Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft

[Golf1echo]

Swiss Confederation

Some of you are quite aware of Swiss infrastructure I imagine, it is of course more than just an Army. As a confederation of Cantons established in 1291 they invested in themselves, their industries , and their mutual protection. Their famous banking industry was started with income derived from outsourcing soldiers and still maintains close ties within the Swiss Army not to mention guarding the Pope to this day. National service is still a part of Swiss culture although to a lesser degree today. The Swiss Redoubt became a part of the Swiss defensive strategy especially as WWII approached, it in addition to making it convenient for Germany not to invade the defensive infrastructure and geography of the Alps is very much why Switzerland maintained it's neutrality.

I spent sometime as a boy in Switzerland and was exposed to an indigenous way of life that many never believed. It has been both a little nostalgic and startling to explore the information you can now find.
Warning some of these videos are long and if you tap around enough you may just mess with your German.

Swiss Army SAURER 6DM - Gotthardpass ( almost the center of the Redoubt, much more there than the eye can see) :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qA8jpEK3iAc
Swiss Military Bunkers : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Numva8I2UV0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kisnLc5rkY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iubhH_wizyU

Real Estate for sale: http://www.ar.admin.ch/internet/arma...html#faq000100

http://www.ar.admin.ch/internet/arma...chbautenv2.pdf

Old School : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAnk...pmAVtH&index=4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAnk...v6et1DDDpmAVtH

Great Site for the Mountain Huts: http://www.sac-cas.ch/en/huts/search-a-hut.html

* Sind Werner und Hans sprechen Romanisch ?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBZZ2WlOSAU

[Golf1echo]

I understand the 30 min back seat truck drive isn't for everyone but a nice run of 9 large trucks up and over the pass. These drivers took what I take to be the old road but there was a lot more capacity on that slope. If you felt virtual kinetic pressure from across the valley and above you have good instincts, artillery fortresses Foppa and San Carlos are along the route....you may recognize the interchange on the route from the perspective of Foppa"s Artillery and mortar positions. The large Gotthard Fortress/ Schloss lurks below the mountain in addition to the many firing positions ( some of many little barns on the hillside) as well as mobile mortars and artillery. No doubt the roads and tunnels will move when directed There is the Gotthard Tunnel as well and this type of infrastructure is not unique to just this area. The culture of service is interwoven in with their society making things possible that would be difficult elsewhere.
Image from Foppa.
Image closer to where I lived in Graubunden Canton, they always said the roads, tunnels and bridges were active.

[PatrickS]

I remember a series of media reports back in November, revealing that the Swiss placed TNT charges in several bridges and tunnels linking Germany and Switzerland.

The systematic placing of explosive charges in crucial infrastructure started in 1975 and the most recent one was placed in a highway bridge in 2005.
The motivation behind this was of course the Cold War and the threat of a Soviet invasion. The Swiss assumed that simply due to the sheer amount of MBTs, Sovjet tank armies could cross Germany and invade Switzerland.

Though there are no detonators, the fear of TNT falling into the wrong hands, has led to the removal of several charges in recent years. Others however, remain in place and for obvious reasons the Swiss government won't give specific details concerning the remaining charges and their location.

The German counterpart to the Swiss system only consisted of the installation of explosion chambers, that were to be equipped with explosives when an invasion was imminent.


In general, I've always admired the Swiss for forming a peaceful society, while maintaining the ability to form a rather impressive resistance movement on short notice.

[mojaveman]

Have always admired the Swiss and being that some of my ancestors came from there I have a small fascination with the country. Going to do some research and go there one of these days.

[Golf1echo]

What would you eat? https://www.google.com/search?q=Swis...+food&imgdii=_

Where would you go? https://www.google.com/search?q=Swit...hVu4qrxmsgM%3A

[x SF med]

Interesting stuff a bout the Redoubt.

Too bad my Grandfather died when I was so young, he was one of the youngest Captains in the Swiss Horse Drawn Mountain Artillery between WWI and WWII. We still have a bunch of family over in the St Gallen area (Teufen and St Gallen).

[Red Flag 1]

Originally Posted by Golf1echo

What would you eat? https://www.google.com/search?q=Swis...+food&imgdii=_

Where would you go? https://www.google.com/search?q=Swit...hVu4qrxmsgM%3A

Great pics of the food, and the country side. The photos of the frozen, and ice coverd autos, brought back memories or Germany. While not quite as dramatic, I recall nearly a week of fog, with sub-freezing tempratures. It made for some interesting challanges for walking, and driving. When driving, every car window had to be free of ice, and snow. Any uncleared window, was good for a 20 DM fine.