Christian Social Party
Encyclopedia
For other parties of the same name, see Christian Social Party
The Christian Social Party (CS) was an Austria
n conservative
political party from 1893 to 1933 and is a predecessor of the contemporary Austrian People's Party
.
and anti-Semite leader Karl Lueger
, and developed from the Christian Social Movement and the Christian Social Club of Workers. It was oriented towards the bourgeoisie
and clerical-catholic
; there were many priests in the party, including Chancellor Ignaz Seipel
. This attracted many votes from the conservative rural population. Its support of Austro-Hungarian
monarchy also gave it considerable popularity among noble
s.
From 1907 to 1911 it was the strongest party in the Lower House of the Reichsrat
, but it then lost this position to the Social Democratic Workers' Party (Sozialdemokratische Arbeiterpartei Österreichs or SDAPÖ). During World War I
, it supported the government, but after the end of the monarchy in 1918 it voted for the creation of a republic and Austria's accession to Germany
.
, as the strongest party, it entered into a coalition with the Greater German People's Party
and the Landbund
. All Chancellors of Austria
from 1920 were members of the Christian Social Party, and so was the president
from 1928 to 1938. From 1929 onwards, the party tried to form an alliance with the Heimwehr
movement. Because of the instability of this coalition the party leadership decided to reform a coalition with the Landbund and the Greater German Party.
dictatorship, Christian Social Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuß merged the Christian Social Party into the Patriotic Front in 1933. After the Anschluss
of Austria to Nazi Germany, the party was banned in March 1938 and ceased to exist. After the Second World War, the party was not founded anew. Most of its supporters and politicians thought the name was too closely associated with Austrofascism; they founded the Austrian People's Party
(ÖVP), which can be regarded as the inheriting party of the CS.
Christian Social Party
For other parties of the same name, see Christian Social PartyThe Christian Social Party was an Austrian conservative political party from 1893 to 1933 and is a predecessor of the contemporary Austrian People's Party.- Foundation :...
The Christian Social Party (CS) was an Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
political party from 1893 to 1933 and is a predecessor of the contemporary Austrian People's Party
Austrian People's Party
The Austrian People's Party is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Austria. A successor to the Christian Social Party of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it is similar to the Christian Democratic Union of Germany in terms of ideology...
.
Foundation
It was founded in 1893 by the populist mayor of ViennaVienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
and anti-Semite leader Karl Lueger
Karl Lueger
Karl Lueger was an Austrian politician and mayor of Vienna. The populist and anti-Semitic politics of his Christian Social Party are sometimes viewed as a model for Hitler's Nazism.- Career :...
, and developed from the Christian Social Movement and the Christian Social Club of Workers. It was oriented towards the bourgeoisie
Bourgeoisie
In sociology and political science, bourgeoisie describes a range of groups across history. In the Western world, between the late 18th century and the present day, the bourgeoisie is a social class "characterized by their ownership of capital and their related culture." A member of the...
and clerical-catholic
Political Catholicism
Political catholicism is a political and cultural conception which promotes the ideas and social teaching of the Catholic Church in public life...
; there were many priests in the party, including Chancellor Ignaz Seipel
Ignaz Seipel
Ignaz Seipel was an Austrian prelate and politician who served as Chancellor during the 1920s.-Career:Seipel studied theology at the University of Vienna and was ordained a Catholic priest in 1899...
. This attracted many votes from the conservative rural population. Its support of Austro-Hungarian
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
monarchy also gave it considerable popularity among noble
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
s.
From 1907 to 1911 it was the strongest party in the Lower House of the Reichsrat
Reichsrat (Austria)
The Imperial Council of Austria from 1867 to 1918 was the parliament of the Cisleithanian part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It was a bicameral legislature, consisting of the Herrenhaus and the Abgeordnetenhaus...
, but it then lost this position to the Social Democratic Workers' Party (Sozialdemokratische Arbeiterpartei Österreichs or SDAPÖ). During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, it supported the government, but after the end of the monarchy in 1918 it voted for the creation of a republic and Austria's accession to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
During the First Republic
From 1918 to 1920 it formed a coalition with the SDAPÖ. After the 1920 electionAustrian legislative election, 1920
Parliamentary elections were held in Austria on 17 October 1920, although they were not held in Carinthia until 19 June 1921 and in Burgenland until 18 June 1922. The result was a victory for the Christian Social Party, which won 85 of the 183 seats. Voter turnout was 80.3%.-Results:...
