Posted on 02/28/2008 6:48:34 AM PST by Homer_J_Simpson
VIENNA, Feb 27. – Troops, police and armored cars were sent to Graz, capital of Styria, last night by the government in view of the serious situation created there by the plans of local Nazis for a parade of 60,000 under the slogan “against Communist manoeuvres in the Fatherland Front.”
The Nazis’ plan was to take their adherents from all Styria by automobile to Graz. It was hoped that Dr. Arthur Seyss-Inquart, pro-Nazi Minister of the Interior, would speak. At midnight the leader of the Graz Nazis, Armin Darbieu, who is director of the technical high school there, received a warning from the government that it was prepared to take all measures to prevent the meeting. So the rally was called off early this morning and no disturbances occurred there or elsewhere today.
Nevertheless, the city was surrounded early in the morning by troops and police. Armored cars patrolled the streets and machine guns were posted at various points. Bombers flew overhead and their roaring engines made a great impression on the populace. Early in the afternoon the troops returned to their barracks. But the streets were filled with Nazis who violated government orders by wearing swastikas and greeting comrades with the Hitler salute.
The situation in Graz is developing into an increasing danger for the regime of Chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg. Nazi leaders are reported to have offered the government a “two-day armistice” during which they would abstain from further demonstrations but demanded that Dr. Seyss-Inquart visit Graz immediately to discuss the situation with them. They contend that the Nazis should be allowed to exist as a special group and not be forced to join the Fatherland Front as individual members. Thus far Chancellor Schuschnigg has flatly refused these demands.
The Interior Minister is in an extremely difficult position and has refused for the present to go to Styria. On the one hand, Dr. Seyss-Inquart promised Dr. Schuschnigg he would maintain order and persuade his political friends to do the same; on the other hand, it is difficult for him to use arms against the National Socialists.
Dr. Schuschnigg is remaining firm; he is confident that the army and the police are absolutely loyal to him and will do their duty in suppressing any movement similar to that in 1934 [the frustrated Nazi Putsch in which Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss was slain].
Today Dr. Schuschnigg spoke at a meeting of Lower Austrian leaders of the Fatherland Front, saying:
“The next few days will require absolute discipline by all. Lower Austria and Vienna are extremely important because of their large populations. Important decisions will be taken in the near future for Austria.
“We want an honorable peace with Germany. We are Germans and we are social-minded. Nevertheless, differences exist between us and Germany. We are all facing a difficult time passing through this transition period. We must all keep our heads on our shoulders.”
In Carinthia the Fatherland Front organized many patriotic demonstrations. In Klagenfurt and Villach more than 10,000 men and women, including peasants and workers, paraded and held imposing meetings, in which they declared their loyalty to the Chancellor.
This correspondent learns from well-informed National Socialist circles that the hitherto illegal Nazi organizations will cease to exist as of tomorrow and will be replaced on Friday by the “Working Association of National Socialists.” The order directing this indicates that the names of the party’s hitherto illegal formations will be changed so as to camouflage them as legal organizations.
Thus the illegal Storm Troops, or S. A. men, will be known as “N. S. Men.” The illegal Elite Gurards, or S. S. men, will be called “N. S. Men for Special Purposes.” The illegal Hitler Youth will be renamed the “N. S. Austrian Youth.” The word “Parteigenosse” [party comrade] will be replaced by “Volksgenosse” [people’s comrade]. The new Working Association’s slogan will be:
“We fight for a free, independent National Socialist German Austria.”
Dr. Schuschnigg must soon decide what he will do to prevent the Nazis from trying to remain a separate political entity within the Fatherland Front despite his orders.
Official circles are somewhat surprised at the absence of any official German comment on Dr. Schuschnigg’s speech of last Thursday. The debate in the French Chamber of Deputies, with its strong pro-Austrian trend, caused complete satisfaction in Fatherland Front circles as well as among members of the government in so far as they are not Nazi sympathizers.
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Hm. I’m more ignorant than I should be about Austrian history during this period.... The story is a bit confusing.
It does seem sort of disembodied. I posted it as a bridge between the meeting of 2/12/38 where Hitler told Schuschnigg how it was going to be and the Anschluss on 3/12/38. Austria was riled up for quite a while before that date.
"After eight months in prison he was tried on March 2, 1938, before a Sondergreicht, one of the "Special Courts" set up by the Nazis to try offenders against the State, and though acquitted of the main charge of "underhand attacks against the State" was fined two thousand marks and sentenced ot seven months' imprisonment for "abuse of the pulpit" and holding collections in his church. Since he had served more than this time, the court ordered his release, but he was seized by the Gestapo as he was leaving the courtroom, placed in "protective custody" and confined in concentration camps, first at Sachsenhausen and then at Dachau, where he remained for seven years until liberated by Allied troops."
William L. Shirer, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich
Niemoeller is known today because of the following poem attributed to him.
When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.
When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.
When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.
When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I wasn't a Jew.
When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.
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