There was no easy ideological justification for annexing Switzerland. Loss of lowlands, retainment of heighlands. The Swiss Air Force had over 100 bf109s and a similar number of other planes by the end of 1940. [6] However the inability to field an air force of sufficient capability to carry out such missions led to a return of traditional "protection of own territory" doctrine. That's ridiculous; Switzerland was actually. That left their defenses outflanked when the Germans occupied France. Formed with the Federal Charter of 1291, an alliance of three cantons was formed for mutual defense, chiefly against the Habsburgs. nation of sharpshooters would be sniping at German soldiers at long ranges from True, the Swiss can argue that the thought of conquering their their nation-in-arms deterred the Germans. How Hitler Almost Invaded Switzerland. You have already answered your own question, in part 4. While Switzerland maintained its independence by promising retaliation in the event of an invasion, it continued to trade with Nazi Germany, a decision that later proved controversial after the war ended. Germany also enjoyed a brisk business with Switzerland's banks where they squirrelled away their loot and booty from across Europe. The idea was to make clear to the Third Reich that an invasion would have a high cost. But there are many examples of similar situations that happened in history, as exposed in the question below, that show very clearly that those reasons are not sufficient to exclude an invasion and occupation. The whole point of the Swiss military strategy, as I understand it, is to give up the land, but make it too costly for any invader to keep it. We must force the quick subjugation of Switzerland by using extremely superior forces. Perhaps if Germany had invaded in 1944, the Swiss could have counted on outside help from Allied troops and aircraft. Yet it is equally unfair to brand the Swiss as Nazi puppets. They only arrived there after winning the war. Yes, Switzerland improved its defenses at the ontset of WW2. There is a political aspect to this. Swisserland was neutral in WWII in name only. In case of invasion, the Axis would benefit from the surprise effect, given that they would be the one attacking: As pointed out by User @Mastrem and after doing some research, another very important argument that I was completely unaware of is that the German Secret Service, led by Admiral Wilhelm Canaris, knew A LOT about the Swiss military defence system. They did not believe they wwould protect everyting, nor loose everything. Why is Switzerland a neutral country? | HISTORY Why was Switzerland not attacked during the two World Wars? In summary, neither side doubted that a German invasion would be successful if a sufficient proportion of Germany's military might were allocated to that task. And in all these situations, or when trade couldn't happen directly between Germany and Portugal for example, it was Switzerland who played the role of intermediate: Germans payed Swiss with the gold they stole from occupied countries (including jews), and Swiss payed Portugueses either in Franc or with gold. Switzerland emerged from World War II unconquered but not untarnished. Good answer, but I think you need to expand it. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. Why does the present continuous form of "mimic" become "mimicking"? I don't think Schweiz was Germany's main trading partner - The UK is more correct (a far larger municipal market.). ''The romantic idea of the Swiss citizen army standing between it and disaster in the war was always nonsense,'' said Arno J. Mayer, a professor of history at Princeton University. If and when Hitler was free of them, popular wisdom is he would have invaded Switzerland. What could be interesting is to consider the different periods when Axis could have invaded Switzerland. some Jews fleeing the Holocaust and, unfortunately, expelled others. (Granted, the quote is from an earlier time in the war, but it is such an apt summary of Germany's leadership's dismissive attitude towards the Swiss military, that I thought it relevant anyway), There were many practical reasons why Switzerland was not occupied. to those of the Germans, demonstrate an ample supply of small arms. [12] However, the referendum failed with over 73% of the electorate voting against it, showing the strong support for conscription in Switzerland. Operation Tannenbaum called for German troops to invade from France, Germany and Austria, while the Italians invaded from the south. @Bregalad that is why i included an air campaign to knock out any critical infrastructure. Please forget everything you learned about Germany during WW2 from TV series like Hogan's Heroes, where the people are portrayed as bumbling idiots. Since then, Switzerland is one of the only country in the world (with Austria maybe) where 99% of the rail network is electrified. However, if I am correct, the German army knew quite well how to deal efficiently with rebels in its occupied territories. 