Historical background

8 February 1938

Hitler summons Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schushnigg to Germany. Using maximum intimidation tactics – threats, terrifying rages, and the presence of his Generals, Hitler presents a list of demands to the Austrian Chancellor. Taken by surprise the Chancellor holds out for as long as possible but is forced to concede on several points in order to get a guarantee of Austria's independence: the Austrian Nazi party will no longer be banned; jailed Nazis including those who assassinated the previous Austrian Chancellor Dollfuss are to be released and prominent Nazis are to be given key Government positions.

Over the period of the next month Hitler orders Austrian Nazis to cause as much chaos and street violence as possible to justify a German invasion to restore order.

9 March 1938

With Austria disintegrating into violence as a result of Austrian Nazi agitation, in a last ditch desperate move Chancellor von Schushnigg announces a surprise referendum to let Austrians decide for themselves whether they wish to remain an independent country. The referendum is scheduled for 13 March. Upon hearing of this unexpected announcement Hitler flies into a rage. Despite a huge groundswell of support for the Third Reich, Hitler fears that Austria would vote not to join Germany in the Anschluss. He gives the Chancellor an ultimatum – call off the referendum or Germany will invade immediately.

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Maria awoke to a trail of kisses along her face. "Good morning darling," she smiled, but then she realized with surprise that it was still dark. Georg stroked her hair back from her face, the thumb of one hand caressing her cheek. "I'm sorry to wake you so early my love, but dawn will be breaking soon and I wanted to watch it with you in my arms."

They dressed and went outside hand in hand to sit on the swing seat near the lake. The air was chilly, and crisp and clear enough for them to see their breaths. The sky was starting to lighten with pale streaks of colour pushing away the darkness of the night. There was a stillness and serenity about the lake, with a soft mist rising above water and evaporating slowly in the weak morning sun. The only sounds were the gentle lapping of the water on the shore and the whirring and flapping of the wings of a flock of ducks flying low over the surface. It was easy to forget the bleakness of the future when they were surrounded by such tranquility and peace

Maria breathed in deeply with contentment and was able to forget her fears and anguish to enjoy the bliss of the moment as the sun gave light to the world. Leaning back against Georg's chest with his arms holding her tightly as if he would never let her go, she felt his kisses on her hair. She covered his hands with her own as he cradled their unborn child. Maria gave a wince as she felt a strong kick from their baby.

"She is strong," Georg murmured with pride and admiration.

"She?"

"Mmmm, I'm hoping we will have a lovely little girl – clever, strong, wise, feisty, beautiful, full of mischief and utterly adorable – just like her mother."

Maria smiled and turned her head to kiss him.

They continued to enjoy the exquisite beauty of the dawn light over the lake for a while and then Georg spoke, and shattered their peace.

"Maria darling," he paused, choosing his words carefully. "We have to think about how we are to proceed. Things are going so fast I fear that we are running out of time. I thought we would have time at least until after our baby is born, but it does not appear that will be case. We need you and the children to leave soon before…"

No. She closed her eyes and swallowed hard and her heart started racing with fear, denial, horror. She did not want to discuss this - she just wanted him to stop talking. She felt like she could hardly breathe as panic started constricting her chest. After all her efforts she had failed to persuade him from staying behind to oppose the Anschluss.

"Maria, it will be too difficult and dangerous after the Anschluss. We have to do this soon my love, very soon. We will tell the children that I will follow later. You and the children will need to take a train to France. Friedrich and Liesl will help you. They are very responsible now. Agathe's brother will meet you in Calais to help you take the boat to England."

She shook her head unable to speak, feeling cold with dread as if her blood had turned to ice.

He sighed at her silence. "My darling, I can't tell you how happy you have made me these last two years. I have never been happier - "

"No!", she whirled around, or as much as her pregnant figure would allow. Facing him she said fiercely "Don't you dare Georg von Trapp! Don't you dare start saying your goodbyes to me. If you want to tell me how happy you are you can tell me in many years time when we are sitting somewhere, holding hands and watching our grandchildren playing." Then she burst into tears in a way that she had never cried before - with great wracking sobs that shook her whole body.

"Oh God, darling please don't, don't cry. I can't bear it. You never cry like this."

"I think I'm entitled to some tears," she said between her sobs. "I'm with child and my husband is determined to get himself killed or imprisoned forever." She gave an inelegant sniff. He held her tightly, his eyes closed in pain as she cried through her breaking heart. After a long time she eventually calmed. He spoke again, cradling her face with his hands and resting his forehead on hers.

