Karl Toman
Encyclopedia
Karl Toman was an Austria
n politician and trade union
ist. Toman hailed from a working class
family. He went on to become a metal industry worker.
Toman joined the Social Democratic Labour Party of Austria
in 1898. In the run-up to the First World War
, Toman served as secretary of the Goldsmiths' Trade Union. He was taken as a prisoner of war
in Russia
, and went on to fight on the Soviet side in the Russian Civil War
. Toman becaming a leading figure in the Communist Party of Austria
. He served as general secretary of the party for a brief period in 1920. He belonged to the party leadership until 1924. Toman represented the Communist Party of Austria at the second (1920) and third congresses (1921) of the Communist International. He took part in the fifth congress of the Communist International in 1924 as a non-voting delegate, representing of the inner-party minority in Austria. He was expelled from the party on August 31, 1924.
In August 1925 he was readmitted to the Communist Party as a member. He worked with the Red International of Labour Unions (Profintern), having been appointed secretary of the Trade Union Sector of the Central Committee
of the Communist Party in 1928. At the Profintern congress of 1930, held in Moscow
, Toman was elected to the central council of the international body. He moved to Moscow, working as instructor at the Organizational Department of Profintern. Toman relocation to the Soviet Union was seen as a way of resolving the fractional frictions inside the Austrian Communist Party.
In the Soviet Union, Toman was accused of mismanagement of funds. In September of 1931 he was sacked from Profintern. He was given a new employment at a sailor's club in Leningrad
, politically demoted. Having returned to Austria in 1932, Toman was finally stripped of his Communist Party membership.
Toman joined the Revolutionary Socialists in 1934. He was detained at the Wöllersdorf prison camp, but was released in 1935. After Anschluss
(German annexation of Austria in 1938) Toman was threatened with imprisonment at the Dachau concentration camp. He was however able to negotiate a release from captivity, citing his expulsion from the Communist Party. He undertook a loyalty oath to the Third Reich. In April 1938 German authorities appointed him as mayor of Eichgraben
. In January 1940 he joined the National Socialist German Workers Party
(NSDAP) and SA
.
Toman was captured by Soviet troops in May 1945. He died in a Soviet Gulag
on February 5, 1950. There are very few documented cases of former Austrian communists having joined the NSDAP, Toman being the most prominent amongst them. There is little written about Toman's political journey, but speculation points towards blunt opportunism.
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n politician and trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
ist. Toman hailed from a working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
family. He went on to become a metal industry worker.
Toman joined the Social Democratic Labour Party of Austria
SPO
- Technology :SPO: Microsoft SharePoint Online, Microsoft Cloud Computing, Office 365. See Microsoft Online Services-Economics:* Secondary Public Offering, an equity capital market instrument...
in 1898. In the run-up to the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Toman served as secretary of the Goldsmiths' Trade Union. He was taken as a prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, and went on to fight on the Soviet side in the Russian Civil War
Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a...
. Toman becaming a leading figure in the Communist Party of Austria
Communist Party of Austria
The Communist Party of Austria is a communist party based in Austria. Established in 1918, it was banned between 1933 and 1945 under both the Austrofascist regime, and German control of Austria during World War II...
. He served as general secretary of the party for a brief period in 1920. He belonged to the party leadership until 1924. Toman represented the Communist Party of Austria at the second (1920) and third congresses (1921) of the Communist International. He took part in the fifth congress of the Communist International in 1924 as a non-voting delegate, representing of the inner-party minority in Austria. He was expelled from the party on August 31, 1924.
In August 1925 he was readmitted to the Communist Party as a member. He worked with the Red International of Labour Unions (Profintern), having been appointed secretary of the Trade Union Sector of the Central Committee
Central Committee
Central Committee was the common designation of a standing administrative body of communist parties, analogous to a board of directors, whether ruling or non-ruling in the twentieth century and of the surviving, mostly Trotskyist, states in the early twenty first. In such party organizations the...
of the Communist Party in 1928. At the Profintern congress of 1930, held in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, Toman was elected to the central council of the international body. He moved to Moscow, working as instructor at the Organizational Department of Profintern. Toman relocation to the Soviet Union was seen as a way of resolving the fractional frictions inside the Austrian Communist Party.
In the Soviet Union, Toman was accused of mismanagement of funds. In September of 1931 he was sacked from Profintern. He was given a new employment at a sailor's club in Leningrad
Leningrad
Leningrad is the former name of Saint Petersburg, Russia.Leningrad may also refer to:- Places :* Leningrad Oblast, a federal subject of Russia, around Saint Petersburg* Leningrad, Tajikistan, capital of Muminobod district in Khatlon Province...
, politically demoted. Having returned to Austria in 1932, Toman was finally stripped of his Communist Party membership.
Toman joined the Revolutionary Socialists in 1934. He was detained at the Wöllersdorf prison camp, but was released in 1935. After Anschluss
Anschluss
The Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....
(German annexation of Austria in 1938) Toman was threatened with imprisonment at the Dachau concentration camp. He was however able to negotiate a release from captivity, citing his expulsion from the Communist Party. He undertook a loyalty oath to the Third Reich. In April 1938 German authorities appointed him as mayor of Eichgraben
Eichgraben
Eichgraben is a town in the district of Sankt Pölten-Land in the Austrian state of Lower Austria....
. In January 1940 he joined the National Socialist German Workers Party
National Socialist German Workers Party
The National Socialist German Workers' Party , commonly known in English as the Nazi Party, was a political party in Germany between 1920 and 1945. Its predecessor, the German Workers' Party , existed from 1919 to 1920...
(NSDAP) and SA
SA
-Organizations:* S.A. , a type of corporation in various countries* Salvation Army, a Christian denomination founded by William Booth* Sewickley Academy, a private school in the United States...
.
Toman was captured by Soviet troops in May 1945. He died in a Soviet Gulag
Gulag
The Gulag was the government agency that administered the main Soviet forced labor camp systems. While the camps housed a wide range of convicts, from petty criminals to political prisoners, large numbers were convicted by simplified procedures, such as NKVD troikas and other instruments of...
on February 5, 1950. There are very few documented cases of former Austrian communists having joined the NSDAP, Toman being the most prominent amongst them. There is little written about Toman's political journey, but speculation points towards blunt opportunism.