10 October 1938

Hello friends! I thought my last entry would be my last blog, but a significant event has occurred and I thought that I must write about it!  Before I speak of that, let me tell you what has happened in the last few years...I arrived home a few weeks after my last blog.  I was glad to be home after such a long time being away but to be honest; I do miss parts of Europe. 
Once I arrived home, the visited family after being away for so long, I was very happy to see them! 5 and a half years are too long.
I went back to the University of Michigan and continued my studies.  I graduated with a major in history and a minor in economics.  We will see where that degree takes me! Visiting Europe when I did taught me a lot about myself, what potential I have and what I would like to go into when I am older.  That trip is definitely the highlight of my life thus far!
Even though I am back home, I am still following the news and the events that are occurring over in Europe.  Many people are nervous and fearful that a war may be on the horizon.  Hitler's rise to power is exponentially growing and fear is embedded in our bodies.
One recent and significant event that has just occurred is the invasion of the Sudetenland and Czechoslovakia.  The Sudetenland's population is mainly German.  On September 10^th, a meeting was held with the leaders of the following nations; Britain, France, Italy and Germany.  And the result of this meeting created the Munich Agreement, and it was signed.  The Munich Agreement loosened the Treaty of Versailles limitations against Germany.  The benefit of the Sudetenland to the Germans is that the Sudetenland held the bulk of Czech fortifications.  This German take over of the Sudetenland created a much easier way to take over all of Czechoslovakia.  Czechoslovakia’s Prime Minister Chamberlain originally sold out Czechoslovakia to Hitler.  However, after Hitler’s invasion of the Sudetenland, Chamberlain then thinks he cannot trust Hitler and Chamberlain belief in Hitler came down in shambles.  Therefore, the end of the appeasement.  Through all of this tension, the allies are not intervening in Hitler’s actions and his invasions into other countries. 

I fear that Hitler will continue his invasions and he won’t be stopped, the allies should intervene as soon as possible before things get worse. 

Readers, watch this story and follow it! I truly believe there will be something that comes out of this invasion, and I feel that Hitler's actions are going to escalate.
Have the people of Europe in your prayers, God Bless everyone!
Thanks for reading!

22 March 1936

I have arrived in Britain; and thank goodness I left Spain, the civil unrest is escalading.  I can’t believe I have been over here in Europe for 5 and a half years! Despite the economic and political turmoil in many countries, I have truly enjoyed my journey out of depression and my adventures overseas, even though my journey was practically into the same depression but in a different part of the world.  As I reflect on my trip, I think of the highlights and the lessons I have learned.  My favourite country to have visited was France.  I loved their culture, their way of life, the sites and attractions I could see, but the main thing I enjoyed was that I was in France when there was no instability.  France was a great nation to visit and if I would go back anywhere in a few years, it would be France.  One lesson that I learned was how a world so big could be filled with so much conflict!  Everywhere I turned, there was violence, fear or instability; and sometimes all three.  Even though the people were nice to talk to, the country that they lived in wasn’t so nice.  I pray and hope that the conflicts ease up in their countries and living becomes easier for the innocent people who have to endure such pandemonium. 

The purpose of this trip was to not only go on a trip in honour of my Great Aunt Gladis; it was to escape the depression.  But the grass isn’t always greener on the other side! This trip has been a true eye opener for me and as I make my way back home, I will look at things twice and really appreciate how lucky I am not to live in such turmoil everyday but to live in Freedom.

I am so incredibly blessed to have taken part in this journey and truly comprehend the world as a whole and struggles that people go through everyday.  Aunt Gladis, I want to thank you for everything!  The money that you left me was a blessing in itself! But it was also a blessing that a portion of the money was used for such a great opportunity and adventure.  It is something that I will always be grateful for! 

Well this is my final entry for this journey.  I am packing my bags up for the final time and heading out to the SS Leviathan for my final voyage home. 

God bless and take care! Thanks for reading!

