It was the Napoleonic Wars, however, that truly sealed Switzerlands place as a neutral nation. Like strategic areas in the Jura mountains to prevent the Swiss from using them as a defensive line. During the 1814-15 Congress of Vienna the neutrality of Switzerland was guaranteed by the signatories. propertag.cmd.push(function() { proper_display('nationalinterest_content_12'); }); FRONTLINE reports from Iraq on the miscalculations and mistakes behind the brutal rise of ISIS. Late in the thirteenth century, soldiers drawn from the cantons of Switzerland gained a military reputation throughout Europe. The Reich annexed or invaded various other Germanic territories, such as Austria (before the war even began), as well as Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Netherland, and Luxembourg (after it started). Death sentences were issued for fifth-column activities, and proclamations But does anyone believe Switzerland's Alps and army were a greater deterrent than Russia's vast distances and cold winter, both of which defeated Napoleon? This reputation was earned as a result of their defense against the Austrian Habsburg overlords and during campaigns in Italy. WebIn all cases, Switzerland protested but accepted the reason for them as accidental. militiamen were instructed to disregard any alleged "official" surrender as Claiming that taking them means the country is conquered would be like an invader taking the Boston/Washington and San Francisco/San Diego metro area, and then claiming that they'd conquered the US. I'm also interested in history and military strategy. Germany also enjoyed a brisk business with Switzerland's banks where they squirrelled away their loot and booty from across Europe. Switzerland possessed the most disgusting and miserable people and political system, Hitler complained to Mussolini in June 1941. Also, Switzerland is much closer to Germany than Greece and Norway, so bringing new troops and supply would have been quicker and easier. WebDuring World War I, Switzerland remained a neutral state. This is a terrible answer - every factual claim it makes is incorrect. The war only happened near the coast and in some oasis, not in the whole Sahara, and there isn't any need to fight there. All remaining plans for building nuclear weapons were dropped by 1988.[9]. This incident long damaged the army's reputation, leading to persistent calls for its abolition among left-wing politicians. Germany enjoyed the benefits of Switzerland's industrial output for important war materials such as ball-bearings. not stop the Gestapo from preparing lists of Swiss to be liquidated once the The celebrated Swiss Gen. Henri Guisan developed the strategy known as defense My answer is based on wikipedia article Operation Tannenbaum, which is about German plans for war against Switzerland during WW2: Germany started planning the invasion of Switzerland on 25 June 1940, the day that France surrendered. @Graham no they were not simple civilians, but trained servicemen, after the initial training, had to serve. There were two examples I can remember of materials they needed: rubber for tank caterpillar, and tungsten for tank armouring, coming essentially from a mine in Portugal for the last one. Shields up!!! It was advantageous for the Germans not to conquer Switzerland, and this would be a major factor in deciding the merit of doing so. A The Swisss government established various fortifications in the mountainous regions to hold out against hypothetical invaders. It is often said "Switzerland wasn't invaded because it was neutral." Switzerland is neutral, so it has no allies to provide them with weapons/ammunition, and even if they are/were rich enough to purchase abroad, there are procurement delays, and the enemy can intercept the delivery. Or France's well equipped and significantly larger army? Germany was at war with all these more existential threats rather than the Swiss. Switzerland maintained its impartial stance through World War I, when it mobilized its army and accepted refugees but also refused to take sides militarily. Concentrated surprise penetration from Lake Geneva to Lake Constance toward the center of the country with strong and fast outer wings, stated the plan. How can I delete in Vim all text from current cursor position line to end of file without using End key? [7] Meanwhile, the Air Force also began to prepare ad hoc airbases in the mountains, with sections of highway strengthened to act as runways and hangars carved out of the mountains. Was Switzerland neutral or a Nazi ally in World War Two? The answer is no country is impossible to conquer. Switzerland was invaded by France in 1798 and later made a satellite of Napoleon Bonapartes empire, forcing it to compromise its neutrality. How can one know the correct direction on a cloudy day? A more likely reason was the invasion of Russia, though the Germans still mustered the resources to invade the Balkans in the spring of 1941. The last part of the doc was explaining how hard it was in Switzerland nowadays to face this part of their History, especially because they built and where grown with a more glorious legend of the small hedgehog resisting victoriously to the German ogre. - YouTube 0:00 / 8:08 Intro This is why the Nazis DID NOT INVADE Switzerland in World Switzerland was invaded by France in 1798 and later made a satellite of Many people claim that the country was impossible to occupy, I just want to know if this is not clearly exaggerated. But no other answer is considering weapons. This is FRONTLINE's old website. The only nations fighting Hitler were Britain and its Commonwealth, which were too weak to offer more than token support to a country isolated in the middle of Europe. