Belonging to the wing of that ideology that favoured links between Germany and an independent Austria, he lost influence as the drive for Anschluss grew within both Austrian National Socialism and German Nazism.
[2] Whilst studying he was briefly active in the Social Democratic Party of Austria, where his main contribution was an attempt to influence fellow members towards the temperance movement.
[5] Influenced by the radical racialist theories of Georg Ritter von Schönerer, Riehl took a leading role in organising the party's youth movement.
[2] Considered part of the DAP's radical wing, he argued that dictatorship was the only option in overcoming class conflict whilst also becoming noted for his expression of anti-Czech sentiments.
[8] He also supported profit sharing and land reform[9] and also sought to build up the party in universities, setting up a German Academic Association of National Socialists as early as June 1919.
[6] He was not a supporter of union with Germany but nonetheless he accepted a subservient role to Adolf Hitler at an early stage, referring to him "unseren reichsdeutschen führer" (our German Reich leader) in 1922.
[11] Certainly contact was established between the two very early and Carsten has suggested that Hitler added the epithet 'National Socialist' to his German Workers Party in imitation of Riehl's movement.
[6] Briefly held in detention by the Gestapo after the Anschluss, he then attempted to join the NSDAP but was rejected on account of his shaky record on supporting union with Germany.