20 March 1936

To my surprise, I actually left France; I never thought I would leave.  I am now in Spain.  The 1936 Spain election was underway and I new some important and historic events would come of it, so I decided to pack my bags and travel to my final country destination before my trip home, Spain.  A coalition government, The Popular Front Party, was elected into power.  The coalition consisted of all left wing movement groups in Spain – Communists, socialists and anarchists.  However, each group has a slightly different agenda.  The communists want to put institutions in place and have state owned infrastructure.  The anarchists want to abolish all institutions and everyone is for their selves.  The differences between the groups started to manifest themselves and the coalition starts to breakdown.  And to add to these problems, the Spanish population is not supporting the newly elected political party; they do not feel that the Popular Front Party can run the country.  A domino effect starts to occur; one event leads to another.  The Spanish Nationalists, a ring wing party, start to rebel against the Popular Front Party.  The Nationalists strongly believe in the military, therefore they are gaining support from the Spanish army.  General Franco, the leader of the Spanish army, wants to settle the unrest within the country.  The right wing (Nationalists) and the left wing (Popular Front Party) set up military camps against each other to decide who is going to control Spain.  And the Spanish Civil War begins.

As a tourist, being in Spain is not the best place to be right now.  I wish I could seek refuge in France, but France is unstable due to Spain’s War so unfortunately I will not be traveling back to France.  I will travel back to Britain until my final voyage home.  I really liked being in Britain, so what better way to spend my last few weeks in Europe?! I am packing my bags this evening; one more day here will not do me any good. 

Pray for safety for the people of Spain!

13 August 1935

Oh wow! France is more than I could have asked for, despite the economic struggles, France is still a magnificent country to visit.  France has been pretty quiet in politics etc. compared to other European nations.  I’ve been closely watching the news in France as I am here to see if any outbreaks are going to happen or if any political instability is going to arise.  So far, all is good.  However, I have been keeping my eye on one story; the rise to power of Léon Blum and the socialist party.  I am not sure where this party is taking us but I can feel an election coming soon.  Who knows, time will tell us!

Until then, au revoir!

1 December 1934

Bonjour mes amis! Je suis arrivée en France aujourd’hui! Paris is beautiful! The snow is falling and dancing in the sky.  I write this Blog inside a taxi as I drive to my hotel.  There’s the Arc de Triomphe!! Ooh I can see the Eiffel Tower from here!  I am very excited to spend time here in Paris, France.  Hopefully this will be my time to relax on this journey.  This afternoon, I am going to head into the market, go to the local bakery and get un pain au chocolat and un café au lait.  (Chocolate croissant and a latte for those non-French speakers) 

Well I am almost at my hotel, au revoir!

4 October 1934

I am glad to be in Austria.  I honestly did not enjoy living in such a fearful and somber place.  Everywhere I went, I felt that anger, uncertainty and fear were filled within peoples’ bodies.  At this time, Nazi Germany is not a good place to visit.  Some historic sites and buildings were beautiful, but I am thankful to be in Austria now.  Or so I thought.  Nazis have infiltrated Austria too.  A small group of Austrians are mimicking Hitler’s actions by creating Austrian Nazis.  The Austrian Nazis attempted to overthrow the Austrian Government, Engelbert Dollfuss, but the plan failed.  Neutral Italy stepped in and sent troops to the Austrian-German border to assist Austria in fighting off the Germans.  There is true instability and dishonesty between the two countries.  Hitler is threatening Austria Chancellor, Kurt von Schussing, to make Anschluss happen.  (Unification between Austria and Germany)  I almost felt relieved to be visiting a new country; I thought it was a way to escape the Nazis and their power but having Austrian Nazis here, just makes me miss home so much.  Paolo and his family are fearful of my safety, I miss them dearly.  But I know Aunt Gladis is watching over me and watching out for my safety. 

Czechoslovakia is next on my travel list, let’s hope and pray conditions are better over there.

