Switzerland mobilises its army

Contemporary war chronicles record the mobilisation of the army of Switzerland under the date of 8 August 1914. In fact the Swiss Federal Council had ordered general mobilisation as early as 1 August, and its first day was 3 August. In the first week of August several hundred thousand soldiers were called to arms.

Armed neutrality

Since the 19th century Switzerland had been a neutral state, and its neutrality was guaranteed by the great powers. Situated between Germany, France, Austria-Hungary and Italy, it had no intention of taking part in the war. It remembered, however, that neutrality had to be defended. On 3 August the Federal Assembly in Bern granted the government extraordinary powers to defend the country’s independence and neutrality. On 4 August the Federal Council officially proclaimed Switzerland’s neutrality.

The mobilisation was meant to show the warring powers that none of them would cross Swiss territory without a fight. The main fear was that Germany or France would try to bypass fortified borders by going through Switzerland, just as the Germans had done in Belgium.

General Wille

In peacetime the Swiss army had no commander-in-chief. The rank of general was conferred only in times of danger. In August 1914 parliament elected Ulrich Wille to the post. The choice was controversial, especially in the French-speaking part of the country, because Wille was known for his sympathy for Germany and his family ties with the German aristocracy.

Significance

Switzerland came through the war as a neutral state. For four years its army guarded the borders, and the country became an important place for diplomatic contacts, humanitarian work and the exchange of prisoners. The war nonetheless brought Switzerland serious problems: food shortages, rising prices and tensions between the German-speaking and French-speaking parts of society, which sympathised with opposing sides in the conflict.