A World Gone Mad: The Wartime Diaries

by Astrid Lindgren

  Hitler made another speech today, but he actually sounds a bit weary. And when he says Germany’s going to win, militarily and economically, I don’t think he sounds very convincing. One of the Swedish journalists invited to Germany recently told Sture that the German people don’t believe in victory any more. Time is working in Britain’s favour as usual, and seeing as the much-vaunted German invasion hasn’t happened, one might almost start to doubt Germany’s chances of winning.

  Not to mention Italy’s! Greece has driven the Italians further and further back into Albania and things are looking dismal for the Italian forces in North Africa, too. Marshal Badoglio, the chief of the general staff, and various other top dogs have left their posts, which is generally a sure sign of weakness. Mussolini’s said to be pretty depressed and according to today’s Aftonbladet, Count Ciano is being blamed for the failure of the Greek venture.

  Oh yes, and I forgot to write that Kallio has stood down as president of Finland on the grounds of ill health. That man of honour, he has the deep respect of his people. Ryti is touted as his likeliest successor, but there’s talk of Kivimäki and possibly Paasikivi, too. I’m sure it’ll be Ryti, though.

  21 DECEMBER

  The day before yesterday, the 19th, President Kallio ‘journeyed to the place from which none return’. Ryti had just been elected and Kallio and his wife were going to their house in Nivala. They were accompanied to the station by the residents of Helsinki, with Mannerheim and Ryti at their head. ‘The March of the Björneborg Regiment’ was played, the presidential couple’s route was lined with flaming brands – then he collapsed, their fine little president, and would have sunk to the ground if Mannerheim had not put out an arm to support him. He was carried into a railway carriage, where he breathed his last. A noble Finnish heart had stopped beating – and his parting from his people could hardly have been more dramatic. He was much loved in Sweden too, we can see that in today’s letters.

  In the Libyan desert, battles have been raging for some time now between the British and Italians – and the Italians are hard pressed. Plus how can you wage war in a desert, to which every crumb of food, every drop of water and all ammunition has to be transported such vast distances? What’s more, according to today’s communiqué the British fleet has moved up the Adriatic, putting the Italian troops in Albania in a disastrous position and meaning that a British invasion of Italy is now conceivable, at least. Sture told a funny story about the poor Italians (in the press no jokes about the Italians are permitted until the Italian trade agreement is concluded). In France there are French and Italian troops on either side of the demarcation line. And now, Sture claims, the French have put up big notices: ‘Greeks halt! French territory begins here!’

  There’s been a shocking accident in Bofors [armaments factory], or Björkborn works to be precise. Some TNT caught light and as a result there was a dreadful explosion and a devastating fire. Eight dead. We’re not being told the extent of the destruction, the newspapers aren’t allowed to give details.

  28 DECEMBER

  Christmas has come and gone, our second wartime Christmas! And there was no bombing on Christmas night after all! No air-raid sirens in either Berlin or London.

  Here in Sweden, Christmas was celebrated just as usual, as far as I can gather. We stuffed ourselves, just as usual. We must be the only nation in Europe able to do that, at least to that degree.

  We, the Lindgrens, spent Christmas in Näs as usual. Sture, newly appointed director at M., insisted we travel second class, so the journey was no trouble at all. On the 26th Sture and I came back (I have a job to go to as well, after all) but the children are staying on for now. We saw Inger Ingvarsdotter for the first time. We were all together for dinner on Christmas Eve, Sammel Agust’s [Samuel August] and Hanna’s children, grandchildren and all the in-laws.

  I think almost everyone here in Sweden feels, just I do this Christmas 1940, that it’s a pure, undeserved, unparalleled state of grace which allowed us to celebrate Christmas in peace and quiet in our own homes. Many have had to spend Christmas in the camps where they are stationed. But the ladies’ defence volunteers went round handing out Christmas presents and I know there’s been a festive atmosphere in the camps, too.

  Father [Astrid’s father-in-law] hasn’t had a happy Christmas, though. He’s in a lot of pain now and yesterday they took him by boat and ambulance from Furusund to the Bethany Foundation nursing home in Stocksund. He’s a mere shadow of his former self and can’t have much longer to live. (†30 December 1940.)

