For the same reason he did not invade Switzerland, the cost-benefit ratio was not good. Within three days, the Swiss had an army of some 430,000 troops ready to fight with the helpful addition of 210,000 support crew too. It is somewhat important to realize that even Hitler was not so mad as to actually consider invading all of Europe, and getting away with it. It only takes a minute to sign up. Required fields are marked *, Copyright 2023 SwitzerlandAdvisor | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme. @jwenting: Check your facts - significant trade continued through Spain and Portugal with Nazi Germany by many US companies right through the war. If you have questions. From a purely military perspective, since France and England declared war on Germany when they attacked Poland, Germany decided to address that threat as quickly as possible, which they felt required securing Denmark and Norway first, to avoid being outflanked by a naval invasion while they moved against France. For instance there was Operation Bridford. It actually addressed the question directly from a geopolitics and geo strategic perspective. There are several reasons Switzerland was safe from Nazi invasion: - The Germans considered them a valuable ally, even as an officially neutral country - The Germans were able to use Switzerland . The Swiss policy of armed neutrality certainly held true during the war. But why did they do it, and what did Switzerland get out of it? The IRC was vitally important to the health and well being of millions of civilians and soldiers during the war, and the work done by it really cant be praised enough. This is blatantly untrue: "In the 1930s many countries, including the United States, Britain and France, cut off commercial ties with Germany, which meant that Germany could not trade or do banking in those countries". Switzerland is not part of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation). Comments are not for extended discussion; this conversation has been. Disgraceful, yes. So now he had to fortify France, fought the Battle of Britain (crippling the Luftwaffe), and had to help his ally Italy in North Africa, and handle the situation on the Balkans -- to deny England access and secure the supply of Romanian oil. No need for Hitler to conquer it. Gold. Why was Switzerland not invaded in ww2? As a popular saying went, we work for the Germans six days a week, and pray for the Allies on the seventh. As such, the move went against the Swiss self-image and hurt Swiss morale, even if they were somewhat in denial. To top that off, Italy, which at the time was an ally of Adolf Hitler, was placed perfectly to the South and South-East of the country. "The Swiss tend to believe that they survived the Second World War because the country supplied Germany with the hard currency necessary for its war effort," says Schaefer. The Swiss were thus forced to compromise their policy, leaving a buffer zone near the border where they would not actively intercept German aircraft, instead only doing so once they had entered further into Swiss airspace, after which they would either be shot down or forced to land. And add that to your question? But again, as I note the Swiss were a bit in denial. Also, you should realize that the Germans were not just a bunch of frenzied madmen attacking everybody. @DevSolar Also I'm curious if you have a source for Germany not even considering England and France as potential targets. There were German transports on Swedish railways. Yet, during the war, the Allies claimed that the Swiss purchased over 300 million in gold from the Germans. Real life isn't like playing Civ 3. Military spending was increased in a multi-year plan costing hundreds of millions of Swiss Francs. For example, just to trade with Turkey was very awkward and required all kinds of wierd barter arrangements, even though Turkey was completely out of the Allied sphere of influence. The plan would of course mean turning over much of the country to the invader, and laying waste to it as well denying use of infrastructure by the occupier, but also crippling the Swiss themselves were they to retake the land but at least, they hoped, they could cost whoever chose to violate their neutrality dearly. The Second World War pitted two alliances against each other, the Axis powers and the Allied powers; the Soviet Union served 34 million men and women, Germany 18 million, the U.S 16 million, Japan 9 million, and Great Britain 6 million. The press was full of headlines about stolen gold from the Nazi concentration camps. How did the Swedes integrate Geats, Danes, Walloons, Finns & others? Why didn't Hitler invade Switzerland in World War 2? Furthermore, Heinrich Himmler had even discussed the various candidates for the position of Reichskommissar or Commissioner of the Reich for the occupied Swiss territory. I was wondering why since it seems like a much better strategic move than invading Russia. They were happy to co-exist with other countries that were friendly, such as Sweden. Some were planes that got lost due to navigation errors, some were too damaged to make it home, and a few might even have just claimed one of the other two reasons to be true. Under the newly elected Four-Star General Henri Guisan, the Swiss also started their preparations. Stack Exchange network consists of 182 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. We would like to show you a description here but the site won't allow us. The worst hit in the morale department were the Army. Despite reclaiming swampland, and planting urban gardens on every scrap of parkland or football pitch they could find, the Swiss were not self-sufficient in food, and had to import. Why didn't Hitler invade Middle East for resources first before invading Soviet