Hitler and the Forgotten Nazis (54 page)

By far the best primary source on the Austrian Nazi party for the late 1920s is the so-called Schumacher Sammlung (Slg. Sch.) at the Bundesarchiv in Koblenz, Germany. The letters of this collection exchanged between the Austrian Landesleitung and the Reichsleitung in Munich richly illustrate the many internecine quarrels of the early Austrian party.

The Dokumentationsarchiv des osterreichischen Widerstandes (DOW) in Vienna contains many original and reproduced documents relevant to the Austrian Nazi party. Especially helpful are the monthly situation reports (Monafliche Lageberichte, MLB) of the Austrian Security Directorate for the period after 1934, and two unpublished manuscripts by Alfred Persche: his 363-page “Hauptmann Leopold,” and the less useful 450-page story of the “Aktion Hudal.” Both accounts were written shortly after World War II. As the leader of the SA from 1936 to early 1938, Persche was an eyewitness to much of the intraparty intrigue and he presents vivid portrayals of the leading Nazi personalities. Although he clearly favored the Leopold faction, most of his more important observations have been confirmed by other sources. (See Ludwig Jedlicka, “Gauleiter Josef Leopold (1889-1941),” p. 161n.)

Some of the reports of the Austrian Security Directorate as well as sworn testimony and Austrian and German diplomatic correspondence can be found in
Der Hochver-ratsprozess gegen Dr. Guido Schmidt vor dem Wiener Volksgericht (Schmidt-prozess).
Still another rich repository of documents for the Austrian Nazi party is the Allgemeines Verwaltungsarchiv (AVA) in Vienna.

Much biographical information on leading Austrian Nazis can be found in the Berlin Document Center (BDC) and in the
Records of the United States Nuremberg War Crimes Trials Interrogations, 1946-1949
(NI). These records have been indexed by

the National Archives Trust Fund Board, but no distinction has been made between Germans and Austrians.    ,

Newspapers are nearly as important for a study of Austrian National Socialism as documents. Clippings from all the major Austrian newspapers of the interwar years are carefully indexed by name and subject in the
Tagblatt
archive of the Xrbeiterkammer in Vienna. The Austrian National Library has complete files of all the Austrian newspapers. Especially useful for this study was the
Deutsche Arbeiter-Presse (DAP),
particularly for the years between 1919 and the party split in 1926. The Linzer
Volksstimme (Vkst,
after 1926 simply
Die Volksstimme)
was the leading Nazi journal between 1923 and 1933. The
Steirische Gaunachrichten der NSDAP,
though only a small, mimeographed newsletter, reveals much detailed Nazi strategy for the years 1931 to 1933. The illegal
Osterreichischer Beobachter (OB)
tells a great deal about Nazi propaganda themes between 1934 and 1938.

Turning to secondary sources, two well-known surveys of Nazi history in general are Karl D. Bracher,
The German Dictatorship,
and Joachim C. Fest,
Hitler.
Karl Stadler’s
Austria
is an overview of twentieth-century Austrian history from a distinctly Socialist point of view. An older, but still useful, survey is Heinrich Benedikt, ed.,
Geschichte der Republik Osterreich,
a portion of which was published later under the same title by Walter Goldinger.

An excellent, brief introduction to Austrian fascism is Andrew G. Whiteside’s article, “Austria.” A longer work that exploits the Austrian provincial archives is F. L. Carsten,
Fascist Movements in Austria.
Two Nazi works of a general nature are Karl Wache, ed.,
Deutscher Geist in Osterreich,
which is a collection of propagandist^ articles by leading Austrian Nazis, and Hans Volz,
Daten der Geschichte der NSDAP,
which lists important dates and statistics.

On the origins of Austrian anti-Semitism and National Socialism see Peter G. J. Pulzer,
The Rise of Political Anti-Semitism in Germany and Austria,
and two books by Andrew G. Whiteside,
Austrian National Socialism before 1918
and
The Socialism of Fools.
An early Nazi work on the same subjects is Paul Molisch,
Geschichte der deutschnationalen Bewegung in Oesterreich von ihren Anfdngen bis zum Zerfall der Monarchie.

