Switzerland, a neutral but not pacifist country

Switzerland, the small country immersed in the heart of Europe, is a model to follow for many countries due to its more than 500 years of effective democracy and its permanent status of neutrality dating from 1815. Headquarters of more than 250 NGOs, as well as various International Organizations, including the World Health Organization and the Red Cross, has projected to the world the image of a prosperous, peaceful and ideal country.

However, the mirage of modernity fades as well as the lives of hundreds of people who have died because of some weapon made in the Swiss Confederation. The reality is overwhelming and shows that being a neutral country is not synonymous with being a pacifist one.

Source: El Tiempo.

The warlike past and the origin of neutrality

Although Switzerland is characterized internationally by its permanent status of neutrality, as well as being a broad promoter in the defense of Human Rights, the truth is that its history is full of bloody battles that shaped and enriched the Swiss Confederation.

The Alpine country is an amalgamation of peoples and customs dating back to Roman times. However, it was not until 1291 that the old Swiss confederation was formed, at the hands of the towns of Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden who, through the creation of a federal pact, became independent from Habsburg control, facilitated free trade and they secured peace on the Alpine trade route.

Although the pact's primary objective was not the creation of a state, over the next 60 years various communities began to peacefully join the confederation. Some others, like Berna, had to do it by means of arms.

Equipped with pikes and halberds, thousands of highlanders began to form part of the Swiss infantry whose objective was to defend the Confederation from the constant harassment of Austria. Its popularity was gained after the Battle of Morgarten (1315) in which about 1,500 peasants from the cantons of Uri and Schwyz, lacking military training, ambushed and massacred more than 3,000 Austrian soldiers.

With the passage of time the Old Confederacy began to expand, as well as poverty. The geographical conditions of the alpine country prevented access to the sea, which resulted in the null establishment of trade routes. Such a situation forced thousands of mountaineers to migrate and serve the armies of other nationalities.

From then on and for more than a century, the Swiss mercenaries were famous on different European battlefields due to their impetus and ferocity. However, during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries the Confederation assumed control of the militias, benefiting financially from it. As his popularity and demand grew, so did his reputation for serving different sides.

Alliances such as those created with King Louis XI of France or the influence they held with the Sforza family in Italy demonstrated their effectiveness at the service of various leaders. For three centuries, mercenaries participated and won countless battles on different sides, however, their fate was sealed to France in 1515.

The Battle of Marignano, which pitted the Kingdom of France and the Republic of Venice against the Duchy of Milan and the Swiss Confederation, was a conflict of international scale characterized by King Louis XII's interest in expanding his influence to the territories of Milan, Rome and Naples. The result was the defeat of the Duchy and the Confederates due to technological innovations in French artillery.

From then on, the Helvetians provided the French with mercenaries for decades and, despite continuing to stand out in this area, Switzerland never again participated in an international conflict as a State, which is why many historians consider that its neutral status comes from then. However, it was not until 1815 that neutrality was internationally recognized during the Congress of Vienna.

Neutrality has been a guide in the conduct of Switzerland's foreign policy. So much so, that the Alpine country came out of most of the armed conflicts that have arisen in the last two centuries. This condition was conducive to the political and economic development that characterizes it today.

Neutral but not defenseless

The warlike past that shaped the Swiss nation is still immersed in the idiosyncrasies of Swiss citizens. Despite its more than 200 years without participation in armed conflicts, territorial defense turns out to be vital in the country's national interests.

Contrary to what is widely believed, Switzerland has an Armed Forces, which are made up of close to 200,000 troops. The curious thing about this is that only 5% of active personnel are professional soldiers, while the remaining 95% are enlisted citizens between the ages of 20 and 34.

Military service has been compulsory for the Swiss since 1996. At that time, men had to be part of the army until they were 44 years old and participate year after year in training and preparation courses. With more than 600,000 troops, the Swiss army became one of the largest in Europe.