, as the strongest party, it entered into a coalition with the Greater German People's Party
Greater German People's Party
The Greater German People's Party was a German nationalist and national liberal party during the First Republic of Austria.-Foundation:...
and the Landbund
Landbund
The Landbund was an Austrian political party during the period of the First Republic .-History:The Landbund was founded in 1919 as Deutsche Bauernpartei and represented liberal and protestant farmers in Styria, Carinthia and Upper Austria...
. All Chancellors of Austria
Chancellor of Austria
The Federal Chancellor is the head of government in Austria. Its deputy is the Vice-Chancellor. Before 1918, the equivalent office was the Minister-President of Austria. The Federal Chancellor is considered to be the most powerful political position in Austrian politics.-Appointment:The...
from 1920 were members of the Christian Social Party, and so was the president
President of Austria
The President of Austria is the federal head of state of Austria. Though theoretically entrusted with great power by the constitution, in practice the President acts, for the most part, merely as a ceremonial figurehead...
from 1928 to 1938. From 1929 onwards, the party tried to form an alliance with the Heimwehr
Heimwehr
The Heimwehr or sometimes Heimatschutz were a Nationalist, initially paramilitary group operating within Austria during the 1920s and 1930s; they were similar in methods, organisation, and ideology to Germany's Freikorps...
movement. Because of the instability of this coalition the party leadership decided to reform a coalition with the Landbund and the Greater German Party.
Patriotic Front
In the process of establishing the so-called Austro-fascistAustrofascism
Austrofascism is a term which is frequently used by historians to describe the authoritarian rule installed in Austria with the May Constitution of 1934, which ceased with the forcible incorporation of the newly-founded Federal State of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938...
dictatorship, Christian Social Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuß merged the Christian Social Party into the Patriotic Front in 1933. After the Anschluss
Anschluss
The Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....
of Austria to Nazi Germany, the party was banned in March 1938 and ceased to exist. After the Second World War, the party was not founded anew. Most of its supporters and politicians thought the name was too closely associated with Austrofascism; they founded the Austrian People's Party
Austrian People's Party
The Austrian People's Party is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Austria. A successor to the Christian Social Party of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it is similar to the Christian Democratic Union of Germany in terms of ideology...
(ÖVP), which can be regarded as the inheriting party of the CS.
Notable members
Prominent members of the CS included:- Walter BreiskyWalter BreiskyWalter Breisky was an Austrian Beamter and politician.A member of the Christian Social Party, he served as Vice-Chancellor of Austria and Minister of the Interior from 1920 to 1922...
- Karl BureschKarl BureschKarl Buresch was a lawyer, Christian-Social politician and chancellor of Austria during the First Republic.- Education :...
- Engelbert Dollfuß
- Otto EnderOtto EnderOtto Ender was an Austrian political figure. He served as the chancellor of Austria between 1930 and 1931.-Early life and education:...
- Viktor Kienböck
- Karl LuegerKarl LuegerKarl Lueger was an Austrian politician and mayor of Vienna. The populist and anti-Semitic politics of his Christian Social Party are sometimes viewed as a model for Hitler's Nazism.- Career :...
- Michael MayrMichael MayrMichael Mayr was Chancellor of Austria in the First Austrian Republic, from November 1920 to June 1921. He was a member of the Christian Social Party, and by profession a historian.-Life:...
- Hans Pernter
- Rudolf RamekRudolf RamekRudolf Ramek was an Austrian politician.Ramek was born in Teschen in Austrian Silesia . A member of the Christian Social Party, he served as Chancellor of Austria from 20 November 1924 to 20 October 1926. He died in Vienna, and buried at Salzburg Municipal Cemetery....
- Richard Reisch
- Richard SchmitzRichard SchmitzRichard Schmitz was the last Social-Christian mayor of Vienna, Austria.Richard Schmitz served as Vice Chancellor of Austria, as well as its Minister of Social Welfare and of Education, and as Commissioner of Vienna...
- Kurt von Schuschnigg
- Ignaz SeipelIgnaz SeipelIgnaz Seipel was an Austrian prelate and politician who served as Chancellor during the 1920s.-Career:Seipel studied theology at the University of Vienna and was ordained a Catholic priest in 1899...
- Fanny von StarhembergFanny von StarhembergPrincess Franziska von Starhemberg born October 24, 1875 in Vienna - died April 27, 1943 in Darkov , was an Austrian politician....
- Ernst StreeruwitzErnst StreeruwitzErnst Streeruwitz, originally Ernst Ritter Streer von Streeruwitz was an Austrian political figure. He served as the Chancellor of Austria in 1929....
- Josef StrobachJosef Strobach- References :...
- Carl Vaugoin
- Richard Weiskirchner