Discover Germany, Switzerland & Austria
SWISS CYCLE SOLDIERS
Did you know that the Swiss Army had bike regiments that were deployed as defensive units? Eric Bryan set out to find out more. TEXT: ERIC BRYAN
For almost five centuries the Swiss have adhered to a policy of armed neutrality. Switzerland observes the Roman militia system based on the procedure used in Republican Rome whereby all able-bodied men serve active and reserve duty. There were bombings and border skirmishes in Switzerland during both world wars, but the country hasn’t been at war since being conquered by Napoleon in 1798. Due to its geography, Switzerland is naturally defensible, and for 100 years bicycles were an important part of the equipage of the Swiss Army. The Swiss Army bicycle troops were founded by Officer Alphons Pfyffer, who arranged bike trials in 1887. The Army adopted bicycles in 1888, employing them as courier vehicles, and formed bicycle troops in 1891. A reason for creating Swiss cycling formations was for the preservation of the cavalry resources. Caesar wrote that a column could move about 20 Roman miles (29km) per day, but in the late 19th century the introduction of bicycle infantry extended that range to 160km Number plate on an MO-05 bike. Photo: Peter One, Wikimedia Commons
October 2023
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Issue 11 0
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