War Diaries, 1939-1945

by Astrid Lindgren

  5 OCTOBER

  No no, the Germans mustn’t starve! And if the Norwegian workers, who haven’t set eyes on potatoes and vegetables for I don’t know how long, refuse in their desperation to load the Germans’ railway trucks full of food, then they get sent to concentration camps. And it’s the same in all the occupied countries, of course.

  But things are still going sluggishly at Stalingrad. There’s not a bit of the town left in one piece, yet still the Russians aren’t giving way.

  7 OCTOBER

  A state of emergency has been declared in Trøndelag in Norway and one result is that ten Norwegian citizens were executed by firing squad at 6 p.m. on 6 October 1942 ‘as atonement for several sabotage attempts’. All their estates have been confiscated.

  An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth doesn’t apply any more; now wholly innocent people have to atone for crimes committed by others! Ugh, what sort of ‘legal system’ is that? A horrible letter in the official report describes a Norwegian who had all 32 of his healthy teeth pulled out and was then put in a concentration camp on a diet of hard bread and salt water for three months.

  3 NOVEMBER

  Just after I wrote that last entry, large numbers of Norwegians were shot.

  There’s nothing else particularly new to report. Stalingrad still hasn’t fallen, in the desert the British have given Rommel a jolly good bashing, and the Russians are still braying for a second front, but we’ve seen no sign of it.

  We’re heading for our fourth winter of the war, and if the thought of it wearies us in Sweden, how on earth must it be for other nations? Looking back over the war, we can detect different phases in people’s way of reacting: after the dreadful despair one felt at the very beginning there was a long spell of relative indifference, only interrupted by violent shocks like the occupation of Norway, the defeat of France etc. And now the real war-weariness is setting in: people are so tired of the war that they simply don’t know what to do, it’s all so depressing. Winter is certainly going to be pretty trying for us, at least in the cities, but one scarcely dares think how it will be in other countries. In Norway they’ll be starving, for sure (the Germans take everything) and in Finland it’s not much better. They say there’s terrific war-weariness in Germany, particularly Berlin. In Denmark there’s a rising sense of frustration; King Christian fell off his horse and nearly died but seems to be recovering now, thank goodness.

  The Lindgren family celebrated Sture’s 44th birthday today with a very tasty hash plus smoked eel, with cake to follow, so there’s no starvation here. Not yet, at any rate.

  8 NOVEMBER

  In Africa, it’s all gone to pot for Germany. Rommel’s in disorderly retreat with the British in hot pursuit. In fact, this is the first time we’ve heard of real military defeat for the Germans, and many people see signs in this of an ultimate German debacle. The Italians have requested a ceasefire so they can bury their dead. What’s more, the Americans have landed on the African coast, on French territory, with the result that France declared war on America today. So a few things have started happening again.

  12 NOVEMBER

  Things are happening! [in English]. Yesterday the Germans marched into the free zone in France, so now France is an entirely occupied country, and Pétain protested. Today he is reported to have fled. The fate of the French navy will be decided today, but according to the evening papers it intends to defend itself against any attack, so Hitler has promised not to occupy Toulon. Resistance to the Americans in Algiers has been abandoned and was probably pretty lame anyway. It must be more or less the first time the Allies have undertaken anything that has made Hitler do something he hadn’t counted on. It must take a huge amount of manpower to keep France occupied, which means fewer Germans in Russia, of course. In North Africa the British march is going very fast. All these events are much better explained in the press cuttings that follow.

  [Press cutting of Churchill’s speech: ‘European front 1942, a stratagem’. Bells to be rung to celebrate victory in Egypt.]

  So different from a Hitler speech! You’d think everyone would realize that only a man with some kind of mental defect could stand up and make speeches like Hitler.

  30 NOVEMBER

  On Friday morning, 27 November, the entire Toulon fleet was scuttled by its own crews when the Germans tried to take France’s Mediterranean base by huge military force. The crews went down with their ships. This seems to me one of the most dramatic events of the entire war. In fact, the war in general has got more and more dramatic in recent days.

  So, that was that. Poor Marshal Pétain. He didn’t flee after the occupation, as was claimed, but he handed all power over to that filthy little cur Laval, who obediently follows Hitler. Pétain drew up a proclamation in which he disbanded French military forces on land, on sea and in the air.

  And this setback for the Germans in France comes alongside defeat to the Russians at Stalingrad; what completely lunatic amounts of blood have flowed there. I don’t know how much the Russian offensive means, but the very fact that they’ve been able to break through the German front at various points says a great deal. One would like to feel sorry for the German soldiers, facing a Russian winter – and I do – but what appalling people they are. Things are shocking in Norway. Just the other day 1,000 Norwegian Jews, women and children among them, were deported to Poland and certain death. It’s the work of the devil! Moreover, lots of young women have been forcibly recruited to be sent to the German soldiers up north, where they will ‘primarily’ be preparing meals for the soldiers, but that’s doubtless just for starters! Only the other day I saw one of Hitler’s dear little decrees, to the effect that the valuable Norwegian part of the Germanic racial group was to be safeguarded by taking into care any babies born to Norwegian women and fathered by German soldiers. But a poor Polish labourer who fell in love with a German girl, and had a baby with her, had to dig his own grave and was then shot in the presence of his Polish comrades, who were forced to watch as a warning.

