Swiss Leave December 1945

Near Locarno, Switzerland

My Mother and Audie Murphy Ch. 103

At the end of the year Flo scored a leave to Switzerland. She didn’t give enough detail on this page of her album to tell if she was traveling alone or with someone but it seems she was traveling alone.

Famously neutral during the war, the Swiss managed to pull it off, never being bombed or invaded. Switzerland had entered the war determined to remain neutral yet fully prepared to defend itself. In August 1939, days before Germany invaded Poland, the Swiss government mobilized its military, signaling that neutrality would be backed by force. Surrounded by Axis powers, Switzerland relied on its rugged geography, fortified defenses, and a vigilant air force to deter invasion. Swiss pilots even engaged German aircraft that violated their airspace, shooting down eleven while losing only three of their own. At the same time, the country became a refuge for some of those fleeing the conflict and a hub of quiet diplomacy, hosting negotiations and humanitarian efforts that underscored its role as a neutral intermediary.

Swiss businesses continued to trade with Germany, a reality that later raised ethical questions about the limits of neutrality, while the government struggled to preserve independence under constant pressure. Public sentiment, however, strongly opposed Nazism, fueling what became known as “spiritual defense”—a shared cultural and moral commitment to protect Swiss democracy against totalitarianism. Through military readiness, diplomatic maneuvering, and civic resolve, Switzerland managed to navigate the war’s dangers and emerge with its sovereignty intact.