Bunkeranlagen der Schweiz | Warum hat Hitler die Schweiz nicht angegriffen? |
TARGET
SWITZERLAND
Swiss Armed Neutrality in World War II
by Stephen P. Halbrook
Da Capo Press, 1998 (Also available in German, French, Italian, and Polish)
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
The recent focus on Swiss accommodations to the Third Reich has obscured
the facts surrounding Switzerland's success in deterring
Nazi invasion, argues Halbrook in this narrative of Switzerland's preparations
for armed resistance during WWII. Concessions on
commercial or refugee issues, Halbrook contends, were not enough by themselves
to fend off one of history's most ruthless
dictatorships. What was decisive, he finds, was Swiss determination to
defend itself by an armed force based on armed citizens. In
contrast to Holland, Denmark or Norway, Switzerland during WWII successfully
maintained its neutrality. It did so, argues
Halbrook, by convincing Nazi Germany and its own citizens that any invader
would pay in blood for every foot of ground, and in the
end would find only devastation. Halbrook, a practicing attorney rather
than an academic scholar, relies primarily on journalistic
sources to make the points that Switzerland was prepared to abandon most
of the country and fight to the last man from an Alpine
redoubt. Among other questionable premises he accepts uncritically, he
takes as given that militiamen armed primarily with
bolt-action rifles and 50 rounds of ammunition constituted an effective
fighting force in an age of mechanized war. His account, while
written from a limited vantage point, nevertheless establishes a series
of elements in danger of being submerged by the recent furor
over bank accounts and trade figures. 16 pages of photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Product Description:
The first English book to describe the military history of Switzerland
during World War II, including Nazi attack plans and Swiss
defensive strategies. Describes Swiss marksmanship culture and its citizens
army, the largest relative to population in Europe, as well
as Alpine fortifications. Examines Nazi hostility to Switzerland and Swiss
economic and humanitarian links to the Allies.
See all Editorial Reviews
Product Details
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Da Capo Press (August 1, 1998)
ISBN: 1885119534
Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.3 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds.
Average Customer Review: based on 12 reviews. (Write a review)
Amazon.com Sales Rank in Books: #184,624
(Publishers and authors: improve your sales)
In-Print Editions: Paperback | All Editions
Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
ADOLF HITLER WAS NAMED CHANCELLOR OF GERMANY ON January 30, 1933. Read
the first page
Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
Search Inside This Book:
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 29 books:
Friendship Under Stress: U S-Swiss Relations 1900-1950 by H. Meier on 12
pages
General Henri Guisan: Commander-In-Chief of the Swiss Army in World War
II by Willi
Gautschi on 5 pages
Nationalism and Liberty : The Swiss Example by Hans Kohn in Back Matter
(1), and Back
Matter (2)
That Every Man Be Armed by Stephen P. Halbrook in Back Matter (1), and
Back Matter (2)
See all 29 books this book cites
Customers who viewed this book also viewed
The Xenophobe's Guide to the Swiss by Paul Bilton
The Bias Against Guns: Why Almost Everything You've Heard About Gun Control
Is Wrong by John R. Lott
Explore Similar Items: in Books
Customer Reviews
Avg. Customer Review:
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
A spirited defense of a nation and its traditions, January 21, 2002
Reviewer:
Andrew S. Rogers (Seattle, Washington) - See all my reviews
At one point in his narrative, Stephen Halbrook quotes Philipp Etter, a
Swiss federal counselor from the 1930s through
the 50s. In 1937, Etter wrote, 'The armed defense of the country is a primary
and substantial task of the state. The
mental defense of the country falls primarily not on the state but on the
person, the citizen. No government and no
battalions are able to protect right and freedom where the citizen himself
is not capable of stepping to the front door
and seeing what is outside.' No one familiar with Halbrook's other works
should be surprised that this seems to be one
of the key lessons Halbrook wants us to learn from his history of Switzerland
in World War II.
Halbrook makes it clear that Switzerland walked a tightrope during the
War. Fierce and well trained as the Swiss
citizen-army was, it was not eager to tangle with Hitler's Wehrmacht. Though
unquestionably sympathetic to the allies,
the Swiss were determined to maintain their neutrality. If that meant making
some economic concessions to Germany
in order to keep the Nazis from overrunning the country, the Swiss were
willing, reluctantly, to do that. It's easier to
second-guess that decision from half a century's distance than it must
have been at the time, when national-socialist
armies dominated the continent and liberation was still a distant dream.
