Swiss exports to Germany (WWII): prolonging the war or not?

All,

Facts are that

1) Switzerland exported war material to Germany.
2) The focus areas were AA, optics and other sophisticated things

The question is of course: Was Switzerland 'semi-forced' to be integrated into the German war machine? could they have resisted a bit more?

According to Wiki:

""
In total, trade between Germany and Switzerland contributed about 0.5% to the German war effort and did not significantly lengthen the war.

""

HOWEVER: if that 0.5% was crucial and essential to German efforts (metallurgy, optics, jet engines, etc etc), then the 0.5 prolonged the war.

Here is the crucial WHAT IF:

Switzerland had stopped exports to Germany (and let us just assume that Germany would not pressure Switzerland too much at least).

Consequences for Germany? Shortening the war?

We can also chuck in Sweden and Portugal in this mix as 'neutrals' for good measure.

Ivan
 
All,

Facts are that

1) Switzerland exported war material to Germany.
2) The focus areas were AA, optics and other sophisticated things

The question is of course: Was Switzerland 'semi-forced' to be integrated into the German war machine? could they have resisted a bit more?

According to Wiki:

""
In total, trade between Germany and Switzerland contributed about 0.5% to the German war effort and did not significantly lengthen the war.

""

HOWEVER: if that 0.5% was crucial and essential to German efforts (metallurgy, optics, jet engines, etc etc), then the 0.5 prolonged the war.

Here is the crucial WHAT IF:

Switzerland had stopped exports to Germany (and let us just assume that Germany would not pressure Switzerland too much at least).

Consequences for Germany? Shortening the war?

We can also chuck in Sweden and Portugal in this mix as 'neutrals' for good measure.

Ivan

Swiss needed food, fuel etc. Where will they get it? They were buying all over German allied Europe whatever they could their hands on.
 
Also a fact.

That said, did they have to be totally integrated into the German economy? ... and willingly at that?

Their active support for Nazi Germany and financing of the German war effort, combined with a safe heaven for Nazi loot, might be beyond the art of survival.

If we turn to the original thought: How important to Germany was the Swiss manufacturing capacity to German war efforts after all? Significant? not so significant?

Ivan
 
The tooling required by the Ford plant in Britain to manufacture Merlin engines came from Switzerland, and was transported through Vichy, by agreement because business is business. The Swedes sold ball bearings to Germany, and the Brits bought every bearing a Mosquito could carry. If the Mosquito had a larger capacity, Germany might have run out of bearings. Business is business.
 
The tooling required by the Ford plant in Britain to manufacture Merlin engines came from Switzerland, and was transported through Vichy, by agreement because business is business. The Swedes sold ball bearings to Germany, and the Brits bought every bearing a Mosquito could carry. If the Mosquito had a larger capacity, Germany might have run out of bearings. Business is business.

Huh. So there was trade via Vichy? What did the Germans think of that, or did they not know at the time?
 
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