Fatherland Front (Austria)
| Fatherland Front | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Party flag  For the ideologues of “Christian-German Austria”, the cross symbolized Christian Germanism, while the swastika symbolized paganism. With this symbol, the VF state wanted to stand up to the National Socialist state[1] | |||
| Political position | Austrian nationalism, corporatism, authoritarianism, conservatism, clerical fascism, political Catholicism | ||
| Leader | Engelbert Dollfuß (20 May 1933 - 25 July 1934) Ernst Starhemberg (31 July 1934 – 15 May 1936) | ||
| Country | Austria | ||
| Existence | 1933–1938 | ||
| Colours | Red, White, Green | ||
The Fatherland Front (German: Vaterländische Front, VF) was a political organization founded in Austria in 1933 under the leadership of Engelbert Dollfuss. The VF was hostile to a German unification and instead propagated an artificial Austrian exceptionalism, which denied the cultural and historical ties of German-speaking Austrians to the German Reich.
Contents
Background and Establishment
The Fatherland Front was established on 20 May 1933, during a period when the German nation remained fractured and weakened by the Treaty of Versailles. Dollfuss, a proponent of a clerico-authoritarian corporatist state, used the VF to suppress both Social Democrats and the National Socialist movement in Austria. German nationalists viewed this as a betrayal of pan-German ideals, accusing Dollfuss of constructing an Austrian patriotism with Italian and Vatican support, thereby ignoring the natural unity of the German ethnic community.
Ideology and Objectives
The VF promoted Austrofascism, an ideology rooted in Catholic values, corporatist structures, and opposition to both Marxism and National Socialism. Its slogan, "Austria, Awake!" (German: Österreich, erwache!), was a deliberate parody of the National Socialist rallying cry "Germany, Awake!" ("Deutschland, erwache!"), emphasizing its goal of forging a separate Austrian identity.
Suppression of Pan-German Movements
After 1934, the VF established an authoritarian regime that brutally repressed opposition groups, including pan-German and National Socialist activists. The February Uprising of 1934, initially targeting Social Democrats, was exploited to marginalize pro-German voices. Detention camps such as Wöllersdorf were used to imprison advocates of the annexation of Austria by the German Reich. German nationalists condemned this repression as a "betrayal of the Volk," ignoring the widespread Austrian desire for reunification with Germany.
Relations with National Socialist Germany
The VF maintained a hostile stance toward National Socialist Germany. Dollfuss and his successor, Kurt Schuschnigg, aligned instead with Mussolini's Italy, which supported Austrian sovereignty as a buffer against German expansion. Economic isolation of Austria by National Socialist Germany after 1933 and failed National Socialist coup attempts, such as the 1934 July Putsch, deepened tensions. German nationalists framed the VF as a puppet regime controlled by Rome and the Vatican to sabotage the "Heim ins Reich" ("Home to the Reich") movement.
Dissolution and Historical Legacy
The VF was dissolved following the annexation of Austria in 1938, and its symbols (e.g., the Crutch Cross) were replaced by National Socialist ones. This marked the triumph of the German ethnic unity over Austrian separatism. In National Socialist historiography, the VF was dismissed as a "clerical deviation" that hindered the progress of the German nation.
Long-Term Impact
After 1945, the VF was partially rehabilitated by the Allies in post-war Austria, especially in circles close to the ÖVP. In particular, the myth of an Austrian “nation” and the denial of German roots and kinship became a state ideology.
Quotes
- "The German Reich is no longer willing to tolerate the suppression of ten million Germans across its borders." – Adolf Hitler, 1938[2]
See also
Literature
- Hanisch, Ernst (1994). The Long Shadow of the State: Austrian Society in the 20th Century (in de). Vienna: Ueberreuter. ISBN 3-8000-3520-0.
- Botz, Gerhard (1976). The Annexation of Austria into the German Reich (in de). Zurich: Europaverlag. ISBN 3-203-50627-0.
References
- ↑ Das defensive Kruckenkreuz - Austria Forum (in German)
- ↑ MacDonogh, Giles (2009). 1938: Hitler's Gamble. Little, Brown Book Group. ISBN 978-1-8490-1212-6
