Georg
Ritter von Trapp
Georg Ritter von Trapp was born on
April 4th, 1880, in Zara (now Zadar), Croatia, then still part of the
Austrian-Hungarian Empire. His father was a navy captain. He wanted to
embark on a navy career as well and attended the Royal Naval Academy in
Fiume (now Rijeka).
In 1910, he met Agathe Whitehead
at a ball. It was love at the first sight and their marriage a society
event. While still a young navy captain, the command of the submarine
"U6" was assigned to him. During World War One, the French submarine
"Leon Gambetta" was sunk by Trapp's mission. In 1916, he was
promoted to lieutenant commander by Emperor Franz Josef I.
After the war, Austria no longer
had a coast and did not need a navy, Captain Trapp not only lost his post,
but also his wife. Lady Whitehead died in 1924 and left him alone with
seven children to look after.
In 1938, Austria was annexed to Adolf
Hitler's German Empire and Captain Trapp was offered a high position in
its navy. "I have sworn my oath of loyalty to only one Emperor"
was his answer he rejected.
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