502:(1890–1965); former Minister of the Interior, Oskar Helmer, and former President of the ÖGB, Johann Böhm. Other men connected with the OeWSGV included the trade unionist Karl Flottl, the Viennese SPÖ municipal councillor, Hans Bock and the head of the Chamber of Labor, Franz Horr. Heinrich Daurer was said to be responsible for weapons training and Walter Jeschko for radio training. The American trade unionist, Wesley Cook was said to be the agent for financing the group. Olah was convicted and sentenced to one year's imprisonment. He left Austrian politics for good. At the time, it was Olah's fraudulent activities that caught the public's interest. It was much later, at the end of the Cold War, when the OeWSGV was re-examined in the context of Austria's international relations.
22:
297:
To the US, Olah was the most reliable anti-Communist of the trade unionists in
Austria and the OeSWGV would be evidence to the American people that Austria would become a truly Western post-war nation. This is remarkable because while the OeWSGV under Olah would employ socialists and trade unionists,
555:
to
Austria, made public US intelligence documents from the time of the Cold War. During its occupation of Austria, the US created over one hundred secret weapon depots, mostly in areas of impassable or mountainous terrain. It is unclear whether the weapons were for the OeWSGV or for US agents. The
450:
a policy of relaxed relations between the US and the
Soviets was formed. The Austrian democratic system was considered to be so far established that a communist takeover of power was no longer regarded as a realistic scenario. The OeWSGV had thus become more or less obsolete. Olah gradually phased
417:
countries. They were designed to combat internal communist currents, and to function as "stay-behind" organizations to protect the countries in the event of Soviet attack. Although
Austria was neutral and not a NATO member, the OeWSGV was loosely integrated into NATO as part of the
475:(DFP) to contest the National Council elections. His popularity among workers brought votes from the SPÖ to the DFP. (The DFP received just over three percent of votes.) For the first time, the ÖVP gained an absolute majority of seats, albeit a narrow one, and was able to form a
318:, the "Austrian Association of Hiking, Sports and Society Club" (or "Hiking, sport, and conviviality union"). Most of the recruits were young working trade union men. The recruits were trained in camps by senior military personnel. They were trained in shooting, in the use of
227:
elections of
November 1945, the fear that Austria might become a communist ruled nation was lessened. However, Austria's economic status remained doubtful and there remained the risk of workers' strikes and demonstrations that might lead to a communist coup.
281:
of the
Austrian Building and Woodworkers Union, whose members were known to be the most influential in the ÖGB. In October 1950, a wave of strikes protesting the Fourth Wages and Prices Agreement broke out. The unrest became a threat to the government of
258:. In these socio-economic circumstances, Western leaders warned of Communist expansionism. However, in Austria, the Allies feared that the people, unhappy with food shortages and a large number of refugees in the country, might support a resurgence of
394:
trade union (construction and timber workers union). Oswald
Peterlunger, head of the Vienna state police from 1947 to 1966, was a friend of Olah. The detainees from the station were released and their transmitters returned without publicity.
490:
newspaper. In the course of the prosecution, details of the OeWSGV were published for the first time. Olah defended the OeWSGV as a patriotic measure in the struggle against communism to be judged in the context of the Cold War.
533:, gave a parliamentary question about "activities of the Gladio secret service, or any other NATO-related news service, on Austrian territory". Both the Minister of Defence, Werner Fasslabend and the Minister of the Interior,
39:
434:
In 1959, Olah replaced Böhm as president of the
Austrian Federation of Trade Unions. The Federation's political influence was increasing. In 1963, Olah became Minister of the Interior in the government of the
578:
In
Austria, verifying contacts between particular men has assisted in determining the sources of finance for the OeWSGV. For example, Olah knew Wesley Cook, who served as a representative of the
124:
828:
379:
In 1952, two trading companies were formed: Atlanta and Omnia
Warenhandels AG. They were formed to camouflage fund raising for "Sonderprojekt Olah" which in turn, funded the OeWSGV.
334:, (at that time in the American occupation zone), land was purchased for the mountain and winter training of a 200-man special group. At its largest, the OeWSGV had 2,700 employees.
956:
286:(1902–1965). It was the union under Olah's leadership and less so the police, who controlled the violent strikers in Vienna. The police under the SPÖ Minister of the Interior,
86:
498:. However, they were all men who had died before 1969 and therefore unable to deny or corroborate Olah's defence. They included the former President of Austria,
58:
426:. More than 200,000 refugees fled to Austria. NATO assumed some of them might be communist agents and so organisations like the OeWSGV were still required.