  25 DECEMBER

  For us, the fourth Christmas of the war was spent in Stockholm. It was the first Christmas of my life away from Näs. But we’ve had such a nice time that I think we’ll stay at home in future. Admittedly Karin went down with a nasty throat infection about a week before Christmas, and on the 23rd the doctor predicted it would develop into an abscess behind the tonsils, but lo and behold the crisis passed on Christmas Eve and by the evening her temperature was down and she was able to appreciate the delights of Christmas. ‘Come and sit with me, Mummy, and help me enjoy being so lucky,’ she said. Lars was very happy and content, too. His presents were: ski trousers, a jacket, sports socks, ordinary socks, books, money, sweets, a photo album; and for Karin: an umbrella, a coat for school, mittens, loads of books, including Alice in Wonderland which she’s been longing for, sweets, a couple of games, and so on. We still had tree candles this Christmas, though only Karin was allowed ten. Luckily I’d saved up a few. And there’s no shortage of food. We saved our pork and bacon coupons – and this was what we were able to muster: a Christmas ham, 31/2 kg, brawn, liver pâté – home-made, salt beef, veal kidney from Småland (though we got through that before Christmas). We were supposed to have a hare from Skåne as well, but it didn’t come, luckily, or it would have been sheer gluttony. But we made little cakes and biscuits: ginger snaps and brandy rings, and Mother [Astrid’s mother-in-law] brought lots of other kinds.

  This morning we’ve got the Fries family coming, and they’ll bring something too, so we’ll have assorted meats (ham, tongue and salt beef) plus creamed potatoes, herring salad, a buckling gratin, herring, liver pâté and smoked eel. We’re going to have a really nice time.

  Out in the world there’s nothing but misery. Things are going badly for the Germans in Russia and Africa. Major military setbacks – it must be the beginning of the end.

  Pelle Dieden dropped in before Christmas and gave us news from Norway.

  [Count] Pontus de la Gardie’s
daughter married into a Norwegian family. She told Pelle that her maternal grandfather, Count Lövenskiöld, was taken to Northern Norway as forced labour along with various other leading men of his district, in reprisal after some Norwegians in a nearby village grumbled when a German soldier pushed ahead of everybody in the cinema queue and behaved generally obnoxiously. The poor count wasn’t even aware of the film performance. Such is German justice. And after the count was taken away, two trucks drove up to his grand house and a bunch of German soldiers tramped in and grabbed all they could find, including 2,000 bottles of wine, all the food that had been bottled and preserved, all the soap – they weren’t even allowed to keep a scrap of soap for a baby. Then the soldiers drank themselves senseless and forced the old countess to make them tea at 3 in the morning. At Grini [the detention camp run by the Nazis in Norway], Pelle claimed to have heard from some Norwegians who had been there that they’re beaten, three times a day if they’re lucky, sometimes four. Woe betide them when the day of retribution comes.

  And our dear parents gave us 1,000 kronor for Christmas.

  1943

  Christmas Eve 1943: Karin, Karolina Lindgren, Astrid and Sture.

  NEW YEAR’S NIGHT

  We’re just into 1943. I remember when we were children back home in Näs, we stayed up to see in 1918 and wrote ‘Long live 1918’ on the white wall behind the stove in our room. I wonder whether 1918 and 1943 will turn out to have anything in common; surely the war will have to end this year? I think it feels exactly like 1918. In the last few days I’ve heard from many directions that Sweden’s situation is serious again. But I hope it’s just exaggeration. And I hope there’ll be peace in the world next New Year – as I’ve hoped every New Year these past three years.

  On Christmas Eve, Admiral Darlan was murdered in Algiers.

  The outlook is black for Germany. Things are going badly both in Russia and in Africa; it could be disastrous. In Germany, people are saying: Den Krieg haben wir schon verloren [We’ve already lost the war]. And I think they’re right.

  24 JANUARY

  The situation is much as before, though things are going even worse for the Germans than they were. The British have marched into Tripoli and in Russia it looks like a sheer catastrophe. A German army is encircled at Stalingrad, over which they’ve fought tooth and nail. In Germany they’re playing funeral music on the radio to honour the heroes of Stalingrad. Every day there are reports of the Russians advancing afresh; in the Caucasus the Germans are making a planned retreat. The poor soldiers at Stalingrad are holed up in dugouts with entrances guarded by Russian marksmen. And it’s cold in Russia now. Poor people, I can’t help feeling sorry for the German soldiers for having to suffer so terribly, no matter how much I detest Nazism and all the acts of violence the Germans have committed in the countries they occupied. I think the Gestapo should be expunged from the face of the earth, but there are bound to be some decent Germans too, there simply must be.