"I don't want to leave you ever but I have no choice about this," he tried to explain. "If only we lived in another time and place and we could live our lives in peace and quiet. I would give anything for that."

"You do have a choice," she said as anger started to stir now that her tears were spent. She would not hold back anymore - she had nothing left to lose. "If you loved us enough you would not do this. You are putting your sense of duty to your country ahead of us."

"No!" he denied, horrified. "How can you think that? I love you and the children more than life itself. I have to do this for the children's future."

"The children can have a future elsewhere. We can all have a future elsewhere."

"And who would stop them Maria? The world has never seen such concentrated evil before. If people do nothing they will only get more powerful, devouring everything that is good and right. And they will not stop in Austria, already Goebbels is ratcheting up the propaganda about 'the oppressed German peoples' in Czechoslovakia and Poland to justify invasions, and God knows even that won't be enough for them."

"You cannot stop them on your own Georg. They are too strong and powerful. Martin told me that after five years of their rule in Germany, those who have opposed them are either dead, in their forced labour camps or in exile. No-one ever leaves their prison camps Georg. Ever. And the camps are so full to bursting that they are building new ones all the time. They will do the same here when they come.

The ones in exile are the ones who can actually do something to stop them. There are thousands of German and Austrian exiles in London, lobbying hard to get the British Government to stop its appeasement policy and take action against Hitler. Prince Otto is doing the same in France."

He was silent for a long time, then he said "It seems that you and Martin have been doing a lot of talking. And plotting - with Heinrich."

She looked uncomfortable "Oh, so you figured that out?"

"Not initially no. I did wonder why you were monopolizing young Heinrich, in fact I was rather jealous." He attempted a lighter note, trying to get her to smile. "But I don't think you are cut out for intrigues my sweet, you are too transparent and just simply terrible at lying. I don't think you have a chance of becoming another Mata Hari, though I wouldn't mind seeing you in one her revealing outfits," he said with a small grin.

He became more serious again, "I know that there are many exiles in London and I know that Prince Otto is working hard to get international intervention if Germany invades. Britain and France would have every justification in declaring war since it would be a direct violation of the Treaty of Versailles. But they won't do it. They remember the appalling horror of the Great War and cannot bear the thought of another one. They continue to appease Hitler, not realizing that he grows stronger and more powerful every day.

The world continues to underestimate the Third Reich because it has never seen such a powerful army or state apparatus before. The British Prime Minster Chamberlain and the British King George VI have moral fibre but they will not come to our aid. The King is at least a huge improvement on his older brother King Edward VIII who openly admires Hitler and toured Germany as a guest of honour for the Nazis last year. Thank God he abdicated the throne to marry his divorcee.

There may be hope if Winston Churchill and other far sighted people come to the fore. They understand the terrible threat to world peace that Hitler represents, and the necessity to confront him at the earliest opportunity. But unless Churchill comes to power we do not have a prayer that others will help us defend ourselves. Mussolini is no longer interested in supporting our independence. Austria is on its own. That is why I have to step forward."

He tried to reassure her – "I don't intend to get myself killed or imprisoned. You underestimate my abilities and training. I am not going to be sitting around waiting for them to get me. I want to live to enjoy our grandchildren with you too."

Maria shook her head, they had had this discussion so many times and she was just exhausted and her heart felt as heavy as lead.

As he started to speak again, she placed her fingertips on his mouth to silence him. "Please don't, don't say another word darling please. Let us just have this one day – a perfect day without thoughts of Anschluss, Nazis, or the future. Let this day be about us, and the children, and no-one will ever be able to take it away from us."

He kissed her fingertips as he thought about it, then he nodded. "Alright, but tomorrow… we must act."

He stood up and helped her to her feet. Enfolding her in his arms he kissed her with all the love and passion and gratitude in his heart, putting everything into that kiss, telling her without words how much she meant to him. As she kissed him back with all her own love she could not stop fresh tears spilling from her eyes, leaving warm salty trails on her cheeks, wetting both their faces, as she wondered how many more kisses they would be able to share, and when the last one would be.

There was a warm light in his eyes as he said "Let's go back upstairs my love. We have about an hour before the children start to wake up and I have some rather wonderful ideas on how to spend it."

After breakfast with the children their day began with Georg remembering many half- forgotten promises to his children and finding ways to fulfil them. Deep inside her she knew that he was doing these things as part of his farewell to his unsuspecting children, giving them precious memories to treasure all their lives, but she refused to think about it in those terms. Today would have to last an eternity for them.

