, 1386 s during
World War I|thumb The land component of the Swiss Armed Forces originated from the cantonal troops of the
Old Swiss Confederacy, called upon in cases of external threats by the
Tagsatzung or by the canton in distress. In the
federal treaty of 1815, the Tagsatzung prescribed
cantonal troops to put a contingent of 2% of the population of each canton at the federation's disposition, amounting to a force of some 33,000 men. The cantonal armies were converted into the federal army (
Bundesheer) with the
constitution of 1848. From this time, it was illegal for the individual cantons to declare war or to sign
capitulations or peace agreements. Paragraph 13 explicitly prohibited the federation from sustaining a
standing army, and the cantons were allowed a maximum standing force of 300 each (not including the
Landjäger corps, a kind of police force). Paragraph 18 declared the "obligation" of every Swiss citizen to serve in the federal army if conscripted (
Wehrpflicht), setting its size at 3% of the population plus a
reserve of one and one half that number, amounting to a total force of some 80,000. The first complete
mobilization, under the command of
Hans Herzog, was triggered by the
Franco-Prussian War in 1871. In 1875, the army was called in to crush a strike of workers at the
Gotthard tunnel. Four workers were killed and 13 were severely wounded. Paragraph 19 of the revised constitution of 1874 extended the definition of the federal army to every able-bodied male citizen, which would have swollen the size of the army, had it not been replaced by later revisions, from under 150,000 to more than 700,000, with population growth during the 20th century rising further to some 1.5 million, the second largest armed force
per capita after the
Israel Defense Forces. Prior to the revised constitution,
Jews in Switzerland were excluded from the army, with various exceptions and special conditions through the years. In 1808, the laws of mandatory military service were particularly strict for
Jews, who, unlike
Christians, could not opt to be replaced by a volunteer. During this time, Jews were not considered to be Swiss citizens. Following the introduction of Jewish corporations in 1813, they were given separate documentation for military enlistment. A special rule in 1816 demanded that the Jews should pay an equipment contribution of 1000 francs per year (400 francs in 1808). From 1852 onwards, Jews served in the army like other Swiss citizens, and the constitution of 1874 removed all remaining discriminatory measures. A major
manoeuvre commanded in 1912 by
Ulrich Wille, a reputed
Germanophile, convinced visiting European heads of state, in particular
Kaiser Wilhelm II, of the efficacy and determination of Swiss defences. Wille was subsequently put in command of the second complete mobilization in 1914, and Switzerland escaped invasion in the course of
World War I. Wille also ordered the suppression of the 1918 general strike (
Landesstreik) with military force. Three workers were killed, and a rather larger number of soldiers died of the
Spanish flu during mobilization. In 1932, the army was called to suppress an anti-fascist demonstration in Geneva. The troops shot dead 13 demonstrators, wounding another 65. This incident long damaged the army's reputation, leading to persistent calls for its abolition among left-wing politicians. In both the 1918 and the 1932 incidents, the troops deployed were consciously selected from rural regions such as the
Berner Oberland, fanning the enmity between the traditionally conservative rural population and the urban working class. The third complete mobilization of the army took place during
World War II under the command of
Henri Guisan (see also
Switzerland during the World Wars). The
Patrouille des Glaciers race, created to test the abilities of soldiers, was created during the war. In the 1960s and 1970s, the armed forces were organised according to the "Armee 61" structure. Horse mounted
cavalry (specifically
dragoons) were retained for combat roles until 1973, and were the
last non-ceremonial horse cavalry in Europe, as were
bicycle infantry battalions until 2001. Since 1989, there have been several attempts to curb military activity or even abolish the armed forces altogether. A notable referendum on the subject was held on 26 November 1989 and, although defeated, did see a significant percentage of the voters in favour of such an initiative. However, a similar referendum, called for before, but held shortly after the
11 September attacks in 2001 in the US, was defeated by over 77% of voters. In 1989, the status of the army as a national icon was shaken by a
popular initiative aiming at its complete dissolution (see:
Group for a Switzerland without an Army) receiving 35.6% support. This triggered a series of reforms and, in 1995, the number of troops was reduced to 400,000 ("Armee 95"). Article 58.1 of the 1999 constitution repeats that the army is "in principle" organized as a militia, implicitly allowing a small number of professional soldiers. A second initiative aimed at the army's dissolution in late 2001 received a mere 21.9% support. In 2022, the Assembly voted to increase spending by 1.4 billion Swiss francs by 2030, or at least 1% of the country's GDP. The government planned to spend up to 50 billion Swiss francs on defense through the early 2030s. In 2024, the Armed Forces was projected to face significant funding shortfalls. == Personnel ==