Can Nazi Germany invade Switzerland?
- Thread starter vuun
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Invade? Oh yes. For that matter, the Nazis could even "invade" the US by landing a dozen soldiers from U-boats. They might even stay uncaptured for a week or so.
Occupy? Yes, after taking high casualties taking the central plain, they could keep boots on the ground there for some time while steadily bleeding from guerillas. The National Redoubt, I'm confident, would hold out as long as their food and ammunition last. Unfortunately for the Nazis, the Swiss rail lines vital to German-Italian trade run through the Redoubt and would be blown within minutes.
Occupy? Yes, after taking high casualties taking the central plain, they could keep boots on the ground there for some time while steadily bleeding from guerillas. The National Redoubt, I'm confident, would hold out as long as their food and ammunition last. Unfortunately for the Nazis, the Swiss rail lines vital to German-Italian trade run through the Redoubt and would be blown within minutes.
Yes, though only at the cost of at least 200,000 dead, which means the forces used to invade would require substantial numbers of equipment, men, and every kind of supply.
Dayton Kitchens
Banned
Hasn't anyone here heard of the famous exchange between a German general and a Swiss one during World War I?
German: How many soldiers can you put into the field?
Swiss: 500,000 sir.
German: What if I send an army of one million across your borders?
Swiss: We'll each have to shoot twice.
German: How many soldiers can you put into the field?
Swiss: 500,000 sir.
German: What if I send an army of one million across your borders?
Swiss: We'll each have to shoot twice.
A Nazi invasion of Switzerland would have been no harder than that of Belgium or the Netherlands. They had Mountain Jaeger Divisions, total air superiority, and the forces to rapidly seize the lowlands. Asymmetrical resistance would crumble, as the defenders would be cut off from food stores and their families held hostage. The Nazis had no qualms about slaughtering civilians to force an enemy to capitulate. When faced with the choice between surrender or watching Geneva burn, the Swiss will surrender.
I heard the same source; but the German general listed an army five times the Swiss size, and he said five times. The Swiss army in the version I heard was smaller too, I think.
The terrain and other factors in France were massively different. Switzerland was better prepared, and had excellent defensive positions. Border crossings were an issue, for one thing. In the words of General Franz Halder...
"Jura frontier offers no favorable base for an attack."
He went on to say...
"Switzerland rises, in successive waves of wood-covered terrain across the axis of an attack. The crossing points on the river Doubs and the border are few; the Swiss frontier position is strong."
Further, the Swiss Army was decently equipped, well trained, positioned for an invasion with formations positioned in key areas and a centrally placed reserve, and prepared for conflict. German attackers would have no shock in launching the attack, and limited options for crossing into Swiss territory against tough, determined, dug-in defenders.
The fourth draft of Operation Tannenbaum, submitted by the German 12th Army in October of 1940, called for a force of twenty-one German divisions, later revised down to eleven, and fifteen Italian divisions in the south to keep the defenders busy, meaning the Swiss were looking at attack upon two fronts by somewhere between 300,000 and 500,000 men.
The invasion would doubtless have suffered some enormous casualties even if all had gone to plan, which it would not have, but Hitler's hatred of Switzerland might have pushed him anyway. As it stands, he did not order the invasion for whatever reason, Operation Overlord compelled the Germans to shelve the invasion plans, and Switzerland remained officially neutral.
Definitely. There is little doubt in my mind that if Nazi Germany were given sufficient reason to ignore losses Switzerland would eventually find itself under the Nazi heel, perhaps for quite some time.
Would it prove bloody? Yes, of course. Perhaps not as bloody as the Swiss would hope, but certainly more bloody than the Germans would like. It doesn't change the fact that, unless unforeseen events occur, Geneva would either surrender or burn.
In my opinion, this is the core reason why the Swiss did not face invasion. Germany had too few troops already without sending tens or hundreds of thousands into Switzerland unless they had a very good cause.
I often wondered why there was this little patch of dirt in the middle of Europe left unmolested by the Nazis. (Even Sweden for that matter). The Germans seemed totally oblivious to neautrality.
But then I suppose 'why bother'? The points set out here seems fairly legit and besides even the Nazis needed a back door to get out and/or a safe banking zone. In any event there was absolutely no strategic value.
But then I suppose 'why bother'? The points set out here seems fairly legit and besides even the Nazis needed a back door to get out and/or a safe banking zone. In any event there was absolutely no strategic value.
King Thomas
Banned
If the Nazis want to mess up the world's banking system and annoy all the neutral countries that they have not invaded, yes, they can. But it'll play havoc with Germany's money.
Occupying countries that don't want you there takes up troops and resources. Invading say Norway took troops and resources and they had to keep them there, but not doing so means all sorts of military problems for Germany as well as problems for the German war machine as without German troops in Norway you won't see Sweden sell its iron ore to Germany to make tanks, subs, etc. for years during the war.
Now Germany can invade Sweden as well as Norway, but its a big country and why do it when Sweden is already feeding the German war machine what it needs? You can bet they were mentally tabulating at the time all of these matters in terms of expected cost/benefit ratios.
Apart from the money (which is a valid point) the Nazi's would have to fight a strong militia and many Swiss are trained on guerilla warfare too. So, the Nazi''s would have a hard time.