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Chapter 96: Democratic Austrian Republic/ East Austria

The Democratic Austrian Republic/ East Austria, also known as the East Austrian Democratic People's Republic / Austrian Soviet Republic had closest ties to the Soviet Union and the nearby Hungarian People's Republic. As Alfred Klahr said the idea that the Austrians were part of a German Nation was quickly opposed after the Second World War, trying everything to distance themselves from the Nazi's and by claiming their own cultural, economic and political heritage, claiming that Austria had been another victim of the Nazi's like the Czech or Polish and no helper of Nazi crimes on the continent. As the Austrian Nation itself as a individual nation state was rather young and beside a common language Stalin, as well as the Western Allies were eager to split up and weaken the Germans in the former German Empire into as smaller nation states as much as possible. Alfred Klahr himself was one of the first thinkers of Marxism in Austria that discussed the German Question and that of a independent Nation. After the First World War the German-Austrian Social-democracy had worked to integrate Austria into the greater Germany. When watching the National Socialist German expansion and annihilation policy in 1937 he used Lenin and Stalin't theories to prove the economic and mental historic differences between a German and a Austrian nation. A year later Klahrs own program was similar to the later Allies post-war plans that were manifested on October 1943 in the Moscow Declaration, that among other things called for a Austrian independent nation state. In 1945 however there was no majority for supporting a Austrian Nation, no historical grown and Nazi oppressed national feeling that could have been activated. The only thing existing was the theoretical ground work by Austrian Communists, who were the first to call for a independent Austrian State as a Nation in existence, but for political-strategic reasons were opposed no matter how much they tried to reason political, economical and historical for a Austrian Nation. Their ideas were internal and foreign discussed political and the idea of a Austrian Independent nation state and a Austrian national feeling grew as did the international recognition of Austria as a once again Austrian independent nation state.

The idea of a Austrian National identity and independence opposing the German Nation, independent from it, claiming the Privilegium Minus of 1156 or the End of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806 as points of Austrian independence, freedom and liberty. And after the Nazi Era and the Second Great War many were eager to distance themselves and proclaim Austria had never been a part of Germany. The transformation of the Austrian identity to a Austrian National Independent Identity, only truly started after 1945. What helped this idea was the fact that the Anschluss and Annexation of Austria into the German Reich had under international law not been lawful, nor had the vote for doing so be transparent, fair and democratic. The annexation, not integration of Austria after all had not happened between sovereign nations and states, securing the preservation of both states interests with documents and agreements, but by military force from outside and treasonous terror of a Austrian Nazi minority from the inside, including the assassination of the Austrian Chancellor. In the new Austrian identity all represents of anti-fascist, anti-nazi parties agreed that Austrian Independence as a Nation and State was needed, especially as leftover fascists and Nazis still supported the idea of letting Austria remain a part of a greater, unified German Nation State. Austrian communists-in-exile, like Communist Party of Austria (KPÖ) founder Franz Koritschoner were deported from the Soviet Union to Nazi Germany because of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact of 1939. When War broke out between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany however, Austrian Communists were quickly started to get support and began to play a major role in fighting side-by-side with former political enemies such as Christian socialists, Catholics, Monarchists, and farmers against Nazi tyranny. During this rule 4,000 Austrian communists were imprisoned by the Nazi's and around half of them lost their life, many in concentration camps, inclduign 13 members of the KPÄ's central committee. Austrian Communists networks formed in Belgium, the so called Österreichische Freiheitsfront (English: Austrian Freedom Front). The Austrian Communists fought the Nazi's partly out of patriotism, partly as a part of the ideological struggle between fascism and communism.

