Above: volunteers at the International Committee of the Red Cross in Geneva help deal with correspondence about prisoners of war held by either the Allies or the Central Powers.
Answers to some questions that you may have...
What would have happened if either side had invaded Switzerland?
Compared to Belgium and Luxembourg (which were both neutral, yet were invaded by the Germans in 1914), the Swiss had the advantage of mountainous terrain. However the mountains are mainly in central and southern Switzerland, rather than in the north where an invasion was more likely to have taken place. A large scale invasion by neighbouring France or Germany probably couldn’t have been repulsed at the frontier by the Swiss, but gaining control over the whole of country would have required a major effort even for one of the great European powers. You could say that the Swiss army was an effective deterrent, but the main factor in preventing invasion was that neither France nor Germany would have gained decisive benefits from invading. Apart from the economic benefits of Switzerland to France and Germany, both also benefited from the way that Switzerland anchored the end of the Western Front.
What did the point where the frontiers of the warring states met the Swiss border actually look like?
Read about this elsewhere on this website.
Were there any violations of Swiss neutrality during the First World War?
It is said that there were about 1,000 violations of the Swiss frontier during the war, most of which were over-flights by aircraft. Aircraft that landed in Switzerland (for whatever reason) could not be returned to their original owner, and were sometimes put into service with the Swiss army. Switzerland was accidentally bombed a number of times, but with few casualties. See my blog post on the Swiss frontiers for some more information on this. Did other countries respect Swiss neutrality? Well, officially yes, but in practice it was not always so clear cut. For example, countries such as France, Germany and the United Kingdom (amongst others) conducted spying operations in Switzerland - both against the Swiss and against each other - and tried to influence the views of the Swiss public with propaganda.
Why did the Swiss decide to... [insert a particular wartime policy or action of your choice]?
First, what do we mean by "the Swiss"? When considering national policies and actions, or those that were carried out by large numbers of individuals in Switzerland, the decision-makers were often people in positions of political, military or social power. However there were other times when 'ordinary people' came together to make major contributions, such as in humanitarian roles. Naturally it is hard to generalise about the opinions, motivations and actions of any group of people, and in wartime the Swiss often found themselves divided along lines of language, tradition, politics or social class. Did Switzerland follow a particular course of action because it was judged to be the best of several beneficial options, or was fear of the consequences the motivating factor? Often, actions have to be judged in the wider context. For example, why did the Swiss trade with the warring powers? It is true that they benefited financially, and that would have been a consideration. Equally, they were dependent on trade for obtaining essential supplies such as food, and in wartime the export markets were naturally more limited that in peacetime, so trading in munitions was likely to be a favoured option (especially as this trade used existing Swiss skills from the watchmaking industry). Was fear of what one side or the other would do if the Swiss did not supply munitions an important factor? Well perhaps, but don't forget that there are two sides in a war, and generally whatever the Swiss did, the Entente would agree to but the Central Powers would object to, or vice versa, so in that respect the Swiss were having to walk a fine line to keep both sides happy.
A few unusual 'Switzerland and the First World War' facts.
1. As Switzerland imported from, and exported to, both sides in the war, it is said that the Swiss supplied the Entente with war materiel produced using German coal.
2. In accordance with stereotypes, the Swiss also supplied chocolate to many of the belligerents.
3. Swiss watchmakers were said to make the best shell fuses in the world. Find out more on this page of this website.
4. Although Switzerland was neutral, a significant number of Swiss did fight in the war, particularly with the French army, many in the French Foreign Legion - and some died in battle.
5. Swiss neutrality meant that men from opposing sides who were in that country sometimes met in social situations. In 1917 Reverend Bulstrode was a chaplain to British former prisoners of war interned in Switzerland. He describes in his memoirs the dining room of a hotel in Berne: “The large hall was filled with small tables, each reserved for one nationality. Not only the Allies but also the Central Powers were represented. We of course sat at the British table, but around us were the French, German, Italian, Austrian [and] Russian [tables]… only the barest civilities were exchanged between ‘hostile’ tables.” (courtesy of Imperial War Museum)
Did any prisoners of war or deserters escape to Switzerland?
A small number of prisoners of war managed to escape to Switzerland from Germany. One was Major A.J. Evans, who later wrote the book "The Escaping Club". If that happened, did any troops desert from warring armies and seek refuge in Switzerland as a way of escaping the fighting? It certainly seems possible, though I am not aware of any examples (please let me know if you do).