  As for the war, nothing particularly startling is happening at the moment except that things are rapidly going to pot for the Italians. Churchill made a speech to the Italian people, pointing out that one man, and one man only, has hurled them to their destruction.

  A funny story: malicious tongues in Berlin have it that Quisling went to see Hitler and asked him to promise to let Quisling call the book he’s writing about his struggle for power ‘Mein Kämpflein’ [‘My Little Struggle’].

  ‘Unhappy things still happen. Even in our time.’ [Quotation from Johan Lindström Saxon’s ballad about Elvira Madigan]. At the moment, a proportion of the Swedish population is focused on the trial of Olle Möller, who’s accused of the kidnap, rape and murder on 1 December of 10-year-old Gerd Johansson.

  This evening I finished reading Henne fick jag aldrig möta [The Woman I Never Met], which Hans has just published.

  1941

  The Lindgren family at Vulcanusgatan, 1941.

  1 JANUARY

  A new year has begun with a new sales tax, butter rationing and some strict austerity measures. We embarked on our austerity last night by having supper with Alli and the Gullanders, some lobster and assorted other treats. And a visit to Karl Gerhard’s New Year’s revue, with grave words from K.G. at midnight about ‘a free Sweden’, and everybody joining in the national anthem.

  Things don’t feel at all the same as they did this time last year, when we were dreading what 1940 might bring. That’s to say, there’s every reason for dreading the future now, too, but it just doesn’t seem the same to us.

  In other respects the world looks even sadder than it did last New Year – Norway is an even greater tragedy than Finland was (Ronald Fangen is reported to have been admitted to a mental hospital, broken by ghastly ‘cross-examination’ resulting from a newspaper article. The Oxford Group has been given an ultimatum to actively align itself with the new regime or face a ban.)

  There’s less and less food in Europe, and it’s the same with fuel.

  Roosevelt made a speech the other day that was received with great satisfaction in Britain, silence in Berlin and vocal bitterness in Italy, which declares that it has ‘lost patience’ with the USA. It’ll be amusing to see what they do when they lose it definitively. Word now has it that Italy’s motto is: ‘We came when we saw who had conquered.’

  If only this New Year could bring us peace! God grant that it will.

  10 JANUARY

  So that’s that!

  The British are the masters of North Africa, Bardia fell a few days ago with tremendous losses for the Italians and it’s bound to be Tobruk next. The German air force is allegedly going to be deployed, but the British say it’s already too late. There’s also talk of German passage through Bulgaria down to Greece. As long as that doesn’t mean the Russians have agreed to that in return for a free hand in other places.

  24 JANUARY

  Nothing in particular’s happening in the big war but I’ll still write this entry so I can have a little moan about the general discomfort the whole business is spreading over existence. Did there have to be two perishingly cold winters in a row, just because we’re short of coke? It’s flipping freezing, outdoors and in! There’s been a really harsh cold spell all January and I reckon our flat is around 15–16°. And it’s going to get worse, our caretaker promised this evening when I grumbled. In the detached houses out in the suburbs it can only be about 10–12°. If only spring
would come soon! The whole of Europe is cold and starving. Well, we’re not starving. But they say that in Paris it’s as bad as during the siege of 1870–71. One potato costs 5 francs. There are crows and hawks for sale in the markets. Here, we’re collecting sugar for Norway and Finland, saving it up from our rations. How lucky we are to be in a situation that means we can help. We’re also sponsoring children affected by the war in Finland and Norway, paying them 30 kronor a month. Good grief, there are people everywhere in need of help! Our own men on military service, among others.

  Roosevelt and the Pope are said to be concocting peace plans, but I don’t suppose they’ll come to anything.

  A virulent strain of influenza is going round Sweden and in places it’s almost as bad as the Spanish flu.

  The intervals between our coffee rations are to be increased; I expect we’ll soon be getting a bare minimum. I saw one newspaper was predicting meat rationing come the summer.

