Swiss Peace

The country of Switzerland has been famously officially neutral for the past 200 years, with its last battle being fought against the French over 500 years ago, in 1516. When the Treaty of Paris was signed in 1815, the European powers officially recognized Switzerland as a neutral country, one that wished to avoid all military engagements. Since then, the Swiss have maintained their neutrality through both world wars and throughout the 20th century, when everyone was already picking sides during the Cold War. But don't mistake neutrality for pacifism, however, as the Swiss have a well trained and equipped military. Although only 5% 200,000 of the Swiss military is comprised of professional soldiers, with the rest being a sort of reservist militia, they can be activated and ready to fight in about 30 minutes. Combined with the difficult mountainous landscape, hidden artillery, booby trapped infrastructure, it would be trouble than it's worth to attempt to invade the Swiss. But besides having a rather formidable fighting force ready to defend their homeland, another aspect of Swiss neutrality is their international relations. The Swiss are quite famous for their extensive banking and financial sector, with many nations having significant deposits there. Any incursion on the Swiss may very well bring not only severe economic sanctions to the attacker, but perhaps military action as well. Another key aspect of Swiss neutrality is its status as a safe haven for refugees fleeing from conflict, such as the Hungarians during the Cold War after they were occupied by the Soviets, or more recently an Ethiopian pilot who would have faced persecution in his home country had he not diverted to Switzerland. With their long and proud history of neutrality, and apt for non-violence, as well as their influence on the international stage despite their diminutive size, it is no wonder that the Swiss have been able to obtain and maintain neutrality so well, despite the constantly changing world we live in.

https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/neutrality-remains-a-core-principle/291974

http://time.com/3695334/switzerland-neutrality-history/

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