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"A fascinating and enlightening explanation of the dilemma Switzerland found itself in during the 1930's and 1940's."
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"A fascinating and enlightening explanation of the dilemma Switzerland found itself in during the 1930's and 1940's." --Publishers Weekly
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First Sentence
ADOLF HITLER WAS NAMED CHANCELLOR OF GERMANY ON January 30, 1933. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
ADOLF HITLER WAS NAMED CHANCELLOR OF GERMANY ON January 30, 1933. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Stephen Halbrook sets himself an immense task and accomplishes it with applomb. Without ignoring Switzerland'a callous and disgraceful role in ignoring the holocaust, turning back Jewish refugees and supplying the Reich, he explores the essential question of why many Swiss believed until recently that their country had behaved honourably throughout WWII. The answer, which he analyses in copious detail via reference to contemporary newspaper and archival sources, makes uncomfortable reading for revisionist historians. Switzerland was genuinely threatened by Nazi invasion and went to extremes to defend herself against that possibility. The resulting armed neutrality certainly encompassed some appalling moral choices - but Switzerland conducted herself at least as well as those nations which fell after a few days or hours of weak resistance. Halbrook does not set out to absolve the Swiss of responsibility for bad decisions. There were too many. He does explain why to the allied leaders in 1945 Switzerland was considered an honourable and essentially friendly neutral. This book does what history should do - it seeks to explain the past not to bend it to modern assumptions.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Halbrook tells a compelling story--of a tiny nation, entirely surrounded by Axis forces, which refused to join the Third Reich's 'New Europe.' Despite a German food blockade which reduced the Swiss to growing potatoes on their lawns and public squares, and several planned German invasions, the Swiss never capitulated. Every Swiss man had a rifle and ammunition, and the instructions to use it against any invader, and fight to the death. Virtually every German-speaking population in any country of Europe sided with Hitler--except the Swiss. Indeed, the Swiss German-speaking press was so anti-Nazi that Goebbels labelled the Swiss, contemptuously, 'Berg-Semiten,' or 'Mountain-Jews.' While the Swiss kept up their tradition of political neutrality, they were never morally neutral. They clearly sympathized with the Allies, even smuggling the RAF bomber guidance devices through German territory disguised as Swiss watches. They also harbored far more refugees per capita than the U.S.A. During the war, The NY Times called Switzerland "an island of democracy in a sea of tyranny." Surprisingly readable--and relevant, now that Switzerland is so much in the news. -- John Zmirak, Ph.D.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
When I saw the ads for this book, I was skeptical. The timing seemed too good, with a book that reflects well on the Swiss coming out just as Swiss Banks were getting a lot of bad publicity. But having read it, I've changed my tune. Halbrook doesn't waste time defending Swiss banks (who at any rate may have been no worse than Chase Manhattan -- read Charles Higham's "Trading with the Enemy" for the disgusting story of American business' collaboration with the Nazis), but rather tells the story of the Swiss people and the Swiss Army. Those two entities are more or less the same thing, which in part explains how the Swiss mobilized one-fifth of their population (and armed most of the rest) to deter a Nazi invasion. The most persuasive part of the book consists of quotations from fulminating Nazis -- Hitler, Goering, Himmler, etc. -- about those damned Swiss and their incomprehensible willingness to die fighting rather than surrender to the Reich. Halbrook also notes how the Swiss traditions of armed citizenry, federalism, and democracy made the kind of surrender-by-elites that took place in Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, etc. impossible and pretty much unthinkable in Switzerland. If the rest of Europe had done as the Swiss, Hitler would never have made it out of Germany. Even though I knew the ending (naturally) the book kept me turning pages until the end. I highly recommend it.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Just OK, not entirely accurate.
Living in Switzerland and having known some of the people involved, the author presents an interesting account of wartime Switzerland, but does not do a very good job analyzing... Read more
Published on 31 Aug 1999
A naive and powderpuff review of Swiss History
This work completely ignores any of the evidence raised in other sources about the Swiss role in WWII. Read more
Published on 29 April 1999
Many interesting facts, but analysis could be better.
The author presents an interesting account of wartime Switzerland, but does not do a very good job analyzing the facts he has presented. Read more
Published on 10 Oct 1998
Well detailed and crafted. Thorough review.
A well documented and crafted book. It explains that Swiss neutrality during WWII was not accidental, or granted by the other powers in Europe, but was enforced by the Swiss... Read more
Published on 7 Oct 1998
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