Territorial Defense of Switzerland (Part 1)

Introduction

Switzerland obtained the status of a neutral state at the Congress of Vienna in 1815. In order to maintain this status, the country had to — and still must — sustain a well-trained and efficient army, which is closely linked to the concept of military deterrence. For this reason, Switzerland’s neutrality is referred to as armed neutrality, and the purpose of the Swiss Armed Forces is to maintain a level of military readiness that makes any potential invasion by foreign troops unprofitable under any threat scenario.

Switzerland’s territorial defense represents an example of grassroots and voluntary involvement of the population in the defense of their own country. Its foundation lies in deterring an adversary through the rapid mobilization of soldiers who demonstrate strong determination and commitment to defending the state against the actions of a potential enemy. This concept — deeply rooted in Swiss mentality over centuries — continues to function to this day. Although the Alpine republic is a neutral state and does not engage in armed conflicts, the belief in the necessity of defending one’s own country is widespread among Swiss citizens. Historically, this belief has contributed to the consolidation of society under the principle of “unity in diversity.” The issue of national defense of the Swiss Confederation was also one of the factors that played a significant role in shaping the cohesion of this diverse and multicultural society — the so-called “nation of will.”

It is important to emphasize Switzerland’s status in the international arena, which allows it to maintain independent and positive relations with other states. Switzerland is not a member of NATO; therefore, in the event of aggression against its territory, actions under Article 5 of the Washington Treaty (the NATO treaty) — which declares that an attack on one member state obliges other members to provide military assistance — would not be undertaken. This makes territorial defense of the country particularly significant in the Alpine republic, which has a population exceeding 9.0 million inhabitants.

Origins and Traditions

To understand the current assumptions of Switzerland’s security policy, it is essential to analyze the history of its military affairs. Switzerland possesses rich, centuries-long experience in developing the defensive capabilities of the state, despite the relatively young nature of its modern statehood.

Originally, the Swiss Confederation was formed as the Eternal Alliance in 1291; however, until nearly the end of the 18th century, it did not maintain a standing army. In the event of a common threat affecting all cantons, wartime preparations were undertaken by calling to service all men capable of bearing arms, regardless of age. At that time, Switzerland had to reckon primarily with recurring attacks by the Habsburgs. From the 18th century onward, maintaining defensive capabilities became the responsibility of individual cantons, although not all of them possessed their own armed forces. Consequently, Swiss cantons increasingly adopted a neutral stance during numerous wars conducted by neighboring states, guided by political pragmatism and their geographical position. This situation persisted until 1798, when the union of thirteen Swiss cantons was occupied by Napoleon’s forces. The Helvetic Republic, controlled by France, was then established and lasted until 1802. In 1815, at the Congress of Vienna, European powers granted Switzerland the status of a neutral state.

Despite this neutral status, Switzerland did not abandon its own armed forces, which continued to be the responsibility of the cantons. In 1850, two years after the establishment of the Swiss Confederation, a law was enacted defining the structure of the armed forces of the young Alpine republic. Under this law, individual cantons maintained elite troop contingents as well as military reserves. However, territorial defense remained within the jurisdiction of the cantons until 1874, when a new structure of the Swiss army was established as part of a comprehensive revision of the federal constitution. The newly formed army consisted of military contingents provided by individual cantons and, in the event of a threat of war and mobilization, became a federal army commanded by a general appointed by the Swiss government — the Federal Council. The armed forces comprised, on the one hand, young soldiers aged 20 to 32 and, on the other, reservists known as the Landwehr, aged 33 to 44. By the end of the 19th century, decisions were also made to construct powerful fortifications in the Alps, which became the prototype of the famous Swiss National Redoubt.

During the early days of September 1939, Switzerland mobilized 430,000 frontline soldiers and 200,000 auxiliary troops. It should be noted that the country’s population at the time was 4.2 million. Additionally, a decision was made to establish local territorial defense units composed of men not subject to mobilization, as well as an 18,000-strong Women’s Auxiliary Service.

After the fall of France in 1940, the Commander-in-Chief of the Swiss Armed Forces, General Henri Guisan, decided to establish the National Redoubt — a heavily fortified system of Alpine strongholds defining the defensive lines of the Alpine republic, which the army was to defend at all costs. The National Redoubt strategy was maintained until autumn 1944, during the period of potential threat to the country from the Third Reich.

After World War II, Switzerland did not abandon its neutrality — on the contrary, it has continued to cultivate this status to the present day and has consistently refrained from joining military alliances. Geneva serves as a seat of the United Nations, and Switzerland officially joined the organization in 2002.

It is also worth noting that the Swiss have a long tradition of personal protection duties. Beginning in the 17th century, they served as members of royal bodyguards of European monarchs, for example in Spain and Italy. Since 1506, the Swiss Guard has continuously performed protective duties for the Pope in the Vatican.