Looking at a WW2 map, Switzerland really sticks out as being completely surrounded by Nazi territories. Like a "pimple". Is there a reason why Hitler didn't want to invade it? Is it because he was afraid of the Swiss army? Challenging terrain?
shareThe Nazis needed it stable to hide their money there
shareHave you never heard of the dreaded Swiss Army knife?
shareswitzerland is the country where all dictators wash/store their money, even today you can bet that kim jong un has most of his money there. kim even went to school there.
shareEven Hitler knew not to destroy the Chocolate Alps.
shareSwitzerland secured its strategic advantage economically and politically before Hitler was even born. If you look deeper into Nazi Germany's expansionist goals it was mostly to secure natural resources to maintain its ever growing war machine. Switzerland was neither a strategic threat nor deemed worthy of invasion. When the Nazis took over France they didn't even expend THAT much presence as they allowed Vichy France to operate independently. Hitler's focus was on the Eastern front where he wanted the bread basket agro land and rich oil reserves
shareWhat on earth would he want to take Switzerland for?
shareA health resort for eastern front soldiers.
Not kidding.
Why would Hitler want to invade Switzerland for that reason? He could just obtain permission to build the resort there.
shareYes because Switzerland, a neutral country, would be able to openly support anything third-reich without repercussions from the rest of the world....
shareThey would, actually. What sort of repercussions could the Swiss expect from a resort, when they didn't get any for their bank services to Germany?
Also, why would Germany invade a country just to build a resort there? Of all the possible reasons to invade, that's quite possibly the silliest.
Also, see Op. Tannenbaum:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Tannenbaum
They had Operation Sealion as well, even though Hitler had no intention of invading Britain. This is nothing unusual, by the way. All countries have plans for war with their neighbours. The US still has plans to invade Canada. Doesn't mean they'll do it.
share"They had Operation Sealion as well, even though Hitler had no intention of invading Britain"
Excuse me!?
No intention?
Ahahahaha.
Hitler never wanted a war with Britain. If he had wanted to, he could have taken Britain easily. The only reason the Battle of Britain was "won" was because of Barbarossa - that was what Hitler wanted to focus on. Hitler's purpose with bombing Britain was to weaken them, so there wouldn't be a threat of invasion in France while he was busy in the East. The fact that Sealion was never actually intended to take place is not even controversial.
shareHitler did not want the war, but once it happened that didn't matter anymore and to really beat Britain he had to invade it if they'd not give up - which they didn't.
Sealion was not just some theoretical plan to amuse generals and have a neat war game, it was supposed to happen and in the end it did not because of the failure of the Luftwaffe, Barbarossa had nothing to do with that. Also, google "Führer Directive No. 16", so much for "he did not really want to..."
Same goes for Switzerland.
Hitler hated Switzerland and their politics. He never did attack because there is hardly a way to really take Switzerland without massive casualties due to the terrain.
Believe what you want and I don't care, but wanted to address it so others don't just pick it up and spread your misinformation further.
Sealion was never supposed to happen. And Führer Directive 16 is Sealion. Don't be fooled by the word "directive" - these were only strategic plans as necessary. That's the exact same reason the US still has strategic plans for an invasion of Canada, as well. They are not directives in the sense, "these are the things we intend to carry out".
Hitler never went to war with anyone just because he "hated" them. He had specific practical reasons for each target. Switzerland, posing no threat to Germany whatsoever, was not a concern. He wanted an amicable relationship with the UK, but had to defeat them militarily because of the UK's obligations as ally to the enemies of Germany. If Hitler had seen it as necessary to invade Britain he would have, but he never did - and so he never did.
I am not fooled by the word "directive" I am also not fooled by the armed forces actually starting to prepare - not just plan.
You repeating "it was not supposed to happen" and repeating your examples of "war games" still don't change reality.
I also never said Hitler went to war because of hate or whatever, I mentioned what he thought of Switzerland and the country was a thorn in his eye and sooner or later if things would have gone different you bet he would have invaded to get total control over continental Europe.
And I already explained to you that Hitler could not invade Britain because the BATTLE FOR BRITAIN(!) failed.
Read a history book and come back, before that, I won't waste any further time.