Chapter 3: A Time To Plan
From The Life of the People’s Kaiser by Franz Mendel
Following the 1919 election, Seyss-Inquart and his fellows began a time of reflection, planning and preparation, many plans and ideas were considered and rejected. These, as revealed by recently declassified documents from Austria’s State Archives, included a suggestion by Major Fey to seize power by force and marching on Vienna, Major Dollfuss’ suggestion that they should go into exile in South Germany and plan and promote civil unrest as well as Schuschnigg’s preference for following the demagogue method. These same documents also reveal Seyss-Inquart’s personal preference towards Schuschnigg’s proposal. The upper ranks of Rezi Party spent hours, if not days, in the weeks after that first election planning and strategising in the coffeehouses and bars of Vienna. It an attempt to refine his political beliefs and ideas, Seyss-Inquart began to write a book that he titled Mein Reich, which was to form the basis of much of his later policies, whilst living in a sort of self-imposed house arrest. In the meantime Fürst von Starhemberg became a popular figure in the Austrian press, which helped to increase the popularity of the Rezi Party whilst they waited for the next election and their next chance.
Vienna 2nd January 1919
The upper echelons of the Rezi Partei were still gathered in the Corner Coffeehouse several hours later, having consumed plentiful amounts the weak and tasteless coffee that the waitress supplied, not mentioned numerous fruit breads that passed for cakes in post-war Vienna. They had discussed all manner of topics, from the serious to frivolous, from the Rezi Partei’s problems and the new Foreign Minister Andrassy’s scheduled visit to the Munich to the growing crisis over the Teschen region of Austrian Silesia. Needless to say, it had not been a dull morning but the group were beginning to attract glances, and even glares, from the coffeehouses clientele. After one elderly lady made a loud tutting noise after a particularly boisterous moment between Emil and Engelbert, Kurt announced that it was probably time they moved on,
“You’re right there.” responded Enrst “These two idiots will get us thrown out at this rate.”
“Who? Me?” cut in Emil “I wouldn’t hurt a fly, so what on earth I have done to you.”
Shaking his head, either in despair or simply to clear his thoughts, Ernst replied.
“Its not so much what you have done but rather what you might do if we stay here any longer.”
“He’s got a point, you old duffer. You’ll have the roof down soon.” added Engelbert.
“You little bastard!” Emil cried, lunging across the table at his army colleague.
“There we have it, my case and point proved.” said Ernst triumphantly, “Now if you’d like to leave first, we’;; all follow.”
Still seething, having been pulled off Engelbert by Kurt, Emil walked out of the coffeehouse. Kurt and Engelbert followed and then Ernst, who offered an apology to the waitress as they left. The coffeehouse’s other customers began exchanging disapproving murmurings seconds after the door had slammed shut behind them. The four men, blissfully unaware of the abuse they were receiving in the coffeehouse they had just left, strolled down the road.
“Shall we go back and check on Arthur?” asked Kurt.
“I wouldn’t bother just yet, he’s almost certainly still sulking. When he gets like this he’ll brood for the whole day.” responded Ernst, “I reckon its time for a nice lunch myself.”
Two days later, Arthur emerged from his brooding to present his friends with a draft of a book. As yet only 2 chapters, but they were reassured that it would be a work of political genius to rival the writings of Marx and Engels.
“It certainly look interesting, Arthur. What are you calling it?” asked Kurt, after having the manuscript thus into his hands.
“This work will be entitled Mein Reich.” responded Arthur, looking almost as though he wanted Kurt to challenge him on this.
“That’s a little ambitious isn’t? After all…” Kurt, stopped seeing a flash if anger pass across Arthur’s face. “I mean, um… that’s great Arthur, it is always good to show ambition, particularly in the world of politics.”
“Exactly Kurt, you’ve got it in one. This work will be the basis of the new Austria and the new reich, my reich, that the world will tremble at.”
“I look forward to that day as much as you do, my friend, but shouldn’t we keep our ambitions reasonable for now.”
“Oh, be quiet. You clearly do not understand. Come back to me once you have read my work.”
Not wishing to linger any longer than he was welcome, Kurt swiftly turned on his heel and moved out on the street. He was becoming more and more concerned for his friend’s sanity, Arthur had holed himself up in his house for two days, refusing all visitors, and now had produced nearly a hundred pages of a manuscript. He would not be surprised if he got home, turned the first page and found the ravings of madman printed in typewriter’s ink. As it turned out, once Kurt had turned the first page, now he was settled at home in front of his desk, he did not find a work of madness but rather a work of reasonable quality that detailed the first part of Arthur’s great master plan for the new Austria. After reading the first 20 or so pages, Kurt hurried downstairs, grabbed his telephone and asked for Ernst.
“You won’t believe this Ernst.” he said breathlessly.
“What’s the matter Kurt?” Ernst replied, sounding rather skeptical that anything major had occurred.
“It’s Arthur.”
“Oh god, what has happened to him now.” A trace of the worry in his voice made it to Kurt’s ear.
“He’s written half a bloody book on his vision for the new reich that’s what.”
“That’s good. I hope that’s helped him straighten his ideas out more.”
“Yes, yes it has. And its brilliant!”
“That’s excellent! What are his ideas?”
“I can’t explain on the phone, get over here now and we’ll talk.”
“Right you are.” And on that, Kurt put down the receiver and returned to his study to read more of Arthur’s vision.
From Mein Reich by Arthur Seyss-Inquart
Friends, Romans, countrymen lend me, your ears! So said Mark Anthony to the people of Rome and I would echo his words. Friends, Austrians, Hungarians, Czechs, Croatians, Slovakians and Slovenes, countrymen of each state of the federation, lend me your attention for this book that I might enlighten you about the new path that lies ahead for your nation, my nation, our nation! The reich that I shall build, with your help, with be able to take its place at the table of the great powers of the world. You will be rewarded for your trust in me, you will live a better life as a respected citizens of a great empire, whatever ethnicity you are or wherever you live. All we who live in this new reich will be treated with respect and will have dignity, which has been robbed from us by the conniving politicians in Versailles. I promise you all that we live in an empire that was once great and that we will live in an empire that is great.
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Ankh