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. Switzerland in World War II | World War II Database I would bet a three month blockade, and air campaign (on critical infrastructure) and the swiss would surrender. relentless war to the death would be waged. The third complete mobilization of the army took place during World War II under the command of Henri Guisan. When you look at a mountain from below, it might seem that it goes up, gets rocky, and then there's the top. The Swiss survived World War II unconquered, but Germany once planned out an invasion of the country. So you would have to run continuous patrols in a difficult terrain that your enemy knows like the back of his hand. The pope enlisted them, seeing as he believed they were the best at the time. Nevertheless, the war had a major impact on the political, social and economic life of the Joseph Goebbels called Switzerland But the Swiss also emerged under a cloud of collaboration with the Third Reich. Ok, since I think I finally got your real question (as I see it): I'm simply asking if the defense of Switzerland during WW2 was overrated. Many Largely mountainous Switzerland, where German tanks would have been useless, would have been a tough nut for blitzkrieg to crack. Switzerland would have confronted Germany with what was essentially a popular militia, lacking tanks, artillery and aircraft. 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. Impossibility of an invasion My answer is based on wikipedia article Operation Tannenbaum , which is about German plans for war against Switzerlan doesn't seem consistent with swiss military policy at the time. World War II | Switzerland Tourism on paper they would've been "captured" while in fact they would never really loose until the Germans retreated due to the costs. There is a limited number of roads open all year, and of course the Swiss known them very well. He can be found onTwitterandFacebook. Switzerland wasn't threatening to attack Germany and it was surrounded by Axis powers so it couldn't export anything to help the Allies against the will of the Axis, and the Swiss government usually tried to be as neutral as possible, and to seem to other states to be neutral. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conscription_in_Switzerland. Are the Swiss flag and the flag/coat of arms of Piedmont related? When the Swiss Guard was formed, was the height requirement 174 cm (5' 8 1/2")? Revanchism, stealing raw materials, and racial hatreds. How can I differentiate between Jupiter and Venus in the sky? But in reality, there are vast areas of land up there, hidden from down by the mountain face. The Second World War was one of the most destructive wars in history. Why was Switzerland Neutral in World War 2 - YouTube In World War II, Germany made some plans for the invasion of Switzerland, most notably Operation Tannenbaum, but The Swiss army trained a lot of conscripts who went into the reserves after serving a short time and could be activated to serve in war. Following the defeat, the Confederacy abandoned its expansionist policies and looked to avoid future conflict in the interest of self-preservation. But the point in the answer is different, is about the need of occupy the whole territory, instead of just defeat the enemy's army or occupy the useful territory. In World War II, Germany made some plans for the invasion of Switzerland, most notably Operation Tannenbaum, but these were never carried out. The military history of Switzerland comprises centuries of armed actions, and the role of the Swiss military in conflicts and peacekeeping worldwide. An invasion would have been fiercely opposed, and a distraction from Barbarossa. Germany was at war with all these more existential threats rather than the Swiss. Finally the makings of a good answer. Tito's partisans effectively ousted the German army from Yugoslavia before the Soviets arrived. And that is where another of your questions comes in: why would the German and Italian armies need to attack those strongholds in the mountains? Your question is interesting, and a lot of points were highlighted by other contributors. Yes, the mountains and terrain of Switzerland would make the invasion harder. 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. And all of that for a small country with almost no strategic value and few ressources. enemy propaganda and, if necessary, to fight individually. 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). 