Union? They agreed to look into the matter, but only if they could do the audit themselves. But Hitler never gave the go-ahead for the attack. Hitler's decision not to invade The first question that needs to be answered to fully understand Switzerland's position during WWII, is why Hitler did not invade the country while trying to establish the Third Reich. Why in WW1 or WW2 or ever nobody invaded Switzerland? But it seems that many people are intrigued as to why Adolt Hitler didnt invade Switzerland. Yes Hitler was a genocidal maniac but even then, he wasn't trying to conquer all of Europe. Look for the little white country in between France, Germany, and Italy. But that didnt mean that Switzerland was twiddling their collective thumbs. Basically, France accepted, actually had to forcefully accept a ceasefire following an aggressive German offensive in 1940. But surely Sweden had a Jewish population that hitler would want to exterminate. Hitler goal is to colonize Slavic lands in eastern Europe, especially Poland and Russia. Would limited super-speed be useful in fencing? So in the end, yes the Swiss were neutral, but they still managed to upset a fair number of people off for many reasons. Your email address will not be published. Something went wrong. It was even said that the royalties for Hitlers book, Mein Kampf, passed through the Alpine nation. Note that Swiss military service is compulsory for men, not women; now, lets see how the Swiss efficiency resolved in an extremely fast mobilization. Negotiations prevailed though, and in exchange for a dozen of the new Bf 109-Gs with spare parts and ammunition, as well as a license for manufacture, the Swiss allowed German officials to be in attendance when the aircraft was destroyed. If Napoleon managed to conquer the Swiss Confederates, then Hitler, with his overwhelming might, would have been able to do the same. However, the small nation of Switzerland managed to literally stay neutral in the middle of all the chaos. Although Nazi generals hatched a plan to invade and conquer Switzerland, it was never carried out. How did Switzerland not get invaded? It wasnt just soldiers though. As I said at the beginning, trade in war goods was happening from both sides, even if the Germans got the bulk. Investigations couldnt prove the rest, and when suspiciously new, gold 20-Fr pieces began appearing in the late 1940s, bearing dates from the 1930s, no one seemed able to prove that the Swiss had melted down the gold and was trying to secretly pass it into circulation. After the war started, many countries, including the United States (1941), Britain (1939) and France (1939), cut off commercial ties with Germany, which meant that Germany could not trade or do banking in those countries. You need to understand the people in all of those grid squares and hexagons Russia invaded Finland and only the 3rd Reich defended Finland whereas Great Britain and France did not. Once a haven for tuberculosis sufferers seeking treatment, today Davos has become a hub for studying a common modern-day affliction: allergies. Switzerland still remains neutral and has the oldest policy of neutrality in the world. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. That was impressive back then and even more so compared with some armies by todays standards. For one thing, it would have been far too costly in terms of manpower and materials to conquer the mountainous region. Finally, Switzerland also provided Germany with economic incentives not to invade, but these were arguably of a less important influence on the decision not to invade. This strategy was designed as a very strong deterrent, and it played a part in deterring Hitler, but what about the mountains? Great question; there are actually 3 official languages in the country, including German, French and Italian. Please join us! Germany's priorities in the beginning of the war were to unify the German people and neutralize hostile neighbors like France, not exterminate people. And even though the Swiss agreed it existed, it too even more negotiations before they turned over any of it, eventually agreeing to turn over half the amount, with the other half going to the Swiss government to settle outstanding debts that Germany had incurred. The Swiss actually purchased a small merchant fleet, which would buy food from the Allies (peanuts from India for example) and then send it by rail through Vichy, but it sometimes could take 6 months to arrive! France (via the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg), the most direct threat to Germany and its industrial heart, the Ruhr area. Invading Sweden would have similarly tied up forces and further delayed the invasion of Russia, but again would have had little or no reason and negative results, as well. Politicians acted on behalf of the nation. Nazi Germany planned an invasion of Switzerland, and Switzerland made preparations for such an occurrence. It was the Generals thinking that the Germans could have the Swiss flatlands and the cities, but they would never conquer the Fortress Alps.. Our journalists will take your contribution on board for their coverage and may follow up with you via email. Denmark, Norway, the Low Countries and France were not even. Is there any particular reason to only include 3 out of the 6 trigonometry functions? Switzerland is perfectly located between France and Germany and would have been a great asset for the Nazi regime. It is. Why? The so-called Swiss neutrality was a prime example of hypocrisy.. At the same time Hitler was still deluded enough to make peace offers to Britain which would have allowed him to focus all his powers on the Soviets. Also, invading and occupying a country requires time and many resources, and can have various negative results, both