The early postwar years of the Austrian Nazis are covered in Max H. Kele’s unpublished paper, “The Evolution of Austrian National Socialism from an Indigenous Party to an Appendage of Hitler’s Movement,” and the dissertation by Rudolf Brandstotter, “Dr. Walter Riehl und die nationalsozialistische Bewegung in Osterreich.” An early biography of Riehl is Alexander Schilling,
Dr. Walter Riehl und die Geschichte des Nationalsozialismus.
The strange love-hate relationship between the Styrian Heimatschutz and the Austrian Nazi party is explored in my
Hahnenschwanz und Hakenkreuz.
Additional, firsthand information can be found in the self-serving
Memoiren
of Emst Rudiger Starhemberg.

The organization and tactics of the Austrian Nazi party can best be seen in
Das Dienstbuch der NSDAP (Hitlerbewegung)
edited by the Landesleitung
Osterreichs der
NSDAP with the special assistance of Theo Habicht. Information on the social composition of the Austrian party can be found in two articles by Gerhard Botz: “Faschismus und Lohnabhangige in der Ersten Republik” and his unpublished paper, “Aspects of the Social Structure of Austrian National Socialism (1918-1938).” Botz is also preparing a book-length study on the same subject. Erika Weinzierl-Fischer describes the Nazi appeal
for
Austrian Catholics in
“Osterreichs
Katholiken und der Nationalsozialismus” A narrow but scholarly study of Austrian Nazi membership is Evan Bukey’s unpublished work, “The Nazi Party in Linz, Austria, 1919-1939” An older but still useful study is Walter B. Simon’s dissertation, “The Pblitical Parties of Austria.”

Gerhard Jagschitz has written several excellent articles related to the Austrian Nazis. His book,
Der Putsch,
is by far the best study of the July (1934) revolt. A collection of articles about the July Agreement of 1936 was published in 1977 by the Wis-senschaftliche Kommission des Theodor-Komer Stiftungsfonds entitled
Das Abkom-men von 1936.
Considerable information on the same topic as well as the Austrian Nazi party is found in Franz von Papen’s autobiography,
Der Wahrheit eine Gasse
(translated as
Memoirs).

Alfred Persche’s manuscript, “Hauptmann Leopold,” cited earlier, is the most revealing inside account of the years between 1936 and 1938. Covering the same ydars from the opposite side of the political fence is Kurt von Schuschnigg
¹
s memoirs,
The Brutal Takeover.
A far more objective account of the pre-Anschluss years is Wolfgang Rosar,
Deutsche Gemeinschaft.
Dieter Wagner and Gerhard Tomkowitz give an hour-by-hour narration of the German takeover in
Anschluss.
Radomir Luza provides some facts on the Austrian Nazis after the Anschluss in
Austro-German Relations in the Anschluss Era.
The aftermath of Austrian National Socialism is described in
The Lingering Shadow of Nazism
by Max Riedlsperger.

The posthumous memoirs of Alfred Frauenfeld
(Und trage keine Reu’: Von Wiener Gauleiter zum Generalkommissar der Krim: Erinnerungen und Aufzeichnungen.
Leoni am Stamberger See: Druffel-Verlag, 1978) were published too late for extensive use in the text of this book. Frauenfeld’s account, however, although containing numerous interesting and sometimes humorous anecdotes, adds little of substance to the information already cited in this book.

Frauenfeld maintains that Prince Starhemberg refused to enter a Nazi-Heimwehr coalition in the fall of 1930 only because he feared the government would force him to pay his overdue real estate taxes if he made common cause with the Nazis.

Frauenfeld also reveals that Gregor Strasser wanted to make him the Landesleiter in

1931, but chose Theo Habicht instead, owing to the jealousies his appointment would have aroused among the other Austrian
Gauleiter.

The most interesting contention of Frauenfeld is his claim that Hitler was kept informed of the plans for the July Putsch by Frauenfeld and Habicht. Frauenfeld does not explain exactly what Hitler was told, however. Nor does Frauenfeld’s assertion contradict the argument made in chapter eight that Hitler’s role in the July Putsch was essentially passive. By not taking an active part in its planning he hoped to exploit the Putsch if it succeeded and dissociate himself from it if it failed. According to Frauenfeld, Hitler had made an agreement with Mussolini in June 1934 that neither man would interfere in Austrian affairs. In his account of the Putsch, Frauenfeld, over forty years after the event, is still anxious to show that he had not disobeyed the Fiihrer’s orders.

Bibliography

Allgemeines Verwaltungsarchiv (AVA) (General Administrative Archive), Vienna. NS Paiteistellen, Information iiber des Gegner-Heimatschutz, carton 12.

