Brienz, canton Bern - the day dawns cloudy and rainy. The waters of Lake Brienz appear grayer than the usual emerald green waters colored by the glacial waters laden with minerals of rocks crushed by glaciers of higher altitudes.
The drizzly weather is of little consequence for our Turner Hall Swiss Heritage Tour Group, as we would spend the morning deep inside a mountain, visiting a military fortress. This fortress was part of the Swiss National Redoubt, designed to ward off the German Army should it attack Switzerland during the dark days of World War II.
A "national redoubt" is an area to which forces can be withdrawn in an event of loss of a main battle, or if defeat of the main battle is considered inevitable.
The Swiss National Redoubt during World War II was designed around three stages: Stage 1, border forces attempting to hold or delay enemy forces invading across the border; Stage 2, labeled "the Army Line," to conduct a delaying action to allow forces to withdraw to a stronger defensive perimeter; and Stage 3, a defensive perimeter in the Swiss Alps.
Earlier history of fortifying the Swiss Alps began in the 1880s, shortly after the opening of the Gotthard Railway. Initial forts were built at Airolo and the Oberst, Furka and Grimsel passes in the Central Alps. Following World War I, interest in further fortification diminished - temporarily.
During the 1930s, France built the Maginot Line from the Swiss border to Belgium. Switzerland re-examined its need for fixed defenses. Coincidentally, the worldwide Great Depression created the need for jobs. By 1937, construction began on borderline fortifications, the secondary "Army line" fortifications, and greatly expanded Alpine fortifications.
The appointment of General Henri Guisan from French-speaking Switzerland as Commander of the Swiss Army no doubt provided some reassurance that Switzerland would not become allied with Nazi Germany. General Guisan refined the Swiss Redoubt strategy.
The Guisan plan engendered some debate as some Army officers preferred a more compact redoubt strategy. But Guisan's chief of staff preferred the Alpine strategy to be prefaced by a "defense in depth."
Two days after the French surrender in June 1940, Swiss fortifications of border zones were reduced in favor of the advanced position, the "Army Line," leaving industries and population centers relatively unprotected. The final Guisan plan was fully adopted in July 1940. In the event of an Axis attack, there would be an organized retreat to the Alps where supplies were stocked for indefinite resistance. Once inside the fortresses, all access points would be destroyed.
Until May 1941, only about two thirds of the Swiss Army had been mobilized. Following the swift conquest of the Balkan countries by German forces, the entire Swiss army was mobilized. Lacking a significant armored force, the Swiss concluded that withdrawal to the Redoubt was the only sound course. Actions in the Central Plateau would be delaying actions only.
Of primary importance to the Axis powers was control over the Alpine passes that divide northern and southern Europe. The invasion plans of the Axis powers, labeled "Operation Tannenbaum," intended that Germany capture Geneva and Lucerne while Italy would capture the Alps; the two countries would divide Switzerland.
Switzerland's intent was to make clear to the Third Reich that invasion would be at high cost. All bridges, tunnels and roads through and across the Alpine passes would be destroyed, rendering their major objective useless to the Axis powers.
During our visit to Switzerland in 2015, our tour group was treated to an interesting tour of an elaborate Swiss fortress near the Gotthard Pass. On today's trip we would tour another facility, the Waldbrand Fortress that was, incredibly, kept secret until decommissioned in 1998.
Although Swiss people knew that there were many defensive installations, many living very close to major fortifications did not know of them. For example, Martha Bernet lived across the lake, only a few miles from the Waldbrand Fortress, and confirms that the general public did not know of it.
The Waldbrand Fortress is located deep inside Mount Beatenberg adjoining Lake Thun, near Interlaken, the city between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz. The fortress, no longer needed, was sold to a private citizen, Phillipp Studer, and is now operated as a museum. The fortress consists of numerous connecting tunnels and underground areas that contain armored vehicles, guns and artillery pieces of every description.
During its period of operation, with strategic fields of fire carefully planned, artillery was zeroed in on likely enemy approaches. Elaborate communications systems included 960 telephone lines to observation posts and other military sites. Sophisticated ventilation systems would maintain air quality during firing of artillery pieces in closed spaces.
The fortress was complete with elaborate hospital facilities. Every contingency was accounted for.
During the early 1940s, Hitler had his hands full with the stalled invasion of the Soviet Union and the Allied invasion of North Africa. The carefully planned enemy attack on Switzerland never occurred and Swiss weapons never had to be used. Besides, if Germany won the war, landlocked Switzerland, surrounded by the Axis powers, could be starved into submission.
Switzerland has been neutral since losing its last battle against the French in 1515. Switzerland's neutrality during World War II is sometimes criticized, and its pride in dissuading Nazi invasion is sometimes held to be over-rated and unwarranted. However, it's easy - arguably, too easy - for critics from a powerful country, protected on its east and west flanks by oceans too vast for the range of World War II enemy bombers, and flanked on its northern and southern borders by friendly nations, to admonish a tiny landlocked nation surrounded on all sides by a powerful enemy.
Switzerland is also sometimes criticized for its role in supplying military arms to belligerents. The debate over this matter continues within Switzerland itself. In a more ideal world, the issue would be solved by preventing wars that need not be fought.
But we're not there yet.
Next week: To the Bernese Oberland.
