SEIPEL, IGNAZ (1876-1932), Austrian statesman and Roman Catholic priest, was born in Vienna July 19, 1876. As professor at Salzburg (1909-12) he saw much of Heinrich Lam masch (q.v.), with whom he worked until 1917 in the preparation of an edition of the writings of Hugo Grotius on international law.
Seipel was appointed to Vienna University in 1917 and his work, Nation and State, dealing with the supernational state, such as the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, as a higher type of State compared with the national State, and thus viewing Austria Hungary's future optimistically, at the same time favouring a reasonable pacificism, caused the Emperor Charles to include him in the circle of those men who were to prepare the way for peace through unofficial negotiations abroad. At the same time, the German parties in the Austrian Parliament summoned him as scientific expert to the consultations on the reform of the consti tution now recognised as overdue, and in these Seipel supported moderate federalism on a national basis. But the downfall of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy could not be prevented either by reform of the constitution or by the peace policy of the Lam masch Ministry, which took office at the eleventh hour, in Oct. 1918, and included Joseph Redlich and Seipel as peace exponents.
After the collapse, Seipel succeeded in preventing the threatened split of the strongest Conservative party in the country, the Christian Socialist, into a Monarchist and a Republican party. This and the necessity of getting new men into Parliament under the new conditions caused his election in 1919 to the National Constituent assembly by the electoral division for central Vienna, and later to the National Council. During the first coalition Government, Seipel worked against too close an alliance of the Christian Socialists with the Social Democrats; in particular he prevented the execution of far-reaching schemes for the socialisa tion of means of production. After the elections of 192o, which returned the Christian Socialists at the head of the poll, Seipel was undisputed leader of his party. Under his influence Austrian
policy gradually veered to the right, and after the resignation of Dr. Schober (q.v.), Seipel created a firm Anti-Socialist majority by concluding a parliamentary pact with the Pan-Germans. He then took office as Chancellor (May 31, 1922). At that time the universal misery had reached its climax owing to the policy of inflation. Seipel, together with his Ministers of Finance, August Segur and Victor Kienbock, put an end to inflation by the crea tion of a new note bank independent of the Government and prepared for his negotiations with the League of Nations in the autumn of 1922 by his political journeys to Prague, Berlin and Verona, by which he obtained the guarantee of a foreign loan by a number of States and eventually the loan itself. Seipel succeeded by hard fighting in carrying through Parliament the acceptance of the Geneva Protocol and of the foreign controller of Austrian finances appointed by the League of Nations, and led Austrian policy to the re-establishment of almost complete financial equilib rium, and his majority and position were confirmed by the elec tions of October 1923. In the autumn of 1924, however, when he had hardly recovered from a wound inflicted in an attempt on his life, he resigned office on account of opposition encountered from that wing of his own party which represented local interests in the provinces. Seipel took office again on Oct. 20, 1926, at the head of a Christian-Socialist–Pan-German coalition, which he managed skilfully, discouraging open Anschluss propaganda and insisting on the maintenance of treaties, but stressing every opportunity for co-operation with Germany. Proper control of the budget was assured as a safeguard against the repetition of scandals. The elections of April 1927 continued Dr. Seipel's mandate; but his term of office witnessed dangerous growth of hostility between the Socialist and Anti-Socialist elements. On May 4, 1929, Dr. Seipel retired, and was succeeded as chancellor by Ernst Streerowetz.