Compared to Belgium and Luxembourg (which were both neutral, yet were invaded by the Germans in 1914), the Swiss had the advantage of mountainous terrain. However the mountains are mainly in central and southern Switzerland, rather than in the north where an invasion was more likely to have taken place. A large scale invasion by neighbouring France or Germany probably couldn’t have been repulsed at the frontier by the Swiss, but gaining control over the whole of country would have required a major effort even for one of the great European powers. You could say that the Swiss army was an effective deterrent, but the main factor in preventing invasion was that neither France nor Germany would have gained decisive benefits from invading. Apart from the economic benefits of Switzerland to France and Germany, both also benefited from the way that Switzerland anchored the end of the Western Front.
What did the point where the frontiers of the warring states met the Swiss border actually look like?
Read about this elsewhere on this website.
Were there any violations of Swiss neutrality during the First World War?
It is said that there were about 1,000 violations of the Swiss frontier during the war, most of which were over-flights by aircraft. Aircraft that landed in Switzerland (for whatever reason) could not be returned to their original owner, and were sometimes put into service with the Swiss army. Switzerland was accidentally bombed a number of times, but with few casualties. See my blog post on the Swiss frontiers for some more information on this. Did other countries respect Swiss neutrality? Well, officially yes, but in practice it was not always so clear cut. For example, countries such as France, Germany and the United Kingdom (amongst others) conducted spying operations in Switzerland - both against the Swiss and against each other - and tried to influence the views of the Swiss public with propaganda.
Why did the Swiss decide to... [insert a particular wartime policy or action of your choice]?
First, what do we mean by "the Swiss"? When considering national policies and actions, or those that were carried out by large numbers of individuals in Switzerland, the decision-makers were often people in positions of political, military or social power. However there were other times when 'ordinary people' came together to make major contributions, such as in humanitarian roles. Naturally it is hard to generalise about the opinions, motivations and actions of any group of people, and in wartime the Swiss often found themselves divided along lines of language, tradition, politics or social class. Did Switzerland follow a particular course of action because it was judged to be the best of several beneficial options, or was fear of the consequences the motivating factor? Often, actions have to be judged in the wider context. For example, why did the Swiss trade with the warring powers? It is true that they benefited financially, and that would have been a consideration. Equally, they were dependent on trade for obtaining essential supplies such as food, and in wartime the export markets were naturally more limited that in peacetime, so trading in munitions was likely to be a favoured option (especially as this trade used existing Swiss skills from the watchmaking industry). Was fear of what one side or the other would do if the Swiss did not supply munitions an important factor? Well perhaps, but don't forget that there are two sides in a war, and generally whatever the Swiss did, the Entente would agree to but the Central Powers would object to, or vice versa, so in that respect the Swiss were having to walk a fine line to keep both sides happy.
A few unusual 'Switzerland and the First World War' facts.
1. As Switzerland imported from, and exported to, both sides in the war, it is said that the Swiss supplied the Entente with war materiel produced using German coal.
2. In accordance with stereotypes, the Swiss also supplied chocolate to many of the belligerents.
3. Swiss watchmakers were said to make the best shell fuses in the world. Find out more on this page of this website.
4. Although Switzerland was neutral, a significant number of Swiss did fight in the war, particularly with the French army, many in the French Foreign Legion - and some died in battle.
5. Swiss neutrality meant that men from opposing sides who were in that country sometimes met in social situations. In 1917 Reverend Bulstrode was a chaplain to British former prisoners of war interned in Switzerland. He describes in his memoirs the dining room of a hotel in Berne: “The large hall was filled with small tables, each reserved for one nationality. Not only the Allies but also the Central Powers were represented. We of course sat at the British table, but around us were the French, German, Italian, Austrian [and] Russian [tables]… only the barest civilities were exchanged between ‘hostile’ tables.” (courtesy of Imperial War Museum)
Did any prisoners of war or deserters escape to Switzerland?
A small number of prisoners of war managed to escape to Switzerland from Germany. One was Major A.J. Evans, who later wrote the book "The Escaping Club". If that happened, did any troops desert from warring armies and seek refuge in Switzerland as a way of escaping the fighting? It certainly seems possible, though I am not aware of any examples (please let me know if you do).
What records are there relating to former prisoners of war who were interned in Switzerland during the First World War?
The Records of the International Committee of the Red Cross are a good source of information about individuals who were interned: find out more in this blog post elsewhere on this website. These records may point to other sources of information in the internee's own country. The national archives of countries whose troops were interned may hold papers relating to the negotiations under which internment was arranged, and about the living conditions of those troops once in Switzerland.
Do you have other questions? Use the contact page to let me know, and I will see if I can answer them!
The Records of the International Committee of the Red Cross are a good source of information about individuals who were interned: find out more in this blog post elsewhere on this website. These records may point to other sources of information in the internee's own country. The national archives of countries whose troops were interned may hold papers relating to the negotiations under which internment was arranged, and about the living conditions of those troops once in Switzerland.
Do you have other questions? Use the contact page to let me know, and I will see if I can answer them!
