why was switzerland not invaded in ww2

The allied plans to occupy Sweden was cancelled so that reason disappeared. Thousands upon thousands of refugees, including French Jews, also were making their way to the border. Germany could trade with Switzerland and get goods through Switzerland that it couldn't normally get because of the allies economic blockade of Germany. As for the Jewish banking, it is a slightly different beast. It seems to me that, German military thinking tending to be thorough, and the actual plan being very much like what was done in WWI, the existence of the Maginot Line showing it was very much considered by France, that I am sure some Germans were at least considering the possibility. The Allies of course put pressure on the Swiss to reduce trade with the Germans, but it wasnt until 1943-1944 that they were in a position to actually see this happen. During World War II, the Swiss were neutral and generally speaking maintained that position, meaning that they did not declare war or offer military assistance to either power, and while they traded, even in goods that had military purposes, they did not openly favor one side over the other (which would have given them non-belligerent status, such as in the case of Sweden and Finland in 1939-1940). Besides, the Swiss were far too useful as an independent country. There are merits on both sides but you obviously cant view the arguments in isolation. Europe: Was Switzerland Really Neutral During World War II? What was the symbol used for 'one thousand' in Ancient Rome? What was the real reason Switzerland was never invaded in WW2? The so-called Swiss neutrality was a prime example of hypocrisy.. But it seems that many people are intrigued as to why Adolt Hitler didnt invade Switzerland. Possibly even more damaging to Germany business-wise, was not the economic blockade, but the financial blockade. Was the phrase "The world is yours" used as an actual Pan American advertisement? If you have questions. As I said, you can find partisans of either position still, and I dont know how to give true finality to the matter. Very few people promoted a so-called Anschluss or amalgamation with the Reich. Could you detail more ^"since it seems like a much better strategic move than invading Russia." While the Swiss plead that their small country could only handle so many refugees, many both at the time and in decades since assert that a significantly higher number could have been reasonably accommodated (As well as criticizing the treatment of those who were allowed in. Please enter your email address so that the password reset email can be sent to you account. This ended the League of Nations so Sweden caught between two massive powers at War with one another smartly stayed neutral. According to Schfer, a historian from the Martin Luther University in Germany, one of the main reasons why Switzerland was not invaded was because of the ceasefire between France and Germany. Ive written an article on the languages of Switzerland and some simple words you can learn before you travel; check it out here. Why did Hitler not invade Sweden? - History Stack Exchange In hindsight, we can also see that Switzerland was far from a neutral bystander during the Second World War. Why Switzerland wasn't invaded | WW2 - YouTube Mind you, the value of this would be at least 10 times these days. The 1940 Nazi invasion plan, Operation Tannenbaum, was not executed, and SS Oberst Hermann Bohme's 1943 memorandum warned that an invasion of Switzerland would be too costly because every man was . Never wanted a war with the 'west' (e.g. Gold. Fear for Communists and hatred of Jews was rampant in Switzerland. Military spending was increased in a multi-year plan costing hundreds of millions of Swiss Francs. It wasnt just soldiers though. For some, including President Pilet-Golaz, this meant Erneuerung and Anpassung (Renewal and adaptation), or that is to say, coming to terms with the new European order and attempting to find Switzerlands place in it. How exactly did Britain start world war 2 or 1. Basically, France accepted, actually had to forcefully accept a ceasefire following an aggressive German offensive in 1940. Is Switzerland safe to visit? The most tragic, perhaps, was the erroneous bombing of Schaffhausen, when 20 American bombers, believing they were 21 miles over and bombing Germany, killed or injured ~150 Swiss people. 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. We would like to show you a description here but the site won't allow us. As a neutral power, Switzerland was entitled to trade with the Allies, and still did, but only at a trickle. 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. Hitler could get what he needed from Sweden by diplomacy or coercion. Why was one of Nazi Germanys best tank commander, Erwin Rommel, sent to Africa instead of being sent to lead in Barbarossa? 