762.63/113

The Ambassador in Germany (Dodd) to the Secretary of State

No. 141

Sir: In continuation of despatch No. III of August 29, 1933,19 I have the honor to report that the German attacks on the Dollfuss regime in Austria have continued with increasing vehemence in the press and over the radio.

The celebration in Austria, from September 9 to 12, of the 250th anniversary of the lifting of the Turkish siege of Vienna was viewed with displeasure here because the Dollfuss regime was found to be stressing unduly the Polish assistance in the liberation of Vienna while overlooking the fact that it had been an historic “feat of arms of all Germans” (Völkischer Beobachter, September 10). Two days [Page 444] later, this journal, which had been at such pains to identify Germany with the defeat of the Turks, rather inconsequentially printed with evident delight a full translation of an article in the Turkish paper Vakit which objected strongly to Austria’s implied ingratitude towards Turkey, her ally in the World War, saying “… Austria officially celebrates the day on which the great-grandfathers of her allies of yesterday, of her loyal war comrades, the Turks, abandoned the siege of Vienna 250 years ago”; and the Beobachter added as its own comment—apparently oblivious of the performance at Nuremberg a scant 10 days previously—that this would perhaps teach Dollfuss a lesson as to the disservice he did himself with his “warlike festivals.”

The German radio concert on the evening of September 8 was interrupted with dramatic effect “for an important announcement” consisting of a proclamation issued by Hugo Fischer, the Acting Reich Propaganda Manager of the Nazi Party, and published in the press of the next day. As an example of the Nazi idea of “non-interference” in other countries—and of what the German people today swallow—it is here reproduced in translation:

“Our German brothers in Austria stand in the midst of their battle for liberation. The separatist Dollfuss Government defends itself desperately by means of terror, lies, violation of the constitution, and betrayal of the people. The Nazi Party of Austria has been forbidden all political activity! All propaganda for Germany is brutally suppressed! There are no longer any national newspapers. On the other hand the Jewish papers of all system parties [sic] carry on a tremendous campaign of lies against Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany.

“Under these circumstances it is the national duty of every German to support our brothers in Austria in their fight. Everyone who has relations, friends, or acquaintances in Austria must write to them to enlighten them as to what Adolf Hitler has accomplished hitherto for the German people and as to how things really look in Germany!

“In like manner, he should continually send to Austria newspaper clippings treating of the economic and political rise of Germany. Above all, however, all reports and articles published by German papers concerning the situation in Austria must be regularly transmitted to our Austrian brothers who only hear lies and atrocity reports.

“If every German does his duty now and takes upon himself the propaganda work described, the muzzling of the Nazi press and propaganda in Austria can be made good tenfold.

“To work, fellow citizens! It is a question of the maintenance of Germanism in Austria! Strengthen our brothers in their defensive battle! Faithful unto victory!”

Habicht, the “Nazi State Inspector for Austria” on September 10 again spoke from Munich over the radio on Austro-German relations saying that, since Dollfuss had chosen to attempt violent suppression of the Nazis in Austria, and, as Habicht put it, been defeated, it was [Page 445] for the victorious Nazi to dictate terms. These terms, he continued, could only be based on the liquidation of the Dollfuss regime and included complete reestablishment of the rights and freedom of the Nazi Party in Austria, revocation of all measures against the party’s leaders and members, Nazi participation in a transitional Cabinet, and early elections to be followed by the formation of a Government in accord with the results of these elections. This, Habicht asserted, was not tantamount to the accomplishment of Anschluss though admitting that “the Austrian Nazi Party never left any doubt that it sees in the treaties of St. Germain and Versailles an oppression of the German people in Austria and that its highest programmatic aim is the union of Austria with the Reich.” However, he went on to say, this aim and the revision of the treaties were only to be achieved by “pacific agreement with all the powers in question”, concluding that “a Nazi Government in Austria, supported by the confidence of the entire people”, was a better guarantee of European peace than “the present Dollfuss Government, hourly threatened with downfall.”

In addition to publishing daily what one is tempted to describe with the approved Nazi term as “atrocity reports” from Austria, the German press asserted that agents provocateurs of the Dollfuss Government were making efforts to inveigle the Austrian Nazis into attempting a putsch, and featured an account of two Austrian army officers who crossed over into Germany “in full uniform” allegedly because they were unwilling to continue to serve the “Francophile Dollfuss régime.”

On September 11 Chancellor Dollfuss delivered a speech which was extensively reproduced in the foreign press which reported that it had been heard by a huge crowd which greeted with thunderous applause his announcement that “parliamentarism with its political parties belongs to the past. The death-knell of liberal capitalism has sounded, and with it also that of materialistic Marxism and its war of classes. Our aim henceforth is to build up the German state of Austria, Christian and social, on the basis of a corporative system and under the leadership of a Government which shall be authoritative, but not arbitrary.”

Neither the real content of this speech nor its reception was deemed fit for German ears by the German press which merely published accounts of the whole affair so meagre as to be misleading. “The long speech of the Chancellor … merely contained a repetition of his praise—already repeated a dozen times—of ‘historic Austria’ … and many bitter attacks on Marxism and ‘brown socialism’—on the big German brother.…” (Vossische Zeitung, September 12). Indeed the Voelkischer Beobachter of the day after the speech did not mention it with a single word. A day later it condescended to convey [Page 446] the impression that he must have spoken by saying that he had said nothing worth while and that the speech fell flat.

The whole affair is a chemically pure example of Nazi methods. The German people are now only told what the Nazis believe to be good for them to know and that, with respect to the truth about Austria, is not much.

Respectfully yours,

William E. Dodd
  1. Not printed.