immediately and indirectly. Sometimes the relations between the German and Swiss border guards were amiable, although early on during the tenser period, the Germans were known to heckle the Swiss and shout over at them about how easily the Swiss Army would be crushed. At this time, Germany was either too busy with the Battle of Britain or, later, the Soviet invasion to bother with the tiny Alpine nation. Please click the link in the e-mail to reset your password. It took diplomatic pressure and a high profile lawsuit for the Swiss to finally pay out a 1.25 billion dollar settlement in 2000, with the money going to Holocaust survivors and heirs of the victims. Was Switzerland neutral in the war? All this was a severe strain on available forces, and crucially delayed the attack on Soviet Russia. Precision instruments, vital to the Allied war effort, were allowed to be sold to the Allies, who in turn sent important material such as copper and rubber to the Swiss. When it comes to a military deterrent for invading forces, the mountain ranges contributed to Hitler thinking twice. After the invasion of Poland and Great Britains declaration of war on the Reich, Guisan ordered a general mobilization. What Language do They Speak in Switzerland? Attacking Sweden would have disrupted the supply for no real gain. Thankfully, more recent Swiss leaders have done their utmost to right the wrongs of their forefathers. As mentioned before, refugees were sometimes refused entry, and sometimes allowed, and as various powers suffered setbacks, troops retreated over the border, where they were placed into internment camps as required by international law not just with the French in 1940, but also happening with the Italians in 1943 (a preferable fate to many than German POW camps, or being forced to fight for the Salo Republic), and the Germans beginning in mid-1944. Of course, the delegates couldnt force their way in, or force changes to happen (especially true on the Eastern Front where they were not usually given any access), but in spite of this, they were performing a key service, since, if only due to the threat of quid pro quo reprisals, their reports on the conditions of POWs back to the home country were an important part of maintaining the safety of POWs. Once France had fallen, again there was little reason to attack Sweden, but there was a similar rush to consolidate eastern European countries before moving on Russia in 1941. The Swiss bankers should understand that there are many forms of bankruptcy and the moral one is the worst of them all, was the headline in the US magazine Time. Timeline Sweden portal v t e Sweden maintained its policy of neutrality during World War II. Where did the extra gold come from? As the occupying powers of Germany, the Allies claimed that ownership of these accounts defaulted to them, while the Swiss not only disagreed, but also claimed near total ignorance, as their strict banking laws prevented any disclosure verifying the claims. Some people in the comments seem to have taken exception to my comment about Germany's loss of business with the US and other countries. Ive written an article on the languages of Switzerland and some simple words you can learn before you travel; check it out here. When the Germans in fact launched Fall Gelb through the Low Countries to the North instead, Switzerland hardly breathed a sigh of relief. Consequently, they were willing to do what was necessary to keep Switzerland free. Why did the German air force lose experienced pilots faster than the Allies, even though they were defending their home airspace? Furthermore, other small nations like the Netherlands and Belgium were far more strategically important in both economic and military terms. -12. He attacked Belgium because it was on the way to France. Tax rules for multinationals, carbon neutrality, Covid prevention measures: it was a clear yes to all three issues on the ballot on June 18. That's where his whole screwed "Lebensraum" vision played out: land, slaves, and resources. All other countries was in some wars. What about the supply of goods? They basically controlled the major mountain crossings and railway connections. The Swiss army was strategically placed throughout the Alps to ensure that nobody could cross into the country. To this day, Swiss children are still taught the myth of the Guisan Plan: namely that it was thanks to Hitlers fear of a protracted war where the Swiss were fighting from an Alpine bastion that kept the country safe. This content was . Swiss companies produced armaments for Hitlers war economy. In 1941, for example, Hitler received a billion Swiss francs as credit for the Russian campaign. Things might have been different had the invasion of France taken longer. Switzerlands mountains have played a huge part in the lives of Swiss people in many, many ways. The Swiss continued to trade certain things to the Allies with full knowledge of the Germans who agreed not to stop it, since they also needed Swiss goods. But saying that "Britain started two world wars" is ridiculous. The Swiss sociologist and politician Jean Ziegler holds an entirely different view on why the Fhrer never invaded Switzerland: "Hitler was crazy, but not so crazy as to attack his own banker." In Ziegler's view, Switzerland was Hitler's willing helper. Please enter your email address so that the password reset email can be sent to you account. Germany also was reliant on several vulnerable rail links through Swiss territory, which would almost certainly be destroyed if an invasion happened. Actually, Hitler REALLY wanted to invade Switzerland. There wasnt much outright Nazi sympathies in Switzerland, and while many might have understood the pragmatic requirements given Switzerlands location, sympathies were generally with the Allies. The geography of the Alps might protect the heart of Switzerland from a direct invasion, to a degree, but the Swiss Plateau is considerably more usable for military operations, especially if your end goal is entering France. Nothing came to pass of this. During World War I and World War II, Switzerland maintained armed neutrality, and was not invaded by its neighbors, in part because of its topography, much of which is mountainous. Well, good luck finding a consensus. Well, they claim to be and are in many ways, but the above certainly makes you question back then. