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Why didn't Germany invade Switzerland?
Posted on 5/16/19 at 12:01 pm
Posted on 5/16/19 at 12:01 pm
The Nazis had drawn up plans to invade Switzerland, whom they deemed "a pimple on the face of Europe." However, as we all know, that didn't happen. Why - especially when they stormed through the rest of Europe?
A few theories out there:
1. Switzerland was basically Hitler's bank. It was the Wall Street of Europe at the time, and a trove of stolen Nazi treasures. Why invade your bank? (Most plausible theory).
2. The cost of invading a small country like Switzerland was deemed too great for the benefit it would provide.
3. Hitler thought the Swiss would want to join the Reich peacefully in a similar Anschluss as the Austrians did. Of course, the Swiss told him to F off.
4. Hitler was afraid of the Swiss' rogue fighting capabilities. Fighting in the Alps was supposedly a tough task especially with the strategies employed by the Swiss. I think this theory is a load of crap as the Germans stormed through the Balkans like it was nothing.
5. Switzerland was too important of a transportation artery to bomb, as the tunnels through the Alps provided a vital link to Italy.
What say tOT?
A few theories out there:
1. Switzerland was basically Hitler's bank. It was the Wall Street of Europe at the time, and a trove of stolen Nazi treasures. Why invade your bank? (Most plausible theory).
2. The cost of invading a small country like Switzerland was deemed too great for the benefit it would provide.
3. Hitler thought the Swiss would want to join the Reich peacefully in a similar Anschluss as the Austrians did. Of course, the Swiss told him to F off.
4. Hitler was afraid of the Swiss' rogue fighting capabilities. Fighting in the Alps was supposedly a tough task especially with the strategies employed by the Swiss. I think this theory is a load of crap as the Germans stormed through the Balkans like it was nothing.
5. Switzerland was too important of a transportation artery to bomb, as the tunnels through the Alps provided a vital link to Italy.
What say tOT?
46
Posted on 5/16/19 at 12:02 pm to VolsOut4Harambe
Already pure blooded
Posted on 5/16/19 at 12:05 pm to VolsOut4Harambe
B/c fighting in a place like this doesn't seem very wise.
Posted on 5/16/19 at 12:05 pm to VolsOut4Harambe
The Swiss can kick some arse.
Posted on 5/16/19 at 12:05 pm to VolsOut4Harambe
It would have been pointless at best and detrimental at worst.
You could have bombed them, but an actual invasion wouldn't have been easy. The Swiss were neutral, not unarmed. They had defensive measures, integrated with the topography of the country make land invasion very difficult.
You could have bombed them, but an actual invasion wouldn't have been easy. The Swiss were neutral, not unarmed. They had defensive measures, integrated with the topography of the country make land invasion very difficult.
Posted on 5/16/19 at 12:05 pm to VolsOut4Harambe
Mofos carry this:
Posted on 5/16/19 at 12:07 pm to VolsOut4Harambe
Two main things would be “They split the contents of any Jews’ accounts with Germany” and “geography made it unfeasible to invade there given the relative lack of benefits”.
Trying to invade a mountainous region with a number of heavily defended passes is really bad strategy unless you have no alternatives or the prize of victory is just that high.
Trying to invade a mountainous region with a number of heavily defended passes is really bad strategy unless you have no alternatives or the prize of victory is just that high.
Posted on 5/16/19 at 12:07 pm to VolsOut4Harambe
#1 seems right. They didn’t need to invade it. The nazis didn’t invade countries just to do it. They had reasons to further their empire. Switzerland was basically part of it with neutrality perks.
Posted on 5/16/19 at 12:09 pm to VolsOut4Harambe
Posted on 5/16/19 at 12:09 pm to VolsOut4Harambe
You don't want to piss off the Vatican Swiss Guard, especially when you only had the Italian Army between you and them.
Posted on 5/16/19 at 12:10 pm to VolsOut4Harambe
Nobody fricks with the Sleeping Lion
Posted on 5/16/19 at 12:11 pm to VolsOut4Harambe
Swiss were fresh and unblooded, they'd also spent the last decade modernizing their infantry and every time Hitler said or did something, the money towards it go that much more.
Germany could've won an invasion but the cost was prohibitive against the gain when they'd just sign up with the Axis when they had to.
Balkans also weren't entrenching like the Swiss did. So it was going to be. A very different guerilla war to manage.
Germany could've won an invasion but the cost was prohibitive against the gain when they'd just sign up with the Axis when they had to.
Balkans also weren't entrenching like the Swiss did. So it was going to be. A very different guerilla war to manage.
Posted on 5/16/19 at 12:20 pm to VolsOut4Harambe
1 It was their bank
2 they did not have much luck moving deep into the Alps as some French mountain towns were not even occupied by Germans due to their remoteness
2 they did not have much luck moving deep into the Alps as some French mountain towns were not even occupied by Germans due to their remoteness
Posted on 5/16/19 at 12:20 pm to VolsOut4Harambe
The dirty little secret is that the Swiss were largely on the German side. They shot down any Allied plane over their territory and interred our pilots in POW camps that were a disgrace, much worse than the German camps. They also had munitions factories that supplied the Germans. And they were happy to be bankers for the Nazis. Why would Germany want to invade them?
The Swiss didn't treat our POW's decently until it was obvious that Hitler would lose. Fack them.
ETA:
Highly recommended book that gets into this somewhat.
The Swiss didn't treat our POW's decently until it was obvious that Hitler would lose. Fack them.
ETA:
Highly recommended book that gets into this somewhat.
This post was edited on 5/16/19 at 12:26 pm
Posted on 5/16/19 at 12:23 pm to VolsOut4Harambe
he was afraid of these guys
damnit somebody beat me
This post was edited on 5/16/19 at 12:24 pm
Posted on 5/16/19 at 12:24 pm to VolsOut4Harambe
1 and 4
Posted on 5/16/19 at 12:24 pm to GetCocky11
Mountain warfare is tough
Posted on 5/16/19 at 12:32 pm to VolsOut4Harambe
Switzerland had something in place in the event of an invasion. They would destroy most of the country and retreat into the alps
Posted on 5/16/19 at 12:34 pm to VolsOut4Harambe
The country of Switzerland is the greatest argument in favor of the 2nd Amendment.
Per their laws, residents are REQUIRED to be part of a standing militia and keep firearms in their home.
Had Nazi Germany invaded Switzerland, they wouldn't just be fighting against a military, but a fully armed populace as well.
Per their laws, residents are REQUIRED to be part of a standing militia and keep firearms in their home.
Had Nazi Germany invaded Switzerland, they wouldn't just be fighting against a military, but a fully armed populace as well.
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