Austrian Nazism or Austrian National Socialism was a
pan-German movement that was formed at the beginning of the 20th century. The movement took a concrete form on 15 November 1903 when the
German Worker's Party (DAP) was established in Austria with its
secretariat stationed in the town of
Aussig (now ĂšstĂ nad Labem in the
Czech Republic). It was suppressed under the rule of
Engelbert Dollfuss (1932–34), with its political organization, the DNSAP ("German National Socialist Workers' Party") banned in early 1933, but revived and made part of the
German Nazi Party after the
German annexation of Austria in 1938.
Origins
Franko Stein, from the town of
Eger (now Cheb, Czech Republic) and an apprentice bookbinder
Ludwig Vogel, from the town of
BrĂĽx (now Most, Czech Republic), organised the ''Deutschnationaler Arbeiterbund'' (German National Workers' League) in 1893. It was a collection of labourers, apprentices, and
trade unionists from the railroads, mines, and textile industries, who upheld nationalism as a result of their conflicts with the non-German-speaking portions of the workforce, especially in the railway systems. In 1899, Stein was able to convene a workers' congress in Eger and promulgated a 25-point program.
Another convention was called in April 1902, under the title of "German-Political Workers' Association for Austria" (german: Deutschpolitischer Arbeiterverein fĂĽr Ă–sterreich), in
Saaz Saaz may refer to:
*Saaz, the former German name of Žatec, a town in the Czech Republic
** Saaz hops, a hop variety used in production of pilsener style beer
**DSV Saaz, a former football club in Žatec
* ''Saaz'' (film), a 1998 Indian film
* Saa ...
. In
Aussig, on 15 November 1903, they reorganized under the name of the "German Workers' Party in Austria" (german: Deutsche Arbeiterpartei in Ă–sterreich). At further party congresses,
Hans Knirsch proposed to call themselves the "Nationalsozialistische" (National-Socialist) or "Deutsch-Soziale" (German-social) Workers' Party. The Bohemian groups blocked the proposal, who did not want to copy the name of the
Czech National Social Party. An early member of this group is
Ferdinand Burschowsky
Ferdinand is a Germanic name composed of the elements "protection", "peace" (PIE "to love, to make peace") or alternatively "journey, travel", Proto-Germanic , abstract noun from root "to fare, travel" (PIE , "to lead, pass over"), and "co ...
, a printer from Hohenstadt (Moravia), who was active in writing and publishing.
DNSAP
At a party congress in
Vienna in May 1918, the DAP changed its name to the ''Deutsche Nationalsozialistische Arbeiterpartei'' (DNSAP) and produced a
National Socialist Program, which is thought to have influenced the later German Nazi manifesto. From 1920, the swastika was added as the party symbol. Before 1920, it consisted of a hammer, oak leaves and a quill.
The Austrian DNSAP split into several factions in 1923 and again in 1926, the ''
Deutschsozialen Verein'' (German-Social Association) led by Dr.
Walter Riehl
Walter may refer to:
People
* Walter (name), both a surname and a given name
* Little Walter, American blues harmonica player Marion Walter Jacobs (1930–1968)
* Gunther (wrestler), Austrian professional wrestler and trainer Walter Hahn (born ...
, the ''Schulz-Gruppe'',
, and other splinter groups.
After 1930, most former DNSAP members became supporters of the German
NSDAP led by Austrian-born
Adolf Hitler and were one of the chief elements leading the pro-Nazi coup in 1938 that brought about the
Anschluss of Austria with Germany.
According to fascism scholar
Stanley G. Payne
Stanley George Payne (born September 9, 1934) is an American historian of modern Spain and European Fascism at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He retired from full-time teaching in 2004 and is currently Professor Emeritus at its Department ...
, if elections had been held in 1933, the DNSAP might have mustered about 25% of the votes. Contemporary
''Time'' magazine analysts suggested a higher support of 50%, with a 75% approval rate in the
Tyrol region bordering
Nazi Germany.
Leaders of the party, who were dubbed ''Landesleiter'' due to the recognition of Hitler as overall ''
FĂĽhrer'', included
Alfred Proksch (1931–33),
Hermann Neubacher
Hermann Neubacher (24 June 1893 – 1 July 1960) was an Austrian Nazi politician who held a number of diplomatic posts in the Third Reich. During the Second World War, he was appointed as the leading German foreign ministry official for Greece an ...
(1935) and
Josef Leopold (1936–38), although real power frequently lay with
Theodor Habicht, a German sent by Hitler to oversee Nazi activity in Austria.
See also
*
Nazi Party
*
Austrian SS
The Austrian SS was that portion of the ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) membership from Austria. The term and title was used unofficially. They were never officially recognized as a separate branch of the SS. Austrian SS members were seen as regular personn ...
*
Austrofascism
*
Weimar Timeline
This Weimar Timeline charts the chronology of the Weimar Republic, dating the pre-history before the adoption of the actual Weimar constitution. This timeline stops when Hitler establishes the Third Reich.
The timeline is color-coded:
*Black: Norm ...
*
German Workers' Party (Austria-Hungary)
References
Notes
Bibliography
*
*
*
Rees, Philip (1990) ''
Biographical Dictionary of the Extreme Right Since 1890''. New York: Simon & Schuster.
* Whiteside, Andrew Gladding (1962) ''Austrian National Socialism Before 1918''. The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff.
Further reading
* Pauley, Bruce F. (1981) ''Hitler and the Forgotten Nazis: A History of Austrian National Socialism''. Chapel Hill, North CarolinaL
University of North Carolina Press.
*
{{Authority control
Nazi parties
Political history of Austria
German nationalism in Austria
German nationalist political parties
Banned far-right parties