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45-480: Engelbert Dollfuss (alternatively Dollfuß ; 4 October 1892 – 25 July 1934) was an Austrian politician who served as Chancellor and Dictator of Austria between 1932 and 1934. Having served as Minister for Forests and Agriculture, he ascended to Federal Chancellor in 1932 in the midst of a crisis for the conservative government. This crisis culminated in the self-elimination of the Austrian Parliament ,

90-591: A 22-year-old who had been ejected from the military for his pro-Nazi views and had joined the Nazi Party in 1932. Dertill was sentenced to five years in prison for attempted murder. In the aftermath of the attempted assassination, Dollfuss declared martial law , which allowed for the resumption of capital punishment in Austria . Defunct In its drive to eliminate the Social Democrats' Schutzbund ,

135-531: A consequence, the two vice presidents, belonging to other parties, resigned as well in order to be able to vote. Without a president, the parliament could not conclude the session. Dollfuss took the three resignations as a pretext to declare that the National Council had become unworkable and advised President Wilhelm Miklas to issue a decree adjourning it indefinitely. On March 7, Dolfuss announced his government had assumed emergency powers based on

180-732: A coup sparked by the resignation of the presiding officers of the National Council . Suppressing the Socialist movement in the Austrian Civil War and later banning the Austrian Nazi Party , he cemented the rule of Austrofascism through the First of May Constitution in 1934. Later that year, Dollfuss was assassinated as part of a failed coup attempt by Nazi agents. His successor Kurt Schuschnigg maintained

225-591: A priest, and thus he enrolled at the University of Vienna to study theology, but after a few months changed course and started studying law in 1912. As a student, he earned a livelihood by giving lessons. He became a member of the Students' Social Movement, a student organisation dedicated to social and charitable work among the workers. As World War I broke out, Dollfuss was reported to be recruited in Vienna but

270-499: A similar way to Italian fascism , dropping Austrian pretenses of unification with Germany as long as the Nazi Party remained in power there. In August 1933, Benito Mussolini 's regime issued a guarantee of Austrian independence. Dollfuss also exchanged "Secret Letters" with Mussolini about ways to guarantee Austrian independence. Mussolini had an interest in Austria forming a buffer zone against Nazi Germany. Dollfuss always stressed

315-753: A state government with the Social Democratic politician Karl Renner as head of the State Chancellery. The Renner ministry was composed of representatives of the three main political parties—Social Democrats, the Christian Social Party (CS) and German Nationalists ( Greater Germans )—according to the Proporz doctrine. As acting executive body it remained in office until the Constitutional Assembly of

360-512: Is interred in the Hietzing cemetery in Vienna. His wife, Alwine Dollfuss (who died in 1973) was later buried beside him. Two of his children, Rudolf and Eva, were in Italy as guests of Rachele Mussolini at the time of his death, an event which saw Mussolini himself shed tears over his slain ally. In Bertolt Brecht 's 1941 play The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui , Dollfuss is represented by

405-756: Is the executive cabinet of the Republic of Austria . It consists of the chancellor , who is the head of government , the vice chancellor and the ministers . Since the 1929 reform of the Austrian Constitution , all members of the Federal Government are appointed by the Austrian Federal President. As the Federal Government must maintain the confidence of parliament , the President must generally abide by

450-695: The Austrian First Republic on 15 March 1919 elected Renner's second cabinet, a coalition government of Social Democratic and Christian Social ministers. State Chancellor Renner had signed the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye , whereafter his cabinet retired en bloc. Re-elected by the Constitutional Assembly on 17 October 1919, his third cabinet was finally overturned with the break-up of the SPÖ-CS coalition on 7 July 1920. Renner

495-585: The Austrian National Socialists (DNSAP) could gain a significant minority in future elections (according to fascism scholar Stanley G. Payne , should elections have been held in 1933, the DNSAP could have mustered about 25% of the votes – contemporary Time magazine analysts suggest higher support of 50%, with a 75% approval rate in the Tyrol region bordering Nazi Germany ). In addition,

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540-572: The Eucharist administered to a dying person, but his assassins refused to give it to him. Mussolini had no hesitation in attributing the attack to the German dictator: the news reached him at Cesena , where he was examining the plans for a psychiatric hospital. Mussolini personally gave the announcement to Dollfuss's widow, who was a guest at his villa in Riccione with her children. He also put at

