Friedrich Adler

Austrian politician

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July 23, 2026

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Friedrich Adler was an Austrian socialist who assassinated Austrian Prime Minister Karl von Stürgkh on October 21, 1916, during World War I. Adler was a member of the Austrian Marxist intellectual group known as the "Austrians," which included prominent figures like Otto Bauer and Rudolf Hilferding. This group was influential in the development of socialist thought in Austria, particularly concerning the "nationalities question" within the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Adler, along with other socialists like Otto Bauer, worked to counter communist agitation in the post-World War I era.123

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Austria
Early postwar years
Bauer and fellow socialist leader Friedrich Adler staked their popularity on defeating the communist agitation in the workers’ and soldiers’ councils, which had been set up on the Soviet model. By mid-1919, political and social order was restored on parliamentary lines, and the Communist Party relapsed into insignificance.
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Bauer and fellow socialist leader Friedrich Adler staked their popularity on defeating the communist agitation in the workers’ and soldiers’ councils, which had been set up on the Soviet model. By mid-1919, political and social order was restored on parliamentary lines, and the Communist Party relapsed into insignificance.
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