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. Sweden was already surrounded by Germany's friends and wasn't posing any threat, so there was no reason to attack. Prior to that German pressure was of course dominant. There had been some build up, but it was just an exercise, although the purpose may have been to make the French think that was the intent so as to divert forces south. But why did Adolf Hitler spare the Swiss? Even though the Fhrer was aware of some of these numbers, he still did nothing. I think that is due to people latching on to "Nazis" and not "Germans" as whom they are discussing. He didn't officially annex most of France either, mainly just Alsace-Lorraine and I think some other parts near the border. I'm pretty sure hitler was to blame for world war 2 and Austria was to blame for world war 1. What? He had to consider cost vs. benefit. The immediate effect of this was a massive influx of soldiers in flight. Let us know what topics you would like to discuss with fellow SWI readers. Since the Germans could not buy Dollars from the US Treasury, for example, and it was illegal under the neutrality acts for American banks to issue credit to any German company, this made it virtually impossible for Germany to buy US goods. Furthermore, it is said that the Swiss rejected up to 25,000 refugees fleeing Nazi persecution at their borders during WW2. Some German aircraft were shot down in Sweden, and one Swedish soldier was killed by return fire (in 1940 I believe). Basically, France accepted, actually had to forcefully accept a ceasefire following an aggressive German offensive in 1940. Apart from all of the points we have already seen, there were a few more reasons why the Germans never bothered to swallow up their smaller southern neighbor. In some games, invading Sweden also tends to make it more likely that the United States will declare war on Germany (and start war mobilization) earlier, which is of course also a very bad thing. That would require a very different mindset than actually existed, particularly while Hitler and Stalin continued to rule. I have never heard of any permitted overflights. Fear for Communists and hatred of Jews was rampant in Switzerland. As for why Sweden vs. Russia, Hitler and Stalin both anticipated eventual war with each other, and Sweden had no plan to fight Germany, and massively fewer resources with which to do it. So for the duration of the war, the border remained well-manned. In mid-1940 for instance, the Germans withheld coal shipments until the Swiss signed a new, more favorable trade agreement. 7,000 Jews had already been given entry prior to the war, and not many more were initially to be allowed. A number were painted in Swiss colors for their ferrying trip to the field, and the Air Force used several for training aircraft. The Solothurn region, for instance, was considered an important base for the production of armaments.While the occupation of Switzerland was not one of Hitler's primary objectives in the campaign against France, its location between the Third Reich and its ally, Italy, made it likely that the Nazis would eventually annex Switzerland.Had this been the case, concludes Schfer, Hitler would have successfully rounded off his campaign in Western Europe.swissinfo. As a result, many Jewish descendants have received their rightful dues in the form of money deposited by their forebears. It seems to me that's not really the OP's question, which was about the context of looking at the full map of places the Germans actually invaded, which was the result of the actual situation that developed. Germany certainly loomed as a threat in some respects, and they considered whether or not to invade, but in the end, it there is little evidence to suggest such an action was imminent, and plenty to point to the idea that Germany was better off with a free, but cooperative Switzerland than one they controlled but had suffered the ravages of war. When France fell a year later and Switzerland was virtually surrounded, Guisan upped the conscription age to 60 and explained his plan. It only was revealed many decades later that tens of thousands of bank accounts owned by Holocaust victims had been sitting idle for decades, and the Swiss had done nothing to locate the rightful owners, and even refused to help possible heirs trying to locate the assets. However, the Swiss Confederation decided to remain neutral but at the same time maintained a posture of armed . The Allies also believed there to be hundreds of millions in assets from Nazi officials stashed in Swiss bank accounts. Sweden cooperated with Germany in World War II. It proved true that Sweden did not need to be invaded. Simply looking at the map won't tell you anything. Toronto: Toronto University Press, 1994. They now were in the active reserve (Miliz) until the age of 48, which required that they took a three-week refresher course every year, after which they retired to the inactive reserve (Meaning they werent going to be immediately called up, and didnt need to do the refresher, but still expected to in time of great need).
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why was switzerland not invaded in ww2
