Vaterländischer Schutzbund or National Protection Alliance

[JLEES]

I'm interested in learning something about the Austrian NSDAP before the Anschluss. I believe it was called the Vaterländischer Schutzbund. Does anyone know how, when and where this organziation started and the numbers of members it had? Could it have surpassed the Austrian Heimwehr without Hitler's assistance?
Thanks,
James

[Durand]

Hallo James,

The roots of the Austrian Nazi Party stretch back before WW I. It changed it's name to the DNSAP (D in front is not a typo) in 1918. As I understand it, the official name DNSAP continued until 1926 when the party split along ideological lines into two wings. The younger and more radical members formed a wing known as the NSDAP Hitlerverein. They were more pro-Hitler, pro-anschluss and supportive of his methods than was the DNSAP. The two co-existed uneasily in Austria until approximately 1934, when the Schulz Wing (the more moderate, older wing) finally collapsed. The schism prevented the Austrian Nazi party from making great political gains in the late 1920s. With the growing political success of the NSDAP in Germany in the early 1930s and a firmer leadership of the Hitlerverein wing, the Nazis began to make better headway on the Austrian political scene.

The Vaterländische Schutzbund was formed in 1923. It was part of the DNSAP and served as the Sturmabteilung (SA) for that Party. The VS's predecessor was the Ordnertruppen. The VS moved to the Hitlerverein Wing after the split in 1926, where it eventually became the SA.

The Heimwehr was another right-wing paramilitary party that was in competition with the Austrian Nazi party. It's primary objective was to counter Marxists. It's claim to fame was the suppression of a Marxist uprising in 1927. It made the claim that the Nazis had done nothing to stop the Marxist threat. The show of force and it's success drew large numbers of Austrians during the late 1920s. In 1930 or 1931, the Hitlerverein Wing began a major effort to absorb pan-German elements in Austria. The Nazis began courting the Styrian Heimatschutz, which was the largest and most sympathetic local organization of the Heimwehr. As such, the Nazis believed it was the key to controlling the other Heimwehr organizations and the Austrian pan-German movement. An alliance was formed between the Heimatschutz and the Nazis. It was dissolved in at the end of 1931 as a result of heavy-handed efforts by the Nazis to more firmly bind the Heimatschutz to the Nazis. Once the alliance dissolved, the rest of the Heimwehr organizations joined in the dispute on the side of the Heimatschutz with the result that the Heimwehr and the Nazis became bitter political enemies.

I do not have any specific numbers on hand, but I am sure that someone out there can provide them and add to the above.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Durand

[JLEES]

Durand,
Do you know what DNSAP stands for in German and in English? I tried to look it up and could find nothing.
Thanks,
James

[JLEES]

Durand,
What do you make of this card? I believe it's an Early Nazi card from Vienna in 1926. Based on our discussion can you, or anyone else translate and make sence of the card? It seems to have both german and Austrian icons and thus looks pro-Anschluss.
James

[Durand]

Hallo James,

DNSAP stands for Deutsche Nationalsozialistische Arbeiterpartei or the German National-Socialist Workers' Party.

The card is interesting. I translate it as:

"It should be one whole Germany!

Enlist (or perhaps enroll) for the

Second Federal (or perhaps national -- Austria had a federal government at the time) Gymnastics exhibition of the German Gymnastics League (1919), Vienna 1926

22-25 July"

The word on the banner under the eagle on the left is "Race Purity".
The word on the banner under the eagle on the right is "National Unity".

I can not make out the words appearing on the shield with the hooked cross. Likewise on the banner under the shield although the last word there is freedom.

Given the uppermost statement, the hooked cross, and the Austrian and German national symbols held by the eagles, I agree with your assessment as a pro-Nazi, or possibly pan-German, card supporting an anschluss. I have no information on the German Gymnastics League and I have not heard of it until now. Some may be surprised by political activity on the part of what was ostensibly an athletic club. During the interwar period such "fronts" were often used to disguise political groups, movements, and parties.

Thank you for sharing the card here.

As always, I hope this helps.

Regards,

Durand

[JLEES]

Durland,
Thanks for your analysis of the card. You observations have been most helpful.
James

[coldam]

hi,
a little
background:

Right after WW1
Austria, shorn of all non-German speaking parts of the
Austria-Hungarian Empire,
with no more access to the sea
was considered not viable by most.

There was a strong movement for Union
with Germany.
The country actually called itself officially 'Deutsch Oesterreich'
- German Austria
which was swiftly forbidden by the Allies.

You can find Austrian postage stamps from that era(1919, 1920
with Emperor Franz Josef's profile and an overprint:
'Deutsch Oesterreich'


DNSDAP possibly stood for:
Deutsch-Nationale Sozialistische Arbeiter Partei

that makes sense in German,
especially in the light of defiance towards the Allies' Edict -
but not so much in translation.


...peter

Durland : I didn't know Heumond was July,
did the other months have these blood and soil names also?
thanks!

[Nagelfar]

The word on the banner under the eagle on the left is "Race Purity".
The word on the banner under the eagle on the right is "National Unity".

"Rassereinheit" couldn't that be 'one race'? as in, 'one race, one nation', rather than 'racial purity'? seems more sensible to me.

[Durand]

Hallo,

"Heumond" is the old German term for July. In order the months are:

Jan = Hartung or Jänner
Feb= Hornung
Mar= Lenzmond
Apr= Ostermond
May= Wonnemond
Jun= Brachmond
Jul= Heumond
Aug= Ernting
Sep= Scheiding
Oct= Gilbhardt
Nov= Nebelung
Dec= Heilmond

As I understand it, these terms for the months were used during the Middle Ages and fell out of general use in past 300 or 400 years. More recently, they have been used mainly in poetry. In answer to Coldam's question, they do appear to be tied to the soil or religion. The use of the old German term for July fits well with the pan-German theme of the card.

With regard to the translation question, "Rassereinheit" is the German term for "Race Purity" or "Purity of Breed". It is, as I understand it, a term associated with animal husbandry which elements of the pan-German movement applied to humans. I think "racial unity" would be "Rasseneinheit". However, I am not a professional translator. There is always the possibility I am wrong, but I do not think I am in this case.

Regards,

Durand

[Karl da Kraut]

The slogan on the left reads "Rassereinheit" which definately means "racial purity".

The bottom most slogan is "Geistesfreiheit" (literally: "freedom of the spirit"). I guess it's best translated as "freedom of thought".

Unfortunately I cant decipher the writing on the cross in the center competly either. But what I can read is "Deutsche Turner..." ("German gymnast..."). Possibly "Deutsche Turnerschaft"?

Coldam wrote:

DNSDAP possibly stood for:
Deutsch-Nationale Sozialistische Arbeiter Partei

That sounds strange, because it doesn't explain the secon "D".

Well, to the original question of JLEES:

Could it have surpassed the Austrian Heimwehr without Hitler's assistance?

I don't think so - remember the Nazi attempt to overthrow the Vaterländische Front in 1934 which failed miserably.

[Basileios]

Unfortunately I cant decipher the writing on the cross in the center competly either. But what I can read is "Deutsche Turner..." ("German gymnast..."). Possibly "Deutsche Turnerschaft"?

I think it means "Deutscher Turnerbund".