1922: Ignaz Seipel Becomes Federal Chancellor

The governments under Johann Schober, which consisted primarily of bureaucrats and other experts, had repeatedly failed because the German Nationals in parliament no longer supported them. On May 31, 1922, the chairman of the Christian Social Party became Federal Chancellor: The Catholic priest Ignaz Seipel managed to form a coalition between his party and the Greater German People’s Party. Such collaboration had already existed in the past, but the new government consisted of party members from both parties, that is, politicians and no longer primarily non-party officials.

After several attempts, in October 1922, the new Chancellor managed to obtain financial support for the treasury from the League of Nations, which is referred to as the Geneva Protocol. In addition to the prohibtion of an Austrian "Anschluss" ("Annexation") to Germany, the appointment of a General Commissioner from the League of Nations was a condition for the credit. Domestically, Seipel shaped a political course that was increasingly directed against Social Democracy. Conversely, Social Democrats increasingly used hostile language, often with the objective of directly attacking Seipel (“prelate without leniency”). The ideological rift continued to deepen and the disastrous polarisation ultimately gave way to an escalation of political violence.