Lexi Webster
Austria's history with the Nazis is a complicated one. The country's former chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, has been accused of bringing the far-right into the mainstream by forming a coalition government with the Freedom Party, a movement founded by neo-Nazis. Kurz's critics have branded him the Alpine Trump, and he has been accused of sanitizing some of the most odious figures on the European right. Kurz's predecessor, Bruno Kreisky, was also accused of being a Nazi sympathizer. Kreisky, who was Jewish, helped propagate the myth that Austria was the first victim of the Nazis, thus brushing under the carpet Austria's complicity in the Third Reich's crimes. He appointed former Nazis to his government and publicly defended Kurt Waldheim, who was accused of war crimes during the 1986 presidential election.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Chancellor's name | Bruno Kreisky |
| Reason for accusation | Unapologetically appointed former Nazis to his government, engaged in a feud with his Nazi-hunting fellow Austrian Simon Wiesenthal, and publicly defended Kurt Waldheim when he was accused of war crimes during the 1986 presidential election |
| Reason for justification | Had lost 21 members of his family in the Holocaust |
| Chancellor's identity | Jewish |
| Chancellor's actions | Helped Austria evade responsibility for Nazi past |
| Chancellor's actions | Bowed to the terrorists' demands, allowing them to escape Austria and agreeing to close the Schönau transit camp |
| Chancellor's actions | Appointed a German Nazi to bring the Austrian Nazi Party in line |
| Chancellor's actions | Sustained the convenient myth that Austria had been the passive first victim of the Nazis |
| Chancellor's actions | Criticized Israel in harsh terms while lavishing praise on Arab despots and dictators |
| Chancellor's actions | Defended Peter and accused Simon Wiesenthal of leading a "conservative Jewish mafia" |
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What You'll Learn
Chancellor Bruno Kreisky's controversial actions
Austrian Chancellor Bruno Kreisky was accused of being a Nazi due to his controversial actions, which included propagating the myth that Austria was the first victim of the Nazis, appointing former Nazis to his government, feuding with Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal, and publicly defending individuals accused of war crimes. Here is a detailed overview of Chancellor Bruno Kreisky's controversial actions:
Propagating the Myth of Austrian Victimhood:
Upon his return to Austria in 1945, Kreisky promoted and sustained the myth that Austria was a passive victim of Nazi aggression during World War II. This narrative helped Austria evade responsibility for its complicity with the Third Reich's crimes.
Appointing Former Nazis to Government Positions:
As the Socialist chancellor of Austria, Kreisky unapologetically appointed former Nazis to his government. This caused outrage and was seen as a betrayal by those seeking justice and accountability for Nazi war crimes.
Feud with Nazi Hunter Simon Wiesenthal:
Kreisky engaged in a bitter and public feud with Simon Wiesenthal, a prominent Nazi hunter and fellow Austrian. Kreisky even falsely implied that Wiesenthal might have been a Nazi collaborator, resulting in a libel case and a fine for the former chancellor.
Defending Accused War Criminals:
Kreisky publicly defended individuals accused of war crimes, such as conservative Kurt Waldheim during the 1986 presidential election. This sparked further accusations of Kreisky being soft on Nazis and their collaborators.
Criticism of Israel and Praise for Arab Dictators:
As an anti-Zionist, Kreisky repeatedly criticized Israel while lavishing praise on Arab despots and dictators. This earned him further criticism, especially from the Israeli government and Jewish communities worldwide.
Evading Responsibility for Austria's Nazi Past:
Unlike his German counterpart, Willy Brandt, Kreisky chose not to lead a process of reckoning and confrontation with Austria's Nazi past. Instead, he downplayed the country's complicity and chose not to actively address the issue during his chancellorship.
The controversial actions of Chancellor Bruno Kreisky sparked intense debates and shaped Austria's approach to dealing with its historical role during World War II. While some criticized his actions as a betrayal of the victims and an attempt to whitewash history, others argued that he was trying to move the country forward and avoid reopening old wounds.
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Kreisky's Jewish identity and Austria's denial
Bruno Kreisky was born into an upper-middle-class Jewish family in 1911. Although he was imprisoned by the Gestapo soon after the Anschluss, he managed to escape to Sweden, where he spent World War II. Kreisky lost at least 20 members of his family in the Holocaust.
Kreisky's Jewish identity was a complex and sometimes contradictory aspect of his life. He jettisoned Judaism as a teenager, embracing socialism and rejecting Zionism. He defined himself as an Austrian socialist, refusing to acknowledge that his Jewish roots shaped his political identity. However, he never denied his Jewishness, and his personal life resembled that of other acculturated Jewish families.
Kreisky's relationship with his Jewish identity was fraught and ambiguous. As a chancellor, he appointed former Nazis to his government and engaged in a bitter feud with Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal. He also publicly defended Kurt Waldheim when he was accused of war crimes during the 1986 presidential election. In addition, Kreisky repeatedly criticized Israel while praising Arab despots and dictators. He was the first Western leader to officially recognize the PLO, and he yielded to the demands of a Palestinian terrorist group that took Jewish hostages in 1973. These actions led to accusations that he was a self-hating Jew.
Kreisky's actions as chancellor contributed to Austria's denial of its complicity in the crimes of the Third Reich. He propagated the myth that Austria was the passive first victim of Nazi Germany, a belief that helped Austria evade responsibility for its role in World War II.
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Chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg's struggle against Nazi takeover
Kurt Schuschnigg was appointed Chancellor of Austria in 1934 after the assassination of his predecessor Engelbert Dollfuss by the Nazi Otto Planetta. Schuschnigg was an Austrian politician who considered Austria a "German state" and Austrians to be Germans. However, he was strongly opposed to Adolf Hitler's goal of absorbing Austria into the Third Reich and wished for it to remain independent.
