to enter the Linz party headquarters of the Social Democrats to search for weapons, but members of the Protection League opened fire. The fighting spread to other cities, including Vienna, and by 15 February 1934, the Austrian Civil War had ended with the defeat of the Protection League.

The defeat of the socialists led to arrests, executions, and the banning of the Social Democratic Party. In May 1934, Austria's democratic constitution was replaced by an Austrofascist constitution modelled after Benito Mussolini's fascist Italy. The Fatherland Front became the only legal political party in the new authoritarian regime, the Federal State of Austria. The banning of the Social Democratic Party and its affiliated trade unions was a significant step in the consolidation of power by the authoritarian right-wing government and the establishment of an authoritarian regime in Austria.

The civil war resulted in the replacement of Austria's democratic constitution with an Austrofascist constitution

The Austrian Civil War, which took place from 12 to 15 February 1934, was a series of clashes between the forces of the authoritarian right-wing government of Engelbert Dollfuss and the Republican Protection League, the paramilitary arm of the Social Democratic Workers' Party of Austria. The civil war resulted in the defeat of the socialists, leading to arrests, executions, and the banning of the Social Democratic Party.

As a consequence of the socialists' defeat, Austria's democratic constitution was replaced by an Austrofascist constitution in May 1934. This new constitution established the Federal State of Austria, with the Fatherland Front as the only legal political party. The Austrofascist constitution marked a significant shift in Austria's political system, abandoning its previous democratic traditions.

The Austrofascist constitution reflected the authoritarian and fascist ideologies that were gaining traction in Europe at the time. It consolidated the power of the Fatherland Front, which was aligned with the right-wing government. The new constitution also undermined the principles of democracy, freedom, and political pluralism that had previously existed in Austria.

The replacement of the democratic constitution with the Austrofascist constitution had far-reaching implications for Austria's political landscape. It eliminated political opposition, restricted civil liberties, and paved the way for the emergence of an authoritarian regime. The civil war and the subsequent constitutional change significantly weakened Austria's ability to resist the rise of Nazism and set the stage for the country's eventual annexation by Nazi Germany in 1938.

The civil war was a contributing factor in the rise of Engelbert Dollfuss, who became Chancellor of Austria in 1932

The Austrian Civil War was a series of clashes between the forces of Engelbert Dollfuss, the authoritarian right-wing chancellor of Austria, and the Republican Protection League, the paramilitary arm of the Social Democratic Workers' Party of Austria. The civil war was a contributing factor in the rise of Engelbert Dollfuss, who became Chancellor of Austria in 1932 and served until his assassination in 1934.

Engelbert Dollfuss was born on 4 October 1892 in Lower Austria, into a poor, peasant family. After graduating from high school, Dollfuss intended to become a priest and enrolled at the University of Vienna to study theology. However, he soon changed his course of study to law. During his time as a student, he joined the Students' Social Movement, a student organisation dedicated to social and charitable work among workers.

When World War I broke out, Dollfuss was initially rejected by the recruiting commission in Vienna due to his height. However, he successfully enlisted in St. Pölten and served in the Tyrolese militia, also known as the Kaiserschützen, for 37 months at the Italian Front. After the war, Dollfuss was employed by the Lower Austrian Peasants' Union, where he gained his first political experience, organising peasants to help them recover from the war and shield them from Marxism.

In 1930, Dollfuss was appointed president of the Federal Railways, the largest industrial corporation in Austria. In March 1931, he became the Federal Minister of Agriculture and Forestry. On 10 May 1932, Dollfuss was offered the office of Chancellor by President Wilhelm Miklas, which he accepted. At the time, Austria was facing a severe economic crisis due to the Great Depression, and Dollfuss's government had only a one-vote majority in Parliament.

In March 1933, a constitutional crisis arose when the three presiding officers of the National Council (the lower house of Parliament) resigned to be able to cast votes as parliament members. Dollfuss took this as a pretext to declare that the National Council had become unworkable and advised President Miklas to adjourn it indefinitely. On 7 March, Dollfuss announced that his government had assumed emergency powers and began governing by emergency decree, effectively seizing dictatorial powers.

Dollfuss was concerned about the rise of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers' Party in Germany, as well as the influence of the Soviet Union in Europe. To counter these threats, he banned the Communist Party of Austria in May 1933 and the Austrian National Socialist Party in June 1933. He also established a one-party dictatorship under the banner of the Fatherland Front, banning all other political parties, including the Social Democratic Labour Party.

