Switserland has, an overwhelming majority is never 100% and Adolf Hitler
found a few admirers also in Switzerland (Sister of Isis), but they never gained more
than one out of 231 parliamentary mandates in Swiss elections. This very
small minority got a lot of attention not only during the 1930's but
also by historians since.
It is important, however, to realize that people all over the world were much more inclined to follow any leaders and authorities before the end of World War II than they do today. In fact, the atrocities committed by the Nazis (holocaust!), by the communist regime in the Soviet Union (Stalin!) and by Japanese troops in China and Corea opened the eyes of many. As Europe was more directly affected than America, Europeans today tend to be far more critical against any kind of leadership than Americans would do (Example: Because Hitler had himself called "Der Führer" [= the leader] Swiss, German and Austrian media showed a strong reluctance to use this word after the Second World War, while the english word "leader" is still very common in U.S. television reports on politics).
There are some historians denouncing many Swiss politicians of the 1930's as being "Fascists" or at least of sympathizing with Fascism. I think, this is in most cases not really correct. There is no doubt, that a strong majority of politicians, intellectuals and ordinary people did favour authority, law and order - but this did not include support for Adolf Hitler's ideology and atrocities like genocide or the elimination of mentally handicapped people. There is a German figure of speech saying that "comparisons always go lame", but I still would say that the political convictions of these Swiss pre-war politicians were much closer to those of today's representatives of the Republican Party in the U.S.A. than to the ideology of National Socialism.
"Spiritual defense" in Switzerland
It is important, however, to realize that people all over the world were much more inclined to follow any leaders and authorities before the end of World War II than they do today. In fact, the atrocities committed by the Nazis (holocaust!), by the communist regime in the Soviet Union (Stalin!) and by Japanese troops in China and Corea opened the eyes of many. As Europe was more directly affected than America, Europeans today tend to be far more critical against any kind of leadership than Americans would do (Example: Because Hitler had himself called "Der Führer" [= the leader] Swiss, German and Austrian media showed a strong reluctance to use this word after the Second World War, while the english word "leader" is still very common in U.S. television reports on politics).
There are some historians denouncing many Swiss politicians of the 1930's as being "Fascists" or at least of sympathizing with Fascism. I think, this is in most cases not really correct. There is no doubt, that a strong majority of politicians, intellectuals and ordinary people did favour authority, law and order - but this did not include support for Adolf Hitler's ideology and atrocities like genocide or the elimination of mentally handicapped people. There is a German figure of speech saying that "comparisons always go lame", but I still would say that the political convictions of these Swiss pre-war politicians were much closer to those of today's representatives of the Republican Party in the U.S.A. than to the ideology of National Socialism.
"Spiritual defense" in Switzerland
The term "Geistige Landesverteidigung" [spiritual
national defense] stands for the strong and widespread political will of
the Swiss population to defend Switzerlands independence and democratic
constitution against the Nazis. This common goal united entrepreneurs
and socialists that had waged bitter conflicts during all of the 1920's.
It was Switzerland's answer to Nazi propaganda warfare.
The term "Geistige Landesverteidigung" [spiritual
national defense] stands for the strong and widespread political will of
the Swiss population to defend Switzerlands independence and democratic
constitution against the Nazis. This common goal united entrepreneurs
and socialists that had waged bitter conflicts during all of the 1920's.
It was Switzerland's answer to Nazi propaganda warfare.
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