Swiss Neutrality: Armed Neutrality Doctrine (1815)
by Anonymous
After the Napoleonic Wars, Switzerland chose permanent armed neutrality — guaranteed by the Congress of Vienna. This has kept Switzerland out of every European war since, while maintaining one of the strongest per-capita militaries.
Permanent Armed Neutrality
1815
year
No alliances, no wars, but strong defense
policy
Universal conscription, fortified Alps
military posture
Chosen — survived two World Wars unscathed
outcome
Alliance with Major Power
1815
year
Align with France, Austria, or Prussia
policy
Dependent on ally
military posture
Not chosen — would have been drawn into wars
outcome
Like this comparison? Make it your own.
Sign up to use as templateMore in History
Isaac Newton vs Leibniz: Calculus Notation (1680s)
Leibniz Notation (dx/dy) vs Newton Notation (Dots)
Wright Brothers: Wing Warping vs Ailerons (1903)
Wing Warping vs Ailerons (Hinged Surfaces)
Constantine: Adopt Christianity (312 CE)
Embrace Christianity vs Maintain Traditional Roman Paganism
Apple: Macintosh GUI vs Command Line (1984)
Graphical User Interface (Macintosh) vs Command Line Interface (DOS)
The Crusades: Pope Urban II's Call to Arms (1095)
Holy Crusade to Jerusalem vs Send Military Aid to Byzantium vs Decline Byzantine Request
Y2K: Fix It Proactively or Wait and See (1995-1999)
Proactive Remediation vs Wait and Patch