As other reviewers have noted, Halbrook is clearly sympathetic, not only
to the Swiss nation generally, but specifically
to its armed-citizenry approach to national defense. With Switzerland being
so greatly maligned in recent years, it's not
surprising that voices have been raised in its defense as well. While not
perhaps perfect, 'Target Switzerland' is a
fascinating and enlightening explanation of the dilemma in which Switzerland
found itself in the 1930s and 40s, and why
and how that nation chose to do the things it did.
Was this review helpful to you? (Report this)
10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
David and Goliath, January 2, 2001
Reviewer:
John M Lane "lanejp" (Hardin, Montana USA) - See all my reviews
I am a history buff and have always been interested in World War II, especially
in Europe. In TARGET SWITZERLAND,
Stephen P. Halbrook gives a fascinating explanation of Switzerland's role
in that epic conflict.
I had never given much thought to the Swiss experience in the Second World
War. About the only current material I
had seen on Switzerland tended to be critical of it for staying neutral
and maintaining a certain level of commercial
cooperation with Hitler and his allies. Jean Ziegler's THE SWISS, THE GOLD
AND THE DEAD, is an example of
contemporary Swiss bashing.
Halbrook's book provides a well-written, thorougly researched antidote.
He describes how a polyglot republic with a
population of only 4 million could defend its territory while surrounded
by 120 million Nazis and Fascists devoted to
Hitler's and Mussolini's dreams of conquest.
Switzerland placed an unprecedented one-fifth of its population under arms
in the process. That didn't leave enough
people for agriculture so the Swiss were hungry throughout most of the
war, and cold. German coal heated most of
their homes.
Yet, when Luftwaffe aircraft invaded Swiss airspace they came under attack
and several were shot down. It is
interesting to compare the Swiss response to that of the Great Powers and
their policy of Appeasement.
I enjoyed this book and came away with a new found respect for the Swiss
and their determination to keep the
Holocaust off of their soil.
Was this review helpful to you? (Report this)
15 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
Good intention - unfortunately not very correct historically, June 18,
2000
Reviewer:
Roland Seekirchner (St. Gallen, SG Switzerland) - See all my reviews
It is nice to hear or better, read, something positive about Switzerland
and its role during WWII after so many
discussions and a rather bad impression we made during the discussions
about returning money of dormant accounts of
Jewish people... Only pressure from the outside really pushed the Swiss
to think about ALL aspects of this tragic
years...
Unfortunately the myth of a armed and well motivated Swiss army as a major
deterrent for the German forces to
invade Switzerland is still holding up and this book does not really contribute
to give a more balances account on the
reasons why Switzerland wasnt invaded.
New information made available in the last months from the archives of
the German secret service during WWII shows
that the Germans had very precise and detailed knowlege about the organization
of the Swiss army, it's units, orders
and fortifications. Unfortunately a large number of Swiss did in fact spy
for the Germans during WWII which resulted
also in more than a dozen executions during this period.
All in all are we still waiting for a book that really puts Switzerland
in its place... Between exagerated criticism accusing
Switzerland of collaboration with Germany and the exagerated glorification
of the role of the Swiss army.
The way the author insists in the fact that Swiss men keep their weapon
at home makes me wonder if this isnt a
semi-hidden attempt to justify the legal right to own guns in the USA.
He seems to forget that the reason why Swiss
soldiers keep their weapons at home is that we do not have any professional
army... We have a milita system and
therefore need the soldiers to be mobilized within hours and days. Therefore
his personal equipment must be available
at home. Its nothing more than that.
Was this review helpful to you? (Report this)
12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
A must read for the ex-patriot living in Switzerland, November 20, 1999
Reviewer: A reader
This book is a must read for any ex-patriot living in Switzerland or for
any tourist visiting Switzerland.
It provides insight into the current Swiss mentality and shows how close
the Swiss came to being swallowed up by the
Germans.
The book is a bit technical and tends to focus on the same theme throughout , which at times is somewhat laborious.
Overall, a good read and very educational.