With Austrian independence from Germany, the KPÖ became important on a national level and was strongly supported by the occupying Soviet authorities, so much so that party chairman Johann Koplenig became vice-chancellor, while fellow communists Franz Honner and Ernst Fischer were made ministers responsible for home affairs and education respectively. In 1945 the KPÖ promised the Soviet Union that they would be able to win as much as 30% of the Austrian first National Council elections, thanks to the national economy in ruins, but won only 5,4% of the overall vote and 4 out of 165 Austrian parliament members. When the ÖVP government instituting a severe austerity program, whose planned measures included substantial price increases but minor wage increases, leading to massive KPÖ led strikes from 26 September to 6 October 1950, with 120,000 workers participating on the first day of the first strike day alone. The Austrian work councils (ÖGB) attempt to legitimize the strikes by a conference took the momentum out of the movement and it's second phase was only majorly active in the Soviet occupation zone of East Austria. Police and paramilitary units forced the Austrian Communists strikers out of all occupied ÖGB buildings and when seven communist volunteers stormed the national ÖGB office in Vienna, and were routed by the police, the station nearly escalated. As a result the ÖGB started to oppose and reject the strike, not intimidated by communist violent threats. The Grand Coalition even feared a KPÖ coup d'état, with the goal of the installation of a people's republic and opposition to the KPÖ in Austria grew. On 5 October local workers and police amred with clubs, fists and operating in small teams battled the Communists in the streets and the chairman of the Building and Wood workers Trade Union, Franz Olah, succeeded in negotiating the dissolution of the October strikes with the help of the socialist SPÖ, causing major tensions between the socialist and the communist party of Austria. Many believe that the fact that the Soviet Red Army did not interfere also brought the strikes to an end as the Communists had no major force backing them anymore. Stalin was disappointed as the Austrian Communists had played their cards and lost. It all had begun when they had hoped for a national coalition (Volksfront) between them and the socialist SPÖ, whose ideological differences demanded the KPÖ would shift right-wing.

At the same time many Austrians were opposing the closeness of the KPÖ to Moscow and Stalin himself, as they had seen how socialist or pro-communist regional parties had used the multiparty democratic system of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire to undermine and split it up in hopes of gaining influence and support to rule with help from Moscow in the newly independent nation stated formed out of it after the First World War. Now many Austrians feared the fate of Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Poland and that they too might End under direct Moscow rule. Because of that Stalin and ÖVP party Johann Koplenig started talks (Sondermappe Codename: Gen. Filipof(f)) to divide Austria into East and West, similar to Germany, as the KPÖ was constantly losing votes in parliamentary elections and a division and establishment of a communist-led East Austria would have been a practical way to consolidate at least a part of their dwindling power. The Soviet authorities in Moscow especially Stalin who feared that one Communist Movement failing might show the Western Allies and powers that if they opposed him they stood a chance supported the idea, even if he knew such a newly established East Austria would have been quite small and most likely not be capable of existing without significant Soviet assistance. By then the Soviet sector of East Austria had already seen the confiscation of all industries, factories, and goods, as well as the transported anything of economic value back to the Soviet Union as part of war-reparations. The remaining West Austria, closely linked to NATO, would have provided a connection between West Germany and Italy, unlike a united, neutral Austria like Switzerland could have acted as a neutral buffer securing a part of the Central European front for the Soviets. Anti-Communist uprisings in East Germany (1953), Hungary and Poland (both 1956) soon convinced Stalin that despite his aid to help rebuild these nations and establish communist rule there opposition remained and therefore no Western Victory or even neutral outcome would benefit his greater plan of taking over the world and defeating capitalism. Supported by a Communist Paramilitary, the Republikanischer Schutzbund the Communist now opposed release of Austria into independence as a neutral nation state and instead declared the Democratic Austrian Republic with East Vienna as it's capital and a independent communist Austrian nation state. Other parties and their members, like Leopold Figl, opposed this, preferring a neutral or even Western and NATO aligned Austrian State during the Austrian State Treaty negotiations. Still there was little the National Council with the votes of the ÖVP plus SPÖ and opposed by the Federation of Independents (VdU, the forerunner of the FPÖ) could do about the KPÖ and some elements of the Eastern SPÖ and the Eastern DAP/ SAP (communists and socialists, split from the anti-communist elements of the Socialist Party and the Labor Party to form the new Social Democratic Party of Austria -SDPÖ/ SDP- and the Social Labor Party -SAPD/ SAP- of Austria) establishing their own East Austrian Communist State on 26 October 1955. While the KPÖ's membership of 150,000 after World War One had not been sustainable as they only had 23,000 remaining members after the Nazi tyranny in 1946, Stalin helped out with Soviet advisers and modeled the new stated like other communist movements around the world after his own brand of Marxism-Leninism; Stalinism/ Kainism/ Keinism.