  Tobruk fell a few days ago. The bombardments of Britain and Germany are continuing. Hitler and Mussolini had a meeting.

  A story:

  Hitler was standing in a hall with a good echo, practising his speech.

  He yelled: Wer beherrscht die grosse Welt?

  The echo answered: Roosevelt.

  Wer macht den Frieden? –

  Eden.

  Wo soll die grosse Revolution beginnen?

  Innen.

  Wer ist die grösste Nation?

  Zion.

  [Who rules the great world?

  The echo answered: Roosevelt.

  Who makes peace?

  Eden.

  Where should the grand revolution begin?

  Inside.

  Which is the greatest nation?

  Zion.]

  Then Hitler had had enough.

  (Apologies for any spelling mistakes in the above.)

  Lars and Göran started dancing classes yesterday. There’ll always be dancing – regardless of minor world wars.

  That reminds me – in Romania these past few days there’s been a punch-up that looks pretty much like a civil war. They say that ex-king Carol, who’s in Spain, tried to take his own life.

  1 FEBRUARY

  I cut the pictures overleaf out of Se magazine, which Sture brought home with him today. I’d almost forgotten the existence of Poland. But when I read about these poor Jews I’m seized by a hatred of the Germans, who think they have the right to trample other peoples underfoot.

  [Press cutting from Se, no. 5 1941: ‘Jewish cities behind high stone walls’. Photos of: a wall in Lublin; segregated tram carriages for Jews in Kraków; two elderly women wearing armbands with the Star of David; three women selling the yellow armbands.]

  [Next page, captioned by Astrid: ‘And from the same issue of Se– Lindgren family news’: picture of Sture, newly appointed head of the Swedish motorists’ association, and a paragraph about growing membership and the use of wood gas as wartime fuel.]

  9 FEBRUARY

  I thought this was a good leader so I pasted it in.

  [Press cutting from Dagens Nyheter, 8 February 1941: ‘Benghazi’. What is happening in Africa? The concept of Lebensraum.]

  We won the military patrol race [at the Nordic World Ski Championships] in Cortina, beating Germany and Italy and Switzerland and Finland. It’s splendid being able to show the Germans what sort of soldiers we have in this country.

  Things have gone totally to pot for the Italians. God, what soldiers. The British are masters of all Libya and fighting continues in Eritrea and Abyssinia. The ‘Lion of Judah’, Haile Selassie, is with the British and preparing to resume his throne, and the Abyssinians are making common cause with the British against the Italians.

  What will Germany do? The whole world is in suspense, waiting for the invasion attempt on Britain, which everyone thinks must come this spring. And when it happens – well, then the fate of the world will be decided in a day, a few hours. And then I’ll even bring myself to listen to the news, something I long since gave up doing on a daily basis.

  ‘The Germans are getting less and less snooty in Stockholm,’ I read in one of my letters yesterday. And the fact is, I think they’ve had to tone down their cockiness. And maybe we’ve grown a bit more confident – thanks to our unprecedented armaments, which are probably nothing compared to the great powers’, but which still weigh in our favour. ‘Angels and Fritzes are both courting Svea,’ another letter said. Yes, well, as long as they leave us in peace – amen!

  3 MARCH

  Bulgaria has joined the Tripartite Pact and German troops have been sent in.

  13 MARCH

  Today is the first anniversary of the terrible Finno-Russian peace. This time a year ago was agonizing. In recent days I’ve been reading two books about last year’s war, which has already gone down in history. Ärans vinter [Winter of Honour] by Håkan Mörne and Tragedy in France by André Maurois. They’re both utterly gripping. Finland’s winter war and France’s collapse on those warm May and June days of 1940 – we’ll remember them both as long as we live. It’s horrifying to read how completely unprepared for this war France was, and Britain too – and how well prepared they were in Germany. Maurois writes: ‘It was terrible to realize (...) that a mighty civilization saw itself doomed to perish simply because five thousand tanks and ten thousand aeroplanes, which could easily have been built or bought, were not acquired in time.’

