Ernst Rüdiger Starhemberg
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- This article is about the 20th century conservative politician. For the 17th century Austrian Fieldmarshal see Ernst Rüdiger von Starhemberg.
| Ernst Rüdiger Starhemberg | |
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| In office July 26 – July 29, 1934 |
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| President | Wilhelm Miklas |
| Preceded by | Kurt Schuschnigg (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Kurt Schuschnigg |
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| In office May 1, 1934 – May 14, 1936 |
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| Chancellor | Engelbert Dollfuß Himself Kurt Schuschnigg |
| Preceded by | Emil Fey |
| Succeeded by | Eduard Baar-Baarenfels |
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| Born | May 10, 1899 Eferding, Austro-Hungary |
| Died | March 15, 1956 (aged 56) Schruns, Austria |
| Political party | Patriotic Front |
| Spouse(s) | Countess Marie-Elisabeth von Salm-Reifferscheidt-Raitz (1928-1937) Nora Gregor (1937-1949) |
| Children | Heinrich (1934-1997) |
| Profession | Nobleman, Military |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
Ernst Rüdiger Starhemberg (May 10, 1899, Eferding -March 15, 1956, Schruns; Ernst Rüdiger Fürst von Starhemberg until the 1919 abolition of nobility) was an Austrian nationalist politician prior to World War II.
[edit] Biography
Born in Eferding, Upper Austria, in 1899, von Starhemberg hailed from a long line of Austrian nobles and inherited the title of prince. He was the oldest son of Princess Franziska von Starhemberg and Prince Ernst Rüdiger von Starhemberg. He was a colleteral relative to Field Marshal Ernst Rüdiger von Starhemberg. In World War I he served on the Italian Front and then in 1921 was a member of Freikorps Oberland.
As a young man, he became a proponent of Catholic and conservative politics and joined the Heimatschutz, quickly becoming a leader of one of its local branches. He also became an admirer of Benito Mussolini and his Fascist government. In the early 1920s, Starhemberg traveled to Germany and had contacts with the nascent Nazi movement. Adolf Hitler actively used Starhemberg’s status as an Austrian noble to try to improve the party’s image and to attract wealthy and influential backers to its ranks. After seeing the failed Beer Hall Putsch of 1923, Starhemberg became disenchanted with Nazism and returned to Austria. Rejoining the Heimatschutz, Starhemberg became its national leader in 1930 and actively campaigned to turn Austria into a more organized state. Eventually, Starhemberg’s movement became powerful enough to influence the government, and as such the chancellor appointed him Minister of the Interior in September 1930. Starhemberg resigned his position shortly thereafter, however, when the Heimwehr’s political wing did poorly in Parliamentary elections.
When conservative Engelbert Dollfuß became Chancellor of Austria in 1932, Starhemberg once again gained governmental power. At Dollfuß’s request, Starhemberg worked to combine a number of right-wing groups into a single political entity. He was successful, and the result was the powerful Fatherland Front. For his efforts, Starhemberg became Dollfuß's vice chancellor in May 1934. When Dollfuß was assassinated two months later during a failed coup by the Nazis, Starhemberg became leader of the Fatherland Front. He also retained his position as vice chancellor under Kurt Schuschnigg, and became Minister of State Security as well. With these positions, Starhemberg was in effect the second most powerful man in Austria. During this time period, he fought to keep Austria an independent state and fervently opposed Austrian Nazis and their support of a union with Germany. In 1936, however, he was forced out of power by Schuschnigg, who, inspired by the appeasement policies of the western democracies, disagreed with Starhemberg’s opposition to the Nazis. After the Anchluss in 1938, Starhemberg fled first to Switzerland, then served in the British and Free French air forces for a short period of time at the beginning of World War II, until they allied with the Soviet Union. In 1942 he traveled to Argentina and lived there until 1955, after which time he returned to Austria to die.
He died in Schruns in 1956.
[edit] Marriages
Starhemberg married:
- Altgräfin Marie-Elisabeth zu Salm-Reifferscheidt-Raitz (1908-1984), married 9 September 1928, annulled 27 November 1937. She had no children but adopted, in 1973 as her heir, a cousin, Maria Elisabeth (Marielies) Leopoldine Hippolyta, Altgräfin zu Salm-Reiferscheidt-Raitz (born 1931).
- Nora Gregor (1901-1949), stage and film actress, married 2 December 1937. They had one child, who was born prior to their marriage, Heinrich Ruediger Gregor (1934-1997, known from 1937 as Prince Heinrich Ruediger Karl Georg Franciscus von Starhemberg).
[edit] Notes
Regarding personal names: Fürst is a title, translated as Lord, not a first or middle name. The female form is Fürstin.
| Preceded by Emil Fey |
Vice Chancellor of Austria 1934–1936 |
Succeeded by Eduard Baar-Baarenfels |
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