Self-elimination of Parliament

The "self-elimination of Parliament" (German: Selbstausschaltung des Parlaments) was an event that occurred in Austria on March 4, 1933, when all three presidents of the National Council resigned after irregularities occurred during a session concerning a strike by the railway workers. The then Chancellor of Austria Engelbert Dollfuss from the Christian Social party, which was dissolved and succeeded by the Fatherland Front on May 20, 1933, seized the opportunity to create an authoritarian government.

After the railway workers learned that their salaries were going to be paid in three installments, the workers went on strike on Wednesday, March 1, 1933. This was the subject of the heated debate in the National Council on March 4, 1933. There were three proposals. The proposal from the Christian Social party, which was the majority at the time, was to impose disciplinary measures. The Greater German People's Party (GDVP) and the Social Democratic Workers' Party (SDAP) were both against disciplinary measures in their proposals.

The proposal of the Social Democrats had 70 yes votes and 92 no votes and was therefore rejected. The proposal of the GDVP, however, was accepted with 81 yes votes and 80 no votes. At 8:40 pm the session was interrupted and then continued at 9:35 pm. After the session was resumed, the president and Chairman of the National Council Karl Renner, who was a Social Democrat, announced that the vote had some irregularities because of the Members Scheibein and Abram, who were both Social Democrats. It turned out that Abram cast one ballot for himself and another ballot, which carried Abram's name, for Scheibein, who was not in the room at the time when the voting process occurred. This resulted in an uproar and the Christian Socialists demanded a new vote. Karl Renner, who saw himself incapable of continuing the session, resigned as president of the National Council to also be able to participate in next vote and therefore secure an additional vote for the Social Democrats. The second president Rudolf Ramek, a Christian Socialist, took over as Chairman. He declared that the previous vote was invalid and demanded that the vote should be repeated. This resulted in another uproar. Ramek stepped down as president and the third president Sepp Straffner from the GDVP became Chairman of the National Council before immediately stepping down. The resignation of Renner, Ramek and Straffner left the house without a speaker. Therefore, the session could not be closed and the National Council was incapable of acting. The Members left the chamber as consequence.

...
Wikipedia