Description

Chapter 96: Democratic Austrian Republic/ East Austria

The Democratic Austrian Republic/ East Austria, also known as the East Austrian Democratic People's Republic / Austrian Soviet Republic had closest ties to the Soviet Union and the nearby Hungarian People's Republic. As Alfred Klahr said the idea that the Austrians were part of a German Nation was quickly opposed after the Second World War, trying everything to distance themselves from the Nazi's and by claiming their own cultural, economic and political heritage, claiming that Austria had been another victim of the Nazi's like the Czech or Polish and no helper of Nazi crimes on the continent. As the Austrian Nation itself as a individual nation state was rather young and beside a common language Stalin, as well as the Western Allies were eager to split up and weaken the Germans in the former German Empire into as smaller nation states as much as possible. Alfred Klahr himself was one of the first thinkers of Marxism in Austria that discussed the German Question and that of a independent Nation. After the First World War the German-Austrian Social-democracy had worked to integrate Austria into the greater Germany. When watching the National Socialist German expansion and annihilation policy in 1937 he used Lenin and Stalin't theories to prove the economic and mental historic differences between a German and a Austrian nation. A year later Klahrs own program was similar to the later Allies post-war plans that were manifested on October 1943 in the Moscow Declaration, that among other things called for a Austrian independent nation state. In 1945 however there was no majority for supporting a Austrian Nation, no historical grown and Nazi oppressed national feeling that could have been activated. The only thing existing was the theoretical ground work by Austrian Communists, who were the first to call for a independent Austrian State as a Nation in existence, but for political-strategic reasons were opposed no matter how much they tried to reason political, economical and historical for a Austrian Nation. Their ideas were internal and foreign discussed political and the idea of a Austrian Independent nation state and a Austrian national feeling grew as did the international recognition of Austria as a once again Austrian independent nation state.

The idea of a Austrian National identity and independence opposing the German Nation, independent from it, claiming the Privilegium Minus of 1156 or the End of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806 as points of Austrian independence, freedom and liberty. And after the Nazi Era and the Second Great War many were eager to distance themselves and proclaim Austria had never been a part of Germany. The transformation of the Austrian identity to a Austrian National Independent Identity, only truly started after 1945. What helped this idea was the fact that the Anschluss and Annexation of Austria into the German Reich had under international law not been lawful, nor had the vote for doing so be transparent, fair and democratic. The annexation, not integration of Austria after all had not happened between sovereign nations and states, securing the preservation of both states interests with documents and agreements, but by military force from outside and treasonous terror of a Austrian Nazi minority from the inside, including the assassination of the Austrian Chancellor. In the new Austrian identity all represents of anti-fascist, anti-nazi parties agreed that Austrian Independence as a Nation and State was needed, especially as leftover fascists and Nazis still supported the idea of letting Austria remain a part of a greater, unified German Nation State. Austrian communists-in-exile, like Communist Party of Austria (KPÖ) founder Franz Koritschoner were deported from the Soviet Union to Nazi Germany because of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact of 1939. When War broke out between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany however, Austrian Communists were quickly started to get support and began to play a major role in fighting side-by-side with former political enemies such as Christian socialists, Catholics, Monarchists, and farmers against Nazi tyranny. During this rule 4,000 Austrian communists were imprisoned by the Nazi's and around half of them lost their life, many in concentration camps, inclduign 13 members of the KPÄ's central committee. Austrian Communists networks formed in Belgium, the so called Österreichische Freiheitsfront (English: Austrian Freedom Front). The Austrian Communists fought the Nazi's partly out of patriotism, partly as a part of the ideological struggle between fascism and communism.