585-1123: The Soviet Union 's influence in Europe had increased throughout the 1920s and early 1930s. Dollfuss banned the Communist Party of Austria on 26 May 1933 and the DNSAP on 19 June 1933. Under the banner of the Fatherland Front , he later established a one-party dictatorship rule largely modelled after fascism in Italy, banning all other Austrian parties – including the Social Democratic Labour Party (SDAPÖ). Social Democrats however continued to exist as an independent organization, nevertheless, though without its paramilitary Republikanischer Schutzbund , which until banned on 31 March 1933 could have mustered tens of thousands against Dollfuss's government. Dollfuss modelled Austrofascism according to Catholic corporatist ideals with anti-secularist tones and in

630-507: The "Wartime Economy Authority Law," which had been passed in 1917. From that point onwards, he governed by emergency decree, effectively seizing dictatorial powers. When the National Council wanted to reconvene on 15 March, days after the resignation of the three presidents, Dollfuss had the police bar entrance to the chamber, effectively eliminating democracy in Austria. Dollfuss was concerned that with German National Socialist leader Adolf Hitler as Chancellor of Germany from January 1933,

675-580: The Austrian military of blowing up the Chancellery using dynamite , and were subsequently tried and executed by hanging . Kurt Schuschnigg , previously Minister of Education, was appointed new chancellor of Austria after a few days, assuming the office from Dollfuss's deputy Starhemberg. Out of a population of 6.5 million, approximately 500,000 Austrians were present at Dollfuss's burial in Vienna . He

720-466: The Austrians' Catholic religion in an attempt to cultivate a sense of nationalism and prevent it from being absorbed by Nazi Germany. As a result of his consistent opposition to Nazi demands, Dollfuss was assassinated on 25 July 1934 by a group of Austrian Nazis, including Otto Planetta , Franz Holzweber , Ernst Feike, Franz Leeb, Josef Hackl, Ludwig Maitzen, Erich Wohlraab, and Paul Hudl, who entered

765-480: The Chancellery building and shot him in an attempted coup d'état . During mass trials which took place after the coup, Hudl was sentenced to life in prison, while the others were sentenced to death for their involvement. Planetta and Holzweber were hanged on 31 July 1934, Feike was hanged on 7 August 1934, and Leeb, Hackl, Maitzen, and Wohlraab were hanged on 13 August 1934. Hudl was released under an amnesty in 1938. In his dying moments, Dollfuss asked for Viaticum ,

810-632: The Chancellor and/or the whole government at any time. If this occurs, a new government must then be formed by the parties that control parliament. The government is convened for frequently scheduled meetings. When formally convened as such, the government is termed the Council of Ministers ( German : Ministerrat ), which is equivalent to the word " cabinet ". The Chancellor presides over cabinet meetings as first among equals without decisional authority, regardless of his right of proposal concerning

855-543: The Christian-Social Party. Dollfuss refused to reply, instead spending the night in his favourite church praying, returning in the morning for a bath and a spartan meal before replying to the President that he would accept the offer. Dollfuss was sworn in on 20 May 1932 as head of a coalition government between the Christian-Social Party, the Landbund – a right-wing agrarian party – and Heimatblock ,

900-640: The Dollfuss government searched the homes and meeting places of its members for weapons. On 12 February 1934, the Austrian Civil War was sparked by the armed resistance of the Linz branch of the Social Democrats to the search of their party headquarters. Word of the fighting in Linz spread quickly, and additional armed conflicts broke out, primarily in Austria's industrial regions and Vienna. The Schutzbund

945-537: The Federal Railways, the largest industrial corporation in Austria. There, Dollfuss came into contact with all branches of the industry. In March 1931, he was appointed Federal Minister of Agriculture and Forestry. On 10 May 1932, Dollfuss, age 39 and with only one year's experience in the Federal Government , was offered the office of Chancellor by President Wilhelm Miklas , also a member of

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990-583: The Federal government on 12 February 1934, and their leaders were imprisoned or fled abroad. Dollfuss staged a rump parliamentary session with just Fatherland Front members present in April 1934 to have a new constitution approved , effectively the second constitution in the world espousing corporatist ideas (after that of the Portuguese Estado Novo ). The session retrospectively made all

