Switzerland

Switzerland
Government type	Democracy
Ruling party	Katholisch Konservative (conservative)
Capital	Bern
Population	490.34 thousand
Primary culture	Swiss
Accepted cultures
Religion	Protestant
Literacy	70 %
National value	Order
Tech school	Traditional academia
Status	Civilized

Switzerland in Victoria 2 has the same borders as today's Switzerland.

Switzerland in Victoria II pretty much matches its contemporary borders. From the fall of Napoleon in 1815 up to the present day, it remained at peace and maintained neutrality amid the web of international alliances (with the exception of the civil Sonderbund War of November 1847 between seven Catholic cantons and the federal government, whose foremost general presided over the First Geneva Convention). But what would have happened if it was aggressive and expansionist?

Overview

Switzerland begins in 1836 as a Civilized Nation, but achieving Secondary Power status and engaging in colonization is not difficult after building up industrialization, research capacity, and prestige. Even Great Power status is achievable in the long term. It is sandwiched between France, Austria, Sardinia-Piedmont ( Italy), and Baden ( South German Federation/ Germany).

Events and Decisions

Switzerland has 3 unique Decisions

• Build the Gotthard Tunnel
• The Republic of Neuchâtel
• The Geneva Convention

Furthermore Switzerland has a long list of unique events. Most of them have a positive effect with many of them raising plurality or giving prestige.

• The First Official Census
• France Demands the Extradition of Louis Napoléon
• Telegram!
• Referendum on the Railroads
• Referendum on the Status of Jews
• Referendum on the Liquor Monopoly
• Radical Liberal Coup in Ticino
• Sisi Murdered!
• Socialist Conference in Rienthal
• Socialist Conference in Zimmerwald
• The Red Cross

Advantages and disadvantages

Switzerland's strengths lie in its high literacy. Research areas of Commerce tech and Industry, although its small population and low immigration rate provide challenges in boosting industrialization score. Cultural research, although neither favored nor penalized, can result in great leaps in prestige, which may provide a more rewarding focus than Industrial tech. Military score typically rises the slowest, since Army and Navy research are penalized. This is further worsened by Switzerland's small population, being surrounded by 3 different great powers, and its lack of ocean ports. That said, even slow Army advances result in good bonuses toward defensive posture in this mountainous country, and large invasions can be stymied by Swiss mountaintop defenses and high rates of enemy attrition.

One should note that Prussia has a core on Neuchâtel until Switzerland takes the decision The Republic of Neuchâtel. They are usually not aggressive for it, but just in case, it might be a good idea to research Romanticism as soon as possible to take the decision.

Switzerland produces a good amount of coal and iron for some basic industry. Switzerland begins with some factories producing fabric, but that doesn't actually fit your RGO's at all, so if it goes bankrupt it is not actually that bad. Since Switzerland is a democracy and the conservative party supports interventionism, you will most likely need your capitalists to make the correct decisions.

Diplomacy

France and Austria, and even Prussia to an extent, have quite a lot of influence over Switzerland and the Swiss will likely end up in one of those spheres, with France being the most likely. Any one of them is a powerful ally.

Sardinia-Piedmont will probably become a rival early in the game. Annexing its lands can give access to the sea, which can lead on to the North African nations and other exotic parts of the world. Given that Sardinia's capital state is in the region that would connect Switzerland to the sea, however, annexing this land would require all other Sardinian regional provinces to have been acquired first. For coveted sea access, it may be more realistic in the long run to ally with France, declare war on Austria, allow France to attack weaker Austria while Swiss troops defend the homeland. That will make it possible to acquire the provinces of Lombardia and Venezia. But one should take stock of the early game alliance networks. Attacking either Netherlands or Spain if they are isolated are also possible. Or you may build the Panama Canal or Suez Canal to gain ports for colonizing Africa and the Pacific later in the game.

Switzerland might actually end in the strange situation that it becomes a great power too quickly based on its positive events, decision and research without having the army or industry to support it. It will most likely leave them without the protective alliance from a sphere.

Hidden strength

A special feature of Switzerland is its "Swiss" culture - every pop in Switzerland is Swiss (rather than South German, French or North Italian) and the culture does not appear in any other nation at the start of the game. As a result, fast assimilation is a useful target after conquests.

Events

The Geneva Convention is a uniquely Swiss decision, that enables another decision for all Civilized nations: Sign the Geneva Convention. It gives a 0.01 infamy pr. month in exchange of 5% army organisation regain rate and 0.02 reduced war exhaustion pr. month. On top of that, it gives Switzerland 10 prestige.

Countries