Was this review helpful to you? (Report this)
17 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
Interesting, yet seems oversimplified., November 16, 1999
Reviewer: A reader
Why did Switzerland keep its independence during World War Two? According
to Stephen Halbrook, it is due to a
well-armed Swiss population that cooperated just enough with the Axis to
not anger Hitler and just enough with the
Allies to keep diplomatic relations alive. The delicate dance between a
powerful neighbor you don't like and a distant
friend is the lot of a neutral and some found that the Nazis were too-often
their partners : Sweden has admitted to
allowing the passage of German troops through their nation. Halbrook argues
that be being just friendly enough to Hitler
and hence useful, it made the cost of invasion too high. Terrain certainly
had much to do with it, and Halbrook shows
that the Swiss high command was willing to give up about half their country
in order to conserve their forces to defend
a mountainous and more defensible portion. Yet, constant repetition of
the point that all Swiss soldiers were good
shots seems to simple; at one point Halbrook seems to claim that all Swiss
soldiers were riflemen. The Swiss army
included ski units, cavalry, mountain artillery, and even bicycle units,
giving them a high degree of tactical mobility.
The country also boasted extensive fortifications, with no easy means of
getting around them. Surely these
considerations also contributed to a perception of a small-yet-formidable
army? Halbrook defends Switzerland against
charges of anti-Semitism and refusing entry to refugee Jews; his evidence
seems slim and doesn't seem to fully engage
the critics. Further, his defense of Switzerland seems to often rely on
quoting newspaper editorials in places far
removed from the Alps. Finally, the narrative in the book continues after
the war into a discussion of targetshooting
events. Huh? A clear theme in this book is the importance of a citizen's
militia in national defense, and those plucky
Swiss who keep military weapons in their homes. No problem with that, except
that if your point really is just a lengthy
historical example in support of Second Amendment rights, just say so.
(Disclosure : I'm agreeable to arguments in
favor of personal ownership of firearms, just don't base it on paranoia.)
No need, as Halbrook does at one point, to
bad-mouth the unready armies of the Netherlands and Norway, a nation that,
in 1940, was full of well-armed citizens.
An emphasis on straight-shootin' Swiss soldiers simplifies the historical
analysis. Nontheless, recommended for those
interested in Swizerland in WW2.
Was this review helpful to you? (Report this)
22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
Superbly documented and beautifully written, September 25, 1999
Reviewer: A reader
A slightly different version of this review appeared in "The American Enterprise"
magazine.
Review by: Dave Kopel
If all you know is what you read in the papers, then you must think that
Switzerland is one of the most despicable
countries in the world. Switzerland, rather than joining the Allied cause,
stayed neutral World War II. After the war,
Swiss banks helped themselves to the deposits of holocaust victims, rather
than giving the deposits to the victims'
heirs. Case closed?
Not at all, historian Stephen Halbrook shows in his new book Target Switzerland:
Swiss Armed Neutrality In World War
II. Wrongful as was the bankers' post-war behavior, the behavior of the
Swiss people during the war was morally
exemplary-superior, indeed to the conduct of most of the rest of Europe.
As Winston Churchill recalled, "of all the
neutrals Switzerland has the greatest right distinction... She has been
a Democratic State, standing for freedom in
self-defense among her mountains, and in thought, in spite of race, largely
on our side."
Except for Britain, France, and Canada, virtually all of the Allied nations
during World War II joined the war only
because the Axis declared war on them, Halbrook reminds us. Even after
Pearl Harbor, the United States remained
neutral in the European war, until Hitler declared war on United States
a few days later.
Nazi maps showed that the Third Reich would eventually include Switzerland,
just as it would include all portions of
Europe with German-speaking people. While the majority of Switzerland's
population is German-speaking (the rest being
French, Italian, or Romansh) the nation was virtually unanimous in hoping
and praying for the defeat of Germany.
Infuriated by the lack of ethnic solidarity, and by the strongly anti-Nazi
stance of Switzerland's free press, Hitler
predicted that Switzerland would be "liquidated" and that he would be known
as "the butcher of the Swiss."
As Halbrook details, in every stage of the war, the Axis had powerful military
reasons to invade Switzerland. Before the
fall of France, the non-alpine part of Switzerland offered at inviting
path to sweep into France and avoid the Maginot
Line. After France fell and Italy entered the war, Switzerland offered
the only convenient transport of military men and
supplies between Italy and Germany. After the Allied landing in Italy,
Germany's need to swiftly deploy troops into Italy
became even more urgent. As the war came to conclusion in 1944-45, the
Nazi leadership laid plans to make a stand in
the Alps, but Switzerland stood right in the middle.