1035-553: The National Council parliament. In the course of the Austrian Civil War he brought down the opposition, and on 1 May 1934 implemented the authoritarian Federal State of Austria . All political parties were banned, except for the Fatherland's Front supporting Dollfuß' Austrofascist government. The Federal Government ceased at the Anschluss (the incorporation of Austria into Nazi Germany ) on 13 March 1938. On 27 April 1945

1080-710: The Western European powers, and he officially denied liability, stating his regret for the murder of the Austrian Chancellor. He replaced the ambassador to Vienna with Franz von Papen and prevented the conspirators from entering Germany, also expelling them from the Austrian Nazi Party. The Nazi assassins in Vienna, after declaring the formation of a new government under Austrian Nazi Anton Rintelen , previously exiled by Dollfuss as Austrian Ambassador to Rome, surrendered after threats from

1125-522: The appointment of the government's members by the President. The cabinet adopts resolutions in the presence of at least half of its members and, according to the ruling of the Austrian Constitutional Court, unanimously – in particular the introduction of bills to the National Council. Each federal minister is also responsible for his or her own ministry, and may be supported by one or more state secretaries , who also participate in

1170-510: The cabinet's meetings. State secretaries are not considered members of the government, and have no right to vote during cabinet meetings. There are currently twelve Federal Ministries that all make up the Austrian cabinet. After the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy , on 30 October 1918 the provisional national assembly of German Austria elected a State Council ( Staatsrat ) executive, which itself appointed

1215-885: The character "Dullfeet". Gordon Brook Shepard wrote a book in 1961 detailing Dolfuss and his rise to power. Federal State of Austria Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.133 via cp1102 cp1102, Varnish XID 539786007 Upstream caches: cp1102 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Thu, 28 Nov 2024 05:34:35 GMT Government of Austria [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] The Government of Austria ( German : Bundesregierung der Republik Österreich )

1260-666: The decrees already passed since March 1933 legal. The new constitution became effective on 1 May 1934 and swept away the last remnants of democracy and the system of the First Austrian Republic , establishing the Federal State of Austria . Based on Italian Fascism , Austria officially became a one-party authoritarian state. Opposing the Anschluss, Dollfuss and the Fatherland Front made heavy use of

1305-463: The differences in the field. The assassination of Dollfuss was accompanied by uprisings in many regions in Austria, resulting in further deaths. In Carinthia , a large contingent of northern German Nazis tried to seize power but were subdued by the Italian units nearby. At first, Hitler was jubilant, but the Italian reaction surprised him. Hitler became convinced that he could not face a conflict with

1350-476: The disposal of Ernst Rüdiger Starhemberg , who spent a holiday in Venice , a plane that allowed the prince to rush back to Vienna and to face the assailants with his militia, with the permission of President Wilhelm Miklas . Mussolini also mobilised a part of the Italian army on the Austrian border and threatened Hitler with war in the event of a German invasion of Austria to thwart the putsch. Then he announced to

1395-582: The minimum height standards, he was accepted. As a volunteer, he had a right to choose a regiment in which he would serve, and Dollfuss opted for the Tyrolese militia also known as the Kaiserschützen . He was soon promoted to the rank of corporal . He served for 37 months at the Italian Front , south of Tyrol. By 1916 he was promoted to lieutenant . After the war, he was still a student and

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1440-490: The new Agrarian policy of Lower Austria and in laying the foundations for the corporative organisation of agriculture. A few years later, he was a representative of Austria at the International Agrarian Congress, where his proposals made him internationally known in that sphere. He was seen as an unofficial leader of the Austrian peasantry. On 1 October 1930 Dollfuss was appointed the president of

1485-726: The parliamentary wing of the Heimwehr , a paramilitary ultra-nationalist group. The coalition assumed the pressing task of tackling the problems of the Great Depression . Much of the Austro-Hungarian Empire 's industry had been situated in the areas that became part of Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia after World War I as a result of the Treaty of Saint-Germain . Postwar Austria was therefore economically disadvantaged. Dollfuss's support in Parliament

1530-743: The pioneer of the Catholic movement in Berlin. After returning to Vienna, he was a secretary of the Lower Austrian Peasants' Union. He devoted his efforts to consolidating that industry. Dollfuss was instrumental in the founding of the regional Chamber of Agriculture of Lower Austria, becoming its secretary and a director; the Federation of Agriculture and the Agricultural Labourers' Insurance Institute; in organising

