Vienna, 18th October 1935
The Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of the
German Reich on Special Mission.
No. A 2391
Contents: The Austrian Governmental reshuffle.
(Three copies for the Foreign Office.)
Yesterday's cabinet reshuffle resembles a bloodless insurrection by Prince Starhemberg and the Heimwehr. It becomes clear that Minister Fey heard early of his intended dismissal and that already yesterday afternoon he had the public buildings in Vienna occupied by the Viennese Heimwehr, which is loyal to him. The government countered this measure by simultaneously reinforcing the occupation by police. While the garrison of Vienna was kept in readiness, a number of transports of the Heimwehr from Lower Austria, which is loyal to Starhemberg, were on their way to Vienna since the early morning already. This being known, the Viennese Heimwehr was finally prevented from intervening with arms, after Fey had issued the well known order late in the evening to accept the situation. This evening a big demonstrative parade by approximately 10,000 Heimwehr men from Lower Austria took place, which was used to pay homage to the Federal Chancellor and Starhemberg. It can be assumed that no further incidents will occur. The background for the government reshuffle, explained in my telegram yesterday, is being confirmed to me by the local diplomats and by many foreign Journalists. Prince Starhemberg had tried to counter the sharp criticism which was being expressed openly everywhere of the line in foreign politics recently taken in Geneva by dropping all dissenting ministers and secretaries of State. Even in high bureaucratic circles whose guiding principle is only preoccupation for their own posts, people were talking during the last ten days with increasing excitement of the cul-de-sac into which they had been maneuvered by staking the fate of Austria solely on Mussolini's victory. English voices which speak very angrily of Austria's ingratitude and the impossibility of helping her in future have made a deep impression here, where the people have looked to England for a long time. To this was added the rumor which is being spread these days that Mussolini had informed Laval that he could not guarantee the Brenner Frontier by himself and that France would at last have to express herself about the effective military help to be rendered.
In this connection the communique issued in Bucharest yesterday is causing a particular stir. As is known, the Rumanian government stated in Titulescu's absence that there had never
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been, nor would there be, any negotiations about the passage of Russian troops. In this statement, one can see a victory of the British government against spasmodic attempts to reinforce the French-Czech-Russian front by the accession of Rumania. How far Italian pressure has constituted to making Starhemberg reshuffle the governments can not be discovered with certainty. But I understand from a reliable source that Mussolini had urgently requested the strengthening of the Austrian government's authority and that Starhemberg is personally firmly convinced of Mussolini's final victory in the Italo-British controversy.
In spite of the Vice-Chancellor's clear victory and of the diligent efforts of the Austrian press to make it appear plausible that the cabinet reshuffle was carried out for reasons of internal consolidation, the feeling of moving towards completely uncertain developments prevails among the Austrian public, including the Heimwehr circles.
From our point of view the change of affairs is only too welcome. Every new weakening of the system is of advantage even if it at first seems in fact to be directed against us. The fronts are starting to move and it will have to be our task to keep them moving. The continuation of negotiations for compensation, which I had renounced since the Geneva Declaration, seems to be entirely superfluous for the time being. It will be a good thing to strengthen the increasingly excited public feeling against the Italian trend by clever and tactful handling via the press without, however, giving the government justifiable cause for having recourse to the desperate measure of starting a new propaganda campaign against us. I would be very grateful if the Reich Minister for Propaganda were to put a few experienced journalists onto this work.
For the rest, we can confidently leave further developments to sort themselves out in the near future. I am convinced that the shifting of powers on the European Chess Board will permit us in the not too distant future to take up actively the question of influencing the southeastern areas.
[signed] PAPEN
P. S. It has been announced tonight that some of the ministers dropped have been reemployed in new posts. Neustaedter-Stuermer is to go as Minister to Budapest. Secretary of State Karwinsky will also transfer to the diplomatic service. Reither, the minister for Agriculture, will again become provisiohal "Hauptman" of Lower Austria.
Report to Hitler on changes in the Austrian government, Austrians' doubts about Mussolini and the British, the advantages of the "weakening of the system" for Germany, and the prospect of increasing German influence in southeastern Europe
Authors
Franz Papen, von (Vice-Chancellor; ambassador)
Franz von Papen
German general staff officer, politician, diplomat, nobleman and Chancellor of Germany (1879–1969)
- Born: 1879-10-29 (Werl)
- Died: 1969-05-02 (Sasbach)
- Country of citizenship: German Reich; Germany
- Occupation: diplomat; military personnel; politician
- Member of political party: Centre Party (until: 1932-01-01); Nazi Party
- Member of: Union-Klub
- Participant in: Hostages Trial (date: 1947-10-03; role: affiant)
- Significant person: Wilhelm List (role: acquaintance)
Date: 18 October 1935
Literal Title: Contents:- The Austrian Governmental re-shuffle.
Defendant: Franz Papen, von
Total Pages: 2
Language of Text: English
Source of Text: Nazi conspiracy and aggression (Office of United States Chief of Counsel for Prosecution of Axis Criminality. Washington, D.C. : U.S. Government Printing Office, 1946.)
Evidence Code: D-692
Citation: IMT (page 11906)
HLSL Item No.: 453522