Transcription: 3rd September I939 Sunday. Great Britain and France declared war on Germany, in fulfilment  of their Treaty obligations with Poland, at II .a.m. ^or 5 A.M^ after an ultimatum demanding the cessation of the attack on Poland and the withdrawal of German troops.      The two or three days since the German attack began  without notice or declaration have, we suppose, been used to make preparations, evacuate the danger zones of children, and no doubt in active diplomatic moves especially in regard to Italy. Thank God Elsie and the children are in Dublin with two-thirds of their belongings.    There is not the fear and panic in Switzerland there was during the last two crises in September and April, but no one knows.    And it leaves my mind free from a good deal of personal anxieties. The Nazis must be beaten if there is to be any decency in such life and civilisation as may survive.     In the war of 20 years ago if we did not want England to be beaten we were certainly not anxious for her unqualified vidtory.   We were not pro-German but pro-Irish and the land was in captivity.   Now all our national interests lie with Britain and her allies. The freeing of most of Ireland- even if Develera declares as he does that we will be neutral "as long as possible"- puts Britain in a better position than in 'I4.    No divisions to be kept in Ireland, a friendly government, a better moral position espec- ially with a eye on America, food supplies and a safe back door. To be honest I should like to see the Government declare war but it is difficult for Dev. especially with the northern question unsettled.    After all it is not so long ago since Britain represented in the eyes of our people nearly all that Nazi domination is to them; and if they are at last standing up to the Hun it is , making full allowance for the British disgust of Nazi abomination, in their national interests.  A failure this time would have made Britain and France second class Powers overnight.     Their turn would have come just as it came in the end for the too-clever Beck  and in even worse conditions. Now we wait for Italy. Last April Elsie and I made up our minds to move.the furnitur and wains.   We were in Ireland and when I came back before them and in view of what I saw and heard asked her if I shd send a case of silver home- to have something for her- she said she was willing to move all and take the risks and inconveniences if we got another chance.   I could not let it be known in view of my position but I knew no one else would have the respon- sibility and pay the cost.    So we announced that the children would go to school in the autumn ( I expected the crisis in this month) and later that we would send some of our mobilier to set up house for them.  The Blythes were just vacating Fairfield House.   We got our stuff off in July.    It cost me 300 pounds for transport, which was a big insurance rate or gamble ^investment^ if you like, now fully justified.   I kept enough here for Elsie and self, as if no war came she would divide her time between Dublin and Geneva.   We would not be able to do big dinners etc here and would have to use restaurants.     Even including my clothes I have now less than a thousand pds worth of stuff in Geneva. The family had spent the first part of August in south of France and I was in Connemara.   They got home about the I7th and were not in the house one day when the Bolsheviks dropped the bombshell of the treaty with the Nazis.    I saw what it would mean and wired Avenol that I would go up at once to Dublin to be ready for a quick return.   He answered that there was no occasion to change plans!    But I got the telegram from a policeman as I reached Galway.   One day in Dublin and then set off, not being sure of getting through London before it was bombed and being very uncertain if I would pass Paris.   There were mobilisations all round.   Germany had been preparing for months and others too.   The threats to Poland increased as I reached Geneva after an uncomfortable journey via Dieppe.   London and Paris sent warnings to Berlin that they would carry out their pledges to Poland;  negotiations began.  The story is known. I employed the day or two of grace in trying to get the food stocks recommended by the Swiss govt;  wrote various directio ns to Elsie; sent off some more papers, and except for a low stock of Irish cigarettes and a weak cellar , andexpected red- uction of income, and the uncertainties of war on a fantastic scale, am as ready as possible for eventualities.   It is now the time to live from day to day, and we are fortunate to have made so much prevision .

Transcription: Left page   Monday 28/8/39 Saw Aghnides and Avenol on my return to the office from Ireland this morning. Both trying to count up the favourable factors of the Russo-German agreement: - Spain  Japan and the consolidation of opinion in the decent countries where the German propaganda had many adherents or dupes on the idea of Nazi-ism being a bulwark against Communism. And to discount the other factors. To me the germans seem to have changed their policy towards Russia at a price but that that fact suggests that they count more on immediate advantages in Europe than on long-distance losses. That is that the neutralisatio of Russia, the consequent weakening of Polands position, the  opening of a new source of supplies against a possible blockade will count substantially in a war or threat of war.   Avenol says if they had meant war they have lost ten invaluable days when the western preparations have been made quietly and efficiently.              After talking with him I heard on the  T; S; F. that Hitler had told Deladier he wanted not only Danzig but the Corridor, and the "protection" of two millions Germans in Western Poland which means in fact other large territorial concessions in northern and western Poland. If he sticks to that we shall have war.             England and France are so far standing firm.     To give way would make them second- class Powers overnight.      Turkey Rumania and Greece would promptly tumble into Germanys pocket as Poland would be again partitioned leaving a free(!) rump to act as a helpless buffer territory. And when Europe was consolidated in Nazi hands they would be stretched out for whatever they coveted of French and British. I think the Western Powers have virtually their backs to the wall.       And it dates very specifically to the  Hoare-Laval agreement.  Right page   28/8/39 Without quite knowing why everybody is feeling easier about Switzerlands position. Perhaps it is Italy. She is in a quandrary now. If she remained neutral she for a time she would demobolise I mean Immobilise a large Anglo-French fleet and forces and perhaps strike when Germany had cleaned up in th East. So it is not unlikely she will get an ultimatum if War comes and she tries that game- for or against-. 1st September. The news comes in that German troops have entered Polish territory at three points and that Polish towns are being bombed from the air.  So it begins.

