I rather doubt anyone who advocates a Swiss Neutrality like position for the U.S. understands in any way what that entails. First off you would have mandatory conscription and militia service for all 18 year old males. Deferment till after college is possible, but service still is mandatory at some point. Then you need to issue full auto weapons to EVERY MILITIA MEMBER to be kept in their homes. This idea would make plenty of people here blow a major gasket. The U.S. probably wouldn't have to fortify the country like the Swiss due owing to the oceans we have for protection, but still, it's just not realistic.

 

As for scenarios in which the Swiss get clobbered, yes it could happen, but probably wouldn't be worth the cost. The Nazis would not have bothered as the Swiss were good suppliers of various things they needed, and you don't kill the goose who's willing to trade you golden eggs at a good price. The Soviets might have considered such a thing based on principle (what other excuse can be found for Afghanistan- there was certainly no potential profit there), but it would have been very costly again.

 

Switzerland is set up like a fortress. A serious enough big country could take it, but good god, it would not be cheap. 

 

buzzard

How about Norway? Up to the time that it was invaded, other parties had been doing the fighting.

 

But probably the most significant reason was that Switzerland could not be accessed directly by allied military forces and therefore was circumstantially, as opposed to formally, allied to Germany. IIRC for example, Switzerland allowed German troop trains to use its railways while going to and from Italy.

 

Spain had only just witnessed the end of the Spanish Civil War in 1939, where the Fascist Franco won out with the help of German and Italian assistance.  The Liberal Democracies of Europe allowing the Fascists to arm Franco was described (I forget by who) as the worst case of appeasement of the 20th Century.

 

Franco was very much on the side of Hitler and Mussolini, however through Hitler launching the war somewhat early, Spain was in no condition to participate.  Rather ironically, through sitting on the bench so to speak, Franco was the only Fascist in Europe who survived the war.

Another difficulty in invading: Invading Switzerland is a uphill battle - litteraly.

What if you start in the middle?

 

On a more realistic note, I think on the army-technology.com site, there were some very interesting pictures of Swiss heavy artillery mounted in WWII style concrete bunkers in mountain dug-outs.  Such static defences are often considered obsolete in concurrent manoeuvre warfare, but in a small country where the lay of the land channels ones forces, I imagine they are rather useful.

Well: Neutrality demands special conditions. One of them being insignificance. Another difficulty in invading: Invading Switzerland is a uphill battle - litteraly.

the germans didnt need to invade switzerland and wouldn't have because thats where they stored all of their gold and other money just in case they needed to go into hiding this isn't including hitler