As Austria has been mentioned a few times, however undeservedly, in recent discussions about Turkeys possible entry into the EU, here is a short glimpse of Austrias history.
On
October 4,1892, Engelbert Dollfuss, Chancellor of Austria from 1932-1934 was born in Texing, Austria.
Dollfuss was one of the leading exponents of Austro-Fascism, a rightwing, authoritarian and Catholic movement, that ruled Austria in the 1930s.
After its defeat in WW1, Austria had two overriding identity problems, firstly it had to overcome its fall from one of the leading European countries of the pre-war era to a much reduced and rather insignificant country, and secondly its relation with its equally defeated, but still powerful Germanic neighbour. After the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, the majority of parties in the newly formed Republic, constituted by the German speaking areas of the former Empire, had actually asked for unification with Germany, with which Austria had shared most of its history. The Treaty of St.Germain in 1919, between the victorious Allies and the Austrian Republic, however prohibited any possible union with Germany, and Austria enjoyed a few years of a democratic, if somewhat unstable, development.
Austria before and after WW1
The rise of the Nazi party in Germany in the late 20s and early 30s however disturbed the Alpine idyll. From the beginning it had been a declared intention of Hitler, himself born in Linz, Austria, to lead the country of his fathers Heim ins Reich (Back into the Empire) and the Austrian offshoot of the NSDAP with the same name , actively supported Hitlers policies from inside Austria.
The worldwide depression of the late 20s also affected Austria deeply, it suffered a severe economic crisis and a virtual civil war on Austrian streets between the Nazis and their Communist enemies, and like many other countries in Europe, Austria fell for the same apparent solution of its crisis: A strong man at the head of a strong government.
In March 1932, Engelbert Dollfuss, the then leader of Austrias largest party, the right-wing Christian Socialist Party, far more Christian/Catholic than Socialist, became Chancellor and in March 1933, two months after Hitler assumption of power, dissolved the Austrian parliament and continued to rule with emergency measures. The abolition of the free press and the persecution of any political opposition soon followed, and by the end of 1933 had become a fascist state like so many others in Europe.
The Austrian Dictator Engelbert Dollfuss
Dollfuss soon merged any still legal, conservative, parties into the Patriotic Front, with him as its authoritarian leader at its head. If anything the Austro-Fascism modeled itself on its Italian neighbour, it didnt really possess any of the racial or expansionist elements of German Nazism; in fact the Dollfuss regime strictly resented any of Hitlers attempts to seek unification.
It would cost him his life. Austrian Nazis were of course still demanding a pan-Germanic state, and bitterly frustrated by Dollfusss resistance, a group of NSDAP members stormed the seat of government in Vienna on July, 25 1934 assassinated the Chancellor and Dictator of Austria , Engelbert Dollfuss.
He was succeeded by Karl Schuschnigg, a fellow CSP and Patriotic Front member, who banned the Nazi party and somehow managed to preserve Austrias independence until the invasion of German troops on March 12 1938 and the subsequent annexation of Austria, the Anschluss.
What else happened on this day?
1830 Belgium declares independence from the Kingdom of the United Netherlands.
1957 The Soviet Union launches Sputnik, the world's first artificial Earth satellite. It weighed 184 pounds, and circled Earth once every hour and 36 minutes.
Full list:
Wikipedia
Edited by Komnenos