Transcription: 42 308 125 au Caire ce 13. Janvier 1840   .Cette lettre est identique à celle qui commence item 73..  Monsieur,   Il n'y a que quelques moments que j'ai enfin reçu une décision au sujet de la demande que vous m'avez adressée ; ce grand retard a été causé par la nécessite d'attendre une réponse d'Alexandrie.   Le Lieutenant de S. A. Abbas Pacha me fait savoir que d'après des ordres supérieurs on ne saurait contrevenir aux règles établies, ce qui, en d'autres termes, n'est rien de moins qu'un refus formel.   Il à Monsieur Antoine D'Abbadie à Suez.

Transcription: Left page   Belgium & Switzerland. Turkey made an alliance. Tentative approaches were made to Soviet Russia. Very tentative, we thought. At a luncheon here in May I joined Walters &  Wm Strang in conversation . I said I thought mor the situation demanded urgency,  "What do you want us to do?" Wm. said with a half-smile. I replied "Make an arrangement with Russia at the earliest moment." "That is just what Walters has been saying " he replied. He was once Counsellor & charge in Moscow. So it was not unnatural as chief of the Central Section in the F.O. that he shd be sent to Moscow a few weeks later to help the ambassador. He stayed about 6 weeks, I think. The negotiations dragged on - and ended only with the sudden announcement of a  German -  Russia non aggression pact of a  peculiar kind!  Right page   This volte face precipitated the  crisis, already boding up, & at daybreak on 1st Septr the Germans invaded Poland.

Description: Ratne bojne dopisnice (Feldpost) bile su najfunkcionalnije sredstvo komuniciranja vojnika sa porodicom tokom Prvog svjetskog rata. Većinom su bile cenzurisane i na njima se nalazio pečat vojne cenzure, regimentalni pečat i pečat vojne pošte. Na velikom broju dopisnica nalazila su se sva tri pečata, međutim, nerijetko se nalazio samo jedan ili dva. Poznato je da su vojnici bili strogo kažnjavani ukoliko su svjesno pisali bilo šta što otkriva vojne tajne. Pisati su mogli samo vojnici. Sve što bi napisali davalo bi se vojnom cenzoru da to pregleda i tek kad on odobri moglo se poslati porodici. Čitajući pisma, može se uvidjeti da su ona poprilično štura, te da su dobro pazili o svemu šta je napisano, upravo iz razloga da bi izbjegli probleme sa nadređenim. Feldpost sistem Austro-ugarske Monarhije, omogućavao je vojnicima da komuniciraju sa svojim najbližima. Sačuvane razglednice i pisma pružaju lični pogled na to kako su pojedini vojnici doživljavali sukobe. || Devet bojnih dopisnica (Feldpost)

Description: Este un volum de jurnal din cele trei deţinute de Biblioteca Judeţeană Octavian Goga Cluj. || Dumitru Nistor, ţăran din satul Năsăud s-a născut în 1893. Visând din copilărie să călătorească şi să vadă ţări străine, în 1912, când vine vremea “număraşului” (recrutării) el cere să fie primit nu în miliţia ardeleană, unde erau recrutaţi de obicei românii, ci în marina austro-ungară. Terminând şcoala de marină, după o călătorie la Viena, este îmbarcat ca Geschützvormeister (“primul îndreptător de tun”) pe vasul SMS Kaiserin Elisabeth, cu destinaţia Asia. Prins de război în Marea Chinei, crucişătorul Kaiserin Elisabeth participă la câteva bătălii navale, pentru ca în 2 noiembrie 1914 să se hotărască scufundarea lui. Echipajul pierde şi lupta terestră, este luat prizonier de japonezi şi transportat în arhipelagul nipon. Timp de zece luni, ţăranul-marinar din Năsăud va fi prizonier într-o mănăstirea buddhistă din Himeji, iar apoi mutat într-un lagăr, construit special pentru prizonierii germani şi austrieci, la Aonogahara, nu departe de Kobe, unde va rămâne până la sfârşitul anului 1919.

Description: Potrošačka kartica sadrži podatke o osobama koje su se prijavljivale radi raspodjele živežnih namirnica u Zagrebu tijekom Drugog svjetskog rata. Sadrži podatke o podnosiocu prijave (ime i prezime, adresa) te osobama koje se nalaze u kućanstvu, njihova imena, godine rođenja, odnos prema podnosiocu prijave, zanimanje i mjesto rada.

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