While many historians consider it to be the exponent of an Austrian and Catholic-clerical variant of fascism—dubbed "Austrofascism"—and make it responsible for the failure of liberal democracy in Austria, far-right authors stress its credits in defending the country's independence and opposition to Nazism.
Some historians see this as the epitome of a conservative and Catholic-clerical fascist ideology, which ultimately led to the demise of liberal democracy in Austria. In contrast, right-wing scholars highlight its contributions to preserving Austrian sovereignty and countering Nazi aggression.