Franz Wolff

Year 1895:

My name is Franz Wolff. I was born in a small, quiet Austrian village, with extraordinary views of the high mountains. My father was a blacksmith with a good reputation in the region, being asked for many different jobs, with my mother helping him with the household bills.

They were strict in my upbringing, but I could see the love in their eyes. I had an ordinary childhood, going to school and learning my father's trade at the same time.

I grew up in a time where political unrest was brewing and the rivalries of the nations around us were coming to the surface after decades of rancor and a long arms race.

I was instilled from my earliest years to be loyal to the Emperor and the nation, not realizing that I would soon be involved in a bloody and brutal conflict.

Year 1914:

I turn 19 years old. I have pale skin, with green eyes and black hair. I have a thin but muscular build thanks to my parents' labor force work. I choose to grow a mustache to improve my luck with girls.

The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand occurs, which triggers the start of a war with the Kingdom of Serbia. We thought it would be brief. But we were terribly mistaken.

Austrian military mobilization is intense, with massive recruitment campaigns taking place in every corner of the nation and patriotic fervor being shouted from the rooftops. This makes those who do not want to enlist for war seen as cowards. I enlisted despite my parents' protests because I didn't want to embarrass them. A brief training prepares me for the battlefield.

Year 1915:

My first combat experiences were in the trenches of the Italian Front.

Inhumane conditions, terrible diseases and the constant sound of gunfire are my omnipresent companions. I witness the horrific realities that modern warfare presents.

Year 1916:

I participated in the Battle of Verdun. Brutal clashes, poisonous gas and the feeling that the war will never end plague me. The gases that are released at us are nightmares, killing or maiming men in seconds.

I lost many comrades during those dark days, but I escaped alive and in one piece.

Year 1917:

I was transferred to the Eastern Front after the Russian Revolution.

The fighting against the Red Army and my desire for an end to this senseless war intensify within me.

Sometimes I feel ashamed and sad about the things I did to survive. Nightmares attack me every night as if demons were stirring inside me.

Year 1918:

The collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire occurs, with growing famine at home affecting the morale of the troops. I fear that our defeat is imminent. Sadness attacks me knowing that my nation will never be the same.

I know a nurse named Ana in treatment for chemical burns. This gives me hope for the future.

I declare my love to her, and, surprisingly, she accepts it.

October 1918:

The Armistice is signed, at great cost to the nation. The war finally ends. Return to a fragmented, changed Austria. Reflections on the losses generated and the futility of the conflict occur in my core. I have lost many friends over these years.

I return to my parents and continue with the strength of the family.

Ana will marry me at the end of the year. I swear to myself to keep her happy.

Post-War:

My adaptation to post-conflict life is slow and frustrating. I resist the temptation to drown myself in drinks like many companions.

Participation in the war left many physical and mental scars, affecting me on a daily basis.

Ana supports me at every step.

1920s-1930s:

I get involved in veterans' organizations and participate in debates about the causes and consequences of war.

The rise of extremist ideologies in my homeland worries me. I don't want to see any more blood because I'm tired.

Ana and I have 2 beautiful children.

1940s:

The Anschluss occurs and Austria is annexed by Nazi Germany.

The war resumes, along with the pain it causes.

I go to my grandparents' house in the mountains to escape the conflict. I also stop my sons from enlisting, even though it makes them resent me.

1945:

The defeat of Nazi Germany brings the liberation of Austria.

I hope for a peaceful future without wars. We returned to our pre-war home. Everything was destroyed by bombers.

Post-War:

I participate in rebuilding the country and building a future-oriented Austria, helping where I can with my skills.

1950s-1970s:

I get involved in activities to preserve the memory of the First World War.

The cold war ravages the world, with nations arming themselves with nuclear weapons with unimaginable destructive potential.

My children forgave me in the summer of 1955, being a time of great joy. Several grandchildren accompany them.

Ana dies in 1967, in the embrace of a peaceful sleep. I never fully recover, but I try to keep my smile for my grandchildren.

Age begins to take its toll. I feel like I don't move like I used to and my thoughts are slower.

I pass on my knowledge to one of my grandchildren and hand him over to the family forge.

Year 1982:

I die peacefully during a nap in my armchair, after a Sunday lunch.

*End of Diary*