"Switzerland has no army, Switzerland is an army." Swiss Defense Doctrine.

It might seem curious that a country that preaches neutrality and pacifism is armed to the teeth, however, one should consider the historical conditions that have led the Swiss to opt for this defense path.

For centuries, the Helvetic peoples suffered constant harassment by different European powers of the time that sought to exercise control over their territory. Such a condition of vulnerability led the inhabitants of the cantons to take up arms to defend their heritage. During the Cold War, the bloody dispute between the United States and the Soviet Union, as well as the constant threat of nuclear war, led the Swiss to rethink their logic of neutrality.

Although the Confederation remained neutral throughout the dispute, the truth is that this condition was not an impediment for Switzerland to reinforce its army. Bunkers capable of sheltering the entire population in case of bombing were created, men between the ages of 18 and 44 were trained to fight if required. Military defense was an indisputable element of national identity and every Swiss was called upon to take up arms when necessary.

Today the sense of protection and defense of the territory is still present in the collective imagination of citizens. So much so that, according to reports from various NGOs, Switzerland has established itself as the third place in the world in possession of weapons per citizen, only below the United States and Yemen.

According to the NGO, Small Survey, there is an average of 46 weapons for every 100 Swiss. In the absence of a national registry, the official statistics, which do not include shotguns and hunting or sports pistols, speak of the existence of just over 2.5 million weapons distributed among the citizens of a country of barely 8.57 million inhabitants.

Contrary to what might be speculated, the possession of weapons by citizens has not led to mass shootings like those in countries with the same freedoms. However, according to data from the Ministry of Health, Switzerland ranked first in suicides committed by firearm, which has led to discussion of portability and easy access to weapons.

Although most of the adjectives that describe the Alpine country are usually positive, the reality is that Switzerland not only tops the world lists that measure the Human Development Index or the quality of life in the countries, but also leads a list that stains their image of neutrality, that of countries with the greatest arms exports.

Exporting values and weapons

Christine Schraner Burgener is a leading figure in Swiss neutrality. She is specialized in international mediation and has been sent by the United Nations to find solutions to the crises in Myanmar and Thailand.

A scenario that showed her diplomatic skills was the event in 2010 where she Schraner managed to bring together the victims of the demonstrations repressed by the Thai government that year and various authorities at the same table. That same year, Switzerland delivered arms worth 331,680 francs to Thailand and years later it positioned itself as the largest supplier of arms to the Asian country.

This example demonstrates the two aspects of Swiss diplomacy, on the one hand mediation and the search for peaceful solutions reinforce the image of neutrality of the Alpine country and on the other the search for enrichment at the cost of innocent lives.

The Thai case has not been the only one criticized by opponents of the manufacture and distribution of Swiss weapons. Currently the Confederation is positioned as the largest arms exporter on the European continent. According to the Federal Council of the Swiss Government Portal, [in 2018 Swiss companies exported war material to about 64 countries for an amount of 510 million Swiss francs (481.1 million euros)](https://www.admin.ch /gov/fr/accueil/documentation/communications.msg-id-74087.html)

Among its main trading partners in 2018 were Germany, Denmark and the United States. However, despite the fact that there is a regulation on the sale of arms where it is prohibited that these be sold to countries with an internal conflict, the reality is that Swiss weapons have reached countries such as Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Syria.

A recent article published by the newspaper Tages-Anzeiger notes that in September 2019 Saudi Arabia used anti-aircraft missiles from Switzerland to try to protect its main Abqaiq oil field from a drone attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels. The article cites reliable sources, including satellite images. Some maintain that it was self-defense, since the weapons were used in Saudi territory and not in Yemen. However, these weapons claimed the lives of different people.

The aforementioned cases demonstrate once again that States have double standards. Sometimes economic interest prevails over political interests, being reflected in a double adventure that, on occasions, tarnishes the international image of countries. The case of Switzerland is exceptional, being a neutral country, defender and promoter of human rights, it not only exports its values, but also its weapons.