7,000 Jews had already been given entry prior to the war, and not many more were initially to be allowed. Swiss neutrality is one of the main principles of Switzerland's foreign policy which dictates that Switzerland is not to be involved in armed or political conflicts between other states. "However, the military threat hanging over Switzerland at the time would suggest the opposite. About 30,000 Frenchmen crossed the border and laid down their arms. When war broke out on September 1st, Switzerland mobilized quicker than the Allied powers. What benefits would an invasion give? Please try again. What next? Later in the war though, it was usually the Allies overflying Switzerland, and at least when possible, the Swiss continued to force errant planes to land. What about the supply of goods? It continued to supply trade and needed resources (mainly iron), and not invading it had advantages such as having a neutral country nearby, which is useful for other sorts of trade and politics. First and foremost it is crucial to understand exactly where Switzerland is located. Switzerland as a nation was immensely important to the German military machine and economic planning. Sweden cooperated with Germany in World War II. You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here. 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. 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. They would be interned by the Swiss for a few months, until an agreement was reached for their repatriation to France in early 1941. In this video, I'll share some myths about Switzerland's neutrality and what it actually means to be neutral. - Quora. The Swiss military is quite famous for how they are organized around mandatory service, and at the time of World War II, the professional core of the military was tiny made up mostly of border guards, pilots, and a small cadre of staff officers who kept things running. Hitler is usually criticized for invading more countries than he could control. How should I ask my new chair not to hire someone? Your email address will not be published. As demanded by the Swiss, they also paid interest on the settlement for the time it took to reach it. Almost, but falling short. Allegedly it was a Swiss idea to make identification of the Jews easier at the German-Swiss border. Many US corporations didn't even cut-off relations with Nazi Germany after Pearl Harbor. It was a rather bizarre arrangement, since the both sides knew that to a degree, their trade was helping the enemy! The second set was mostly defensive in nature ("defensive" in a very lose definition of the word): Securing his back, flanks, and access to crucial resources. With the beginning of the Invasion of France, violations of Swiss airspace became a daily occurrence, and initially the Swiss would attack any flight which entered their country. As mentioned by others above, Sweden was a source of iron ore for Germany. Why did Hitler never invade Switzerland or Lichtenstein? ***CreditsPhotos from Pexels by:SwissHumanity Felix Mittermeier Kapaw from Pexels Twicce SwitzerlandGertsevPhotos from Pixabay by:Albert HslerFootage from Youtube by:Zeidgenosse https://youtu.be/83vuW_EnDHMSRF Doc https://youtu.be/OqtLq8FHCL0Sir_Jones94 https://youtu.be/_0SunEl53pIDer Spiegel https://youtu.be/ywe_xC4CXfYMADE BY TSCHANZ https://youtu.be/ut-RHZSWwEwKnowledgia https://youtu.be/Aq1fxGPoaEgShadow Stories https://youtu.be/b_I70eppXQ8RealLifeLore https://youtu.be/ha66FfC-N18Harald Frank https://youtu.be/9jEt2ueDA1AOceanEvilXXX https://youtu.be/p-2rrQEgQAEThe Best Film Archives https://youtu.be/HwlVH5KcWSsFootage from SRF Archive by:Die Schweiz im zweiten Weltkrieg Teil1Die Schweiz im zweiten Weltkrieg Teil 2Die Anbauschlacht 1940-1943Sounds byYoutube sound libraryGustav MahlerGuiseppe RossineApple Garage BandKeywords:ww2,switzerland,wwii,Why Switzerland wasn't invaded,world war 2 documentary 2021,Inside Switzerland,Neutrality,economics,history,politics,society,myths,military strategy,operation tannenbaum,swiss gold,second world war,indy neidell ww2,reduit national,fortress switzerland00:00 - Start02:33 - Marker 106:20 - Marker 210:44 - Marker 3 I was wondering why since it seems like a much better strategic move than invading Russia. Switzerland was indeed on Hitler's To-Do list but the geographical layout of the land (namely the Alps) between Germany and Switzerland, plus the tremendous number of Swiss . The reason for the Fhrers truculence is relatively easy to understand. 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. When the Germans in fact launched Fall Gelb through the Low Countries to the North instead, Switzerland hardly breathed a sigh of relief. Swiss business with Nazi Germany is well documented, and at many times quite unsavory, but must of course be tempered in judgement by the reality of their position not that it excuses many of the things they did. The second set was not originally part of "the plan". Hitler's target -- "the plan", as early as 1925 -- was the Soviet Union. When the war began on 1 September 1939, the fate of Sweden was unclear. Production of high-grade steel suitable for armour plate and gun barrels depended largely on the Bessemer process which, in turn, required ores of high phosphorus content. There might be a reason to invade Sweden to stop Swedish export to the UK (most importantly ball bearings). More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative. One of the main enemies of Sweden in the Great Nordic War was Saxony, ie Germany. Can't see empty trailer when backing down boat launch, 1960s? According to Schfer, a historian from the Martin Luther University in Germany, one of the main reasons why Switzerland was not invaded was because of the ceasefire between France and Germany, which France was forced to accept following the German offensive in May and June 1940. With the