By the summer of 1940, there was only one country on Germany's borders
whose free press and rights of assembly
allowed the Third Reich to be publicly and lawfully denounced as the evil
empire that he was. In every country on
Germany's borders--except Switzerland--Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals and other
targets of Hitler's hate were sent to
extermination camps. But there was no Holocaust on Swiss soil. Switzerland
protected her own Jews, and sheltered
many more refugees of all religious backgrounds. Had America sheltered
refugees at the same per capita rate as
Switzerland, the United States would have taken in over three million refugees.
Instead America accepted hardly any.
In all the countries that Hitler conquered, the economy was plundered for
use in the Nazi war machine. As a neutral,
Switzerland did trade with Germany and Italy, and with the Allies. (For
the Allied trade, the Swiss smuggled out
precision ball bearings and other military equipment disguised in consumer
products like watches.) But unlike in the
countries which Hitler conquered, the only products that Hitler could get
from Switzerland were what he could buy at
full price.
Target Switzerland includes the maps of the evolving Germans invasion plans
for "Case Switzerland." Yet although the
Germans several times massed troops on the Swiss border for an invasion,
the invasion never went forward. With so
many reasons to invade Switzerland, why did the Nazis desist?
The Nazis could have eventually have conquered Switzerland, but at a fearful
price. The Wehrmacht expected 200,000
German casualties; it would have taken a very long time to remove the Swiss
military from the Alpine "Reduit" to which
they planned to make a stand. And by the time the Swiss were defeated,
every bridge and train track and everything
else of value to the conquerors would have been destroyed.
The reason that Switzerland was too difficult to invade-in contrast to
all the other nations which Hitler conquered in a
matter of weeks-was the Swiss militia system. Unlike all the other nations
of Europe, which relied on a standing army,
Switzerland was (and still is) defended by a universal militia. Every man
was trained in war, had his rifle at home, was
encouraged to practice frequently, and could be mobilized almost instantly.
The Swiss militiaman was under orders to
fight to the last bullet, and after that, with his bayonet, and after that,
with his bare hands. Rather than having to
defeat an army, Hitler would have had to defeat a whole people.
Conversely, the Swiss citizen militia, with its extensive network of fortifications,
had no offensive capability. The Swiss
militia was not going to sweep into Berlin; modern Swiss-bashers who condemn
the nation for not declaring war fail to
understand that by keeping the Axis out of Switzerland, the Swiss were
already doing everything they could for the
Allied cause.
From the Anschluss of Austria to the Fall of France, Hitler swallowed nation
after nation where cowardly ruling elites
surrendered the country to the Nazis-either before the shooting began,
or a few weeks afterward. But such a
surrender would have been impossible in Switzerland, explains Halbrook.
The Swiss governmental system was
decentralized, with the separate 26 cantons, not the federal government,
having the authority. The federal
government did notify the Swiss people that in case of a German invasion,
any claim that there had been a Swiss
surrender should be disregarded as Nazi propaganda. And because the military
power was in the hands of every Swiss
man, the federal government would have been unable to surrender had it
ever wanted to. Nothing could stop the Swiss
militiamen from fighting to the very end.
America's Founders admired Switzerland as a "Sister Republic" amidst the
despotisms of Europe. The American
Founders-like the Swiss-understood the moral implications of a universal
militia system: a people who are trained to
self-reliance and responsibility will defend their freedom to the utmost.
But a people who rely on a professional standing
army may not have the nerve to resist tyranny.
When, as William Shirer wrote from Berlin, the lamps of freedom were going
out all over Europe, they burned brighter
than ever in Switzerland, as the Swiss people maintained their democracy,
their right to assemble, and their freedom of
religion. And the Swiss people saved thousands and thousands of refugees
from the gas chambers. A well-regulated
militia really was necessary to the security of a free state.
Winston Churchill and Adolph Hitler both understood how much Switzerland
damaged the Axis cause-on both a military
and a moral plane. Stephen Halbrook's excellent book-the first in English
to tell Switzerland's history during the war-is
the story of how a small, isolated nation, faced with mighty enemies and
gigantic dangers, can demonstrate true
greatness.