While surrounded by the Axis powers in World War II, Switzerland remained democratic and, unlike most of Europe, never succumbed to the siren songs and threats of the Nazi goliath. This book tells the story with emphasis on two voices rarely heard. One voice is that of scores of Swiss who lived in those dark years, told through oral history. They mobilized to defend the country, laboured on the farms, and helped refugees. The other voice is that of Nazi Intelligence, those who spied on the Swiss and planned subversion and invasion. Exhaustive documents from the German military archives reveals a chilling rendition of attack plans which would be dissuaded in part by Switzerland's armed populace and Alpine defences. The author provides rare insights into Switzerland's wartime newsreels and its satiric cabaret society, while describing how the Swiss prepared themselves for an attack from the start. Also provided is valuable information on how Switzerland navigated the combatants' blockade and counterblockade of Europe, its invaluable guardianship of the Geneva Conventions, its role as a veritable lifeboat for refugees, and its fascinating status as a beehive for both Axis and Allied Intelligence. This work illuminates the stalwart Swiss wartime generation, thus filling a glaring gap in our understanding of World War II.
