PalenQ

Switzerland, long neutral in theory at least if WWII hadn't happened, cast aside its ballyhooed neutrality this weekend by invading the defenseless Duchy of Leichtenstein!
You could say it was picking on someone they knew they could defeat as the Duchy has no military forces, only a few police folk.
Yup the fearless Swiss military drove about a half kilometre into Leichtenstein territory before they were forced to retreat!
The retreat came about when Swiss forces, on their perpetual training exercises, had discovered that they had inadvertently crossed the Leichtenseinian border. so the mistake was soon rectified and at last word Swiss-Lick relations were back on a good keel. There is talk about filing damage charges however for pastureland that was trampeled.
(Source: BBC World News)

bob_brown

I saw the article. It is sort of funny.
I know one thing, having seen how well some of those Swiss marksmen can shoot, I would not be too keen on riling them up.

There is a firing range just off the road between Lauterbrunnen and Zweilütschinen where local marksmen practice. The Swiss National Shooting champion a few years ago came from Lauterbrunnen. He could just about shoot the wings off of a fly at 30 yards.

The whole town turned out, band and all, to celebrate the occasion with a parade down the street, past the church and over the bridge where a band concert took place.

TravMimi

I knew their army was planning something all these years besides running into the caves with the money.

PalenQ

Yes it was a surprise attack, being called Leichtenstein's Pearl Harbor by local press.
Reparations are being demanded by the Licks.
Supposedly the first Swiss invasion of another country since 563 AD.

marigross

Swiss Expansionism! The world needs more chocolate and fondue.

kleeblatt

This is such an top secret story that I only read about it here at Fodor's. There wasn't one word about in Switzerland's local newspapers. I wonder if my secret bank account in Liechtenstein is in danger of becoming public. It's tax time so maybe that's the reason for the "invasion."

By the way, it's LIEchtenstein.

PatrickLondon

As I understand it, Liechtenstein is one of the world's major producers of false teeth. Should we worry about weapons of mastication?

mikemo

PL, I rather think China is now the major supplier of quality dental crowns, etc.
M

PalenQ

Reuters reports:

Reparations demanded by LIEchtenstein that thge Swiss will send to Liechtenstein include some of the most famous of Swiss exports:

5 tons of chocolate
25 cow bells
1000 kg of Swiss cheese
all the anti-depressants Liechtenstians need for the next year
300 Swatches
500 Swiss Army Knives (with GPS on them of course!)
3 antique Swiss postal buses, goo-gah horns and all

LIEchtenstein in turn agrees to drop all further claims for reparations and agrees to resume normal relations.