Jakob Tanner, professor emeritus of modern history at the University of Zurich, joins me to explore Switzerland’s role in World War II and what it really meant to be a “neutral” country surrounded by Nazi-occupied Europe.
Expect to learn what daily life looked like for Swiss citizens during the war, how the country balanced fear of invasion with domestic stability, and why the Reduit strategy focused on retreating into the Alps. Jakob also breaks down Switzerland’s trade and financial ties with Nazi Germany, including gold transfers and the country’s role as a safe haven for German assets.
If you’re curious about Swiss wartime diplomacy, military preparedness, or the controversies that followed, this conversation offers rare historical insight.
CONTACT JAKOB
https://www.hist.uzh.ch/de/fachbereiche/neuzeit/emeritiert/tanner.html
CONTACT MIKE
https://howitticks.ch/contact-page/
TRANSCRIPT
https://howitticks.ch/podcast/switzerland-ww2-history-jakob-tanner/
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Switzerland’s unique position in 1942 and how neutrality shaped daily life
04:00 Economic dependence, rationing, and internal efforts to maintain stability
08:00 Public morale, spiritual defense, and fear of German invasion
13:00 The Reduit strategy: preparing to retreat into the Alps
17:00 Trade and economic ties with Nazi Germany: exports, raw materials, and political complexity
25:00 Gold transactions, banking secrecy, and the Swiss role in storing Nazi assets