Walter Riehl
| Walter Riehl | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Walter Riehl November 8, 1881 Wiener Neustadt |
| Died | September 6, 1955 (aged 73) Vienna |
| Nationality | Austrian |
| Education | Doctor of Law |
| Alma mater | Vienna University |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
| Known for | Politician |
| Title | DNSAP leader |
| Term | 1919 - 1923 |
| Political party | Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, Deutsche Nationalsozialistische Arbeiterpartei |
Dr. Walter Riehl (8 November 1881 - 6 September 1955) was an Austrian lawyer and politician who was an early exponent of Austrian National Socialism. Belonging the wing of that ideology that favoured links between Germany and an independent Austria he lost influence as the drive for Anschluss grew within both Austrian National Socialism and German Nazism.
A native of Wiener Neustadt, Riehl joined the army as a one-year volunteer in 1900. Following his military service he enrolled in the Faculty of Law at Vienna University and, after also studying at several institutions in Germany, he graduated in 1908 with his doctorate in law. Whilst studying he was briefly active in the Social Democratic Party of Austria, where his main contribution was an attempt to influence fellow members towards the temperance movement. A devout member of the Catholic Church, he became appalled at the tendency towards Marxism that was gaining importance in the party at the time, and ultimately left before 1907 citing the dominance of Jewish members within the party. From then on anti-Semitism was to be central to Riehl's personal political creed.
Moving to the right, Riehl was initially a disciple of conservative philosopher Othmar Spann. Despite this he joined the Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (DAP) in 1908. As a DAP member representing the middle classes he advocated a name change and a broadening of membership away from simply the working classes. Influenced by the radical racialist theories of Georg Ritter von Schönerer, Riehl took a leading role in organising the party's youth movement. Considered part of the DAP's radical wing, he argued that dictatorship was the only option in overcoming class conflict whilst also becoming noted for his expression of anti-Czech sentiments. His involvement with the party saw him lose the position he had held within the Austrian civil service and he spent time working in a lawyer's office in Germany around 1911.
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