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. The Axis would have faced formidable opposition. They don't have a excessive amount of arable land for "true German" settlers. Hitler was busy with the allies. I am asking about if the Swiss military of WW2 is clearly overrated. Switzerland emerged from World War II unconquered but not untarnished. We must force the quick subjugation of Switzerland by using extremely superior forces.. As for starvation - mountains are more complicated than that. During World War I, Switzerland remained a neutral state. Germany also enjoyed the ability to transport goods through Switzerland on her railways to Germany's primary ally in Italy. Four workers were killed and 13 were severely wounded. Hitler's aversion to invading Switzerland came down to timing and reward. Why Switzerland wasn't invaded | WW2 - YouTube Forget about the mountains; you don't need them. It would have been a client state no matter what. How can one know the correct direction on a cloudy day? Operation Tannenbaum - Wikipedia The only thing which saved the Swizz was he likely hadn't gotten around to them yet. More can be read here for example: https://www.swissinfo.ch/blueprint/servlet/eng/war-time-german-secret-service-spied-chinks-in-swiss-armour/1474146. By all means disabuse me of this impression if appropriate. The religious conflicts were renewed in 1847, resulting in the Sonderbund War and leading to the formation of Switzerland as a federal state. The earliest moves toward Swiss neutrality date to 1515, when the Swiss Confederacy suffered a devastating loss to the French at the Battle of Marignano. This did WebWorld War II History of Switzerland Before and during World War II, Switzerland's main goal was to preserve its independence and to stay out of the fighting. And then, as said, one could just wait for the Swiss army to starve in their mountains and finally surrender (or die). 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. However, why would the German and Italian armies need to attack those strongholds in the mountains? Nonetheless, Swiss soldiers continued to serve as mercenaries during the next two centuries, adopting the musket to replace the pike. GDPR: Can a city request deletion of all personal data that uses a certain domain for logins? @Bregalad They do planes (beyond trainers), tanks, heavy guns, bombs? Electricity is produced with dams in the alps and made Switzerland energy-autartic. Switzerland would have confronted Germany with what was essentially a popular militia, lacking tanks, artillery and aircraft. ]]> The content here may be outdated or no longer functioning. 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. Most Swiss strongly opposed Nazism. Why does a single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) need to be a diode? Switzerland and weapons of mass destruction Military nuclear program, 7.4 States Formerly Possessing or Pursuing Nuclear Weapons, "Switzerland 'regrets' US sanctions against ICC employees", "Army Reforms Given Green Light by Parliament", Living history group representing the federal army of 1861, Cultural Property of National Significance, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Military_history_of_Switzerland&oldid=1103361729, Articles with German-language sources (de), Articles with unsourced statements from February 2018, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0, This page was last edited on 9 August 2022, at 10:12. greatest right to distinctionShe has been a democratic State, standing for After Switzerland was surrounded by German and Italian forces of Operation Tannenbaum, General Guisan revealed on 25 July 1940 at the so-called Rtli rapport, a meeting of the Swiss Armed Forces staff at the founding site of the Swiss confederation, that in case of attack the Swiss would only defend the high Alps including the important transalpine roads and rail links. The Allies are at the gates, not any troops are available to defend Switzerland. Many billions of Swiss francs have been invested in building the fortifications in the mountains, which are partly still used by the army. I believe one of the reasons behind this inaction to be Switzerland's geographical, historical, cultural, national, and strategic ties to one of Germany's most trusted allies during the Second World War, namely Fascist Italy. One of the contributor spoke in the conditions of an uchrony where the Axis is victorious. There was a documentary last year if I remember well on French/German tv Arte which covered the subject, and its point of view was that despite what Swiss people like to think, they were not the hedgehog in German feet, but more likely the bankers of the third reich, so it had nothing to do with military. It is a myth that Switzerland was impossible to invade or occupy. I've been climbing and skiing in the Alps and there are so many places I've been to that were completely invisible from below. No, Switzerland was not self sufficient food wise. Switzerland is small and landlocked. The 1940 Nazi invasion plan, Operation Tannenbaum, was not executed, and SS Swiss military leadership also thought that an invasion would have been successful: Their revised military plan for the event of an invasion, the Rduit national, called for a delaying action at the border to allow the majority of the army to withdraw into mountain fortresses, effectively ceding control of all major population and industrial centers to the enemy. would be too costly because every man was armed and trained to shoot. Based on