Graduation Year

2026

Document Type

Campus Only Senior Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

History

Reader 1

Andrew Aisenberg

Reader 2

Kevin Vennemann

Reader 3

Jonathan Petropoulos

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© 2026 Eleanor Sandeen

Abstract

This thesis explores memory, memorialization, and mythmaking surrounding the Austrian Civil War of 1934. Through a discussion of the history of the Austrian First Republic, Red Vienna, urban development, political divisions, civil war, and the rise of a fascist and authoritarian government, this thesis argues the Austrian Civil War’s significance both in Austrian history and as part of a broader context of fascism in interwar Europe. It then examines the flaws of post-war memorialization that have led to a fragmented understanding of 1934. It concludes with an evaluation of the prevalence of myths that serve to distort Austrian history, emphasizing stability and unity over accurate historical reckoning. This thesis analyzes the Austrian Civil War as part of a tendency in Austria towards historical amnesia and revisionism, particularly when confronting histories in which the Austrian government and Austrians were perpetrators. In its avoidance of complex and difficult histories, Austrian historical narratives and memory underemphasize the first major working-class resistance against fascism in Europe and its subsequent historical and social repercussions.

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