Spiritual Leader of a Nation

Authors

L. B. Kuppenheimer

Keywords

General Henri Guidsan, Swiss Army, World War II

Abstract

Willi Gautschi, translated by Karl Vonlanthen . General Henri Guisan: Commander-in-Chief of the Swiss Army in World War II. New York: Front Street Press, 2003 . xvi+ 698pp. Photographs, maps, notes and index.

For nations of the world engaged in combat during World War Two, the stakes were national survival and the price was blood and treasure. And, for the five countries that elected to remain neutral, the stakes were no less grave , for at any moment an aggressor could chose to invade with no doubt as to the outcome. Of all the neutral nations , Switzerland was both the smallest (with only four million citizens) and the most precariously situated, sharing as it did common borders with three of the combatants. Of course, the only serious threat of invasion came from the Axis powers of Germany and Italy who, together with Austria, shared 67% of Switzerland's borders. It is now known that both Italy and Germany had actually drafted plans for such an invasion . Hitler, in fact, had made clear his intention to annex all German-speaking regions of Europe into one greater Reich.

Recommended Citation

Kuppenheimer, L. B. (2006) "Spiritual Leader of a Nation," Swiss American Historical Society Review: Vol. 42: No. 1, Article 5.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/sahs_review/vol42/iss1/5