17/4/1919 The domino stays upright: a failed communist coup in Vienna

Communist regimes are now in power in both Hungary and Bavaria, but both are embattled, with the Hungarian communists facing an invasion from Romania and their Bavarian comrades battling counter-revolutionaries loyal to the state’s parliamentary government. Between Bavaria and Hungary lies Austria. If Austria were to go communist then it would radically transform the fortunes of the communists in central Europe. Aside from providing a link between Leviné in Munich and Kun in Budapest, Austria also holds the arms caches of the former Austro-Hungarian army, which would greatly improve the military capabilities of communist Hungary and Bavaria. The Kun regime in Budapest has therefore done its best to promote communist revolution in its neighbour.

The Austrian communist party (the KPDÖ) has a sizeable enough following in Austria, but the Social Democrats are considerably more popular, with Karl Renner of that party leading the government. Nevertheless, Austrian communists today have…