20 August 1934

As I recall my history classes in Michigan, I remember learning and studying the Treaty of Versailles.  And one thing I do recall from that lesson was Germany had to reduce their military to a 100,000 men limit.  But as I look around the streets, there are definitely more than 100,000 men enlisted in the military.  I come to the conclusion that can be backed up from talking to German civilians; Hitler is militarizing the police to have more numbers.  Another observation I made is the sudden growth in the navy, both surface ships and submarines, as well as the creation of an air force.  A strong and competent military is on the rise and the allies aren’t trying to stop the growth of this military.  We will see where this leads too………………

3 August 1934

I say my goodbyes to Paolo and his family; I will definitely stay in touch with them!  I now aboard another train which will take me to Nazi Germany.  I don’t know how I am supposed to feel about traveling to this area of Europe.  Great Aunt Gladis, please give me strength as I endure this next adventure.  From what I have seen in the news, Nazi Germany is a stable country in terms of their economy but some violence that the Nazi Party has caused is a little terrifying.  Paolo and his family invited me to stay with them in March of 1933, and I’ve been with them since.  It was very nice to come home after each day of adventure to a home cooked meal and a lovely family!  My journey to Nazi Journey was supposed to start on July 1^st, 1934 but Paolo and his family felt it would be wiser for me to stay another month.  “The Night of the Long Knives” occurred on June 30^th, 1934 and at least 85 people were killed.  It would have not been a good decision to travel to this part of Germany the following day.  However, another innocent occurred in Germany two days ago, August 1^st, but I insisted that I go now or I never will.  German President Hindenburg passed away on August 1^st and Hitler started to give himself more power.  In my final few weeks in Italy, I did research of what to expect when I traveled to Nazi Germany.  In 1930, an election was held in Germany and the Nazi party had gotten more than 6,000,000 votes! They were now the largest party in Germany.  In 1933, the Nazi Party lead by Adolph Hitler became official because of its size in numbers; and Hitler is named Chancellor of Germany in the same year.  To some Germans, Hitler was a breath of fresh air.  Hitler had a vision to recover Germany from the economic Depression and end unemployment.  His action plan to end unemployment was providing men with food, clothing and a job called the “Brown Shirts.”  (Sturm Abteilung)  As the Brown Shirts were increasing, the Nazi Party continued to grow.  Two large German companies funded the Nazi Party – IG Farben and Krupp Steel.  They believed that Hitler would be a profitable leader.  Both Hitler’s past and his current actions are top headlines in the news.  Hitler has amalgamated the positions, President and Chancellor after the passing of President Hindenburg.

As my train pulled into the station, I saw thousands of ‘Brown Shirts’ marching through the streets with the Nazi Swastika displayed on their arm bands.  As I stepped off the train and walked into the streets of Germany, the mood has drastically changed compared to Italy only a few hours ago.  The mood was somber, tense and dark.  As I continued to walk, it is evident that no one wants to make to make eye contact with one another.  And other than the brown shirts, the streets seem to be deserted by civilians.

The Night of the Long Knives still has thousands of Germans in fear of what could perhaps happen overnight. 

From what I have noticed, in my opinion, Hitler is a very angry man and I fear for what’s in store for Germany in coming years.  I am very tired from my travels, I am off to bed.  I already miss Paolo and his family, I will write them tonight. 

This is for you Aunt Gladis, all my love!

16 January 1933

What a wonderful night! Paolo is a wonderful man and his family is a joy to be with.  We had a delicious Italian dinner; Trenette al Pesto which is a Ligurian pasta recipe including spaghetti noodles, pine nuts, and Parmigiano cheese, served with Amarone wine.  An absolute exquisite meal!  Paolo’s father is involved in politics and the Italian government.  He has many stories to tell and he shared with Paolo and I what is transpiring in Italy at this current time.  Mussolini, ‘the Saviour of Italy,’ the fascist leader, dictator of Italy was the hot topic of our conversation; his history and rise to power.  Mussolini prior and during WWI was an advocate for no violence but he took a turn and developed a military wing in the fascist party.  He now believed that violence was the only way to achieve his goals to fully unify the country.  He believed that the violence could clear out the government of people who don’t want to make change.  Also, the use of violence would be used to implement new improvements for the country.  Paolo’s father, Giancarlo, experiences these actions and decisions first hand due to his job in the government, and he continues on with his story.  The benefit of Mussolini is that he appeals to Italian traditions as well as each class of citizens.  Mussolini’s fascist party started to control many infrastructures in the country such as electricity and water.  As the fascist party continues to rise, a free vote is held, Mussolini overthrows King Victor Emmanuel III and Mussolini becomes dictator of Italy.  He now is entitled to unlimited power.  Once Mussolini became dictator of Italy, each sector of the corporate world became under government influence; Mussolini and his government oversee each section.  Giancarlo then leans over and tells us something secretive that will not be released into the newspapers for a few years; it is just in talks right now within the government.  The Mussolini government is planning to become an ally of Adolph Hitler due to his rise to power in Germany.  It is said to believe that Mussolini is going to enter into an alliance with Hitler and Germany, which will be the Rome-Berlin Axis.  This axis will attempt to be a superpower against France and Britain. 

