 He was offered a commission in the German Navy, a tempting proposition, but decided to decline the offer, being opposed to Nazi ideology.Knowing that he could not decline the offer without the threat of arrest, possibly for his entire family, Trapp decided to leave Austria.The family took a train to Italy, then sailed to the United States for their first concert tour, then in 1939 went back to Europe to tour Scandinavia, hoping to continue their concerts in cities beyond the reach of the Third Reich.