what I've read over the years: Invading Switzerland is a hard problem due to geography. Switzerland never tried and was never seen as impossible to invade, even their well-planned defense wasn't impenetrable, and everyone knew that. While the Swiss had built fortifications, they naturally concentrated them on the border with Germany and Austria, rather than with France. During the Battle of Bicocca in 1522, the Swiss mercenaries met a bitter defeat with heavy casualties. One reason might be that Hitler considered the Swiss to be sort of German (though that didnt stop him from grabbing Austria). @Graham The National Redoubt was full of artillery, flak cannons, and machine guns. For a nation of just four million people, the Swiss could have mustered an army as large as 850,000 strong. Then, there is the argument that, given the vast majority of Swiss men who own guns at home, even in case of German victory, there would be guerrilla warfare. Nazis overran the country. You can put entire villages up there and from the valley you would never guess they even exist. This is FRONTLINE's old website. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. Germany enjoyed the benefits of Switzerland's industrial output for important war materials such as ball-bearings. Because they were well prepared to hold out in their bunkers (and go raiding from there) for an extended amount of time. 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. I can't parse the final paragraph. Was Switzerland neutral or a Nazi ally in World War Two? I mean is "hypothetical" under the rules of this site. It has never joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) or the European Union, and only joined the United Nations in 2002. This answer seems to address a different and much broader question (is it possible for any country to be "impossible" to invade) but doesn't really have much content that is specifically relevant to Switzerland. Netherlands, Poland or most of Europe. World War II | Switzerland Tourism Get HISTORYs most fascinating stories delivered to your inbox three times a week. For a nation of just four million people, the Swiss could have mustered an army as large as 850,000 strong. In 1932, the army was called to suppress an anti-fascist demonstration in Geneva. [4] Does the debt snowball outperform avalanche if you put the freed cash flow towards debt? That also means that parachutists could be dropped behind Swiss lines to secure important positions. A big part of Switzerland is highly mountainous. @Graham no they were not simple civilians, but trained servicemen, after the initial training, had to serve. World War I | Switzerland Tourism The Germans were certain they could. For instance, their 1940 plans for Operation Tannenbaum estimated that a force of 300,000 to 500,000 men wou Nazi Germany had defeated Francereputed to have the finest army in Europein just six weeks. I'm also interested in history and military strategy. But note that "conquer" and "suppress all guerrillas" aren't the same thing. The best answer so far - but recall that mountains are very poor tank country, and the lesson of the Tyrolean rebellion against the Bavarians in 1809 is that suppressing rebels in the Alps is a long and difficult process. The emphasis is what I interpret as your "real" question (since there is a lot of confusion here) and will answer it. Michael Peck is a contributing writer for theNational Interest. In Hitler's own words: Die Schweiz, das kleine Stachelschwein, nehmen wir im Rckzug ein. Does a constant Radon-Nikodym derivative imply the measures are multiples of each other? In 1943 these imports supplied 41% of Swiss energy requirements. There was no In the same period Switzerland sold electric power to Germany equivalent to 6,077,000 tons of coal. Between 1939 and 1945 Germany exported 10,267,000 tons of coal to Switzerland. This is a terrible answer - every factual claim it makes is incorrect. Here's the answer to a silghtly different, but highly relevant question: There's a multitude of reasons, in no particular order (all links in German): Any one of these reasons, with the exception of the first one, is not a sufficient explanation on its own. Or France's well equipped and significantly larger army? Truth be told, these things didn't stop Hitler from invading Austria. - YouTube 0:00 / 8:08 Intro This is why the Nazis DID NOT INVADE Switzerland in World As the allies bombed the German Industrial base especially ball-bearings at huge cost of air crews and planes; Switzerland's industrial base was augmenting Germany's manufacturing capacity. (Just my two cents). In both the 1918 and the 1932 incidents, the troops deployed were consciously selected from rural regions such as the Berner Oberland, fanning the enmity between the traditionally conservative rural population and the urban working class. 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.
Peter Thomas Restaurant's, Handicare Customer Service, Are Virgos Confrontational, Barbados Muslim Directory, Articles W