I've read a lot of threads about Operation Tannenbaum (the invasion of Switzerland by Nazi Germany) on this site, but so far I haven't found a satisfactory answer to my question: how long can Swiss resistance last?
Let's assume a typical Axis Victory scenario - the Nazis manage a victory against the USSR and a stalemated armistice on the English Channel. Despite the end of hostilities, some troops will remain on the Atlantic Wall, and even more will be needed to pacify the East, but a lot of men and resources will be freed up and the blockade will be lifted. Nazi Germany will no longer have as great a need for Switzerland as they did OTL, as they now have access to international trade directly. Hitler's views on Switzerland are well-known, so I won't go into the details of how an invasion might come about. Suffice it to say, Adolf wants the country gone and no one can tell him 'no'.
So, Tannenbaum goes ahead, with Italy joining in too. From what I've read (including the threads on this site), most of Switzerland (specifically, the lowlands) will fall in fairly short order, given that that was General Guisan's plan - abandon the less defensible areas for the National Redoubt high up in the Alps. But how long can it last, really? Switzerland was surrounded by the Axis before the invasion, and now it's also lost a huge chunk of its territory, industry and population. Supplies in the Redoubt won't last forever (I recall that there was enough for like 6 months or so), but maybe the Swiss holdouts might raid into the lowlands for provisions? If yes, then I imagine the Nazis might just go scorched earth and remove the civilians (conveniently, the East needs Germanic settlers) to deprive the Swiss of their support base.
1. How long can the Redoubt as a whole last?
2. After the Redoubt is breached, how long until the last bunker/cave/tunnel falls to the Axis?
3. After the end of organized resistance and the crushing of the last holdouts, how long could an underground resistance movement last?
Discuss!
Let's assume a typical Axis Victory scenario - the Nazis manage a victory against the USSR and a stalemated armistice on the English Channel. Despite the end of hostilities, some troops will remain on the Atlantic Wall, and even more will be needed to pacify the East, but a lot of men and resources will be freed up and the blockade will be lifted. Nazi Germany will no longer have as great a need for Switzerland as they did OTL, as they now have access to international trade directly. Hitler's views on Switzerland are well-known, so I won't go into the details of how an invasion might come about. Suffice it to say, Adolf wants the country gone and no one can tell him 'no'.
So, Tannenbaum goes ahead, with Italy joining in too. From what I've read (including the threads on this site), most of Switzerland (specifically, the lowlands) will fall in fairly short order, given that that was General Guisan's plan - abandon the less defensible areas for the National Redoubt high up in the Alps. But how long can it last, really? Switzerland was surrounded by the Axis before the invasion, and now it's also lost a huge chunk of its territory, industry and population. Supplies in the Redoubt won't last forever (I recall that there was enough for like 6 months or so), but maybe the Swiss holdouts might raid into the lowlands for provisions? If yes, then I imagine the Nazis might just go scorched earth and remove the civilians (conveniently, the East needs Germanic settlers) to deprive the Swiss of their support base.
1. How long can the Redoubt as a whole last?
2. After the Redoubt is breached, how long until the last bunker/cave/tunnel falls to the Axis?
3. After the end of organized resistance and the crushing of the last holdouts, how long could an underground resistance movement last?
Discuss!
