Swiss neutrality

[Smokey Stover]

Apologies if this has already been covered before but i did search the forums and couldnt find another relevant post. My question is this:
How exactly did Switzerland maintain their neutrality during ww2. It can't just be that allied and axis powers respected the Swiss's desire to not get involved in ww1 and thus were assured of similar respect during ww2. I have found evidence of allied & axis aircrew being shot down for breaching Swiss airspace and any survivors interned. The Swiss claim that bomber crews in particular had bombed areas of the country by accident and thus created a plan by the Swiss to defend their airspace and country with the upmost vigour. But considering the Germans in particular didn't care too much about adhering to small nations neutrality when it came to invading/advancing on other countries. Denmark springs to mind, having been invaded and occupied simply because it was in the way of Germany's plan to invade Norway. So was it that Hitler had some kind of special respect for the Swiss position. Or was it that geographically, Switzerland is a very hard country to invade successfully without taking heavy losses. I have heard that the country is ideal for fighting a defensive action. Or was it something else entirely? I would appreciate anyone's knowledge or ideas on the subject. Thanks.
M.

 

[Peter Gunn]

For what it's worth, it is Wikipedia after all but: Swiss Neutrality

 

[Shortround6]

It was a combination of things.
for geography Switzerland could cut off transportation routes from Germany to Italy or add substantially to the lengths of these routes. The Swiss "militia" was every able body male between about 18 and 60 years old and in Switzerland if one leg was two inches shorter than the other you weren't exempt, you were a clerk.
There was annual training that extended to much higher age groups than some other countries for "reserves",

Switzerland had no natural resources in the terms of oil, or coal or minerals (at least in large quantities) so taking it over would be a lot of work/cost for very little gain (no new seaport or jumping off point to the next goal)

 

[buffnut453]

And then there was the banking issue...a LOT of gold, both Axis and Allied, ended up in Swiss banks. Invading Switzerland would have upset that particular apple-cart since Germany desperately needed Swiss Francs to purchase goods needed for the war effort.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

1. Geography
2. Money

 

[buffnut453]

1. Geography
2. Money

A man of few words...yet pretty much bang on target!

 

[GrauGeist]

1. Geography
2. Money

3. Armed population that knew every nook and cranny of their home soil, making the idea of an invasion a very costly prospect for little gain.

 

[MIflyer]

There is book out, "Shot From The Sky" that I understand claims that the Swiss did in fact allow German aircrew to return home but not Allied aircrew. Admittedly it might have been difficult to stop them, since it only involved walking across the border.

Funny story: A friend of mine was in the Polish Army in WWII and was wounded on the first day of the war. He ended up in a POW camp. Also in the camp was a Polish officer who had been trained my Mercedes. "Aha!" said the Germans. "You will maintain the camp commander's staff car!" And one day the officer put on a fabricated German officer's uniform and equipped one of the other Polish POWs as a German enlisted man and the two of them drove the camp commnder's Mercedes to Switzerland.

I wonder if they claimed to be Germans to get into Switzerland.

 

[Marcel]

The swiss also fought in the air against the Germans, so I highly doubt they were so pro-german as you claim M MIflyer

 

[buffnut453]

3. Armed population that knew every nook and cranny of their home soil, making the idea of an invasion a very costly prospect for little gain.

While certainly true, I'm not sure it was that much of a deterrent. The lack of gain and financial aspects probably had far more influence than Grossvati Niklaus with his rifle.

 

[GrauGeist]

While certainly true, I'm not sure it was that much of a deterrent. The lack of gain and financial aspects probably had far more influence than Grossvati Niklaus with his rifle.

The Swiss geography itself was a formidible obstacle. The Swiss Army and citizen guard were very well aware of the natural killing zones and ambush sites and would certainly use that to their full advantage.
Strategists knew this to be a major factor, add to this sparse forage and light population centers that would offer little strategic value in an effort to cripple the Swiss economy and/or hit concentrated troops.

 

[billrunnels]

The Swiss neutrality was taken seriously. At mission briefing 03/04/45 for target "ordnance depot", Ulm, Germany(about 75 miles North of Swiss border) we were cautioned not to invade Swiss air space. Our bomb drop heading was South so we had to make a quick right hand turn after bombs away. The turn was a difficult one to accomplish since aircraft were still in a very tight formation following the drop.

 

[swampyankee]

3. Armed population that knew every nook and cranny of their home soil, making the idea of an invasion a very costly prospect for little gain.

.... who had every bridge and tunnel wired for demolition and buried artillery and machine gun emplacements covering the passes.

 

[Marcel]

Nobody had enough to win by occupying Switzerland.

 

[buffnut453]

The Swiss geography itself was a formidible obstacle. The Swiss Army and citizen guard were very well aware of the natural killing zones and ambush sites and would certainly use that to their full advantage.
Strategists knew this to be a major factor, add to this sparse forage and light population centers that would offer little strategic value in an effort to cripple the Swiss economy and/or hit concentrated troops.

I agree with everything you're saying. However, if Switzerland had been strategically important, those obstacles would have been dealt with somehow...perhaps not entirely successfully but an invasion would still have been mounted.

The primary reason for NOT invading was, as others have observed, that there simply wasn't enough to be gained (and a hell of a lot to be lost) if Germany invaded.

 

[GrauGeist]

.... who had every bridge and tunnel wired for demolition and buried artillery and machine gun emplacements covering the passes.

The Romans had difficulty in thier attempt to expand into the provinces of Raetia et Vindelicia and Gallia Belgica, particulalry in the area of the Great Saint Bernard Pass. Starting in 57 BC, they finally succeeded by 15 BC, defeating both the Raetia and Salassi in the process.
A later example of Swiss geography (one of many) that heavily influenced the outcome of a battle would be the Battle of Morgarten (1315).

 

[billrunnels]

Another factor to be considered, it was a safe haven for damaged aircraft and crew. While they were not returned they were safe. Russia was much the same. We were instructed to land there only if there was no other choice.

 

[redcoat]

Nobody had enough to win by occupying Switzerland.

Hitler, once he had defeated his major enemies, did intent to eventually incorporate Switzerland into the Greater German Reich.
Operation Tannenbaum - Wikipedia

 

[Marcel]

Hitler, once he had defeated his major enemies, did intent to eventually incorporate Switzerland into the Greater German Reich.
Operation Tannenbaum - Wikipedia

Interesting, thanks!

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Swiss battaries and fighting positions...