  The current situation is one of awaiting disaster. In just the last few days submarine attacks have really intensified and Britain has lost a lot of tonnage. But American aid is increasing and today’s Allehanda says ‘it’s hard to see how they (the USA) can cite one formal legal provision after another to stop on the brink of war’s abyss’.

  17 MARCH

  On Saturday evening, Mother Svea suddenly and strangely called up large numbers of her sons – and now there is all manner of speculation as to why. Things have been calm for so long that we thought all danger was more or less past, but apparently not. It’s true that the government communiqué says it’s just to test the effectiveness of our defence readiness, but nobody believes that. Rumour has it that Germany’s made the most outrageous demands, including part of our navy, but nobody really knows anything. I simply haven’t the energy to be as nervous and worried as last winter and spring. I don’t give a damn and am much more concerned about Karin’s raised temperature and tuberculin tests.

  21 MARCH

  The call-ups on Saturday are very worrying, actually. They’re extremely comprehensive – a partial general mobilization. Jenny Tanner wrote yesterday to her husband, Väinö Tanner, that things are ‘as tense as they were last April, with pressure from the same quarter’. But others seem to think the threat is from Russia. And one letter cheerily claimed the Japanese government had issued an ultimatum that the Japanese fleet be allowed through the Göta Canal [in Sweden].

  It’s miserable for those called up earlier, who were expecting to be relieved but can now see no prospect of release. Mrs Fåhreus’s husband came home from Norrland on Saturday and he’s got to go straight back on Monday. A whole contingent from [infantry regiment] I5, who had just been demobbed after six months’ service and were on the train south, were ordered to get out at a station and go back. Some were in tears. I’m sure there were tears for Ingegerd, too, who was expecting to be taken to her new home in Skövde at Easter. But now he [her husband Ingvar] has been sent off somewhere in his motherland, so I suppose she’ll have to stay at home. Meanwhile Inger’s growing all the time and Ingvar hardly gets to see her. But people aren’t supposed to be happy or content, it seems.

  Britain has suffered its most intensive bombing yet, these past few nights, and this is seen as a prelude to the long-anticipated total invasion. Thousands of fatalities. The Germans say they’re going to reduce England to a heap of rubble. ‘This little bit of earth, this England!’ No, it mustn’t happen!

  27 MARCH

  Yesterday, or it might have been the day before, the Yugosl
av government allied itself to the Axis Powers – and today there are big headlines in the evening papers saying that young King Peter has taken power, Prince Paul has fled and the government has been toppled. The Yugoslav people are rejoicing – they don’t want to join Germany. We’ll have to see what this all amounts to. There’ll probably be war between Germany and Yugoslavia. Turkey is still outside – cheering for Greece. It’s going to be awfully interesting to follow developments in the Balkans. Romania and Bulgaria are obedient tools of Germany – it really is marvellous that Yugoslavia is digging in its heels.

  Here in the Nordic countries things are still critical, I imagine. Per Albin [Hansson] made a reassuring speech on the radio, which seems to have had the opposite effect. Military letters apparently show (I heard today, though I haven’t seen confirmation) that an armed German merchant fleet came within the 30-km limit round Gotland and was gently but firmly driven off by the Swedish navy.

  A profoundly sad Jewish letter, a document of its time, crossed my desk today. A Jew who had recently arrived here in Sweden sent a fellow Jew in Finland an account of the transporting of Jews from Vienna to Poland. I believe 1,000 Jews a day were forcibly transported to Poland in the most shocking conditions. Some sort of instruction arrives by post and the individual concerned has to leave home, taking very little money and a minimal amount of luggage. Conditions on the days leading up to transportation, during the journey and on arrival in Poland were such that the letter-writer didn’t want to describe them. He had a brother among the unfortunates. It is apparently Hitler’s intention to make Poland into one big ghetto where the poor Jews are to perish from hunger and squalor. They are not even able to wash, for example. Poor, wretched people! Surely the God of Israel must intervene soon? How can Hitler think one can treat one’s own fellow human beings like that? Sture met a Norwegian yesterday who was totally convinced that Germany’s going to collapse within a couple of months. But I expect that’s just wishful thinking.