Not all Fascists Are Nazis - Civil War in Austria | BETWEEN 2 WARS I 1934 Part 2 of 4 - YouTube (2)

inspiration, Austrofacism is both clerical and corporatist in nature. Central to its

ideology is the belief that Austria must remain Catholic. This partly explains why it is so

anti-German, a country dominated politically by Prussian protestants.

Although some Austrofascists do have common ground with the German Nazis, Dolfuss simply

can't afford the Nazi's making any gains in his Austrian homeland. Following the communal

elections in Innsbruck in May 1933, which sees the Austrian Nazis gain 40% of the vote,

he takes even more drastic action.

State and communal polls are banned, parliament is dissolved, and Dolfuss establishes the

Vaterländische Front (Patriotic Front). In typical fascist rhetoric, the new party purportedly

represents a transcending of partisan ideology. To make it a little easier to transcend, Dolfuss

also ensures the other parties are banned from participating in politics. He also forbids

the militia, specifically the Social Democrat and Communist League, although they do continue

to exist in the underground.

Several of the actual parties themselves are next. The Communist Party goes on the May

27, and following a Nazi hand-grenade attack in Krems, killing one and wounding close to

thirty, the DNSAP are banned in June.

But this does not stop the Nazi movement's threat to an independent Austria.

With financial aid from Germany, its terrorism continues throughout the year, resulting in

a death toll of five and dozens more injured. Leading DNSAP members also flee to Bavaria

to found the Austrian Legion to prepare to re-enter their homeland via an invasion.

Now resistance to the Dollfuss regime is coming from multiple fronts. Social Democrats are

still taking to the streets to protest and are often accompanied by the armed members

of the forbidden League. In February 1934, the League finally attempts to take down the

Dolfuss government and the brief, but violent Austrian Civil War starts. In the space of

less than a week, Heimwehr and League forces clash throughout Austria's cities. Hundreds

die. Thousands are wounded. But Dollfuss emerges victorious, cracks down on all hostilities

and uses the crisis to increase and consolidate his power. A few months later he proclaims

the May Constitution. This formally abolishes democracy, while also bringing the Catholic

Church into the center of political life, declaring that all laws come from God on high.

Now, Nazi Germany may be a constant threat to an independent Austria, but Fascist Italy

proves itself a perhaps surprising ally.

In March 1934, Italy, Hungary and Austria sign a bunch of agreements in Rome. These

'Rome Protocols' are mainly economic but are a clear sign to Hitler that the Southern Catholic

countries are a united bloc not to be messed with.

It is not actually that surprising that Mussolini is willing to leave Hitler in the cold. His

ideology of Italian exceptionalism is pretty much at odds with Nazi beliefs in a superior

Germanic race. More importantly, he is concerned about Italian territorial integrity.

In the very North of the country lives a sizeable German minority, constituting a majority in

South Tyrol. Now, Hitler's race motivated expansionism means that he clearly has his

eyes on these lands. Dollfuss, however, is not, giving Mussolini a vital buffer against

Hitler's Greater Germanic Reich. In April 1933, Mussolini even told Dollfuss that “if

necessary, Italy would defend Austria's independence by force of arms.” Dollfuss

takes this to heart and strengthened in his confidence, he makes it unmistakably clear

that he is opposed to a Nazi incursion into Austria.

Hardly a man to let things slide, Hitler ramps up Nazi activities in Austria. Things come

to a violent head on July 25 1934, when 154 men from the Austrian SS, all trained by the

army but dismissed because of their Nazi connections, break into the Chancellery building in Vienna.

Now, rumors have been flying for quite some time that something like this is going to

happen, so Dollfuss is immediately alerted. His cabinet members flee, but he does not

and stays to resist, but he is soon shot and critically wounded. The Nazi putschists are

by now caught in a standoff with the army and the police. Dollfuss begs them first for

medical treatment and then the Last Rites. The Nazis deny his pleas and a few hours into

the putsch he dies. Meanwhile, a radio station is captured, and a broadcast goes out declaring

the formation of a Nazi government and a call for a general uprising.

Upon hearing the news, Mussolini, whose wife has actually been entertaining the rest of

the Dollfuss family, is furious. He immediately denounces the putsch and threatens war with

Germany in defense of Austria. We don't actually know the exact role Hitler plays

in these events, but regardless of his direct involvement, he now professes Germany's innocence

in the whole affair. The "Nazi government" occupying the Viennese Chancellery is suddenly

left without any support, denounced by the party and man who they killed a political

leader for. They surrender that evening and are subsequently executed.

We do know that the plan had been for SA units to stage uprisings across the country simultaneously.

But poor planning and SA-SS rivalry get in the way of this. There are a few bloody skirmishes

over the next days, but it is nothing close to the revolution they had hoped for. Overall,

the July Putsch has left close to 300 people killed and many more injured. It's a bit

of an embarrassing failure for the Nazis. They had expected the army and police to be

on their side, but they mostly stayed loyal to the Austrian state. Thousands of Nazi party

members are now also thrown into detention camps.

Nevertheless, it has shaken Austria to its core.

Kurt Schuschnigg succeeds Dolfuss as Austria's leader. He will largely continue the work

of his predecessor, desperately trying to keep Catholic Austria independent from the

Third Reich. He will, however, find himself increasingly isolated on the international

stage and be forced to adopt, like the rest of the European powers, a policy of appeasement

towards the ever-encroaching Nazi state. And when that power, the Nazi German Reich marches

into Austria, it will be to the tune of millions of Austrians hailing the new rise of the German

race. Despite Dollfuss, despite Schsuschnigg, millions will join the Nazis. Eventually,

countless Austrians will participate, and even lead the Nazi terror machine.

We've made an episode about the Fascist movement in general… it will be right here

any moment now. Our TimeGhost Army member for this episode is NN. It's thanks to our

TimeGhost army members' contribution that we can continue shining a light on these events.

And if like the Austrians, you find yourself looking down the barrel of a gun, remember

Harvey Specter's thoughts about not being out of choices… ”You take the gun, or

you pull out a bigger one. Or, you call their bluff. Or, you do any one of a hundred and

forty-six other things.” Prost!