With Austrian independence from Germany, the KPÖ became important on a national level and was strongly supported by the occupying Soviet authorities, so much so that party chairman Johann Koplenig became vice-chancellor, while fellow communists Franz Honner and Ernst Fischer were made ministers responsible for home affairs and education respectively. In 1945 the KPÖ promised the Soviet Union that they would be able to win as much as 30% of the Austrian first National Council elections, thanks to the national economy in ruins, but won only 5,4% of the overall vote and 4 out of 165 Austrian parliament members. When the ÖVP government instituting a severe austerity program, whose planned measures included substantial price increases but minor wage increases, leading to massive KPÖ led strikes from 26 September to 6 October 1950, with 120,000 workers participating on the first day of the first strike day alone. The Austrian work councils (ÖGB) attempt to legitimize the strikes by a conference took the momentum out of the movement and it's second phase was only majorly active in the Soviet occupation zone of East Austria. Police and paramilitary units forced the Austrian Communists strikers out of all occupied ÖGB buildings and when seven communist volunteers stormed the national ÖGB office in Vienna, and were routed by the police, the station nearly escalated. As a result the ÖGB started to oppose and reject the strike, not intimidated by communist violent threats. The Grand Coalition even feared a KPÖ coup d'état, with the goal of the installation of a people's republic and opposition to the KPÖ in Austria grew. On 5 October local workers and police amred with clubs, fists and operating in small teams battled the Communists in the streets and the chairman of the Building and Wood workers Trade Union, Franz Olah, succeeded in negotiating the dissolution of the October strikes with the help of the socialist SPÖ, causing major tensions between the socialist and the communist party of Austria. Many believe that the fact that the Soviet Red Army did not interfere also brought the strikes to an end as the Communists had no major force backing them anymore. Stalin was disappointed as the Austrian Communists had played their cards and lost. It all had begun when they had hoped for a national coalition (Volksfront) between them and the socialist SPÖ, whose ideological differences demanded the KPÖ would shift right-wing.

At the same time many Austrians were opposing the closeness of the KPÖ to Moscow and Stalin himself, as they had seen how socialist or pro-communist regional parties had used the multiparty democratic system of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire to undermine and split it up in hopes of gaining influence and support to rule with help from Moscow in the newly independent nation stated formed out of it after the First World War. Now many Austrians feared the fate of Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Poland and that they too might End under direct Moscow rule. Because of that Stalin and ÖVP party Johann Koplenig started talks (Sondermappe Codename: Gen. Filipof(f)) to divide Austria into East and West, similar to Germany, as the KPÖ was constantly losing votes in parliamentary elections and a division and establishment of a communist-led East Austria would have been a practical way to consolidate at least a part of their dwindling power. The Soviet authorities in Moscow especially Stalin who feared that one Communist Movement failing might show the Western Allies and powers that if they opposed him they stood a chance supported the idea, even if he knew such a newly established East Austria would have been quite small and most likely not be capable of existing without significant Soviet assistance. By then the Soviet sector of East Austria had already seen the confiscation of all industries, factories, and goods, as well as the transported anything of economic value back to the Soviet Union as part of war-reparations. The remaining West Austria, closely linked to NATO, would have provided a connection between West Germany and Italy, unlike a united, neutral Austria like Switzerland could have acted as a neutral buffer securing a part of the Central European front for the Soviets. Anti-Communist uprisings in East Germany (1953), Hungary and Poland (both 1956) soon convinced Stalin that despite his aid to help rebuild these nations and establish communist rule there opposition remained and therefore no Western Victory or even neutral outcome would benefit his greater plan of taking over the world and defeating capitalism. Supported by a Communist Paramilitary, the Republikanischer Schutzbund the Communist now opposed release of Austria into independence as a neutral nation state and instead declared the Democratic Austrian Republic with East Vienna as it's capital and a independent communist Austrian nation state. Other parties and their members, like Leopold Figl, opposed this, preferring a neutral or even Western and NATO aligned Austrian State during the Austrian State Treaty negotiations. Still there was little the National Council with the votes of the ÖVP plus SPÖ and opposed by the Federation of Independents (VdU, the forerunner of the FPÖ) could do about the KPÖ and some elements of the Eastern SPÖ and the Eastern DAP/ SAP (communists and socialists, split from the anti-communist elements of the Socialist Party and the Labor Party to form the new Social Democratic Party of Austria -SDPÖ/ SDP- and the Social Labor Party -SAPD/ SAP- of Austria) establishing their own East Austrian Communist State on 26 October 1955. While the KPÖ's membership of 150,000 after World War One had not been sustainable as they only had 23,000 remaining members after the Nazi tyranny in 1946, Stalin helped out with Soviet advisers and modeled the new stated like other communist movements around the world after his own brand of Marxism-Leninism; Stalinism/ Kainism/ Keinism.