65:
345:
and modern radio equipment. In emergencies, the OeWSGV was able to make use of the radio infrastructure of the American occupation authorities such as the
482:
In 1969, Olah was prosecuted for his misappropriation of trade union funds in 1959 when he was president of the ÖGB. Olah had used the money to assist
72:
310:
In 1951, a secret army was raised in order to maintain a fighting force with which the Austrian government could counter any attempt at a Communist
618:
54:
472:
564:, to apply for the publication of further US documents. However, the relevant authorities and the CIA replied that there were none to be had.
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similar entities in other European states were formed by conservatives and nationalists and indeed, some of the middle-class citizens of the
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The extent to which the OeWSGV formed with the initiative or the tolerance of the US occupation authorities is unclear. The
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Coca-Colonization and the Cold War: The Cultural Mission of the United States in Austria After the Second World War
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386:("StaPo"), the Austrian secret service, under the supervision of Peter Schuller, discovered an OeWSGV station in
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denied the existence of any such army in Austria and denied knowledge of any such party existing in the past.
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Gladio was the name of a secret Cold War paramilitary force in Italy. In 2005, the Swiss historian
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443:(1898–1972). As a result, Austria's police services in general were under the influence of StaPo.
471:(1910–2001) was Hans Czettel (1923–1980). Olah was expelled from the SPÖ. In 1966, he joined the
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326:. Weapons were purchased from other armies. Cars were purchased in the name of the club. In
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However, the CIA did not abandon the OeWSGV and maintained similar entities in other
200:
575:. This led to British authorities publishing a list of a further 33 weapons stores.
598:, both high-ranking US trade union officials. In 1952, they had worked through the
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in the British occupation zone. A letter in the premises linked the station to the
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406:. The withdrawal of Soviet forces decreased the risk of Austria becoming a Soviet
809:
From World War to Waldheim: Culture and Politics in Austria and the United States
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Olah was accused of building a private army. In his defence, he named prominent
468:
290:, remained inactive for fear of political consequences and for fear of invoking
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provided funding and material support to the OeWSGV, including 8 to 10 million
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144:
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Werwolf!: The History of the National Socialist Guerrilla Movement, 1944-1946
572:
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provided finances and support. The organisation was a part of a network of "
467:(FPÖ). On 21 September 1964, he resigned. His successor in the Cabinet of
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out the organization and had all its documents and bookkeeping destroyed.
402:, the four occupying powers withdrew and by its own law, Austria became a
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World War II caused extreme deprivation and suffering for the people of
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which operated from 1951 to 1964. It was founded by the head of the
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Small States in World Politics: Explaining Foreign Policy Behavior
514:
published a comprehensive and scientific review of its network.
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had discovered a gun depot in a mine near Windisch Bleiberg in
235:(1910–2009) secretly formed a group of reliably anti-Communist
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In 1947, Johann Böhm, president of the ÖGB and the politician,
368:(1913–1998). He was stationed there from 1948 to 1952. In the
15:
544:. In it he gave details beyond those revealed in the 1960s.
620:
Historical Dictionary of U.S. Diplomacy during the Cold War
316:
Osterreichischen Wander-, Sport-, und Geselligkeitsverein
556:
Austrian federal government commissioned the historian,
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war criminals on the run. As late as 1947, members of a
133:Österreichischer Wander-, Sport- und Geselligkeitsverein
689:
Empire of Secrets: British Intelligence in the Cold War
302:
had good contacts with the CIA in the post-war period.
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in Vienna. Another example involves funds donated by
55:"Austrian Association of Hiking, Sports and Society"
243:(SPÖ) and the US High Commissioner and Head of the
46:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
529:an Austrian Member of Parliament representing the
120:Austrian Association of Hiking, Sports and Society
831:Geschichte website accessed 12 July 2017 (German)
790:University of North Carolina Press, 2000 p. 63
251:(1888–1967) tacitly accepted the arrangement.
223:received only 5.5 percent of the votes in the
171:" organisations left in Europe at the end of
8:
768:Vol 10. Transaction Publishers, 2003 p. 343
314:. The army was camouflaged by the name, the
957:Paramilitary organisations based in Austria
742:Vol 8. Transaction Publishers, 2003 p. 150
909:Handbook of European Intelligence Cultures
422:. In November 1956, Soviet troops entered
106:Learn how and when to remove this message
715:University of Toronto Press, 1998 p. 53
540:In 1995, Olah published a book entitled
666:The Cold War: A Very Short Introduction
610:
364:The CIA's representative in Vienna was
912:Rowman & Littlefield, 2016 p. 391
723:Accessed at Google Books 11 July 2017.
700:Accessed at Google Books 11 July 2017.
677:Accessed at Google Books 11 July 2017.