In February 1934, the Austrian Civil War broke out when the Linz branch of the Social Democrats resisted a search of their party headquarters by the police. The conflict quickly spread to other parts of Austria, particularly industrial regions and Vienna. The Social Democrats were outnumbered by the police and army, who used artillery against the insurgents. The rebellion collapsed by 15 February, resulting in the deaths of about 350 people.

Following the civil war, Dollfuss staged a parliamentary session with only Fatherland Front members present to approve a new constitution, which officially established Austria as a one-party authoritarian state based on conservative Roman Catholic and Italian fascist principles. This constitution, proclaimed on 1 May 1934, swept away the last remnants of democracy and the system of the First Austrian Republic.

Dollfuss's authoritarian regime and opposition to the Anschluss with Nazi Germany ultimately led to his assassination on 25 July 1934 by a group of Austrian Nazis, including Otto Planetta, Franz Holzweber, Ernst Feike, Franz Leeb, Josef Hackl, Ludwig Maitzen, Erich Wohlraab, and Paul Hudl. They entered the Chancellery building and shot him during an attempted coup d'état. Despite his assassination, Dollfuss's policies and actions had a significant impact on the course of events in Austria during the lead-up to World War II.

The Austrian Civil War was a consequence of the polarised political situation in Austria in the 1920s and 1930s

In the late 1920s, the polarisation of Austrian politics was exacerbated by the emergence of paramilitary units on both the right and the left. The Home Guard (Heimwehr) represented the right, while the Republican Protection League (Republikanischer Schutzbund) was the paramilitary arm of the Social Democratic Workers' Party. The Austrian Nazi Party, though small, also had its own paramilitary units: the SA and SS.

Political antagonisms escalated in 1927 when members of the right-wing Front Fighters' Union shot and killed two people, including a child, during a demonstration by the Republican Protection League. The subsequent trial acquitted the alleged perpetrators, leading to outrage among the Social Democrats. On 15 July 1927, the SDAPÖ leadership was unable to control the demonstrations, and the Vienna Palace of Justice was stormed and set on fire. The police intervention resulted in 89 deaths, including four policemen, and 1,000 wounded.

In the following years, the Great Depression hit Austria, resulting in high unemployment. Additionally, the rise of Adolf Hitler as chancellor of Germany in 1933 threatened the Austrian state from within, as Nazi sympathisers sought unification with Germany.

On 4 March 1933, Engelbert Dollfuss, the Christian Social chancellor, suspended the Austrian Parliament, claiming it had ceased to function. This move blocked the Social Democrats' primary platform for political action and enabled the Christian Socialists to rule by decree, suspending civil liberties and imprisoning members of the opposition.

The Austrian Civil War broke out from 12 to 15 February 1934, triggered by the government's attempt to search the Social Democrats' headquarters in Linz for weapons. The Republican Protection League opened fire on the police, and the conflict quickly spread to Vienna and other industrial centres. The government forces, including the police, Army, and Heimwehr, outnumbered and outgunned the Protection League, leading to their swift defeat.

The aftermath of the Austrian Civil War saw the banning of the Social Democratic Party and the imposition of an Austrofascist constitution, with the Fatherland Front as the only legal party. This authoritarian regime further weakened Austria's ability to resist the rise of National Socialism, and by later estimates, only about a third of the Austrian population supported the dictatorial state.

The civil war was a factor in the weakening of Austria's ability to resist National Socialism

The Austrian Civil War was a factor in the weakening of Austria's ability to resist National Socialism. The civil war was between the forces of the authoritarian right-wing government and the Republican Protection League, the banned paramilitary arm of the Social Democratic Workers' Party of Austria. The civil war ended with the defeat of the socialists, which led to arrests, executions, and the banning of the Social Democratic Party. The democratic constitution was replaced by an Austrofascist constitution, with the Fatherland Front as the only legal party. The civil war, therefore, led to the weakening of Austria's ability to resist National Socialism as it left the country in a state of political and social turmoil, with a weakened democratic government and a divided populace. This turmoil was further exacerbated by the Great Depression, which caused high unemployment in Austria. These factors created a situation where the Austrian people were susceptible to the rise of National Socialism and the unification of Austria with Germany.

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