Revolutionäre Sozialisten

Revolutionäre Sozialisten (Revolutionary Socialists): After the February 1934 Uprising and the ban on the Sozialdemokratische Partei, groups were formed that mainly consisted of young people or members of Social-Democratic secondary organisations; they joined together to form the "Vereinigte Sozialistische Partei Österreichs" (VSPÖ, Austrian United Socialist Party), renamed Revolutionäre Sozialisten at the end of 1934; it distanced itself from the KPÖ communist party and from the "reformist illusions" of the Social-Democrats. Originally concentrated in Vienna, it slowly extended its activities to include other provinces; contacts to party HQ of the Social-Democrats in Brünn (Brno) (O. Bauer) were established, particularly under its chairman J. Buttinger. From 1936 the group was dominated by the conflicting views of J. Buttinger and O. Leichter on the status of a middle-class democracy. The Revolutionary Socialists dissolved in March 1938. In 1945 the "Austrian Socialist Party" re-formed and used the subtitle of "Sozial-Demokraten und Revolutionäre Sozialisten", which was, however, soon given up.

Literature: J. Buttinger, Am Beispiel Ö., 1953; O. Leichter, Zwischen zwei Diktaturen,. Revolutionäre Sozialisten 1934-38, 1968; W. Wisshaupt, Wir kommen wieder. Eine Geschichte der Revolutionäre Sozialisten in Österreich, 1967; P. Pelinka, Erbe und Neubeginn. Die Revolutionäre Sozialisten in Österreich 1934-38, 1981; F. West, Die Linke im Ständestaat Österreich, Revolutionäre Sozialisten und Kommunisten 1934-38, 1978.