Each of these objectives has been carefully analyzed and the choice of words is not careless. What the Swiss mean by "Peace in independence" is made clear in the following excerpt from a report of the Federal Council to the Federal Assembly:
"The preservation of peace — no matter how much we are interested in it — is not an end in itself. It can neither be separated from the preservation of self-determination nor can one be played off against the other. Our goal is peace in independence; both aspects are therefore of equal importance."
The purpose of the military forces of Switzerland are two-fold: (1) to deter war by the principle of dissuasion; and (2) if deterrence fails, to defend the territory and the population.
"Dissuasion is a strategic posture which should persuade a potential aggressor to avoid armed conflict, by convincing him of the disproportion existing between the advantages gained from an attack on the country and the risks entailed. The risks which a potential aggressor must be made to perceive consists in the loss of prestige, military forces, war-potential and time, as well as in running counter to his ideological, political and economic interests."
The Swiss have no illusions about their ability to defeat a major military power. They could not have defeated the Nazi army which for a time considered invading Switzerland. They mobilized, however, and made it clear beyond a shadow of a doubt that if the Nazi army invaded, it would be fiercely resisted and that the tunnels and passes into Italy would be destroyed. In a classic example of dissuasion at work, Hitler’s general staff recommended against an invasion on the grounds that the costs would be disproportionate to the gains.
The Swiss military forces are composed almost entirely of the militia. Only 800 out of 50,000 officers are professionals. They, and the recruits which happen to be training at any given time, are the only people in Switzerland on "active duty."
via disinformation | who killed congressman lawrence patton mcdonald?: part 2.