The Von Trapps' Escape: Austrian Border Crossing

The Von Trapp family escaped Austria by using their Italian passports. Commander Georg Ritter von Trapp, a former naval officer, had become eligible for Italian nationality in 1918, which would later prove to be a crucial factor in the family's escape. After losing his fortune in the Great Depression, von Trapp and his family began singing at concerts to make ends meet, and they eventually became famous and toured across Europe.

The von Trapp family's former home was in modern-day Italy, so they had Italian passports

The von Trapp family were able to escape Austria because their former home was in modern-day Italy, so they had Italian passports. This meant that they could leave Austria without giving a reason. They were able to cross the border into Italy without any trouble.

The family had Italian nationality because Commander von Trapp, a former submarine commander, had become eligible for it in 1918. He understood the risks and uncertainty of the world, and knew that having Italian nationality would help his family be better prepared for the future.

The von Trapps lost their fortune in the early 1930s during the Great Depression, and were forced to make ends meet by singing at concerts. They became relatively famous and went on tour across Europe during the late 1930s. Eventually, they settled in Vermont, in the United States.

Commander von Trapp understood risk and uncertainty, and knew that having Italian nationality would help his family

Indeed, when the Nazis did invade Austria, the von Trapps were able to leave without giving a reason. They simply used their Italian papers to cross the border into Italy. This was in contrast to many other families who had to make dramatic escapes from the country. The von Trapps had initially lived comfortably on their estate near Salzburg, but when von Trapp lost his fortune in the Great Depression, they were forced to make ends meet by singing at concerts. They became relatively famous and went on tour across Europe in the late 1930s.

The von Trapps were wealthy, but lost their fortune in the Great Depression

The von Trapps were a wealthy family, with their fortune stemming from the inheritance of Commander Georg Ritter von Trapp's first wife, an heiress. However, they lost their fortune in the early 1930s during the Great Depression.

Von Trapp had become eligible for Italian nationality in 1918, which would have been useful to him as a former submarine commander who understood risk and uncertainty. When the family lost their money, they were forced to make ends meet by singing at concerts. They became relatively famous and went on tour across Europe during the late 1930s.

The family's former home was located in modern-day Italy, which gave them Italian passports. This allowed them to leave Austria without giving a reason and cross the border into Italy. They eventually settled in Vermont, USA.

The von Trapps' story is an example of how having a second passport or foreign residency can help mitigate risks and uncertainties. In their case, it allowed them to escape Nazi occupation.

The family became famous for singing at concerts and went on tour across Europe

The von Trapp family escaped Austria by using their Italian papers to leave the country and cross the border into Italy. The family's former home was located in modern-day Italy, which gave them Italian passports. This allowed them to leave Austria without giving a reason.

Commander Georg Ritter von Trapp, a former Austrian naval officer, had become eligible for Italian nationality in 1918. Although he likely wasn't contemplating the Nazi occupation of Austria at the time, he understood the risks and uncertainties of life and knew that having Italian nationality would help his family be better prepared for the future.

They settled in Vermont, United States

The Von Trapp family were able to escape Austria because they had Italian passports. Commander Georg Ritter von Trapp had become eligible for Italian nationality in 1918, and he knew that having Italian nationality would help his family be better prepared for a world full of unknowns. They were therefore able to leave Austria without giving a reason and cross the border into Italy.

The family eventually landed in the United States and settled in Vermont. They began touring the country, singing at concerts to make ends meet. They had become relatively famous and went on tour across Europe during the late 1930s.

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