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The Border Line bunkers were spaced between 500 metres (1,600 ft) and 750 metres (2,460 ft) along the northern border of Switzerland. [1] A number were integrated into bridge crossings of the Rhine and other rivers. [2] The large forts were armed with 75mm artillery and anti-tank weapons and were usually built into the forward slope of a hill.
The Swiss Border Guard, [1] known as the Swiss Border Guard Command, [2] [a] was a federal law enforcement agency, which acted as both the border guard and customs service for Switzerland. It was a uniformed and armed section of the Federal Customs Administration , which is attached to the Federal Department of Finance . [ 6 ]
Starting in 1936, he secured a larger defence budget and started a war bond system. The army was restructured into smaller, better equipped divisions and boot camp for conscripts was extended to 3 months of instruction. In 1937 a war economy cell was established. Households were encouraged to keep a two-month supply of food and basic ...
Concessions included a national blackout and the destruction of a secret German radar system that had accidentally landed in Switzerland in exchange for a dozen aircraft. In its invasion plan, Operation Tannenbaum, Germany planned to capture Geneva and Lucerne, and Italy would capture the Alps; both countries would then divide Switzerland. [7]
In the Middle Ages, towns were fortified with town walls in their defense. From the 19th century fortifications were built near the border at strategically important pass crossings and train tunnels. Basel-Kleinhüningen, former French Kleinhüningen Fortress with Rhine bridgehead on the former Schusterinsel (silted up) Bern; Fortification ...
The military history of Switzerland comprises centuries of armed actions, and the role of the Swiss military in conflicts and peacekeeping worldwide. Despite maintaining neutrality since its independence from the Holy Roman Empire in 1499, [1] Switzerland has been involved in military operations dating back to the hiring of Swiss mercenaries by foreign nations, including the Papal States.
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It was to be ceded to Neuchâtel according to the treaty of Paris of 30 May 1814, but the necessary border correction did not become official until 1 February 1819. Similarly, Rhäzüns was restored from Austria to Switzerland on 19 January 1819. Switzerland in 1815 was still a confederacy, not a fully integrated federation.