Victor Adler (1852-1918), an Austro-Hungarian politician, was a leader of the socialist party and pre-war moderate social democrat.
Adler publicly backed the imperial government’s entry into the war, however, he regarded its prospects with much more concern on a private level. He was a supporter of closer integration with Germany.
As newly-appointed Foreign Secretary, Adler seized the opportunity towards the close of the war through October and November of 1918 in an attempt to spark a political union between the new Austria and Germany, both in a post-imperial era.
Sick and in poor health Adler died before the issue of union could be resolved. In the event the Treaty of Versailles explicitly forbade moves towards a union. Adler died on the day the armistice came into effect, November 11, 1918 at the age of 66.
Victor Adler’s son, Friedrich, was responsible for the assassination of Austrian Prime Minister Count Karl von Stürgkh in October of 1916.