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Post-war

Peace and social issues

After the outbreak of war most Social Democrats – at least in the first two years of the war – pursued a “truce policy”. Very little was left of their pre-war pacifist commitment; they now supported the war.


 

Before the war the Social Democratic party had asserted that lasting peace could be achieved only by abolishing the capitalist social order, which was seen to be reinforced by the militarist structure. After 1914, by contrast, they were afflicted with “major paralysis”, as the historian Christoph Gütermann puts it. This attitude ended only in 1916–17 after Friedrich Adler had assassinated prime minister Stürgkh in October 1916, and Karl Renner’s patriotic Socialist line ran aground at the 1917 party congress.

Before 1914, in particular the Social Democratic women’s movement, which had links with the international socialist peace movement, came out vehemently against militarism and war. According to historian Susan Zimmermann, paragraph 30 of the statutes prevented it from being incorporated in the party as a whole, and as a result its representatives were able “to adopt more radical positions”. At the same time, however, this weakened their influence on the party as a whole and its political line. Leading members of the working women’s movement like Adelheid Popp were frequently heckled or censored by controlling party bodies when speaking against war and militarism. Anti-military ideas and appeals for peace were heard mainly at the large voting right demonstrations. At one such demonstration in Vienna, Adelheid Popp stated, for example: “We protest against millions being wasted for killing and fratricidal war. We want the killing machinery to be dismantled and these millions to be used for the needs of the people!”

Austrian Social Democratic women also took part in an international peace demonstration in Berlin in April 1914 and spoke against militarism and in favour of worldwide peace. A few months later, however, with the outbreak of war this commitment ceased and the majority of Social Democratic women adopted the pro-war line of the party as a whole, reflected amongst other things in their participation in the Women’s War Aid Action. From 1915, however, there were appeals at practically all meetings of the women’s worker movement for a rapid end to the war.

Translation: Nick Somers

 

 

Bibliografie 

Anderson, Harriet: Utopian Feminism. Women’s Movements in Fin-de-Siecle Vienna, New Haven 1992, 125

Flich, Renate: Frauen und Frieden. Analytische und empirische Studie über die Zusammenhänge der österreichischen Frauenbewegung und der Friedensbewegung mit besonderer Rücksicht des Zeitraumes seit 1960, in: Rauchensteiner, Manfried (Hrsg.): Überlegungen zum Frieden, Wien 1987, 410-461

Gütermann, Christoph: Die Geschichte der österreichischen Friedensbewegung 1891-1985, in: Rauchensteiner, Manfried (Hrsg.): Überlegungen zum Frieden, Wien 1987, 13-132

Lackner, Daniela: Die Frauenfriedensbewegung in Österreich zwischen 1899 und 1915, Unveröffentlichte Diplomarbeit, Universität Wien, Wien 2008

Rebhan-Glück, Ines: Die österreichische Frauenbewegung und der Krieg, in: Alfred Pfoser/Andreas Weigel (Hrsg.), Im Epizentrum des Zusammenbruchs. Wien im Ersten Weltkrieg, Wien 2013, 82-87

Zimmermann, Susan: Die österreichische Frauen-Friedensbewegung vor und im Ersten Weltkrieg, in: Forum Alternativ (Hrsg.), Widerstand gegen Krieg und Militarismus in Österreich und Anderswo, Wien 1982, 88-96

 

Quotes:

„major paralysis“: quoted from: Gütermann, Christoph: Die Geschichte der österreichischen Friedensbewegung 1891-1985, in: Rauchensteiner, Manfried (Hrsg.): Überlegungen zum Frieden, Wien 1987, 73

„This attitude ended only …“: Gütermann, Christoph: Die Geschichte der österreichischen Friedensbewegung 1891-1985, in: Rauchensteiner, Manfried (Hrsg.): Überlegungen zum Frieden, Wien 1987, 73

„to adopt more radical positions“: quoted from: Zimmermann, Susan: Die österreichische Frauen-Friedensbewegung vor und im Ersten Weltkrieg, in: Forum Alternativ (Hrsg.), Widerstand gegen Krieg und Militarismus in Österreich und Anderswo, Wien 1982, 90

„[…] this weakened their influence …“:  Zimmermann, Susan: Die österreichische Frauen-Friedensbewegung vor und im Ersten Weltkrieg, in: Forum Alternativ (Hrsg.): Widerstand gegen Krieg und Militarismus in Österreich und Anderswo, Wien 1982, 90

„We protest against millions ...“: Adelheid Popp, quoted from: Zimmermann, Susan: Die österreichische Frauen-Friedensbewegung vor und im Ersten Weltkrieg, in: Forum Alternativ (Hrsg.), Widerstand gegen Krieg und Militarismus in Österreich und Anderswo, Wien 1982, 90

„[...]  international peace demonstration in Berlin …“: Zimmermann, Susan: Die österreichische Frauen-Friedensbewegung vor und im Ersten Weltkrieg, in: Forum Alternativ (Hrsg.), Widerstand gegen Krieg und Militarismus in Österreich und Anderswo, Wien 1982, 90

„From 1915, however, there were appeals …“: Zimmermann, Susan: Die österreichische Frauen-Friedensbewegung vor und im Ersten Weltkrieg, in: Forum Alternativ (Hrsg.): Widerstand gegen Krieg und Militarismus in Österreich und Anderswo, Wien 1982, 93

Contents related to this chapter

Aspects

  • Aspect

    Discontent

    The longer the war lasted, the more disagreement was voiced by representatives of the Austrian peace and women’s movements and also by sections of the Austro‑Hungarian population. They became increasingly tired of the war, reflected in strikes and hunger riots and in mass desertions by front soldiers towards the end of the war.

Persons, Objects & Events

  • Person

    Friedrich Adler

    Friedrich Adler, son of the Social Democratic Party leader Victor Adler, was the Party Secretary of the Austrian Social Democrats between 1911 and 1914. As an opponent of the war, he objected to the Social Democrat war policy and ultimately resigned from his position as Party Secretary. On 21 October 1916, Friedrich Adler assassinated the Austro-Hungarian Prime Minister Karl Graf Stürgkh, whom he regarded as being responsible for the continuation of the war. Adler was then sentenced to death, but reprieved by Emperor Karl and amnestied shortly before the end of the war.

  • Object

    Mobilisation of the civilian population

    During the "Gold for Iron” campaign, gold rings or jewellery donated to finance the war were exchanged for iron rings. The civilian population was called upon to play an active role in welfare and aid associations and to offer its services for the fatherland. Women and children collected clothes and blankets for the army and hospitals, and materials like wastepaper and iron for recycling. They knitted and sewed, and these "Liebesgaben” or charitable gifts were sent to the front to provide emotional encouragement to the troops.

     

  • Object

    For peace

    The face on the 1000-schilling note is Bertha von Suttner, probably the most famous representative of the Austrian peace movement. During the First World War there were lots of people and groups who followed her example and protested against the war and in favour of peace. Although they had little influence, their advocacy of peace was particularly courageous in view of the prevailing and controlling censorship.

  • Event

    Austrian Minister President shot

    The Austrian Minister President Count Karl Stürkgh was shot by Social Democrat Friedrich Adler. New Minister President was Ernest Koerber.

Developments

  • Development

    Gender roles: change/no change?

    It is a widely held view that the First World War revolutionised the traditional roles of men and women in society. Photos of tram conductresses, female coach drivers and postwomen would appear to confirm this, as does the assumption by women of the traditional male role as providers for the family. But did things change that much, and what was left of the supposed changes after 1918?