War and Neutrality

Many people maintain that countries such as Holland, Sweden, Switzerland and Liechtenstein that remained neural during World War II actually served the purposes of the Third Reich by their neutrality. Many contend that there is no neutrality during war. This may be the case, since it is well documented that in all of these countries, people fleeing the Nazis were harboured, often at the significant risk.

But it does remain puzzling that a wealthy country like Switzerland, located in the middle of Europe, and thus in the midst of the war, was never invaded. With Germany to the north, occupied Austria to the East and Italy to the south, Switzerland was surrounded by Axis forces. Also, a large portion of France, Switzerland’s neighbour to the West, was occupied by Germany during most of the war.

The Swiss policy of neutrality was born when the Final Act of the Congress of Vienna and the Second Treaty of Paris were drafted in 1815. Under these treaties, European governments recognized and guaranteed Swiss neutrality and it’s independence from foreign influence. Since this time, The Confederation of Helvetica has remained neutral during all wars. According to these treaties, Switzerland, as a neutral state, must fulfil several responsibilities. Under this definition, Switzerland cannot favor one party in a conflict over another, and it cannot allow its country to be used as an operational base for any party engaged in conflict. A neutral state must tolerate economic sanctions that combating parties may levy against it, and a neutral state may not wage war, but can protect itself if attacked. In return, a neutral state may not be violated by the combatants in a conflict and the country may not be invaded or used for troop transport.

What does the doctrine of neutrality mean during wartime in practical terms? During World War II, Switzerland remained neutral, but compliant with the codes outlined by the treaties, took steps to protect itself in case of attack. Switzerland, then as now, retains an active military. During World War II, the nation’s military forces were united under the lead of General Dufour, a resident of the French section of Switzerland. General Dufour maintained an active, fully trained army that could mount a response to any attack, including an airforce and boats that patrolled the major lakes that formed the borders of Switzerland, Germany, Austria and Italy. The idyllic Swiss countryside is littered today with bunkers and concrete tank barriers that were set in place to prevent the encroachment of enemy tanks. There were fewer than six major routes of entry into the country due to its mountainous nature, and these passes were studded with explosives; it was the intention of the Swiss government that if a German trespass was carried out, the passes would be blown up and the country sealed off from land aggression.

Switzerland continues to maintain an active military for protective purposes and every male does active service, followed by reservist activity until he is 35 years old. The country has an up to date air force with state of the art supersonic jets. Expert pilots perform daily missions; however, the country is so small that the planes traverse it within 15 minutes and air rights must be purchased from Italy and Germany to allow the planes to turn around.

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