Hitler invades Switzerland

[Melvin Loh]

Just saw a documentary on HIST CHANNEL last night in the Secret Passages series, which was all about secret tunnels of WWII, including with the very elaborate underground passages set up by the Swiss to resist a possible Nazi invasion. Now, what would've been the outcome of Hitler deciding to invade Switzerland at some point after July-Sept 1940 ? Given the immense strengths of the Swiss fixed defences in the Alps, the large nos. of Swiss soldiers and reservists who would've waged a partisan war against the invaders for every inch of Swiss territory, the respectable Swiss arms industry and the very rugged terrain of the country itself which would've seriously hindered the execution of blitzkrieg tactics, would the Germans have been given a very bloody nose if Hitler had decided to invade Switzerland ?

[Mr.Bluenote]

Uh, that would have been a nasty and costly little war for the Wehrmacht! I don't doubt for a second that the Germans would have conquered Switzerland. But they would have had to pay a steep price in blood! As you yourself said, the Swiss were ready to resist, armed and dug-in!

I however find it highly unlikely that the Germans ever seriously contemplated invading Switzerland. Where else would they store their ill-begotten loot?

Best of regards!


- Bluenote.

[panzerjay]

An nazi invasion wold resemble the tiresome anti partisan campaign in Yugoslavia. So much so, the allies wouldn’t even have to liberate it.

One thing about operation Christmas is why….

Were the Nazis that paranoid about the Swiss turning on them?

Or did the Nazis wanted to get to those bank accounts?

[Brilliantlight]

Eventually the Swiss would lose but Germany would be in no shape at all for Barbarosa. I think it would be even worse for them if it happened before the invasion of France. After the fight against the Swiss the Germans not only would have a hard time conquering France but may have a hard time stopping an invasion by France.

[MerryPrankster]

According to "Target Switzerland," Hitler contemplated dividing Switzerland along linguistic lines between Vichy France, Italy, and Greater Germany. Therefore, an anti-Swiss campaign would probably come before Barbarossa and after the conquest of continental Western Europe.

[Max Sinister]

I think that Hitler simply didn't anyone independent next to him. He wanted to reign all over Europe. No exception. And he needed "Aryans" to settle the Lebensraum. Switzerland conquered -> three million more Aryans...

[Norman]

One thing to consider is that if he had invaded and the invasion had ground down the German Army, Switzerland might have gotten a piece of Germany, Austria or Italy (maybe the Tyrolean areas).

How would a bigger Switzerland fit into post war Europe??

[Valamyr]

Uhm, more seriously, though the valor of the swiss army is not put in doubt, what makes it so certain that a tiny country of valorous conscripts would stand any chance not to be overrun in a matter of days?

What I read on the swiss defenses was that it was axed on a dissuasion system. They wanted the germans to believe the conquest would be costly... but there is little fact to back up the claim that it could be the case.

I think if Germany had seen through the scheme, had any reason to invade, and did so, Switzerland would pose little threat. Its westernized population would probably resist after the fact in an orderly french fashion, easy to keep in check, rather than in a bloody eastern way.

The ordeal might not be worth it for Germany, but I highly doubt it would change anything.

[basileus]

Anyway, it would be another tough nut to crack. Better a staging the political disgregation of the country through sympathizing Nazi and Fascist movements (Czech model).

[Grimm Reaper]

The idea of Fortress Switzerland also involved pulling most of the army into an inner core and abandoning most of the civilian population. Alas, it failed to include food supplies in adequate quantities. In all likelihood it means little to the war effort, except that the lack of certain goods from Switzerland may impair German jets, atomic progam, etc. as the allies now bomb the facilities there. And if the allies then menace Sweden, the last source for ball bearings and such...

[Brilliantlight]

Originally Posted by Valamyr

Uhm, more seriously, though the valor of the swiss army is not put in doubt, what makes it so certain that a tiny country of valorous conscripts would stand any chance not to be overrun in a matter of days?

What I read on the swiss defenses was that it was axed on a dissuasion system. They wanted the germans to believe the conquest would be costly... but there is little fact to back up the claim that it could be the case.

I think if Germany had seen through the scheme, had any reason to invade, and did so, Switzerland would pose little threat. Its westernized population would probably resist after the fact in an orderly french fashion, easy to keep in check, rather than in a bloody eastern way.

The ordeal might not be worth it for Germany, but I highly doubt it would change anything.

Switzerland has two big advantges, one almost all men are part of the Swiss militia and have guns and military training and two the country is as moutainous as Afghanistan.

[gianluca790]

The Swiss = Afghans

Germans = Soviets

Rememeber what happened to the Soviets in 1989? The same would happen to the Nazis.

[Max Sinister]

The Afghans had one advantage: The US could smuggle weapons via Pakistan, and they could flee there, or into Iran too. Switzerland was surrounded by Germany, Italy and occupied France.

[MerryPrankster]

Originally Posted by Max Sinister

The Afghans had one advantage: The US could smuggle weapons via Pakistan, and they could flee there, or into Iran too. Switzerland was surrounded by Germany, Italy and occupied France.

But the Soviets had the advantage of a puppet government capable of exercising authority (to varying degrees) throughout the country. Not to mention they had troops and advisors in-country to facilitate their takeover.

The Germans would be facing a government that is not only hostile, but made extensive preparations to fight them. And no forces already inside the country to make things easier.

[Steffen]

Apart from the fact an invasion of Switzerland is a stupid thing in itself, as violation of Swiss independence reduces the strategic importantance of Switzerland basically to nothing.

As usual, it´s a question of the framework: If Hitler invades in, say, 43 or 44 I see the Swiss fighting as vigoriously as it´s always promoted.
If Hitler invades after the Fall of France, I doubt there will be a fight after all, because as the Reich is seen on the victorious side of history with absolutely no-one coming to the rescue- there IS no-one, many -if not most-people would think there´s much more to gain by a face-saving capitulation.

[Max Sinister]

The Swiss liked their freedom and democracy. When did the Swiss government start to prepare for a possible German invasion again?

[maverick]

I don't see why would Hitler invade his personal bank, which also provided weapons to Germany.

[Anaxagoras]

The Swiss population was told that, in the event of a German invasion, any announcement of a Swiss surrender was to be considered enemy propaganda and ignored. That gives you an idea of how determined they were to resist to the end.

[ninebucks]

Originally Posted by Max Sinister

The Swiss liked their freedom and democracy. When did the Swiss government start to prepare for a possible German invasion again?

Erm, 1291

[Prinz Richard Eugen]

I see the Germans defeating the Swiss in 1940 after France is defeated. The cost would be moderate - less than France and more than Poland. Italy could have added a number of Alpini divisions to make up for the poor showing in France. The manufacturing trade with Germany should not be badly affected as trade was limited between the 2 countries during the war. Running the factories should provide at least as much as trade did. I think an advantage to the Germans would be all the tunnels they would capture. With the bombing raids beginning in 1942-1943, underground factories became important and the Swiss had quite a number that could be converted to manufacturing and the additional armaments would aid the German war effort.