Comments on: The Annexation of Europe by Switzerland? It’s Not a Joke

By: alsacien

alsacien — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 04:44:03 +0000

Jessica80,
Stay off my website. You had no business to impersonate me.
I'm glad this was mentioned on another site. Trolls are sometimes useful.
Trouble makers are everywhere these days. They infiltrate where ever they can.
You are just one of them. Just explain your motivation. You can contact me through my site.
I want to clear that up ASAP.

By: alsacien

alsacien — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 22:55:13 +0000

I reported you. I wish you would not use my comments. Thank you.

By: dcase

dcase — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 13:54:22 +0000

never said it was impossible…

Just costly. That's why Hitler bypassed the Swiss and went after the softer targets in the Netherlands. The key bit of info here is the way the Swiss home guard is organized makes them a wild card. How many resources is one willing to commit to achieve a victory- and as you correctly pointed out about Napoleon, even after the conquest what nature of occupying force do you need?

It is precisely because of the perceived cost/benefit factor that the Swiss have a huge edge in any conflict…

By: BronxZionist

BronxZionist — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 19:12:32 +0000

That assumes everyone is eager to fight as a partisan.
And that they can resupply after they run through those 1,000 rounds.
And that an invader is not just blowing up residential areas with abandon since they are functioning as military barracks.
And that holding the mountains is relevant.

You see, all of those were quite different 500 years ago when they fought off Leopold III of Austria, Charles the Bold of Burgundy, and HRE Maximilian I.

Back then five men and a pile of rocks could hold a mountain pass. Nowadays an air strike takes care of similar problems.
Back then a grinding stone and whittling knife resupplied your crossbow and halberd. Nowadays it takes an armorer with a supply of smokeless powder.
Back then the population was heavily dispersed in hillside farms. Nowadays Switzerland has about 70% of its population living in urban areas, which are a heck of a lot easier to blow up wholesale instead of chasing down partisans hither and yon across the countryside.

And let us remember one key thing – the country has in fact been conquered once before, by Napoleon. He could not make them fight for him, but he did conquer them, and forced changes to their government that ultimately resulted in the modern Swiss Confederation. It is not impossible that it could happen again.

By: dcase

dcase — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 18:31:55 +0000

eighty percent is pretty much every able bodied man- yes, there are exceptions for the odd Quaker and such. But add that to the individual nature(the decentralization of the forces) and the mountainous terrain- and you will know why invaders avoid the place. The determination of the neighbor would have to be intense- in any such scenarion a handful of Swiss troops could keep a battalion or more of the invading force occupied.

Basically you would need about a ten to one ratio of forces. And even that would be, as Rumsfeld once said, ' a long, hard slog'…

By: BronxZionist

BronxZionist — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 23:36:07 +0000

Not "every" Swiss male.
About 20% are found unacceptable, and do not do military service.
Others can opt out, either doing civilian service, or paying an extra tax for exemption.
Switzerland has 12 brigades. While likely quite dangerous, it is doubtful they could resist any neighbor determined to annex their country.

By: BronxZionist

BronxZionist — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 23:33:30 +0000

Doing some checking . . . the party that proposed it is strongest in the northern, German, cantons of Switzerland. It is likely they would expect to increase their power by adding so many Germans, while dimishing the political power of their opponents.

Or they could just be playing games.

By: BronxZionist

BronxZionist — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 23:31:22 +0000

Not exactly.
A very specific group of Swiss, the Swiss Guard, are the official security force of the Vatican in Rome.
They are the last remnant of the Swiss mercenaries that dominated Europe for a short time, and are recognized as a police force so as to exempt them from Swiss law barring service in foreign armies.
The unit is company sized, about 130 men.
It is not part of the Swiss Army.

By: dcase

dcase — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:13:51 +0000

and which socialist paradise is that,pray tell?…

By: Deusexmachina

Deusexmachina — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:49:21 +0000

Beyond the obvious advantages of being 'grey', there never has been a doubt of where my loyalties are. Having sworn the oath three times, and being a charter member of Oath Keepers, I'm all in….