Schuschnigg struggled to prevent the Nazi takeover of Austria. He adopted a policy of appeasement towards Hitler and called Austria the "'better German state". In July 1936, he signed an Austro-German Agreement, which allowed the release of imprisoned July Putsch insurgents and the inclusion of Nazis Edmund Glaise-Horstenau and Guido Schmidt in the Austrian cabinet. However, Schuschnigg's concessions to Hitler represented the beginning of the end of Austrian independence.
In 1938, Hitler demanded that Schuschnigg hold a plebiscite, or a vote, to decide whether Austrians supported unification with Germany. Schuschnigg initially agreed but later cancelled the vote, which angered Hitler. Hitler then demanded Schuschnigg's resignation and that Seyss-Inquart, a pro-Nazi Austrian, be appointed his successor. Schuschnigg resigned on March 11, 1938, and was imprisoned by the Nazis. Austria was then annexed to Nazi Germany in what became known as the Anschluss.
After World War II ended, Schuschnigg was freed from imprisonment in May 1945. He lived and taught in the United States from 1948 to 1967, after which he returned to Austria and wrote a book about his experiences, titled "Im Kampf Gegen Hitler" ("The Brutal Takeover").
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Schuschnigg's concessions to Hitler and loss of Austrian independence
Kurt Schuschnigg was the Chancellor of the Federal State of Austria from 1934 until the 1938 Anschluss with Nazi Germany. Schuschnigg considered Austria a "German state" and Austrians to be Germans, but he was strongly opposed to Hitler's goal of absorbing Austria into the Third Reich and wished for it to remain independent.
Schuschnigg's concessions to Hitler began with the signing of an agreement in July 1936, which allowed the release of imprisoned July Putsch insurgents and the inclusion of the Nazi contact men Edmund Glaise-Horstenau and Guido Schmidt in the Austrian cabinet. In February 1938, Hitler forced Schuschnigg to implement a range of measures favourable to Austrian Nazism. The Agreement of Gaden guaranteed the Austrian Nazi Party political freedom and assisted Arthur Seyss-Inquart in becoming Home Secretary.
Hitler's demands included coordinating Austria's foreign and military policies with Germany's, placing Austrian Nazi Arthur Seyss-Inquart in charge of policing and security matters, and appointing a new Gauleiter for Austria, a Nazi Austrian army officer who had just been released from prison. Schuschnigg also agreed to exchange 100 officers between the Austrian and German armies, and to amnesty and reinstate all imprisoned Nazis. In return, Hitler would publicly reaffirm the treaty of July 1936 and Austria's national sovereignty.
Faced with these demands, Schuschnigg attempted to reassert Austrian independence through a plebiscite to be held on 13 March 1938. However, his plans were negated by the German invasion and annexation of Austria (Anschluss) on 11-13 March 1938. Schuschnigg was forced to resign on 11 March and was imprisoned by the Nazis. Austria was part of Nazi Germany from 13 March 1938 until 27 April 1945, when Allied-occupied Austria declared independence.
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Schuschnigg's imprisonment and resignation
Kurt Schuschnigg was an Austrian politician who served as the Chancellor of the Federal State of Austria from 1934 to 1938. Schuschnigg considered Austria a "German state" and Austrians to be Germans, but he strongly opposed Adolf Hitler's goal of absorbing Austria into the Third Reich, wishing for it to remain independent.
Schuschnigg attempted to maintain Austrian independence by forming the Fatherland Front (also known as the Patriotic Front), a supra-party organization that was the only lawful political group in Austria. He also tried to stave off a German takeover by strengthening ties with Hungary and Italy and signing a treaty with Germany in 1936, which guaranteed Austria freedom from German interference in its internal affairs. However, this treaty also included concessions such as the release of imprisoned Austrian Nazis and their inclusion in the Austrian cabinet.
In February 1938, Schuschnigg was summoned by Hitler to Berchtesgaden, where he was coerced into signing an agreement that effectively ended Austrian independence. Upon his return, he and President Miklas considered several options, including the chancellor's resignation. However, they ultimately decided to reorganize the cabinet to include representatives of all former and present political parties.
Hitler was not satisfied with this decision and demanded Schuschnigg's resignation on March 11, threatening armed intervention. Schuschnigg acquiesced, and his successor, Seyss-Inquart, was appointed chancellor. Hitler then entered Austria to a triumphant welcome from local Nazis, and the country was formally annexed to Germany on March 13, 1938.
After the annexation, Schuschnigg was arrested and kept in solitary confinement. He was eventually interned in various concentration camps until he was liberated by the advancing United States Army in 1945. Schuschnigg's long imprisonment by the Nazis earned him respect, even though his incarceration was under milder conditions reserved for politically important prisoners. He spent most of the rest of his life in academia in the United States and became an American citizen in 1956.
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Frequently asked questions
Austrian chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss was accused of being a Nazi.
Engelbert Dollfuss was an Austrian dictator and chancellor who served from 1932 until his assassination in 1934. He was accused of being a Nazi because he banned all parties other than his own Fatherland Front, which was a one-party dictatorship modelled after fascism in Italy. He also banned the Austrian Nazi Party and suppressed the Socialist movement in the Austrian Civil War.
No, Engelbert Dollfuss was not a Nazi. Although he ruled as a dictator and his policies were aligned with fascism, he was strongly opposed to Adolf Hitler's goal to absorb Austria into the Third Reich and wished for it to remain independent.
After Dollfuss was assassinated by Nazi agents, Kurt von Schuschnigg took over as Austrian chancellor and dictator.
No, Kurt von Schuschnigg was not a Nazi. In fact, he struggled to prevent the Nazi takeover of Austria. However, he did make concessions to Hitler and was eventually forced to resign.
