Did the Swiss Really Remain Neutral During World War II?
That Swiss neutrality in the face of fascist hubris was almost put to the test very early on in World War II when the Germans contemplated an invasion of Switzerland. In fact, at several points during the war the Germans weighed the balance books over invading the Swiss but it was always the mountainous geography that saved Switzerland from actually being forced to put their neutrality on the line. The costs in both manpower and money of invading through the Alps was simply too massive for the Germans to take on. In fact, the Swiss did have an army and were ready to guard against attack, so their neutrality did not quite extend to allowing their own people to be massacred by Hitler, Mussolini and the rest. As early as 1939 the Swiss has moved to protect themselves by positioning their army in a defensive posture. The Swiss army was made up mostly of well-trained civilians rather than career soldiers; the guns of Switzerland were utilized the way our own Constitution mandates gun ownership but has been universally ignored by gun nuts who only read the first clause of the Second Amendment: the Swiss had a well-regulated militia endowed with the right to actually use their firearms only for the protection the security of their freedom. The Swiss army during the early days of World War II was not terribly unlike the Minutemen of the American Revolution in that they were capable of mobilizing into a defensive army with just 48 hours notice. How big was this Swiss army? The Swiss militia numbered roughly 500,000 people. That's a lot of people with knives equipped with the proper utensil for popping the cork off a bottle of Dom Perignon.
Following the collapse of the cheese-eating surrender monkeys across the Alps in France, however, that number was halved. The almost unbelievably quick ability of the French to lay down their arms in the face of Germans with tanks put Swiss neutrality into the mode that it would take for the rest of World War II. As impossible as it may be to believe, Switzerland was able to spend the rest of the Great War without taking sides, apparently content in its collective belief that there was no differentiation between the Axis and the Allies. Supplies and materiel came and went through the Swiss borders to both sides. The Swiss press was strict censorship orders not to write anything that might be considering actually taking a side on the issue of hateful aggression versus peaceful aggression. Meanwhile, Swiss politicians played both ends against the middle, burning the candle for the Nazis and for the human beings taking part in World War II. Diplomatic relations were maintained with all participants in the war. The result-as indicated in the post-war intrigue dramatized in The Third Man-was that Switzerland became a beehive of espionage during World War II. Practically every single spy on either side spent at least some time in Switzerland. The reason was that Nazis and British were allowed to stroll unmolested down the old world streets of Swiss cities. It was not even completely unknown to see infamous members of the Resistance out in public.
Neutrality is a double-edged sword. Keeping out of the fray means relative security from aggression on one hand-provide the militia was there for protection-but it also opened the floodgates to that security from all quarters of the dirty underworld of enemy infiltration.
Published by Timothy Sexton - Featured Contributor in Arts & Entertainment
Timothy Sexton was named this site's very first Writer of the Year. Today he has two daily columns and one weekly column on Yahoo! Movies as well as frequent irregular contributions. Mr. Sexton was twice nam... View profile
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9 Comments
Post a Comment...enemy propaganda. It is clear that the Swiss maintained the best policy possible in World War Two. Using the Alps in combination with Swiss military tactics, they could have had a serious fight against the Germans had they invaded. Yet if the Swiss had left their country un-protected by leaving Switzerland and fighting in Normandy etc, they would have been decimated, to no gain.
:)
I think it's very important to realize that Switzerland was at the time a country of 4 million people, completely surrounded by a Germany of 260 million. Switzerland could have tried to fight and been totally crushed, or they could use their position as a beacon of democracy in Europe. Switzerland had a Radio Free Europe tower so it could send non-biased reports into France and other nations. The Swiss instead were able to take in refugees and contribute to stability in Europe.
Sure, they did some things that, looking back, weren't great, like completely sealing the border in 1942, but they were under immense foreign pressure from the Nazi regime.
In addition, the military strategies of the Swiss (using the Alps for defense) could have seriously hindered the Nazis. If they had invaded, 600,000 well-armed Swiss people would have fought until the end against the Germans. Swiss leaders told the Swiss people to regard any "official" declaration of surrender as being merely enemy pr
well think about it. if you were sitting on a bench at the park and like five dudes randomly started besating eachother up would you just sit there or do something about it ?
So you're saying if a country or party were to set out to massacre people of a particular race, religion, or other category, other countries are not morally obligated to act.? Other than to pass resolutions at the U.N. I mean.?
Doing nothing is basically what neutrality means.
I think moderates in politics get more respect than say a pacifist would. The Swiss were the pacifists of Europe, which looks to be giving the finger to your own country in some people's minds today. But because the Swiss were in an unusual situation (who else had the fortune of having a giant mountain range preventing the enemy from occupying their country?)--they should be allowed a pass in history. And, of course, it's still considered a peaceful retreat for the dislikes of...Michael Jackson. ;) Consider Switzerland to be the retreat of the world (and for shunned celebrities or ones who just want to be left alone).
Yeah or you could pick an analogy that wasn't absurd and refer to the guy threatening to annihilate the same race of people that the Swiss stood idley by and let get near annihilated. But then, that doesn't require as many logical steps so is...less...exercise? No sorry, I can't follow Musallian logic.
While it is an imperfect analogy, I would compare the Swiss neutral position to that taken by those who want to claim the title "moderate" in American politics. The Bush Admin presents a clear and present danger, and to not stand against it is to invite "evil."
Because inaction in the face of brazen evil is every bit as evil. There is no "in-between" between Nazi Germany and the Allies. But alas, we live in a world now where "peace at any cost" is returning.
I don't know if I see the problem here. If a country wants to remain neutral and keep diplomatic relations open with everyone, why shouldn't it?