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? Yes, this almost happenned. I cover this in. However Swiss air space was repeatedly violated, both by German and Allied aircraft. There is no doubt that an invasion would have been possible and ultimately succeeded. Why was Switzerland not attacked during the two World Wars? And anyway, wouldn't this guerrilla warfare calm down after a few years, when people become accustomed to German and Italian rules? Netherlands, Poland or most of Europe. Plus, their ammunition stocks would be limited, while the Axis could bring as much supplies as they want to. @Hobbamok, some information is certainly there: Germany did detailed planning on what it would take to invade Switzerland as "Operation Tannenbaum". During the war, crews of over 100 Allied aircraft which had landed in Switzerland, either forced While that is Japan and not Germany, I'd be surprised if the idea came to them that late in the piece. Since then, Switzerland is one of the only country in the world (with Austria maybe) where 99% of the rail network is electrified. It only takes a minute to sign up. @Ryukyu what you could edit to make it more clear was: What do YOU see as "successfully invaded" ? The caverns of those time were equipped with the needed infrastructure; beside cannons and howitzers they consisted of dormitories, kitchens, field hospitals, rooms for the sick and bakeries; and they provided space enough to accommodate 100 to 600 soldiers for a timespan of up to several months. However, the bulk of the Swiss forces would have continued to resist for months in the mountains (National Reduit) and even after defeating all regular forces guerilla attacks would have continued. Perhaps if Germany had invaded in 1944, the Swiss could have counted on outside help from Allied troops and aircraft. Normandy Invasion, also called Operation Overlord or D-Day, during World War II, the Allied invasion of western Europe, which was launched on June 6, 1944 (the most Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Switzerland would have confronted Germany with what was essentially a popular militia, lacking tanks, artillery and aircraft. Truth be told, these things didn't stop Hitler from invading Austria. The other European nations were easily toppled and had little means to wage a By all means disabuse me of this impression if appropriate. The Swiss were the international 'good-guys' [tm] who controlled the distribution of Red Cross parcels. Switzerland rises, in successive waves of forest-covered terrain across the axis of an attack. Updated: May 31, 2023 | Original: July 12, 2016. This first appeared several years ago. Fall of France saved Switzerland from Nazi invasion. For instance, their 1940 plans for Operation Tannenbaum estimated that a force of 300,000 to 500,000 men would have been sufficient. This first appeared several years ago. Nazi Germany had defeated Francereputed to have the finest army in Europein just six weeks. There is a political aspect to this. The Second World War was one of the most destructive wars in history. But there was no chance of that happening in 1940-41. Hitler had a plan to attack Switzerland, named Operation Paragraph 18 declared the obligation of every Swiss citizen to serve in the federal army if conscripted (Wehrpflicht), setting its size at 3% of the population plus a reserve of one and one half that number, amounting to a total force of some 80,000. [12] However, the referendum failed with over 73% of the electorate voting against it, showing the strong support for conscription in Switzerland. So they could not afford to loose their only way to trade abroad and left them alone. On Switzerland's side, Switzerland is and was an industrial country with very few raw materials to fuel its industry. @meriton From the very doc you cite: * The product range was extremely narrow: automatic 20 mm cannon and its components against earth targets, for air defense and the arming of aircraft and warships, 20 mm ammunition, clock igniters and parts thereof of the German type S / 30 for 8.8 cm Ammunition and larger, Dixi GPA detonators, in military optics in advance coincidence telemeter 80 cm and 150 cm. Because the Swiss planned to constantly attack out from these forts, waging a heavy and costly guerilla warfare from against the occupying troops. (Just my two cents). by Michael Peck. Handlinggold looted by the Nazisin return for minerals that kept the German war machine running, or keeping billions in assets belonging to