The stories that Giancarlo shared with Paolo and I are truly an eye opener of what has occurred and what is said to occur in future years involving Italy’s neutrality and Germany.  We will see where this leads Italy and their leader, Mussolini.

All in all, a truly enjoyable night filled with stories, history and laughter!  I will write soon.

Ciao!

15 January 1933

Ciao amicos!  Sono arrivato in Italia! The food is so incredibly delicious in Italy! I am loving it!  On my daily trip to the bakery, the handsome son of the proprietor, who greets me on my daily visit, flashes his pearly whites and says “Ciao Bella,” as he hands me my morning espresso and pastry, “I am looking forward to you meeting my parents as we dine under the stars this evening.”  I have never been so excited and giddy in my life!
After my lovely morning excursion, I take a detour home and pass by the beautiful Trevi Fountain and make a wish as I toss a coin into the fountain of hope and wishes.  I can just imagine Aunt Gladis smiling ear to ear!  As I toss my coin into the fountain, I make two wishes.  I make a wish for Aunt Gladis hoping that she is in a great place and I make a wish that this evening’s dinner will go well!  After my wish making, I go back to my hotel and get ready for my dinner tonight.  I flip through the local newspaper and I come across a news story about Italy’s Prime Minister, Benito Mussolini.  This fascist leader views communism as a threat to the world.  I wasn’t really in the mood to read about Italian politics so I placed the newspaper down and continued to pamper myself for tonight’s dinner.
I will write tomorrow to tell you all about my exciting evening and how it goes!
Ciao!

1 December 1932

The Soviet Union...........Never in my life would I picture myself stepping into the land of communism.  Their leader, Joseph Stalin is the World’s communist leader.  Stalin is fearful of losing his world title and his power to other powerful communist countries.  He is paranoid for a loss of power and being displaced for the World’s communist leader.  I never admired Joseph Stalin as a leader, and what I am witnessing now is proof of his poor leadership...
As I step into the Soviet Union, the sight of starvation is everywhere! The "Holodomor" as they call it has affected thousands of people in the Ukrainian USSR.  The sight is devastating, and horrific.  I must get to my hotel, these sights are so saddening and unbearable.  This starvation is something I never thought I would see if my entire life, these poor people are suffering to death.
Once I pull myself together, I will pool my money and buy lots of food to feed these people.  Hopefully I can make a difference in one person's life during my stay in the Soviet Union.
I will be off to Italy in a few months, I am very excited to visit Italia and taste their gourmet food!

25 September 1932

Guten Tag! I have arrived in the Weimar Republic!  The “Years of Crisis,” that I had read in numerous newspapers, were over.  During the “Years of Crisis,” the German Franc was worth practically nothing, men were picking up their pay cheques in wheelbarrows.  But now, Germany was on the turn for the better, or so we thought.  As I talk to people in Weimar Republic, they seem to be confident about their German revival and their comeback after so many setbacks due to the Treaty of Versailles.  But they are still very upset due to the economic downturn.  And from what I can see, the Weimar Republic has been hit very hard because of the Depression.  Unemployment is continuing to be on the rise.

After my travels through Weimar Republic, I am off to the Soviet Union, this is one country that I am not excited to visit. Pray for peace!
I'll write soon!

