Army of Switzerland. The laws of Switzerland. Army of neutral Switzerland

An integral attribute of any state is its army, which ensures territorial integrity, order both within the country and near its borders. Without the army, in fact, there can be no state. This main postulate is understood by modern politicians as well as the figures of ancient times. It is worth noting the fact that the military history of the world is so boundless that today people continue to learn new, previously unknown facts about certain battles and whole wars. In turn, the historical development of the armed forces in individual states is not just surprising, but plunges into shock.

One such country is Switzerland. Terrible soldiers of this small country enjoyed unprecedented fame from the beginning of the Renaissance. To date, the army of Switzerland - this is a real "hellish pipeline", which prepares the universal warriors of the XXI century. Why are the soldiers of this country so strong, and how are they trained? We will try to answer all these questions in this article.

Swiss - menacing European mercenaries

The army of Switzerland is one of the most capable not only in Europe, but throughout the world. But in the period from the XIVth to the XIXth centuries the armed forces of this state were represented by mercenaries who "sold" their military skill to all those who could pay dearly for it.

The Swiss mercenaries were in the troops of the Italian city-states, and also fought on the side of France, Spain, Germany and many other countries of Europe and the world.
The army of Switzerland is praised in the treatise "The Emperor" of the famous Florentine politician Niccolo Machiavelli. According to him, it is thanks to the power of Swiss Swiss that they manage to win such glorious victories. By the beginning of the 20th century, most countries created their own battle-worthy armies, so the need for mercenaries outlived themselves.

Sun Switzerland - a modern concept

Even with the status of a neutral country, the modern Swiss Confederation can become quite a formidable opponent in a military conflict. According to the legislation of Switzerland, the armed forces of this country exist with a single goal - to ensure the security of the territory and the integrity of the state. In its type, the army of Switzerland is a militia in its classical form, which will be discussed in more detail below. Given the international legal status of Switzerland, it can be concluded that its army is exclusively a "shield" from external encroachments and can not take part in international conflicts that do not concern the state. Many modern political scientists are very interested in international relations within the framework of Switzerland-the European Union, because the latter is interested in getting such a powerful state in its structure.

Structure of the Swiss Army

The Armed Forces of Switzerland consist of two main elements: land and air forces. In the ground forces are 9 brigades of military purpose (2 tank, 3 alpine, 4 infantry). The structure of the air force includes fighter jets and helicopters, as well as ground-based air defense systems. The structure of the army of the Swiss Confederation is distinguished by its compactness and efficiency of interaction of all elements. The most combat-effective units are the Alpine, mountain-infantry brigades. Today in the world there are no analogues of such units with such specific tasks.

Militia, or militia form of the organization of the army

It should be noted that the army of Switzerland is built in a rather peculiar way. The militia system implies a military service absolutely for the entire male population. The service takes place on a system of constant fees several times a year. Thus, the army of Switzerland, whose strength is 120 thousand military, is also supplemented by reserve troops in the number of 80 thousand people. Earlier this figure was much higher. All men between the ages of 18 and 30 are military men who constantly go to army camps. The total time of all fees does not exceed one year (260 days).

The regime in the Swiss army

Servicemen undergo special training at the training camps several times a year during their total service life. It would seem that such training is completely ineffective, given the way of training fighters in the domestic military units. However, for a short time that the Swiss are on the field camp, they receive first-class combat, tactical, fire and other types of preparations. Take, for example, the first three weeks of service. The Swiss Armed Forces have created such conditions, in which soldiers do not do anything other than prepare for war.

In other words, they do not clean, do not clean potatoes and do not even bear guard! The upsurge of the Swiss army is at five in the morning, and the retreat at midnight. Between the ups and downs, soldiers receive general physical training, as well as special skills in mountaineering, driving, shooting, etc. The Charter of the Swiss Armed Forces allows servicemen to spend weekends at home.

