Swiss foreign policy [antikvár]

1. Formative forces in Swiss foreign policyTo a greater or lesser extent a country's foreign policy is subject to factors outside the control of its politicians. This is especially true of Switzerland, a small country in which, given the existing circumstances, so much is inevitable. Like other small countries, she often has little choice when it comes to making decisions on foreign policy issues. The major formative forces in Swiss foreign policy are determined by the country's strategic position, its lack of raw materials, the extent to which its economy is dependent on foreign trade, and the close links between its foreign relations and a domestic policy based on direct democracy and a federal structure.1. Switzerland's strategic positionFree from commitments to military alliances, neutral Switzerland - with neutral Austria - constitutes a kind of locking-device across the centre of Europe. Situated between NATO and the Warsaw Pact, this locking-device is important in the context of the tension between the two power blocs. The freedom of Austria and Switzerland from alliances is, for NATO, an obstacle in the direct link between NATO forces in Northern Europe (Federal R^epublic of Germany, Benelux countries, Denmark and Norway) and its forces in Southern Europe (Italy and other Mediterranean countries). This Swiss-Austrian locking-device could be useful to the Warsaw Pact countries by securing their flank in operations in Gemany or Yugoslavia/Northern Italy or by their using it as a corridor for a Blitz push to the west.In the event of tension or open conflict, both alliances would be tempted to invade Swiss or Austrian territory, either by NATO forces moving in a north-south direction or by Warsaw Pact troops moving in an east-west direction. Their interests thus being seen to cancel