Un État autoritaire catholique

With the dissolution of the Habsburg Monarchy after World War I, the laws on religions remained a part of the legal framework. Religion, more precisely secular vs. church-oriented politics, quickly became an important political line of division. In 1933/34, the deeply divided population of the First Republic of Austria experienced a civil war and political radicalisation resulted in the establishment of an authoritarian regime officially supported by the Catholic Church. The Christian Social Party, forerunner of the Austrian People’s Party, used a conflictual situation in parliament to abolish the democratic system, call out a “Christian state” in Austria, and install a dictatorship built on Catholic teachings. The Austrian Concordat with the Holy See was established during this period.

Source :
 Anton Pelinka, Die gescheiterte Republik : Kultur und Politik in Österreich 1918-1938, Böhlau Verlag, 2017).
 Ernst Hanisch, Der lange Schatten des Staates : österreichische Gesellschaftsgeschichte im 20. Jahrhundert, Studienausg, Wien : Ueberreuter, 2005, 77.