First Austrian Republic
Republic of Austria Republik Österreich (German) | |||||||||
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1919–1934 | |||||||||
Anthem: Deutschösterreich, du herrliches Land "German-Austria, you wonderful country" (1920–1929) Sei gesegnet ohne Ende (English: "Be Blessed Without End") (1929–1934) | |||||||||
Capital and largest city | Vienna | ||||||||
Common languages | German (Austrian German) | ||||||||
Religion | Christianity (Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Protestant), Judaism | ||||||||
Demonym(s) | Austrian | ||||||||
Government | Federal parliamentary republic | ||||||||
President | |||||||||
• 1919–1920 | Karl Seitz | ||||||||
• 1920–1928 | Michael Hainisch | ||||||||
• 1928–1934 | Wilhelm Miklas | ||||||||
Chancellor | |||||||||
• 1919–1920 (first) | Karl Renner | ||||||||
• 1932–1934 (last) | Engelbert Dollfuss | ||||||||
Legislature | May Constitution | 1 May 1934 | |||||||
Currency | Austrian krone (1919–1924) Austrian schilling (1924–1938) | ||||||||
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Today part of | Austria |
History of Austria |
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Austria portal |
The First Austrian Republic (
Foundation
In September 1919, the rump state of
The new state managed to block two land claims by its neighbours. The first was the south-eastern part of
The Treaty of Saint Germain angered the German population in Austria who claimed that it violated the
Government and politics, 1920–1934
The new constitution created a bi-cameral legislature with the upper house – the Federal Council – formed by representatives from federal states and the lower house – the National Council – to which deputies were elected in universal elections. The Federal President was elected for a four-year term in a full session of both houses, while the Chancellor was elected by the National Council. As no political party ever gained a parliamentary majority, Austria was governed by coalitions of the conservative Christian Social Party and the right-wing Greater German People's Party or Landbund which were more conservative than the first government of Social Democrat Karl Renner of 1919–20, which had established a number of progressive socioeconomic and labour legislations.
After 1920, Austria's government was dominated by the anti-Anschluss
After the legislative elections of October 17, 1920, the Social Democrats lost the parliamentary majority and remained in the opposition until 1934, when they were banned by Dollfuss. The Christian Socials won 85, Social Democrats 69, Greater Germany Party 20 and Peasants Union 8 seats. Michael Hainisch was elected Federal President. After the October 1923 elections Ignaz Seipel stayed in power and resigned in November 1924 when he was succeeded by Rudolf Ramek.
In December 1928 the Christian Social Wilhelm Miklas was elected to the post of Federal President and on 7 December 1929 the Constitution was amended, reducing the rights of the Parliament, making the Federal President electable by a popular vote and giving him the right to appoint the federal government and to issue emergency laws.
After the 1930 legislative elections the Social Democrats emerged as the largest party with 72 seats, but Christian Social Chancellor Otto Ender created a coalition government without them.
Left–right clashes
Despite the nation having a steady political party in power, the politics of the nation were fractious and violent, with both Social Democrat (Republikanischer Schutzbund) and right-wing (Heimwehr) political paramilitary forces clashing with each other. The country was divided between the conservative countryside population and Red Vienna controlled by the Social Democrats.
In 1927, during a political clash in Schattendorf, an old man and a child were shot and killed by the Heimwehr. On 14 July 1927 the shooters were acquitted and left-wing supporters began a massive protest during which the Ministry of Justice building was burned. To restore order, the police and army shot and killed 89 people and injured 600. The huge protest is known as the July Revolt of 1927. Social Democrats called for a general strike which lasted four days.
After the 1927 events, the conservative elements became stronger and the violence in Austria continued to escalate until the early 1930s when Engelbert Dollfuss became Chancellor.
Economy
However the new state was difficult to control, as much of the former empire's important economic regions had been taken away with the foundation of new nation-states. The matter was further complicated by the fact that a number of these new nation-states were still dependent on Vienna's banks, but business was hampered by the newly erected borders and tariffs.
The landlocked Austria was barely able to support itself with food and lacked a developed industrial basis. In addition, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Yugoslavia and Italy had imposed a trade blockade and refused to sell food and coal to Austria, which eventually was saved by aid and support from the Western Allies. By 1922 one USA dollar was worth 19,000 kronen and half the population was unemployed.[3]
In December 1921 the Treaty of Lana between Austria and Czechoslovakia was signed in which Austria recognized the new state borders and relinquished claims to represent ethnic Germans living on the territory of the newly created Czechoslovakia. In return Czechoslovakia provided a loan of 500 million Kronen to Austria.[4]
In 1922, in an effort to deal with post-war inflation, Chancellor
The Great Depression hit Austria hard and in May 1931 the largest bank in Austria, Creditanstalt Bank, collapsed.[5] To improve its economy, Austria wanted to conclude a customs union with Germany, but in 1931 this was denied by France and the countries of the Little Entente.
Austrofascism
Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss of the Christian Social Party took power in Austria on 20 May 1932, and moved the party and Austria towards dictatorship, centralisation and fascism, in part because fascist Italy was its strongest international ally against Germany. In March 1933, Dollfuss suspended the parliament, which gave him the opportunity to establish an authoritarian government without a parliament. In May 1933 he created the Fatherland Front (German: Vaterländische Front). While outwardly fascist, it was mostly Catholic and influenced by the papal encyclical Quadragesimo anno of 1931 which refuted liberalism and socialism in favour of corporatism.
The government was in competition with the growing
Political violence escalated into the Austrian Civil War of February 1934, between Social Democrats and government forces. On 1 May 1934, Dollfuss created a one-party state, to be led by the Fatherland Front, with the proclamation of the authoritarian "May Constitution". The name of the country was changed from the "Republic of Austria" to the "Federal State of Austria". The flag, coat of arms and anthem were changed, too.
Federalism and the controlling powers of the
The state took complete control of employer–employee relations, known as Ständestaat, and began to crack down on pro-Nazi and pro–German-unification sympathizers. The Nazis responded by assassinating Engelbert Dollfuss during the July Putsch of 25 July 1934[6] (see Maiverfassung 1934).
This assassination by the Austrian Nazis infuriated Austria's neighbour
The successor to Dollfuss, Kurt Schuschnigg, maintained the ban on Nazi activities, but also banned Austria's national paramilitary force, the Heimwehr, in 1936.
References
- ISBN 978-951-39-3074-5.
- PDF)
- ISBN 9780549324867.
- ISBN 9780521316255– via Google Books.
- ^ "1931". 11 March 2009.
- ^ "1934 to 1938: Ständestaat in the Name of "God, the Almighty"". www.wien.gv.at.