Vienna's February uprising

Like Germany, Austria is not spared violent clashes between left and right wing factions. On 12 February 1934 members of „Heimwehr“ a militia of the Christian Socialist Party functioning as an auxiliary police force, attempt to conduct a search of the Social Democrats' party headquarters in Linz. Riots akin to a civil war erupt and quickly spread to the capital city.

© DÖW Foto 787 Checkpoint: downtown Vienna is blocked hermetically

„Vienna's February uprising“ is crushed within three days. The Social Democratic „Republican Defence Alliance“ suffers ca. 200 fatalities, and „Heimwehr“ along with the Federal Army total over 100. Federal Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss (Christian Socialist Party) immediately bans the Social Democratic Party as well as all of its affiliated organisations, including the labour unions.