Europe's Neutral and Nonaligned States

Ever since the 1983 publication of John McPhee’s two-part article on the Swiss army, “La Place de la Concorde Suisse,” in The New Yorker, there has been a growing awareness and interest among the non-Swiss general public in the phenomenon represented by the Swiss Confederation and its unique defense establishment. Swiss neutrality and security matters have long been subjects of scholarly interest, and it would seem fair to say that a rather high degree of international awareness exists about Switzerland’s status as a neutral. What is less evident, however, is the degree to which the public is aware of the formidable military apparatus which the Swiss have created to ensure their continued existence as a democratic and neutral nation in the maelstrom of superpower politics.

Indeed, the reactions one habitually elicits when discussing the Swiss military would tend to indicate a high degree of ignorance about such matters. Nevertheless, since the publication of McPhee’s article and book, general interest in Switzerland and its defense forces appears to have increased, and the Information Service of the Federal Military Department has experienced a considerable increase in requests for information about the army. Contrary to what might be expected, the Swiss authorities are particularly forthcoming in providing information about their defense forces, inasmuch as they consider widespread knowledge of their dissuasive capabilities to be an integral part of their defense plan.

This study will examine the Swiss concept of “general defense.” Because neutrality is the quintessential feature of Swiss foreign policy and because thinking on the subject has evolved over several centuries, it is impossible to treat defense policy in any but the narrowest sense without taking neutrality into serious account. Consequently, the historical evolution of Swiss neutrality will be considered before questions of contemporary security policy.