Iron discipline

The Swiss have created a fairly effective way of ensuring discipline in the ranks of their army. They withdrew from unnecessary disciplinary punishments in the form of guardhouses or disciplinary battalions. For any misconduct with a soldier they can exact a fine! Such a sanction takes place, because the soldiers receive a salary, the size of which will be discussed later. The application of monetary penalties allows maintaining the iron discipline among servicemen, because no one wants to lose hard-earned money. Before asking about hazing, you need to see how Switzerland is on the world map. This is a modern European country, where the concept of hazing is, in principle, unknown. In addition, the status of a "rookie" is assigned to a person for only a few weeks. Nevertheless, the drill in the early stages is the most rigid. This is done to ensure that the conscience of the recruit enters the principle of the supremacy of the order and the paramount importance of the task.

Service payment

Each serviceman receives a fee for every day spent in the army. The size of the salary can vary depending on the age, financial situation, absence or availability of work. Mostly young people come to the ranks of the army at the age of 19. In this case, a person receives 6 francs for each day, provided they live with their parents or have their own housing. This amount can be increased. For example, a recruit does not have his own housing, no income and lives separately from his parents. In this case, the state adds to the 6 francs the amount that the recruit spends on paying for the apartment, and also pays for medical insurance, which is compulsory. A completely different situation with those military men who already have a permanent job. During the service they are paid wages from the direct employer. In turn, the employer receives compensation for the absent employee from the state.

How to postpone or postpone the service life

It is absolutely not problematic to postpone your service life for the next year. And it can be done in full or in part. However, in this case, the soldier will be forced to pay a considerable amount, which is 3% of the annual income. Such a severe sanction was created in order to prevent recruits from abusing the "goodness" of the state, or, more simply, "slashing" from the army. It should also be noted that in Switzerland there are practically no valid reasons for not serving. Even studying at the university is not an opportunity to "hide" from military service. Such a principle of rigidity in the organization of the service is necessary, given the composition of Switzerland. This approach is determined by the main task of the government: to ensure the unity of the state, which consists of many ethnically diverse nationalities.

Ways of refusing service

At present, there are several basic ways to not serve in the army of Switzerland. Each of them is purely nominal and in most cases is not used at all. This is due to the fact that the Swiss laws contain extremely severe sanctions for those who do not want to give their time for the benefit of their homeland. But in the most extreme case, there are legally legal ways to protect themselves from combat training in the ranks of the army of Switzerland, namely:

1. The first method can be used exclusively by foreigners. Its essence is not to receive Swiss citizenship until an age is reached that excludes the conscription. The method is quite simple, however, as already noted earlier, it is available exclusively for foreigners.

2. You can also replace the service in the army with an alternative service.

3. The most effective way is the disease. However, in this case you have to pay a fine in the amount of 200 to 500 francs. In addition, there are very few types of diseases that are respectful.

Types of alternative service

The army of Switzerland, whose strength is not only great, but colossal, allows some people to serve the Confederacy in an alternative way. An alternative type of service can be chosen on the basis of religious beliefs, health called or other aspects. It should be noted that the alternative service is completely unprofitable, since its term is much longer, and it does not instill any useful skills. The following alternatives exist:

- Civil defense is well developed in the Swiss Confederation, therefore the service in this sphere, in fact, is the same army, only the process of passage is much easier.

- Most often an alternative is used, such as civil service. The bottom line is that a person, for a certain period of time, carries out a useful work that does not require special qualification: he drives vehicles, works in hospitals, etc.

Prison is the most severe punishment for unwillingness to serve

Of all the existing sanctions against people who do not want to serve in the army, imprisonment is the most stringent. It is usually applied to those people who explicitly refuse to serve in the army. The term of imprisonment can vary from one to twelve months. Although there are advantages. Punishment is served in places of restriction of freedom. But very peculiar. That is, people work in the daytime where they used to, and spend the night in a specialized institution. In addition to restricting freedom, this kind of punishment can be used, such as socially useful works.

Conclusion

So, in the article we figured out what the army of Switzerland is, how it is done, how the process of service is carried out. It should be noted that the existing army arrangements in the Swiss Confederation have a great effect, and the militia organization of defense allows you to collect a huge number of trained fighters in the event of an unforeseen war. Switzerland on the map of the world is almost invisible, but its combat power is comparable to many large states.