24 September 1932

Hello! Sorry I haven’t written in a while, Britain has so much to offer! My travels in England have come to an end as I continue my journey onto the Weimar Republic.  I extended my travels in England for a longer period of time, I truly enjoyed exploring various British historical sites and learning about the history and culture of Britain.  As I aboard a train off to Weimar Republic, Germany, I love looking at the beautiful English Country side as the steam engine of the train roars to life.  Today is my 23^rd birthday, I miss my family, I miss my Great Aunt Gladis but I know she is here with me throughout this whole trip, and I know she is enjoying it as much as I am!  From the news I have seen in the United States, I realize that Germany is still in shambles after WWI and the signing of the Treaty of Versailles.  From 1929 to today, I wonder how Germany has changed and progressed through these troubling times.  The train is at full speed now, the English Countryside is beautiful.  As for me, the Weimar Republic awaits my arrival. 

Auf Wiedersehen!

15 August 1930

London, England.  I have arrived!  But Europe is much different then anything I would have ever imagined.  The Depression is here too! It is everywhere I turn; I hadn’t realized that the Great Depression was a worldwide Depression.  It is hard to take in; the devastation is just the same as the United States.  It is like an earthquake has shaken the entire world with economic turmoil.  Despite other European nation’s government instability, Britain stayed strong and their citizens are happy with the parliamentary democracy, good welfare and safety nets during this time of an economic downturn.  There is no room for fascists or communists in Britain, there are less than 2,000 votes supporting communists, and fascists have even less.  Many people I have talked to in Britain seem optimistic during this time and are staying strong.  As a tourist, Britain is very warm and welcoming regardless of the poor worldwide conditions.  The countryside is green, green, green!  Britain is reminding me of back home in Michigan.  I miss Michigan, but I am ready for an adventure! 

Okay well I am going to go explore, learn new things and enjoy Britain! I will write soon!  

18 July 1930

The voyage on the SS Leviathan is going well thus far, but much different then what I was expecting.  Some people I have talked to are traveling over to Europe for business to see what business opportunities may arise overseas compared to the poor business conditions back home.  And some people are in the same position as I am, they are going over to Europe as an escape from the Depression; and hope for a better life and a new beginning.

The boat is very bumpy and the feeling of nausea is setting into my body, I will write once I arrive in London in a few weeks. 

15 July 1930

Hi, my name is Meaghan! I am a 21 year old University of Michigan student.  I am starting this blog as I begin my journey overseas to escape Michigan's and the United State's depression as well as fulfilling my past Great Aunt Gladis's dying wish!  Aunt Gladis passed away a few months ago.  And a few weeks ago, her lawyer showed up at my doorstep with her Will, telling me that I have inherited a large sum of money that Aunt Gladis left for me.  And so, my journey begins!
As I sit here aboard the SS Leviathan, a Transatlantic ship off to London, England, I ponder my thoughts on what has occurred in the past few weeks.  My Great Aunt Gladis passed away, and I was left a large sum of money from her Will.  I am still shocked and in a state of disbelief that I have inherited such a large some of money, while everyone is suffering and counting up every coin they have.  Aunt Gladis and I had always wanted to travel overseas and explore the vast land of Europe.  This trip that I am embarking on will be in memory and in honour of Aunt Gladis, her hopes and her dreams!
Before I ever considered this adventure, I only had a few Sawbucks and Lincolns in my pocket.  I am very grateful and blessed to have inherited money which will enable me to pursue my dreams and do what I love.  But most importantly, find a way to escape this Great Depression, and survive this economic downturn.
I look at this trip not only as an adventure but as an escape.  The United States is suffering a terrible Depression due to the Stock Market crash of 1929 which has turned our country upside down, and living conditions here in Michigan are deplorable. 
Depression is everywhere I turn.  Neighbours on both sides of me have had their houses repossessed by the bank and foreclosed.  4,340,000 people are unemployed and the numbers keep escalating.  Men are lined up with their families just to get a bowl of soup to feed their children and attempt to provide a decent living for their family.  The scenes are devastating and it is time to start recovering.
Until then, I will be in Europe where conditions are livable and I will take Aunt Gladis along in memory for a long awaited journey!