Many people are starting to question the meaning of all Amundsen’s expeditions. One such is the poet Arnulf Øverland, whose long letter to newspaper Tiden carries the sarcastic title “Is it cold at the North Pole?” and ends by suggesting that it would be better to have Amundsen frozen at home instead:

Tryggve Gran, the polar explorer who was part of Scott’s Antarctic expedition in 1910 and flew over the North Sea in 1914, is also very skeptical of Amundsen’s plans:

Perhaps Amundsen doesn’t hear all the criticism, or perhaps he simply doesn’t care. Either way, he continues. In early January 1924, he is at the Hotel Phoenix in Copenhagen.

Accompanying him are his close collaborator at the time, Haakon Hammer, and two representatives from the German Dornier Wal company.

On January 7, 1924, Amundsen writes home to his brother Leon:

"Today I am finalizing a contract with a German company, Dornier, for the construction of two large flying boats, and with them, the journey across will be possible."

Haakon Hammer, Amundsen's close collaborator, speaks to the newspapers about the plan. He mentions that three or four flying boats will be used. They will be transported north by a ship, which will carry the flying boats as far north into the ice as possible.

Work on building the aircraft begins at Dornier’s factories in Pisa, Italy, after the peace agreements prohibited the Germans from constructing such planes in Germany. Amundsen himself visits the country in April 1924 and oversees the testing of the aircraft.

• Read more about the flying boats

They meet in a turbulent time.

Italy is marked by a brutal parliamentary election. On April 7, 1924, the day after the election and just hours after Mussolini’s victory is announced, Amundsen and Mussolini meet at the Palazzo Diotti in Milan.

Amundsen later spoke about the meeting:

That is the headline used by the newspaper Morgenbladet on June 12, 1924.

But they also report that Amundsen has made demands. The flying boats are to be painted in Norwegian stripes; the Italian flying boat, provided by Mussolini, is to be used only as a transport aircraft for the others and not take part in the journey all the way to the North Pole. Additionally, it is said that Amundsen refuses to allow the Italian participants to publish stories or photographs from the expedition for three years.

At the same time, a financial demand arrives from the Dornier company. They want payment for the flying boats—within ten days.

Finances were never Roald Amundsen’s strong suit. Now, there is simply not enough money.

At the end of June, it becomes official: the expedition is postponed indefinitely.

But the financial crisis quickly worsens.

In September, Roald Amundsen declares bankruptcy.

To his good friend Peter (Don Pedro) Christophersen, Amundsen writes: