Protokolle des Ministerrates, Kabinett Figl I Bd. 8

The Edition of the Minutes of the Cabinet Meetings Figl I constitutes an important contribution to research on the early years of Austrias Second Republic and the reconstruction and renewal of the state and its political components after World War II. The minutes of the cabinet meetings have to be regarded as central source materials on this early and complex phase of the Second Republic. Volume 8 of the Edition encompasses the minutes of meeting No. 89 of November 25, 1947 to meeting No. 96 of January 20, 1948 as well as the accompanying minutes of the Wirtschaftliches Ministerkomitee from that period of time. In terms of content, the discussions between the members of government documented therein pertain to a broad thematic spectrum, dealing with matters of foreign, domestic and economic policy and reconstruction, with the difficult relations between the Austrian government and the four allied occupational forces (especially the Soviet force) as well as with various aspects and problems of every-day life during those scarce and difficult years. The various positions of the members of government on the matters at hand, open conflicts of interest as well as the developing and changing state of discussion on specific problems can be traced through the minutes. The slow progress of the ongoing deliberations on the Austrian State Treaty (one of many common threads running through all volumes of this edition) is being reflected clearly in the minutes contained in this volume, for example concerning the conference of the Foreign Ministers, which started its deliberations on November 25, 1947 in London. The so-called Cherrière-Plan, which dealt with the complicated matter of the German Assets in Austria, formed the basis for this conference, which was adjourned on December 15, 1947 for an indeterminate period of time. An extensive report by the Austrian Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Karl Gruber in meeting No. 93 dealt with the broader political context of these developments, painting a picture of mistrust between the three Western powers and the Soviet Union and concluding that all hope for swift progress was an illusion. Such progress was hindered by the continuing solidification of communist rule in Eastern Europe by the Soviet Union and its growing isolation. In meeting No. 98, Federal Chancellor Figl explicitly spoke of the creation of the Eastern bloc. Also of prime importance are the ever-present matters of economic reconstruction, of securing the basic level of nutrition for the Austrian population as well as the difficult dealings with the allied occupational forces. On June 24, 1947, the Austrian government had decided to participate in the European Recovery Program (the Marshall Plan), yet a start date had not been determined. In the meantime, various other relief programs had to be utilized to secure and uphold a constant level of sustenance. The economic and political complexities and intricacies of this time period become evident in the way those different areas intertwine, for example when transports of much-needed food supplies where hindered by Soviet authorities. Matters like these were part of almost every single cabinet meeting contained in this volume. Another recurring subject was the implementation of the Währungsschutzgesetz to reduce monetary circulation, which had led to a change in the make-up of the Cabinet between cabinet meetings No. 88 and No. 89, since the only communist member of government, Bundesminister für Energiewirtschaft und Elektrifizierung Dr. Karl Altmann, had resigned in the wake of its adoption. The minutes contained in this volume also shed light on various steps undertaken by the Austrian government to again transform Austria into a sovereign state, integrated into the international community. The minutes demonstrate the extent of the legislative measures necessary to achieve this. Many of those measures dealt with matters which were specifically tied to the past war and the National Socialist era. As has been standard practice in the history of this Edition, the scientifically annotated minutes are complemented by a biographical index, containing detailed biographies on all relevant individuals, and thereby contributing to the research into political, social and cultural elites. Detailed geographical and subject indices are included as well as transcriptions of the Gabelsberger-shorthand notes which are the basis of the final minutes.