Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
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 ]
Numerous fortifications were built along the Rhine border and further south, providing for a defense in depth. [34] The border fortifications were completed by Valentinian I in 371, who established a chain of watchtowers along the Rhine from Lake Constance to Basel, with each tower no more than 2 kilometers (1.2 mi) away from the next one. [34]
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 ...
Between the Alps and a Hard Place: Switzerland in World War II and the Rewriting of History, (2013) ISBN 0-89526-238-X excerpt and text search; Golson, Eric Bernard, The Economics of Neutrality: Spain, Sweden and Switzerland in the Second World War (2011) PhD thesis, LSE, 500pp. full text; Kreis, Georg.
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]
For premium support please call: 800-290-4726 more ways to reach us
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.