Famous for the Swiss Banks and the Mighty Alps, Switzerland had its borders with France in the South and Germany in the North. Though the neighboring countries were on good terms, the death of Franz Ferdinand brewed disturbances and conflicts between the Germans and Great Britain which later formed the Allied Powers with France and Germany joining hands with Austria for the establishment of the Axis Powers. But, the question that has incited curiosity in the minds of historians was why Hitler didn’t attack Switzerland during WW2, who by 1940, was on a mission to capture the entire globe? Did Switzerland help Germany in WW2, though after signing the Treaty of Paris which declared the Swiss country neutral?
This article will walk you through the era of World War 2 and will uncover the less known reasons behind why Switzerland was never invaded by the Axis Powers.
Events Preceding The World War II
During the middle of the 19th century in Switzerland, the political condition of Switzerland witnessed internal wars and conflicts between states and the globe. In 1815, “ The Treaty Of Paris “, which was signed by Switzerland, declared the Alpine country an independent and neutral region, meaning that Switzerland will keep a safe distance from international conflicts.
Fast forward to the First World War, which witnessed a growing concern among the Swiss people on how to win against both the Allied and the Axis powers. While Switzerland had good trade relations with Germany, it would lead to a huge loss for the small country to enrage the Germans. But, they could also not possibly upset the French and Italian regions as most of the food for the Swiss population was supplied from them.
Adding to the problem was the ethnic diversity of the Swiss, the region housed both German-speaking and French-speaking populations. While the majority of them wanted Switzerland to enter the war on the German side, the country didn’t want to do so as it would anger the French-speaking population and might lead to internal problems like in the past! So, Switzerland remained neutral during World War 1.
But, what changed during World War II? Why Hitler didn’t attack Switzerland even after its strong army and advanced war weapons? Head over to the following section.
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Why Was Switzerland Never Invaded By The Axis Powers?
World War II posed a different problem for the Swiss population. Switzerland did not want to hurt the ego of the German Army, otherwise, it might cost them their relations over trade. Moreover, the General of the Swiss Army was Henri Guisan who was a supporter of France, thus he didn’t want to join the Axis powers during WW 2. But, they could neither join the Allied Powers as they were running out of capital to sustain the war. So, they decided to remain neutral.
But, the French surrender in the year 1940 saw the rise of Hitler as the sole dictator of Western Europe who by then was on a mission to capture the entire globe. After the French Signed the Capitulation Act of 1940, Hitler and the German Army started devising plans to invade Switzerland to bring the ethnic German-speaking population under Greater German. He launched Operation Tannenbaum in which about two million soldiers were appointed for the invasion mission. But, the mission was never executed by the Axis. The question that remains a matter of controversy is why Hitler didn’t attack Switzerland? Did Switzerland help Germany in WW2 passively? Read below.
Switzerland – A Tiny Pimple On The Face Of Europe
In the year 1942, during a meeting with Benito Mussolini, Hitler stated that a small mountainous country, Switzerland, holds the most pathetic political system and has no right to exist independently. He was also reported to comment that Switzerland was a tiny pimple on the face of Europe that should be merged with Germany as Hitler believed that Switzerland was an offshoot of the German Empire.
While the General of the tiny pimple amped up their war preparation in response to Hitler’s increasing insaneness over Switzerland, Hitler never ordered the troops to invade the country. Though Guisan knew that the majority of the country is situated on the flat plain, which will aid the Germans in the attack, they should never be able to attack the “Fortress Alps”.
So, why was Switzerland never invaded? Though the Swiss were neutral over the conflicts between the Axis and the Allies, it did secretly help the Germans to sustain the wartime!
Though Hitler promised Switzerland that it would respect the neutrality of the country, General Guisan was afraid of Hitler’s cunningness and prepared themselves for the war. He had established small tunnels and bunkers inside the mountains which would help the militia attack its opponents.
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Why Hitler Didn’t Attack Switzerland – Did Switzerland Help Germany?
This section will describe the unknown reasons behind Hitler’s apprehension to attack the mountain-covered country, Switzerland.
- While Hitler was crazy about attacking Switzerland, he had to shift his focus to Poland. On the day of 22 June 1941, the Axis invaded the Soviet region and thus it was the need of the hour for the Nazis to pay more attention to fighting the Soviet Army.
- Though the Swiss militia was negligible in size as compared to the German Army, it would be a mistake to assume the enemy as weak. While 1,50,000 were active in the military, the remaining citizens were also a perfect fit to serve the country.
- Though the Swiss lacked military tanks and advanced ammunition, they possessed the powerful K31 rifle which was enough to handle the German army.
- Switzerland was surrounded by the Mighty Alps which posed the greatest problem for the Nazis. It would be extremely difficult for the Army to cross the lofty mountain and attack the Swiss population. Moreover, the deployment of Swiss militia and hidden bombs inside each tunnel also deterred the Germans.
- Another yet important reason behind the never happening German invasion of Switzerland was the Swiss Banks. During World War II, the countries captured by the Germans were ripped off their capital and assets, which were now a part of German rule. But it was illegal to store them in International Banks. But, the situation in Swiss Banks was a bit different. Here it is legal to store the stolen gold and money from the defeated nations. Thus, Switzerland offered help to the Nazis by letting them store their illegal possessions in their Banks. Hence, Hitler did not want to upset their neighboring country by invading it.
- Additionally, Germany was credited with internationally valued Swiss Francs as an aid to continuing the Russian campaign. Moreover, the majority of the war ammunition was supplied by Switzerland to Germany. Thus, Hitler did not want to attack Switzerland, he was happy to have an independent neighboring country that was already helping him in the war. Then why lose millions to invade them?
What Would Happen If Germans Attacked Switzerland?
If the Germans attacked Switzerland, it would not take them much time to conquer the small country. If they could conquer powerful countries like France and the Soviet Union, it was pretty easy for them to gain victory over the Swiss population. Though the Swiss population is fed with the idea that Germans stepped away from the attack because of a powerful Swiss militia and the neutrality of the country, then why did they attack France and Austria? We have no answer.
But, if the Germans attacked Switzerland, the country would not take much time to surrender to the Axis, because there was no hope for help from France, Italy and the Soviet Union. Additionally, they could not even count on Britain as it was busy fighting with the Germans itself!
Conclusion
Why Hitler didn’t attack Switzerland remains the most controversial topic. Although the official reason behind the never happening attack is said to be the neutrality of Switzerland, then why was Operation Tannenbaum launched? Though Hitler promised General Guisan that it would never attack its people, the map of the Greater German Reich during the Second World War included the German-speaking regions of Switzerland. Thus, it is clear that Hitler never meant his own words or promises!
After the Axis was on the verge of death, on 30th April 1945, German dictator Adolf Hitler and his wife Eva Braun, committed suicide in a bunker in Berlin. Hitler believed that it was better to die than to surrender before his enemies!
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