Holocaust victims, is hardly something for the Swiss to yodel about. Three workers were killed, and a rather larger number of soldiers died of the Spanish flu during mobilization. How was Switzerland able to stay neutral during WWI and WWII? No, Switzerland was not self sufficient food wise. Why were the Istein and Schliengen enclaves transferred from Switzerland to Baden? They did not believe they wwould protect everyting, nor loose everything. Question: I'm simply asking if the defense of Switzerland during WW2 was overrated. WebPlay Call of War for FREE on PC or Mobile: https://callofwar.onelink.me/q5L6/8c02c4a5Receive an Amazing New Player Pack, only As with Sweden, Swiss neutrality was an armed neutrality (in the fifteenth century, Swiss mercenaries were the most feared in Europe). Probably not impossible, as any country can invade another, but if you mean conquer it'd be quite hard, as the Alps would hinder German movement, and there wasn't any real motivation to invade Switzerland, as Switzerland is a mainly German country that focused on neutrality and didn't have any good resources the German war machine needed like oil. They became bitter rivals with the German mercenaries and the two would often fight on the battlefields of Europe during the next few decades. Aka. Without the highlands that would not be possible. I'll try to find the name of the doc tonight, it was a good watch. Several islands where ignored, while only the important ones were invaded. doesn't seem consistent with swiss military policy at the time. If the Japanese had maintained a functional navy instead of losing at Midway, MacArthur's island hopping would have been much harder. In fact, Nazi Germany almost invaded Switzerland. A few only examples: Switzerland provided the Nazis access to bank accounts and "safe" deposits of Jews and others. He decided on an infantry feint in the Jura in order to draw out the Swiss Army and then cut it off in the rear, as had been done in France. That left their defenses outflanked when the Germans occupied France. Why could they not simply occupy the Swiss plateau, then wait and let the Swiss soldiers starve to death in their mountain fortresses? What factors were Hitler's / Germany's motivations for WW2? Revanchism, stealing raw materials, and racial hatreds. The Swiss are largely German-sp When the war began in 1939, National Public Radio. Switzerland's military strategy during World War II was essentially one of deterrence. However, the Germans successfully invaded Norway, Yugoslavia, and Greece, all of which also have mountainous terrain, and they did that in a matter of days/ weeks. It is hard to imagine it holding out against a large industrial military state that surrounded it on all sides if that state thought it was worth the cost. The Swiss government, like the U.S. government, accepted ), and most of the answer is just off-topic rambling. I am asking about if the Swiss military of WW2 is clearly overrated. And B) would be costly. Fall of France saved Switzerland from Nazi invasion All Swiss men were liable for conscription and all were issued with rifles that they kept at home in case of mobilization. The Most Risky Job Ever. Reporting on ISIS in Afghanistan. Why is Switzerland a neutral country? | HISTORY Because the tensions between the western countries and the USSR cooled down and bunkers became more or less obsolete because of newer weapon systems, a great number of the Reduit buildings were closed. But there was no chance of that happening in 1940-41. B) endure the terrorism. Find History on Facebook (Opens in a new window), Find History on Twitter (Opens in a new window), Find History on YouTube (Opens in a new window), Find History on Instagram (Opens in a new window), Find History on TikTok (Opens in a new window), https://www.history.com/news/why-is-switzerland-a-neutral-country. Halder himself had studied the border areas, and concluded that the "Jura frontier offers no favorable base for an attack. Finally the makings of a good answer. In the federal treaty of 1815, the Tagsatzung prescribed cantonal troops to put a contingent of 2% of the population of each canton at the federation's disposition, amounting to a force of some 33,000 men. Here's What You Need to Remember:After the defeat of France in the summer of 1940, which left the Third Reich the undisputed ruler of western Europe, the German military devised a plan to conquer Switzerland. But the Swiss also emerged under a cloud of collaboration with the Third Reich. Switzerland would have been harder to conquer per unit of territory or per unit of poplulation than many other European countries were. In 1515, the Swiss pledged themselves to neutrality, and they only continued to fight in the service of the Royal French army. European Domination: How Close the Nazis Came to Invading [3] Wille subsequently was put in command of the second complete mobilization in 1914, and Switzerland escaped invasion in the course of World War I. Wille also ordered the suppression of the Swiss general strike (Landesstreik) of 1918 with military force. All other lands, however, were either