After World War I the Austro-Hungarian empire was destroyed
and a selection of new states emerged in central europe
Many of these states descended into war and some, like Hungary temporarily became communist.
Austria also had a large Socialist urban population, notably in Vienna which was dubbed Red Vienna
But it was a Parliamentary Democracy and the left-wing Social Democratic Workers party
contended with the Conservative Christian Social Party
Which had support from the large Catholic and rural populations.
But because Austria didn't have much of an army after the war
these groups filled the void by forming paramilitaries.
The left-wing had the Republic Protection Association
and the conservatives had the Homeguard.
These often clashed with one another.
For instance in 1927 a nationalistic paramilitary shot at demonstrating socialists.
and after the shooters were set free many socialists went on strike and stormed buildings around Vienna.
But the July revolt ended when the police opened fire and killed over 80 of them.
So tensions had been high since World War I
But the onset of the great depression made the situation worse.
Members of the christian Social Party had largely held the post of chancellor
Since world war I
But in 1930 the Social Democratic Party won the election and became the largest party in the national council.
Plus the right-wing began to divide.
The Nazi party of Austria was formed and got 3% of the vote.
And like the Landbund who were largely Protestant Conservatives
They advocated for a union with Germany
Also the right-wing Greater Germany party broke from the Christian party
and the Homeguard in 1931 tried to take power through a push
So, with a loss of support chancellors couldn't maintain power for very long.
In 1932 however Engelbert Dollfuss was appointed as chancellor
Leading the coalition of the Christian Social Party, the Homeguard and the Landbund
But support for him in Parliament was still split
However in 1933 Railway workers went on strike and the National Council held a vote on how to deal with it.
Because of how close the vote was, the president and vice president resigned from their posts in order to cast their vote.
But Dollfuss used this opportunity to disband the National Council and effectively made himself dicator of Austria
His style of rule, Austro-Fascism, was heavily influenced by the fascist rulers of Portugal and Italy
and he even formed an alliance with Mussolini
He banned the Communist Party, preached against Capitalism
And advocated for a strong corporate state with strong ties to the Catholic Church
But the war began in February in 1934
When the Homeguard in Linz lead by Emmanuel Faye called for the Socialist Paramlitaries to be disarmed
On the 12th they searched properties held by the Social Democratic Party
But in Hotel Schiff the Socialist Paramilitaries resisted
and called on others to rise up and barricade themselves in the streets of cities
The rebellion spread to towns like Sankt Pölten, Graz and Kapfenberg
and in Vienna they fought from inside the Karl-Marx-Hof housing complex
On the first day the Socialists just clashed with the right-wing paramilitaries.
But on the 13th Dollfuss ordered that the somewhat autonomous Austrian militaries shell the Socialists
Hundreds were killed and the rebellion had largely been crushed
There were some who held out and fought on in Styria but they either fled or surrendered by the 16th
The poorly armed and poorly disciplined Socialists were therefore easily crushed.
But Dollfuss still banned the Social Democratic party afterwards
he then united the Homeguard with the Christian Social Party to form the Patriotic Front.
And essentially made Austria a one-party state.
But his rule didn't last long.
Hitler had become Chancellor in Germany the year before and the Nazi party in Austria began to grow in number
Dollfuss stood in the way of a potential union between the two nations, so in July 1934 Austrian Nazi's assassinated him
This July push was, according to Mussolini planned by Hitler
And he was so angered by it he sent troops to the Austrian border
Kurt Schuschnigg, the new chancellor of Austria continued to oppose Nazism.
But when Mussolini signed agreements with Hitler, Austria lost its chief ally.
And in 1938 it was absorbed into Nazi Germany.