NS Parteistellen, Organisation, Prozesse, carton 14.

SA, carton 19.

Berger-Waldenegg, Egon Baron. “Ungedruckte Erinnerungen des ehemaligen oster-reichischen Aussenministers und Gesandten in Rom.” Unpublished MS at the Institut fur Zeitgeschichte, Vienna (n.d.).

Berlin Document Center (BDC)

Nationalsozialistische Kartei. Personalakten (PA)

Fritz Lahr, Josef Leopold, Thomas Kozich, Johann Lukesch, Hermann Reschny, Wolfgang Scholz, Arthur Seyss-Inquart, Leopold Tavs. Parteikanzlei-Konrespondenz (PK)

Walter Gattermayer, Alfred Proksch, Walter Riehl.

SS'Fiihrer Hubert Klausner.

Bundesarchiv (Federal Archives), Koblenz, West Germany.

Sammiung Schumacher (Slg. Sch.).

277 Akten fiber den Anschluss des Steirischen Heimatschutz an die NSDAP.

302    Folder 1. Korrespondenz der Landesleitung Osterreich der NSDAP, ab 1933-34.

303    Folder 1. Aufldsung der NSDAP in Osterreich und Wiederstehung in 1938. 305 Folders 1 and 2. Korrespondenz der Landesleitung der NSDAP in Osterreich

mit den einzelnen Ortsgnippen sowie der Reichsleitung in Munchen. Dokumentationsarchiv des osterreichischen Widerstandes (DOW) (Documentation Archive of the Austrian Resistance), Vienna. The following documents were used in this study:

00087; 2162; 5001; 5053; 6014; 6036; 6115; 6155; 6184a; 6524; 7314; 7544; 7548; 8339; 8346; 8349; 8350; 8398.

Those documents not fully cited in the footnotes are:

1460 Alfred Persche, “Hauptmann Leopold: Der Abschnitt 1936-1938 der Geschichte der nationalsozialistischen Machtergreifung in Osterreich Unpublished ms (n.d.).

5116/1 Alfred Persche, “Die Aktion Hudal: Das letzte Aufgebot des Abend-landes.” 2 vols. Unpublished
ms
(n.d.),

6184a Monatliche Lageberichte/(MBL) des BKA/General Direktion fiir das offentliche Sicherheit (Monthly Situation Reports of the Austrian Security Directorate), Vienna. December 1934—January 1938.    /

Die Erhebung der osterreichischen Nationalsozialisten im Juli 1934 (Akten der Historischen Kommission des Reichsjuhrers SS).
Arranged by Herbert Steiner. Vienna, Frankfurt, and Zurich: Europa Verlag, 1965.

Der Hochverratsprozess gegen Dr. Guido Schmidt vor dem Wiener Volksgericht: Die gerichtliche Protokolle nut den Zeugenaussagen, unveroffentlichte Dokumenten, samtlichen Briefen und Geheimakten (Schmidt-Prozess).
Vienna: Verlag fur der osterreichischen Staatsdriickerei, 1947.

International Military Tribunal.
Trials of the Major War Criminals before the International Military Tribunal
(IMT)

Documents in Evidence, vols. 9, 34, 38, Nuremberg: International Military Tribunal, 1947-49.

Case 11, “The Ministries Case.” vols. 12,14. Nuremberg: International Military Tribunal, October 1946-April 1949.

Kerekes, Lajos. ‘‘Akten zu den geheimen Verbindungen zwischen der Bethlen-Regierung und der osterreichischen Heimwehrbewegung.”
Acta Hist orica
11

(1965):299-339.

Landesgericht fiir Strafsachen (Provincial Court for Criminal Cases), Graz, Austria.

Kammerhofer-Prozess, 1949.

National Archives (NA), Washington, D.C.

World War II Collection of Seized Enemy Records.

1.    Records filmed at Alexandria, Virginia.

Microcopy T-77. Reichswehr Ministry, reel 900.

Microcopy T-78. Reichswehr Ministry, reels 455, 456.

Microcopy T-84. Reichskommissar fiir die Wiedervereinigung
Osterreich mit
dem Deutschen Reich, reels 5, 16,

Microcopy T-175. Reichsfiihrer SS and Chief of the German Police, reels 32, 451.

Microcopy T-580. Schumacher Material (Bundesarchiv, Koblenz, Germany), reels 61, 63.