- John Waelti of Monroe can be reached at jjwaelti1@tds.net. His column appears Fridays in the Monroe Times.
The drizzly weather is of little consequence for our Turner Hall Swiss Heritage Tour Group, as we would spend the morning deep inside a mountain, visiting a military fortress. This fortress was part of the Swiss National Redoubt, designed to ward off the German Army should it attack Switzerland during the dark days of World War II.
A "national redoubt" is an area to which forces can be withdrawn in an event of loss of a main battle, or if defeat of the main battle is considered inevitable.
The Swiss National Redoubt during World War II was designed around three stages: Stage 1, border forces attempting to hold or delay enemy forces invading across the border; Stage 2, labeled "the Army Line," to conduct a delaying action to allow forces to withdraw to a stronger defensive perimeter; and Stage 3, a defensive perimeter in the Swiss Alps.
Earlier history of fortifying the Swiss Alps began in the 1880s, shortly after the opening of the Gotthard Railway. Initial forts were built at Airolo and the Oberst, Furka and Grimsel passes in the Central Alps. Following World War I, interest in further fortification diminished - temporarily.
During the 1930s, France built the Maginot Line from the Swiss border to Belgium. Switzerland re-examined its need for fixed defenses. Coincidentally, the worldwide Great Depression created the need for jobs. By 1937, construction began on borderline fortifications, the secondary "Army line" fortifications, and greatly expanded Alpine fortifications.
The appointment of General Henri Guisan from French-speaking Switzerland as Commander of the Swiss Army no doubt provided some reassurance that Switzerland would not become allied with Nazi Germany. General Guisan refined the Swiss Redoubt strategy.
The Guisan plan engendered some debate as some Army officers preferred a more compact redoubt strategy. But Guisan's chief of staff preferred the Alpine strategy to be prefaced by a "defense in depth."
Two days after the French surrender in June 1940, Swiss fortifications of border zones were reduced in favor of the advanced position, the "Army Line," leaving industries and population centers relatively unprotected. The final Guisan plan was fully adopted in July 1940. In the event of an Axis attack, there would be an organized retreat to the Alps where supplies were stocked for indefinite resistance. Once inside the fortresses, all access points would be destroyed.
Until May 1941, only about two thirds of the Swiss Army had been mobilized. Following the swift conquest of the Balkan countries by German forces, the entire Swiss army was mobilized. Lacking a significant armored force, the Swiss concluded that withdrawal to the Redoubt was the only sound course. Actions in the Central Plateau would be delaying actions only.
Of primary importance to the Axis powers was control over the Alpine passes that divide northern and southern Europe. The invasion plans of the Axis powers, labeled "Operation Tannenbaum," intended that Germany capture Geneva and Lucerne while Italy would capture the Alps; the two countries would divide Switzerland.
Switzerland's intent was to make clear to the Third Reich that invasion would be at high cost. All bridges, tunnels and roads through and across the Alpine passes would be destroyed, rendering their major objective useless to the Axis powers.
During our visit to Switzerland in 2015, our tour group was treated to an interesting tour of an elaborate Swiss fortress near the Gotthard Pass. On today's trip we would tour another facility, the Waldbrand Fortress that was, incredibly, kept secret until decommissioned in 1998.
Although Swiss people knew that there were many defensive installations, many living very close to major fortifications did not know of them. For example, Martha Bernet lived across the lake, only a few miles from the Waldbrand Fortress, and confirms that the general public did not know of it.
The Waldbrand Fortress is located deep inside Mount Beatenberg adjoining Lake Thun, near Interlaken, the city between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz. The fortress, no longer needed, was sold to a private citizen, Phillipp Studer, and is now operated as a museum. The fortress consists of numerous connecting tunnels and underground areas that contain armored vehicles, guns and artillery pieces of every description.
During its period of operation, with strategic fields of fire carefully planned, artillery was zeroed in on likely enemy approaches. Elaborate communications systems included 960 telephone lines to observation posts and other military sites. Sophisticated ventilation systems would maintain air quality during firing of artillery pieces in closed spaces.
The fortress was complete with elaborate hospital facilities. Every contingency was accounted for.
During the early 1940s, Hitler had his hands full with the stalled invasion of the Soviet Union and the Allied invasion of North Africa. The carefully planned enemy attack on Switzerland never occurred and Swiss weapons never had to be used. Besides, if Germany won the war, landlocked Switzerland, surrounded by the Axis powers, could be starved into submission.
Switzerland has been neutral since losing its last battle against the French in 1515. Switzerland's neutrality during World War II is sometimes criticized, and its pride in dissuading Nazi invasion is sometimes held to be over-rated and unwarranted. However, it's easy - arguably, too easy - for critics from a powerful country, protected on its east and west flanks by oceans too vast for the range of World War II enemy bombers, and flanked on its northern and southern borders by friendly nations, to admonish a tiny landlocked nation surrounded on all sides by a powerful enemy.
Switzerland is also sometimes criticized for its role in supplying military arms to belligerents. The debate over this matter continues within Switzerland itself. In a more ideal world, the issue would be solved by preventing wars that need not be fought.
But we're not there yet.
Next week: To the Bernese Oberland.
- John Waelti of Monroe can be reached at jjwaelti1@tds.net. His column appears Fridays in the Monroe Times.