He taught the boys some fencing techniques using mock swords and then showed them his own Naval sword. As they looked at it in awe he told them how it had been given to him as a young man - not much older than them - as he made his oath to defend Austria to his last breath.

Afterwards he spent a couple of hours fishing with them on the lake, using it as a chance to talk to them about becoming von Trapp men and what would be expected of them as they left boyhood behind and started the journey towards manhood.

Before dinner the family had an impromptu ballroom dancing session. Georg had the gramophone sent down and had placed various Strauss waltz records on. He made sure to dance with each of his daughters. Maria watched smiling as Gretl placed her stockinged feet on his immaculately polished shoes and he held her firmly as they twirled around in the fast paced Viennese style. When he kissed her hand at the end like a real lady her happy smiles exploded into a riot of giggles.

His waltz with Marta ended with a flourish as he lifted her high up in the air and spun her around and around, smiling up at her as she looked down on him laughing in delight.

With Louisa he placed one hand behind his back in an elegant manner as he led her through some complicated turns around and around the ballroom to the Voices of Spring waltz, talking and joking with his most serious child to get her to smile and even laugh.

Brigitta was unable to take her eyes off her beloved father, dancing as if she were floating on a cloud and radiating happiness as she twirled around the room with him to the Kaiser Waltz. She hugged him tightly with tears in her eyes at the end of their dance.

When it was Liesl's turn he gave her an elaborate bow and she curtseyed gracefully back, her face alight with happiness before he spun her in endless circles to the Blue Danube waltz.

Unbidden the thought crept into Maria's mind that perhaps he was giving his daughters the dances he would have normally have given them on their wedding days. The weddings he may never get to attend… She swallowed, and brought her thoughts to an abrupt compulsive stop. She would not give in to such destructive thoughts, she had to stay positive and determined and strong otherwise she would fall apart. She took deep breaths and calmed herself.

The boys also practiced their dance moves, though reluctantly. Their father told them in a loud conspiratorial whisper that every young gentleman needed to be able to dance well if he had any chance of being successful with ladies. Maria went over and helped the boys with their steps, laughing as she sometimes ended up leading them, and helping them count the steps as their eyes remained glued to their feet.

When Georg's waltzes with his daughters finished he put on a slower waltz – Vienna Woods – and he approached Maria. He gave her a bow with such ridiculous flourishes that she knew he was teasing her about his first sight of her in the ballroom. She laughed, "I can't possibly dance with you darling, I am too big and awkward." But he would not take no for an answer and held his hand out to her until she placed her hand in his.

He led her slowly so that she could keep up, carefully spinning her around, mindful of their baby pressed between them, his eyes never leaving hers. And she remembered how they had danced at their wedding reception and he had made her forget her nerves by looking at her as if she were the only person in the world, his eyes filled with love and tenderness. The dozens of pairs of watching eyes had been forgotten in the swirling colours, lights and patterns of their surroundings, as he spun her around, and they became enveloped in their own private world.

After dinner they sang old Austrian folk songs together in the drawing room. He sang one of her favourite songs just for her – Edelweiss, his voice husky with emotion at the impeding loss of his homeland. As their eyes met, they both remembered the first time he had sung it and the love that flowed between them though both were unaware of it at the time – or at least were not ready to acknowledge it to themselves or each other.

For her own precious gift to him she sang Bach-Gounod's Ave Maria since she knew how much he loved it. Although he was not a religious man he had told her once that listening to her sing that song was like listening to the voices of angels.

She used the words of the song as a special prayer for his safety, pleading silently with God to keep him from harm. Georg's eyes were closed in tranquility as he listened to her beautiful clear voice soaring to the heavens. When he opened them again she could read the deep emotions in his eyes. They looked at each other for a long time.

The children had all learned to sing beautifully and with harmonization. As they sang Schubert's Serenade Maria watched Georg's face, so touched by their beautiful innocent voices and their sweet beloved faces. There was a look of immense pride, love and heart-rending sadness in his eyes.

It was that look that brought Maria fresh resolve. She would not give up on him, not without a last ditch attempt to save him. She slipped out and went quietly to his study while he was teaching Louisa some chords on the guitar. She picked up the phone and called Martin with the number he had given her.

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Author's notes

Thanks so much for reading, and for those who have given such kind reviews. Thanks especially to the guest reviewers – unfortunately the system does not let me respond in person, but your feedback is really appreciated. (Guest-Maria - thanks so much for your beautiful idea about the Captain moving to America to train soldiers to fight the Nazis). As always I love getting reviews. Thanks!