mass call up in 1939 though, the retirement age was temporarily pushed back to 60, and new inductees now underwent a four month course, and those who had been called up began training on a full time basis. Also, you should realize that the Germans were not just a bunch of frenzied madmen attacking everybody. Although Switzerland was not a primary target, it was a strategic one. Note that Swiss military service is compulsory for men, not women; now, lets see how the Swiss efficiency resolved in an extremely fast mobilization. They are extremely different propositions, it seems to me. 28. Switzerland During WW2 - Was Switzerland Neutral? - WorldAtlas When confronted after the war, the Swiss only would admit to 58 million of French and Belgian gold, which they compensated the respective national banks for. Small but fierce, the Swiss Air Force quickly proved to be a thorn in Germanys side, and after one encounter which saw ten German aircraft go down in flames for the loss of only two Swiss machines, Hitler rather threateningly insisted that the Swiss cease their interceptions or else. Why wasn't Switzerland involved in WW2? - Quora Under the newly elected Four-Star General Henri Guisan, the Swiss also started their preparations. For instance there was Operation Bridford. They basically controlled the major mountain crossings and railway connections. Even if there was seen to be a reason to attack Sweden, it would have been greatly outweighed by the competing military need to hit France and Russia as soon and as strongly as possible, to prevent them from building up defensive positions or going on the offensive themselves. world-war-two war world-war-one switzerland Share Improve this question Follow edited May 16, 2013 at 11:05 Elrond Switzerland was different. It was the Generals thinking that the Germans could have the Swiss flatlands and the cities, but they would never conquer the Fortress Alps.. Very easy i would say. They bought the gold for Swiss francs, which Germany than could use to purchase stuff they needed from other neutral powers such as Turkey. Sweden and Switzerland were basically allies of Germany with the good sense not to join a losing fight. 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. The worst hit in the morale department were the Army. Why wasn't Switzerland involved in WW2? To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you. As such, the pre-war invasions and occupations -- Austria, Sudetenland, Czechoslovakia -- and the attack on Poland were merely setting the stage for the attack on Soviet Russia. Switzerland during the World Wars - Wikipedia 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. Sweden like Switzerland was a neutral country and not involved in the conflict. But surely Sweden had a Jewish population that hitler would want to exterminate. All other countries was in some wars. 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. Things might have been different had the invasion of France taken longer. Throughout the war air men also found themselves in Switzerland for various reasons, which Ill cover later. 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). Do spelling changes count as translations for citations when using different English dialects? Care parcels (the United States being by far the larger user of this service) were routinely delivered into IRC custody, from which they would then be delivered to the POWs at their camps. He attacked France because France didn't want let him attack the east, which was always Hitler's goal. It was even said that the royalties for Hitlers book, Mein Kampf, passed through the Alpine nation. By the end of 1940, the German Wehrmacht had overrun most of its neighbors only brave little Switzerland remained free. @TomasBy: I used to go to a Swedish church where the average age of the parishioners is about 65-70, that is, of people born before, during, or just after World War II,and that's what they told me. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. Boom! @DevSolar Before invading Poland (which immediately caused England and France to declare war), ok. (Hitler had hoped France and England would remain neutral even as he went on to attack Russia; Russia was the opponent he was always most concerned with.). The Swiss Army follows in line with Swiss culture and always have been well-maintained, high-quality, and efficient. 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. 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. Fearful of being overloaded, very strict quotas were set, and entry was refused to many with the infamous explanation that the lifeboat is full. I also explain about how Switzerland's economy was one factor, and what are the secrets behind their military strategy. Switzerland is perfectly located between France and Germany and would have been a great asset for the Nazi regime. It took the United States freezing about one billion dollars of Swiss assets in American banks for the Swiss to cave and make an exception. Why were there no Hitler statues in Nazi Germany? Germany was a threat and Switzerland built a powerful defense. Was John Ivan Demjanjuk Ivan The Terrible? 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. france&britan) in the first place. The so-called Swiss neutrality was "a prime example of hypocrisy."
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