July Revolt of 1927

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July Revolt
Vienna Palace of Justice in the 1880s
Date15 July 1927
LocationVienna, Austria
ParticipantsAustrian Social Democrats
Outcome
  • 89 registered deaths, more than 600 seriously injured
  • General strike without success
  • Rise of right-wing
    Austrofascism
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The July Revolt of 1927 (also known as the Vienna

Austrian capital, Vienna. The revolt was sparked by the acquittal of three nationalist paramilitary members for the killing of two social democratic Republikanischer Schutzbund members and culminated with police forces firing into the outraged crowd and killing 89 protesters,[1]
and five policemen died. More than 600 protestors and around 600 policemen were injured.

Background

The clash was the result of conflict between the

nationalist Frontkämpfervereinigung Deutsch-Österreichs under Colonel Hermann Hiltl and the Social Democratic Republikanischer Schutzbund
.

Events

Schattendorf shooting

On 30 January 1927, a Republikanischer Schutzbund group held a demonstration in the town of Schattendorf, in Burgenland. After the demonstration had ended, the Frontkämpfervereinigung Deutsch-Österreichs attacked the Schutzbund members heading back to the train station and injured several and killed Matthias Csmarits, a World War I veteran, and Josef Grössing, an eight-year-old boy.[2][3]

The shooting provoked significant controversy, with the funeral of the two victims on 2 February being attended by thousands and trade unions declaring a 15 min general strike throughout Austria to mark the funeral. Several months later, On 5 July, the trial of three Frontkämpfervereinigung members who were accused of the shooting began in Vienna. During the trial, the three, defended by the lawyer

self-defence. After nine days, on 14 July, the jury acquitted them.[4]

General strike

Protesters in front of the burning Palace of Justice

This "Schattendorf Verdict" led to a

Palace of Justice
. Around noon, protesters entered the building by smashing the windows and then demolished the furnishings and began setting fire to files. Soon afterward, the building was ablaze. The fire spread quickly, as the Vienna fire brigade was attacked by several demonstrators, who cut the hoses and so prevented its being brought under control until the early morning.

The former (and later) Austrian Chancellor

Johann Schober, who was then Vienna chief of police, suppressed the protests with force. He unsuccessfully urged Social Democratic Mayor Karl Seitz to call for the Austrian Armed Forces, which Seitz rejected. Schober attempted for the Christian Social Party Defence Minister Carl Vaugoin
to do the same.

Finally, Schober supplied the police troops with army

Theodor Körner
had attempted to persuade the crowd to surrender. The police opened fire and left 5 police officers and 89 demonstrators dead.

Significance and remembrance

Scorched documents

The 20th-century philosopher, scholar and social commentator Karl Popper was 24 years old and living in Vienna during the unrest. In his 1976 autobiography, he recalled the event as foreshadowing extremism: “I began to expect the worst: that the democratic bastions of Central Europe would fall, and that a totalitarian Germany would start another war”.[5]

A memorial to the victims was erected in the Vienna

Heeresgeschichtliches Museum
.

See also

Notes

  1. ISBN 0-00-638255-X
    .
  2. ^ "30 January 1927 – prologue of a fateful day".
  3. ^ "Hardened Fronts, Anti-Parliamentary Forces | Austrian Parliament".
  4. ^ "1927: Austrian General Strike | libcom.org". libcom.org.
  5. ISBN 0006365922
    .

References

  • G.R.E. Gedye, Fallen Bastions (London, 1939)
  • F. Carsten, Fascism in Austria (London, 1977)
  • B. Wenzl, Red's Visit to Riotous Vienna: Sinclair Lewis Reports on the July Revolt of 1927. In: Sinclair Lewis Society Newsletter Vol. 30 (1), Fall 2021, pp. 5

External links
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