First World War.com - Who's Who

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Otto Bauer Who's Who: Otto Bauer
Updated - Sunday, 31 March, 2002

Otto Bauer (1882-1938) was Austria's leading socialist in the years prior to World War One.

He was not however a conventional Marxist, with his pan-German and decidedly nationalist views. The arrival of war in August 1914 decided Bauer to enlist with the Austrian army.

He fought on the Eastern Front from the war's first month. Captured by the Russians in autumn 1914 he remained imprisoned until the Bolshevik Revolution of October 1917, after which he was released to return home to Austria.

Bauer thereafter served in minor government appointments as the war drew to a close and then became Foreign Secretary in (post-armistice) November 1918, succeeding Viktor Adler.

Bauer actively campaigned for Austria's political union with the (similarly new) German republic, a desire that was expressly forbade by the Treaty of Versailles. He consequently resigned in July 1919.

The first zeppelin raid on London was on 31 May 1915. Earlier raids in January 1915 had avoided London. The London raid resulted in 28 deaths and 60 injuries.