The late 1920s saw, from necessity, the growth of working class defense organizations. A report of the foundation of the Lower Austrian and Styrian Workers’ Defence Corps.

‘Congress of the Austrian Workers’ Defence Corps’ by W. Sch. from International Press Correspondence. Vol. 8 No. 69. October 5, 1928.

Wiener-Neustadt, Sept. 23rd, 1928.The Foundation Congress of the Lower Austrian and Styrian Workers’ Defence Corps was held here to-day. It was an impressive prelude of the mass movement against the Fascist march of October 7th. The bourgeois Press, which understands full well that the danger to the Fascist offensive is not to be expected from the S.P. of Austria and its Defence League, who would readily capitulate, but from the Communist Party and the anti-Fascist workers’ defence corps, started a furious agitation against to-day’s congress. The result was the completely illegal measures of restriction, which were enacted against the congress, and a positively sensational mobilisation of the armed forces of the State.

Wiener-Neustadt was to-day completely characterised, on the one hand, by the congress, on the other, by a truly unparalleled mobilisation of the armed forces of the State. There was actually a state of siege in the town. The action began in Vienna against the delegations of the Vienna workers’ defence corps. A huge body of police occupied the station from which the deputations of the Vienna workers’ defence corps were to leave by a special train. All the passengers were searched for weapons. It was only the excellent discipline of the Vienna workers’ defence corps that prevented serious collisions even before the start from Vienna.

At Wiener-Neustadt station the Vienna section met the delegations of the Lower Austrian and Styrian workers’ defence corps, which are in course of foundation. When the delegates had lined up and left the station the following spectacle presented itself to their eyes: The streets which lead to the congress hall had been cleared and lined throughout their length with police. All the side streets had been cut off and barricaded with motor lorries furnished by the Social-Democratic municipal council.

The congress hall had hardly been entered when police officials appeared and made the following communication to the congress executive: The authorities insist that representatives of the police are to be present in the hall; the congress must be brought to a close punctually at 1 p.m.; if these instructions are not complied with, the police troops concentrated in the court yard and in the side streets have orders at the word of the commander to enter the hall by force and clear it. As evidence of their readiness to act, the police ran a couple of armoured cars into the courtyard of the congress hall. It was only with the greatest difficulty that the congress executive could hold its own against the passionate indignation of the delegates and persuade them that it would be senseless to involve themselves in an uneven fight, when isolated from the working masses; it was much better to join in the march of October 7th in Wiener-Neustadt, where the right answer would be given.

In the course of the congress there was a demonstration of a courageous fighting spirit. 200 delegates from Lower Austria and Stryria were a proof of the extent of the Austrian workers’ defence corps; numerous Social-Democratic and non-party dele- gates proved that the workers’ defence corps is a super-party organisation. which, however, is fulfilling its tasks in closest relations with the only revolutionary party of the Austrian proletariat, the Communist Party of Austria.

The conference was greeted amidst loud applause by representatives of the R.F.B. (Red Front Fighters) of Germany, the Czech workers’ defence corps, the Communist Party of Austria, Red Relief, the I.W.H. and of the Unity Committee. A number of delegates of individual works of the Zillingdorf mine and of several large Vienna factories gave expression to the sympathy of revolutionary factory workers towards the thought of the Red Front. (It is worthy of note that the trade-union executive issued a special circular expressly forbidding shop stewards to take part in the conference and threatening “violators of discipline” with the Shop Steward Law!)

The secretary, Comrade Schmidt, described in his comprehensive speech the tasks of the workers’ defence corps. In the sense of this speech the conference resolved to issue a proclamation to all workers and especially to the members of the Social-Democratic Defence Corps requesting, in the first place, that the Fascist march should be prevented under the leadership of the Communist Party of Austria and of the workers’ defence corps. The proclamation discussed the most recent capitulation of the S.P. of Austria, by which the working class is to be legally deprived of its right to the street, and declared that the workers’ defence corps would defend this right under all circumstances and by any means. The slogan must not be: “Internal disarmament” but “Armed defeat of Fascism.” The congress unanimously accepted the proclamation with great enthusiasm. It was also resolved to expedite during the next 14 days up to October 7th the inauguration of new formations of the workers’ defence corps throughout the industrial territory of Lower Austria and Styria, which is being provoked by the Fascists. An executive was unanimously elected for the Lower Austrian-Styrian workers’ defence corps.

One of the most impressive incidents of the congress was the mounting of the platform by a soldier of the Federal Army who declared, in the name of the revolutionary worker-soldiers, solidarity with the proletariat in the fight against Fascism.

At the conclusion of the congress the delegations marched in close order to the station. In the meanwhile the police had been reinforced: along the whole of the march route there were in addition to the police formations, gendarmerie troops with carbines and fixed bayonets. Although in Vienna, too, there was an unusually strong body of police awaiting the Vienna workers’ defence corps deputations, the delegates fell in and marched through the working quarters adjoining the station amidst the sympathetic attention of the workers.

To-day has seen a demonstrative mobilisation of the armed forces of the State, intended to intimidate the proletariat by the proof of the strength, which will be mustered for the protection of the Fascists on October 7th. It will not succeed. For, on the other hand, to-day’s congress is a prelude of great promise for the mobilisation of the broad working masses against Fascism and against the Social-Democratic policy of cowardly surrender. The Austrian workers’ defence corps, which in conjunction with the C.P.A. is beginning to make its way among the masses, in spite of the short time it has existed, will be on the spot on October 7th.

International Press Correspondence, widely known as”Inprecorr” was published by the Executive Committee of the Communist International (ECCI) regularly in German and English, occasionally in many other languages, beginning in 1921 and lasting in English until 1938. Inprecorr’s role was to supply translated articles to the English-speaking press of the International from the Comintern’s different sections, as well as news and statements from the ECCI. Many ‘Daily Worker’ and ‘Communist’ articles originated in Inprecorr, and it also published articles by American comrades for use in other countries. It was published at least weekly, and often thrice weekly. Inprecorr is an invaluable English-language source on the history of the Communist International and its sections.

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/international/comintern/inprecor/1928/v08n69-oct-05-1928-Inprecor-cbgb-good.pdf