Sunday, 20 October 1929

Berlin:  

Violence erupts in several parts of the city as nationalists stage street demonstrations against the Young Plan.  In North Berlin, 300 Stahlhelm members march on a synagogue.  Mounted police disperse them with clubs.  Elsewhere, national socialists (nazis) attempt to break through a police cordon on the Potsdamerplatz, as well as stage a protest march past the home of President Paul von Hindenburg.  More than 100 are arrested.  Communist demonstrations in the suburbs are also broken up by police. 

Vienna: 

Socialist paramilitary organizations in Germany, Czechoslovakia, Lithuania and Finland offer aid to Austria’s socialist party if the nationalist Heimwehr paramilitary attempts a coup.  Parades and demonstrations by both nationalists and socialists have been increasing since Chancellor Johann Schober proposed a new constitution to limit socialist Vienna’s autonomy (see Oct. 18), and socialists fear the Heimwehr will make a play for full takeover of the government.  

Consequently, socialist paramilitary leaders are meeting with representatives of Austria's Schutzbund socialist paramilitary to offer their support.  "An attack on Austrian democracy is an attack on German democracy" says Karl Hoeltermann, representing Germany's Reichsbanner.  "We will not be peaceful spectators of such an attack.  If you need the support of hundreds of thousands of German workers, you will get it."

The Schutzbund, meanwhile, is making its plans in the event of a Heimwehr coup attempt.  This includes calling a general work stoppage of coal trains, and possibly food trains, to force the Heimwehr into negotiations.   

Heimwehr demonstration from February 1929