654:Accessed at Google Books 11 July 2017.
631:Accessed at Google Books 11 July 2017.
163:, to combat communism in Austria. The
846:Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2003 p. 96
215:over the future of the newly founded
157:Austrian Trade Union Federation (ÖGB)
7:
44:adding citations to reliable sources
623:Rowman and Littlefield, 2014 p. 66
588:Economic Cooperation Administration
262:. The Allies were also hunting for
398:In 1955, at the completion of the
241:Social Democratic Party of Austria
14:
463:trade union funds to support the
372:era, he was the station chief in
602:to make submissions to the CIA.
459:In 1964, Olah was found to have
221:Communist Party of Austria (KPÖ)
191:, Austria was divided into four
20:
890:Routledge, 2017 Vol. 15 p. 229
274:) group were found in Austria.
247:in Germany, General Lieutenant
239:leaders. The leadership of the
31:needs additional citations for
806:Good D. F. and Wodak R. (Ed.)
1:
766:Contemporary Austrian Studies
761:Austria in the European Union
740:Contemporary Austrian Studies
600:Office of Policy Coordination
962:Anti-communist organizations
906:de Graaff B. and Nyce J. M.
735:The Marshall Plan in Austria
580:American Federation of Labor
473:Democratic Progressive Party
865:Neutrality and Small States
812:Berghahn Books, 1999 p. 39
978:
732:Bischof G. A. et al (Ed.)
245:United States Armed Forces
692:The Overlook Press, 2014
347:red-and-white radio masts
219:was increasing. When the
586:for three years for the
465:Freedom Party of Austria
868:Routledge, 2012 p. 154
758:Bischof G. et al (Ed.)
669:OUP Oxford, 2003 p. 26
518:was a similar force in
437:Austrian People's Party
300:Austrian People's Party
193:Allied occupation zones
646:Springer, 1973 p. 180
366:John H. Richardson Sr.
328:Golling an der Salzach
225:Austrian parliamentary
195:. Rivalry between the
175:as part of the West's
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400:Austrian State Treaty
324:close quarters combat
277:In 1949, Olah became
143:) was a name used to
887:Sexuality in Austria
829:"Oswald Peterlunger"
562:University of Vienna
531:Austrian Green Party
448:Cuban Missile Crisis
270:(National Socialist
40:improve this article
643:Austria 1918 - 1972
477:majority government
343:Austrian schillings
217:Republic of Austria
709:Biddiscombe A. P.
567:In 1965, Austrian
260:National Socialism
439:(ÖVP) Chancellor
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441:Alfons Gorbach
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420:Gladio network
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249:Geoffrey Keyes
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197:Western Allies
187:At the end of
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382:In 1953, the
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288:Oskar Helmer
284:Leopold Figl
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189:World War II
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173:World War II
149:paramilitary
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38:Please help
33:verification
30:
884:Pelinka A.
549:Swanee Hunt
542:The Memoirs
520:Switzerland
469:Josef Klaus
430:Disbandment
312:coup d'état
306:Development
169:stay-behind
951:Categories
940:3850023656
918:1442249420
896:1351491083
874:113572847X
852:1555879438
818:1782388265
796:080786613X
774:1412817641
748:1412837731
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698:1468310437
686:Walton C.
675:0192801783
652:134901429X
640:Barker E.
629:1442242159
606:References
553:ambassador
527:Peter Pilz
516:Projekt-26
496:conscripts
320:explosives
233:Franz Olah
211:) and the
179:defences.
161:Franz Olah
145:camouflage
66:newspapers
862:Karsh E.
617:Folly M.
573:Carinthia
569:gendarmes
547:In 1996,
525:In 1991,
455:Discovery
388:Trofaiach
322:, and in
272:partisans
147:a secret
125:‹See Tfd›
96:July 2017
928:Olah F.
359:Salzburg
332:Salzburg
177:Cold War
151:army in
582:in the
560:of the
424:Hungary
370:Kennedy
268:Werwolf
183:History
153:Austria
80:scholar
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374:Saigon
357:, and
351:Vienna
292:Soviet
256:Europe
209:France
203:, the
137:OeWSGV
129:German
82:
75:
68:
61:
53:
551:, US
330:near
199:(the
141:ÖWSGV
87:JSTOR
73:books
936:ISBN
914:ISBN
892:ISBN
870:ISBN
848:ISBN
814:ISBN
792:ISBN
770:ISBN
744:ISBN
717:ISBN
694:ISBN
671:ISBN
648:ISBN
625:ISBN
594:and
415:NATO
355:Linz
264:Nazi
207:and
118:The
59:news
764:in
738:in
349:in
339:CIA
165:CIA
139:or
42:by
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