With the break up of the Austria-Hungary Empire, both Austria and Hungary were left landlocked, but both had supported naval officers before and during WWI (In fact the Ruler of Hungary from 1920-1944 had been an Austria-Hungarian Naval officer). He commanded a Austrian Submarine during WWI with an outstanding record.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg_Ludwig_von_TrappHis first wife had been the English granddaughter of the inventor of the self propelled torpedo (Torpedo's, prior to Whitehead's conversion of them to be propelled through the water, had been stationary mines). Thus he had a lot of English Connections.
Wanted to see his attitude to Emperor Charles I of Austria (The last Austina-Hungarian Emperor). Charles I obtain the throne in 1916 after having served in the Austrian Army for the first two years of WWI. Charles I is noted for being the only ruler of Europe looking for peace in 1916-1918. He made several efforts to arrange a negotiated peace, but his efforts were either killed off by Ludendoff (the de factor Ruler of Germany 1916-1918) or the French (Who even published his letter to them in which he would be agreeable to five France Alsace-Lorraine in exchange for a peace with both Germany and Austria). For his efforts to arrange peace he was hated, not only by his Austrian-Hungary Subjects but by his allies the Germans AND his enemies the English and French (His proposals had been reasonable, no one would get their pound of flesh).
In 1938 Winston Churchill told a reporter that had the US NOT entered WWI in April 1917, by the end of Summer 1917 Europe would have had a negotiated peace. By 1917 Germany had had Munities of its navy. Germany, England, France and Austria had all seen massive strikes in protest to the high taxes, high prices and low wages driven by the war effort. Germany had had a problem feeding itself (As was England and France). You had the February Russian Revolution, kicking out the Czar but the Russian people wanted peace and would turn to the Communists in November 1917 to get peace at any price. The rest of Europe was in no better shape. It was the US entry into WWI that permitted England and France to finally be able to defeat Germany and Austria in the field. Without US entrance into WWI, the deaths of 1918 would never have occurred, some sort of peace would have been agreed to.
Churchill did NOT cite the above when he made his comment, but it was the facts he well new. Churchill would later said he never made the comment, but NEVER made that statement under oath. The Reporter who reported the comment did repeat that it is what Churchill said under oath.
People forget that one of the requirements of the Peace with the Russian Communists was a massive export of food to Germany from Russia (This was to ease the severe food shortages in Germany, Austria never received a grain, Germany took it all). Ludendoff stated that unless Germany won the War in the Spring 1918 Offensive, Germany was lose. Thus Ludendoff's massive Spring Offensive of 1918 (the largest single Military action in history till Desert Storm). It failed and Germany was doomed, along with Austria. Charles I had foresaw that, what Ludendoff expected was unrealistic but no one listen to him, every German and Austrian and Hungarian supported Ludendroff. When the offensive failed, Ludendoff blamed himself (Ludendoff was a brilliant General, but of questionable sanity) the rest of the high command blamed the peacenics (including Charles I, another example of it better to be a Hawk that was wrong rather then the Dove that was Right).
Charles I accepted his removal as head of Austria, Hungary, Bohemia and the rest of the Empire, but never abdicated. In Hungary, the Kingship was preserved, but not for Charles I, a "Regent" was appointed that ruled in his place. Charles I would try twice to regain the Hungary throne, but his "Regent" would stop him. Why? The Regent had been a Naval Officer in the Austrian Navy, and hated Charles I for permitting the breakup of the Empire AND for fighting for peace in 1916 and 1917.
Charles I came out of WWI as one of few leaders with respect, he alone on both sides of the war had accepted Wilson's 14 points, but all that won for him was exile and dissolution of his empire.
More on Charles I:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_I_of_Austriahttp://emperorcharles.org/English/shortbiography.shtmlMore on Lundendoff:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erich_LudendorffI bring up Charles I of Austria for he is an interesting character. On at least one site he opposed unrestricted Submarine Warfare which may have put him at odds with Georg von Trapp. On the other hand, the Navy was the most dispersed, when it came to ethnicity, of all of the Military Services of Austria. As the most disperse when it came to nationality the most tolerate with people dealing with more different Nationalities then any other service in the Austrian Military. Interesting to see what Georg von Trapp view on Charles I was, and may be the reason Georg von Trapp wanted nothing to do with Hitler.
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