mostly Germanic, or housed French and Slavic populations, whose (main) fatherland Hitler planned on attacking anyway. To face the threat of invasion Switzerland increased defence spending, extended the training of recruits and built defence works. Nazi Germany had defeated Francereputed to have the finest army in Europein just six weeks. The Soviet Union had signed a nonaggression pact with Germany, and was shipping resources to the Third Reich. The cantonal armies were converted into the federal army (Bundesheer) with the constitution of 1848. In fact, Nazi Germany almost invaded Switzerland. Which brings us back to timing. Some of them have been reopened as museums and can be visited. But the Swiss also emerged under a cloud of collaboration with the Third Reich. The original plan had called for 21 German divisions, but that figure was downsized to 11 by the OKH. And then we come to your "real" question (IMHO), which is not the invasion, but the occupation. After the defeat of France in the summer of 1940, which left the Third Reich the undisputed ruler of western Europe, the German military devised a plan to conquer Switzerland. German assessments were taking the highlads would be difficult and costly. occupying the country would be relatively easy for the same reasons, hunger humbles even the most determined. What factors were Hitler's / Germany's motivations for WW2? Switzerland was an ally of the Nazis when, in fact, this small neutral country The question you should have asked was "Was Switzerland Impossible to Conquer during World War II?". Despite this, it is clear that Hitler intended to invade eventually and that the Allied landing at Normandy as well as the difficulties faced in invading Russia were pivotal in merely delaying an invasion. While the mountainous terrain is an advantage militarily, it is a big problem when you can't trade with your neighbors. One of the contributor spoke in the conditions of an uchrony where the Axis is victorious. The rebellion was suppressed, but it led to a series of reforms. In 1932, the army was called to suppress an anti-fascist demonstration in Geneva. What's the meaning (qualifications) of "machine" in GPL's "machine-readable source code"? This is an hypothetical question. I'll try to answer based only on the military concept. You have already answered your own question, in part 4. Yo Either way, Switzerland almost became another one of Hitlers conquests. In the case of an invasion the lowlands in northern Switzerland would have been taken quickly. Yet it is equally unfair to brand the Swiss as Nazi puppets. @Ryukyu: Those hilly areas are also not all that easy to invade with a mechanized army. No country is impossible to invade. Andorra could invade the USA. The question you should have asked was "Was Switzerland Impossible to Conquer du A second initiative aimed at the army's dissolution in late 2001 received a mere 21.9% support. Paragraph 13 explicitly prohibited the federation from sustaining a standing army, and the cantons were allowed a maximum standing force of 300 each (not including the Landjger corps, a kind of police force). And then, as said, one could just wait for the Swiss army to starve in their mountains and finally surrender (or die). WebWorld War I and neutrality. So you would have to run continuous patrols in a difficult terrain that your enemy knows like the back of his hand. Paragraph 19 of the revised constitution of 1874 extended the definition of the federal army to every able-bodied citizen, swelling the size of the army at least in theory from below 150,000 to more than 700,000, with population growth during the 20th century rising further to some 1.5 million, one of the largest armed force per capita. Why didn't Germany attack Turkey during WW2? Finally, think in the territories occupied by Germany and Japan at the end of the war. The Economics of Neutrality: Spain, Sweden and Switzerland in the Second World War (2011), Germany's incursion into Italian territory, The Economics of Neutrality: Spain, Sweden and Switzerland in the Second World War -2011, exporting weapons and ammunition during WWII, Starting the Prompt Design Site: A New Home in our Stack Exchange Neighborhood. Even though the Axis countries invaded a lot of countries during World War II, there were a number of other countries they didn't invade. While Switzerland has many mountains, the most populous and industrially productive part of the nation is on flat terrain that would have been quickly overrun. But the question is valid anyway. In 1943 these imports supplied 41% of Swiss energy requirements. Copyright 2023 Center for the National Interest All Rights Reserved. Italy could help, and after the Anchluss, the Axis have three directions from which to attack Switzerland: North, East and South. Parts of Switzerland also became a battleground during the Italian and Swiss expedition. The truth is that they were just mostly just regular people with some strokes of brilliance and some total blunders, and that's what's really terrifying.
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was switzerland invaded in ww2