1575-660: The radical leadership of the socialist party) to form the Vaterländische Front , though the Heimwehr continued to exist as an independent organization until 1936, when Dollfuss's successor Kurt von Schuschnigg forcibly merged it into the Front, instead creating the unabidingly loyal Frontmiliz as a paramilitary task-force. Dollfuss was shot and wounded in an assassination attempt in October 1933 by Rudolf Dertill ,

1620-684: The regime until Adolf Hitler 's Anschluss in 1938. Dollfuss was born to a poor, peasant family in the hamlet of Great Maierhof in the commune of St. Gotthard near Texingtal in Lower Austria . Young Dollfuss spent his childhood in his step-father's house in the nearby commune of Kirnberg, where he also went to elementary school. The local parish priests helped to finance Dollfuss's education, as his parents were unable to do so by themselves alone. He attended high school in Hollabrunn . After graduating from high school, Dollfuss intended to become

1665-536: The similarity of the régimes of Hitler in Germany and Joseph Stalin in the Soviet Union and was convinced that Austrofascism and Italian fascism could counter totalitarian national-socialism and communism in Europe. In September 1933 Dollfuss merged his Christian Social Party with elements of other nationalist and conservative groups, including the Heimwehr (which encompassed many workers who were unhappy with

1710-421: The will of that body in his or her appointments. In practice, the leader of the strongest political party, who ran as a "chancellor candidate" in a parliamentary election , is usually asked to become Federal Chancellor, though there have been some exceptions. Ministers are proposed for nomination by the Chancellor, though the President is permitted to withhold his or her approval. Likewise, the President may dismiss

1755-490: The world: "The independence of Austria, for which he has fallen, is a principle that has been defended and will be defended by Italy even more strenuously", and then replaced in the main square of Bolzano the statue of Walther von der Vogelweide , a Germanic troubadour, with that of Drusus , a Roman general who conquered part of Germany. This was the greatest moment of friction between Italian Fascism and National Socialism and Mussolini himself came down several times to reaffirm

1800-533: Was employed by the Lower Austrian Peasants' Union, which helped him to secure his material existence, and it was here where Dollfuss gained his first political experience. There, he organised peasants to help them recover from the war, as well as shield them from the influences of Marxism . Being recognised for the abilities he showed at the Union, he was sent for further studies to Berlin . In Berlin, he began to garner dislike for some of his professors, as academia there

1845-408: Was greatly outnumbered by the police and army, which used artillery against the insurgents. In addition, the general strike which had been called to support the uprising failed to materialize. The result was the collapse of the rebellion by 15 February, with the deaths of about 350 persons, roughly equally divided between civilians, insurgents, and government forces. The Social Democrats were outlawed by

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1890-473: Was marginal; his coalition had only a one-vote majority. Chancellor of Austria Government Assassination In March 1933, a constitutional impasse arose over irregularities in the voting procedure in the Austrian parliament. The Social Democratic president of the National Council (the lower house of parliament), Karl Renner , resigned to be able to cast a vote as a parliament member. As

1935-470: Was rejected because he was two centimetres shorter than the minimum. Fully grown, he was less than 5 ft 0 in (1.52 m) in height, and later was nicknamed "Millimetternich", a portmanteau of Millimeter (German for millimetre ) and Klemens von Metternich . The same day he was rejected in Vienna, Dollfuss went to St. Pölten where the recruiting commission for his district was located and insisted on being recruited, and, even though he did not meet

1980-628: Was substantially influenced by liberalism and socialism. In his studies, he devoted himself to the Christian principles of economics. In Germany, he became a member of the Federation of German Peasants' Union and of the Preussenkasse – essentially, a central bank for member cooperatives, where he gained practical experience. In Germany, he met his future wife Alwine Glienke , a descendant of a Pomeranian family. Dollfuss often met with Carl Sonnenschein , leader of social activities of students and

2025-741: Was succeeded by the Christian Social politician Michael Mayr , who at the commencement of the Austria Constitution on 10 November 1920 became first Federal Chancellor of Austria. Mayr and his successors proceeded with the support of the Christian Social Party and the Greater German nationalists, while the Social Democrats remained in opposition. From 5 March 1933 onwards, the Christian Social chancellor Engelbert Dollfuß continued to rule by suppressing

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