Why did Germany leave Switzerland alone?
Well, they needed Switzerland for a number of reasons, one being a safe place where to store all the gold and other valuables “collected” all over Europe. They didn’t need Switzerland as a safe place to store anything because the Germans thought they were going to win the war.
Which country remained neutral during the war?
Dozens of European states adopted neutrality at the beginning of WWII, but by 1945 only Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and Turkey remained independent or unaligned.
Why did Norway not invade Sweden?
But Sweden’s response to Germany’s invasion of Norway in 1940 was less neighbourly, says historian Henrik Berggren. In the spring of 1940, Hitler sent 10,000 troops to invade Norway, mainly to secure an ice-free harbour into the North Atlantic and to gain better control of the iron ore supply from Sweden.
Did Switzerland help Germany in WW2?
Up until World War Two, Switzerland upheld her stance of neutrality rather admirably. But despite not engaging in combat during the war, Switzerland’s so called ‘neutrality’ has been heavily scrutinized in recent years, with particular emphasis on border controls, banking and trade with Nazi Germany.
Was Switzerland neutral in the Cold War?
Even the neutrals and the non-aligned countries could not shy away from choosing sides. Switzerland, which despite a more than dubious record in the Second World War resolutely upheld its neutrality in the cold war, was no exception.
What side was Switzerland on in the Cold War?
As a small and open economy, Switzerland was and is dependent on access to foreign markets. At the same time, during the Cold War it pursued a policy of strict neutrality between the two blocs, although it considered itself part of the West in economic, political and cultural terms.
Which event officially started WWII?
On September 1, 1939, Hitler invaded Poland from the west; two days later, France and Britain declared war on Germany, beginning World War II. On September 17, Soviet troops invaded Poland from the east.