AndrewW Posted 27 August , 2012 Share Posted 27 August , 2012 I have set up a website on Switzerland's part in the First World War (a subject that is often forgotten, Switzerland being neutral of course). www.switzerland1914-1918.net It covers not just what it was like being a neutral country, but also the Swiss army, the International Committee of the Red Cross (which collated information about prisoners of war, and inspected PoW camps in belligerent countries) and prisoners of war interned in Switzerland. I have taken the approach of simplicity and clarity rather than going into huge detail at this stage, but I intend that the site will evolve over time and it will provide a focal point for the subject. Also there is a blog which will feature a closer look at specific photographs, objects or information (which could include things provided by other people, as well as material from my own collection). Any comments would be appreciated. Feel free to link to it from other websites, or to suggest relevant links. Thanks Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianjonesncl Posted 27 August , 2012 Share Posted 27 August , 2012 An unusual topic...but very interesting. Far removed from the trenches, but it gives an insight to some of the intrigues that go on, and the work of the Red Cross was vital. The fact they mobilised on 2nd August, ahead of Britain, is interesting, one did not imagine the Swiss mobilised. I worked in Switzerland a number of years ago and was quite surprised even then the Swiss reserve forces appeared to have quite a prominent role. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redbarchetta Posted 27 August , 2012 Share Posted 27 August , 2012 Nice website, Andrew. I have a small oil painting painted by a Private A Price while interned at YMCA Murren in May 1917 that was sold, presumably to raise funds for the camp. I'll send you photos for your site if you like. James Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce Posted 27 August , 2012 Share Posted 27 August , 2012 Great stuff, Andrew! An enjoyable and informative read. Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spconnolly007 Posted 27 August , 2012 Share Posted 27 August , 2012 Well done Andrew, very interesting. Regards, Sean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Bennitt Posted 27 August , 2012 Share Posted 27 August , 2012 Very interesting, Andrew. Makes one realise how even the non-belligerents were affected. I'd be interested in seeing more about how the warring sides used Switzerland as a spy centre, as related by W.S. Maugham. Good luck in developing the site cheers Martin B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tipperary Posted 27 August , 2012 Share Posted 27 August , 2012 Very interesting topic Andrew have added your site to favorites.john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tn.drummond Posted 27 August , 2012 Share Posted 27 August , 2012 Very professional and a valuable contribution. I've an interesting photo of Swiss soldiers in Stahlhelms. If you pm me I'll send you a RPPC image which you're welcome to post on your site. I've a hardwear problem at present so give me a day or so. Suddery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cameron2165 Posted 27 August , 2012 Share Posted 27 August , 2012 Hi Andrew, Nice site. I have just returned from a holiday in Swizerland and even went up in a cable car to Murren, but didn't know of it's history as a POW camp at the time. Great views, but I'm not sure I'de want to spend a couple of years up there. Regards Cam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewW Posted 28 August , 2012 Author Share Posted 28 August , 2012 Thanks everyone for your positive comments. Suddery and Redbarchetta, I've sent you both messages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom W. Posted 30 August , 2012 Share Posted 30 August , 2012 I have set up a website on Switzerland's part in the First World War (a subject that is often forgotten, Switzerland being neutral of course). www.switzerland1914-1918.net It covers not just what it was like being a neutral country, but also the Swiss army, the International Committee of the Red Cross (which collated information about prisoners of war, and inspected PoW camps in belligerent countries) and prisoners of war interned in Switzerland. I have taken the approach of simplicity and clarity rather than going into huge detail at this stage, but I intend that the site will evolve over time and it will provide a focal point for the subject. Also there is a blog which will feature a closer look at specific photographs, objects or information (which could include things provided by other people, as well as material from my own collection). Any comments would be appreciated. Feel free to link to it from other websites, or to suggest relevant links. Thanks Andrew I'm writing a book titled Assault Troops of World War I: The Central, Allied, and Neutral Powers. It'll contain chapters on Sweden, the Netherlands, Spain, Denmark, possibly Norway, and Switzerland. I've collected some interesting early and late-war images of Swiss assault troops. If you know anything about close-combat weapons such as hand grenades, I'd love to hear about it. If you have a photo or two you want to let me use in my book, I'll give you a copy of it when it comes out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewW Posted 1 October , 2012 Author Share Posted 1 October , 2012 Thanks Tom W (sorry didn't spot your reply earlier). It is very enlightened of you to write a book that includes neutral forces as well as Central Powers and Allies! Off the top of my head I can't think of any images I have that might be suitable, but I'll keep that in mind as I look through my collection. Look forward to seeing you book! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom W. Posted 2 October , 2012 Share Posted 2 October , 2012 Thanks Tom W (sorry didn't spot your reply earlier). It is very enlightened of you to write a book that includes neutral forces as well as Central Powers and Allies! Off the top of my head I can't think of any images I have that might be suitable, but I'll keep that in mind as I look through my collection. Look forward to seeing you book! I've got photos of the two different models of steel helmets the Swiss used; a photo of a hand-grenade squad training in a trench; and a photo of a heavy machine-gun squad in gas masks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 2 October , 2012 Share Posted 2 October , 2012 Nice site. One area I think you've missed for the moment is the role of the Swiss finance industry. Germany for example raising money through bond sales in Zurich and obtaining most of its foreign currency through Swiss banks. Wars have to be paid for. Governments on all sides were averse to financing the war through taxes and to a great extent relied on loans and bonds (which are in themselves a form of loan) and this needs specialised financial services and expertise. London (and to a lesser extent Paris) were established international financial centres but Berlin had not developed such to any degree and had to rely on Zurich banks for the necessary services. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 2 October , 2012 Share Posted 2 October , 2012 Also have you thought abot expanding the scandals etc section to include the French trading with the enemy scandals? Certain Swiss companies were set up and traded both with Germany and France. At one point vital chemicals normally blockaded from Germany but imported into France were being exchanged for supplies of German steel both passing through the Swiss companies. Some prominent French business men (some of whom were associates of the French president) were involved. The delay in Italy's declaration of war with Germany produced the anomaly that for nearly a year Switzerland had a belligerent country on one border that was not at war with Germany (just with the KuK). Italians could travel through Switzerland into Germany. A spy route that was certainly utilised by British intelligence during that period (as recorded by Compton Mackenzie). and doubtless others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aiwac Posted 2 October , 2012 Share Posted 2 October , 2012 Nice site. I'm curious - where there Swiss citizens who volunteered to serve in the armies of either side? Did the government allow this or did they forbid citizens from doing so, and if so, did they punish said volunteers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewW Posted 14 December , 2012 Author Share Posted 14 December , 2012 Nice site. One area I think you've missed for the moment is the role of the Swiss finance industry. [snip]. Thanks for your ideas - not things that I have so far found out that much about, but good research points for the future. Nice site. I'm curious - where there Swiss citizens who volunteered to serve in the armies of either side? Did the government allow this or did they forbid citizens from doing so, and if so, did they punish said volunteers? Thanks. I don't remember hearing of any cases of Swiss citizens fighting on either side, but inevitably I guess there were a few. I'm sure the Swiss government would not have officially allowed it however, as particularly at the start of the war they were anxious to avoid anything that might upset either side in case it gave a pretext for invasion (had either side wanted to invade). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yperman Posted 16 December , 2012 Share Posted 16 December , 2012 Great site. I have somewhere in the back of my head the idea that the Great War - especially the Western Front naturally enough- had a profound influence on the Swiss army's thinking in the 1920s, especially the frontier defences? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue Light Posted 16 December , 2012 Share Posted 16 December , 2012 Andrew I've got a short article about Chateau d'Oex on my website here: Grey Hut, Chateau d'Oex Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewW Posted 16 December , 2012 Author Share Posted 16 December , 2012 Great site. I have somewhere in the back of my head the idea that the Great War - especially the Western Front naturally enough- had a profound influence on the Swiss army's thinking in the 1920s, especially the frontier defences? Thanks Yperman. I'm sure you are right, in the sense that the war made it clear to the Swiss the power of the weapons that might be used against their country in the future by an aggressor. Swiss frontier defences before WWI seem to have been heavily based around fortifications - and continued to be so at the time of WW2 and after that. That isn't surprising really, as the Swiss would always be on the defensive, and so needed to maximise the defensive power of their troops. So I'm not sure to what extent they were influenced in that way? It is also interesting to see that the 'souvenir' publications produced for Swiss troops in the early years of war include many photos of troops using trenches: either they had copied the warring countries' use of them, or more likely they were already aware of their usefulness. Andrew I've got a short article about Chateau d'Oex on my website here: Grey Hut, Chateau d'Oex Sue Thanks very much Sue, very interesting article. I have put a couple of links to it from my site. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom W. Posted 17 December , 2012 Share Posted 17 December , 2012 Great site. I have somewhere in the back of my head the idea that the Great War - especially the Western Front naturally enough- had a profound influence on the Swiss army's thinking in the 1920s, especially the frontier defences? Also in the Swiss training of assault troops. They adopted the hand grenade in 1917 and the light machine gun soon after the war. I recently bought a photo that shows Swiss troops wearing the M1918 steel helmet with segmented German-style camouflage, something I hadn't seen before. Don't know how common it was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BKK Posted 24 November , 2018 Share Posted 24 November , 2018 On 14/12/2012 at 22:21, AndrewW said: Thanks for your ideas - not things that I have so far found out that much about, but good research points for the future. Thanks. I don't remember hearing of any cases of Swiss citizens fighting on either side, but inevitably I guess there were a few. I'm sure the Swiss government would not have officially allowed it however, as particularly at the start of the war they were anxious to avoid anything that might upset either side in case it gave a pretext for invasion (had either side wanted to invade). My grandfather was born in St Gallen, Switzerland, however his father was born in Entenhiem Germany which technically made him German. Switzerland did not change birth citizenship till the 50's. My grandfather fought in IR169 and IR111 from 1917 till 1918 in the Argonne. Family legend says he volunteered because his staunch german dad told him to go fight. At first research I thought that he was a rare case, but when I typed Schwiez into the birthplace section of the vertulisten database, 3800 swiss born entries popped up, 678 from St Gallen alone! With that many on the list, i would assume 10 to 15k swiss born were in the German Army. I also just read in John Reichs book "The Iron Regiment" , where he quoted Otto Lais book / account as saying Swiss and Alsace soldiers in the German Army were banned from going back home by their home governments. I would love to know if anyone has more info on this topic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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