  However – Sweden is tightening its defences, the king made an extremely serious throne speech at the opening of parliament and Per Albin [Hansson] made a speech that pretty much amounted to ‘Don’t think you can come here, or we’ll soon show you otherwise!’ There’s a lot of talk about whether we’ll get that elusive second front here this spring as part of an Allied attempt to invade Norway. If that happens one can imagine the Germans demanding transit for their troops – and us refusing (which we all hope we would do) and then all hell would be let loose. We do transport ammunition and soldiers going on leave on our Swedish railways – and even that is too much, in my view.

  Sture was out with a few journalist chums the other night and Beckman at [the news agency] TT, who ought to know what he’s talking about, claims Hitler’s fallen into a state of total apathy. Long may it continue! If only he’d been a bit more apathetic from the start.

  In Stockholm they’re currently showing Mrs Miniver, which really is a delightful film and excellent propaganda for the Allies. It would do the Germans good to see it.

  The winter thus far has been mild and still. Karin and I went skiing at Koa today.

  29 JANUARY

  [Press cutting from Dagens Nyheter about a Swedish newspaper that spread misinformation about transit arrangements. In fact, modest numbers of German medical officers and materials were transported through Sweden in 1940, none while fighting was in progress in Norway.]

  This is really interesting, I think. Sadly there seems to be a widespread perception in Norway that we Swedes let German troops through while the fighting in Norway was still going on. It’s shameful of Göteborgs Handels- och Sjöfartstidning to spread an assertion like that. We were scared stiff of the Germans then – April 1940 – and were standing to attention at the borders – how could we have let troops through? I don’t believe it. But we did let trains through with troops on leave after the fighting stopped, and still are doing; I wish we’d stop.

  Roosevelt and Churchill met in Casablanca to confer about new theatres of war. Wonder what they said about the Nordic countries?

  Today the Nazis marked the tenth anniversary of their coming to power – without a speech from Hitler. According to the evening papers, Hitler was in Stalingrad to urge the surrounded troops not to surrender but to fight to the last man, because Germany’s fate was in their hands. ‘The Sixth Army must hold its positions to delay and obstruct the enemy advance,’ Hitler decreed. In other words, their Führer has ordered them to die, and I expect they’re sufficiently dutiful and pig-headed to obey.

  As I said, there’s been no speech from Hitler today, and that seems pretty sensational – but Göring made one instead, more than an hour late, and it went like this:

  [Press cutting, source unknown, with long extracts in Swedish from Göring’s speech.]

  Imagine having the gall to stand up and tell the poor, tormented German people that ‘the past ten years have demonstrated the innate power of our world view and the blessings it is able to bestow’. I wonder what the German people really think and feel, faced with the ‘blessings’ of National Socialism. A deadly war killing the flower of youth; the hatred and loathing of virtually all other nations; want and misery; horrific assaults on defenceless people; concerted brutalization and deculturing of its citizens, especially young people; torture, both mental and physical, of the populations of occupied countries; the informer system; the demolition of family life; the destruction of religion; ‘euthanasia’ for the incurably ill and mentally deficient; the reduction of love to a matter of basic procreation; the news blackout shielding them from the rest of the world and – unless all the signs are deceptive – total breakdown of the German people in the not-too-distant future. It’s simply impossible for many Germans not to have realized how royally duped they’ve been by their Führer and other leaders. And when, as I saw in a German letter, one calls Mrs Miniver pure propaganda, one clearly isn’t seeing very straight. A film that preaches humanity above all. I was almost as angry with that letter as I was with a Norwegian quisling; she claimed things have never been so free in Norway as they are now and she can’t see that the Germans are getting in the way in Norway, any more than she got in the way down in Berlin last year. If you can’t even see the difference in that, you must be a quisling or a Nazi. I’ve never heard anyone else make such grotesque assertions.

  ‘There’s a buzz of German and a buzz of Norwegian in the streets,’ she wrote, and the dear little love thought it was so nice – and then she signed off with a ‘Heil Hitler – Quisling’. So the German leader took precedence over the Norwegian.

  Quisling seems to have gone down with flu, so he can’t receive the ‘people’s tribute’ on his first anniversary.

  Yes – and Leningrad’s finally been relieved after a siege of a year and a half. You’d have to be Russian to endure the sort of suffering the population of Leningrad has had to go through. The dogs, cats and rats were all eaten up long ago, and according to Mrs Medin yesterday, she’d heard from Finland that human flesh
was offered for sale towards the end – but it surely can’t be true. People only had the energy to be up for a short time each day, and a lump of bread and a drop of the wateriest soup was apparently their daily ration.

  From time to time we get appalling reports of Russian rampages in the Baltic during the year they were in control there. Eighty thousand people were sent to Siberia and God knows where. Had a letter from Riga today, smuggled here. The writer said we presumably wouldn’t believe the accounts from there – but he swore they were true. Even women and children were shoved into cattle trucks and carried off; children were separated from their mothers, husbands and wives from each other, and so on. Rosén came the other day and said he was feeling sick; he’d seen photographs from the Baltic, and Bågstam had confirmed that she recognized several of the victims – these were pictures of actual scenes of slaughter committed by the Russians before they withdrew. No, let us never have to suffer the Russians here!