From: Patrick Eves <patrick.eves@canrem.com>
Subject: swiss military prepar
Organization: NCR Corporation -- Law Department
Date: Mon, 28 Dec 1992 17:33:02 GMT


From Patrick Eves <patrick.eves@canrem.com>


JB>  What are the tactical implications? What are the strategic
JB>implications? The economic implications? The equipment implications?
JB>Training implications? Warning system implications? Was Switzerland not
JB>invaded in WWII because of his militia? Has Israel being military
JB>successful because of its popular reserve militia? Has Cuba not being
JB>invaded by the US because of its militia? Etc?


Israel is one of the classic "armies with a country attached".  When discusssing
their reserve system and comparing it to other countries, some points should be
remembered.  Primarily, Israeli reservists, particularly the older ones, have
more combat experience than most regular soldiers anywhere.  More importantly,
it is for the most part successful combat experience - Israeli soldiers know
what it takes to win.  They take the military, and all that's associated with
it (training, equipment, logistics, etc.) VERY seriously, moreso than most other
countries.  They have to, otherwise there wouldn't be an Israel.  This leads to
a much more professional military, reserve and regular, than you would find
elsewhere.  By contrast, we used to refer to the local armoury, where several
militia units were based, as the "Hug 'n Slug", in reference to the preferred
activities of most of the weekend warriors based there, especially when they
took advantage of the no-id required/discounted draft beer situation in the
mess.

One of the more serious implications of Israel's system is that they cannot
sustain a long war.  When the callup comes, the economy shuts down.  Fortunately
for them, they've been sufficiently competent to end their wars quickly.

WRT warning, Israel also enjoys the benefits of one of the world's most
efficient intelligence services, the Mossad.  They are rarely taken off guard,
one obvious exception being in 1973, when the Egyptians surprised the hell out
of them.  This was mostly a case of "We can whip their butts blindfolded"
disease, with the accompanying arrogance.  They've since learned.

I've heard that Switzerland was not invaded in WWII because of its reserve
system.  I don't know if this was indeed the case or not.  It makes at least
some sense - Switzerland is lousy invasion territory anyway, and if it's
defended by just about every male citizen, then for the limited strategic
gains, it really wouldn't be worth the effort.

As for Cuba, I really don't know.  Looking at Cuba now, it's pretty obvious
that the US needn't have worried.  El Jefe Maximo Castro and his boys have
just about wrecked the place - it's only a matter of a few more years until
the place falls apart completely.  Should the US want to intervene then, it's
a fairly simple matter of docking the ships at Guantanimo Bay.  The modest
Cuban Navy was never a serious threat.  Since this was always the case, I
suspect the failure to invade was more a political decision than a strictly
military "can we do it?" decision.  Soviet-type militia systems are terrible,
as they provide no training after the conscript is discharged.  He's simply
expected, perhaps fifteen years later, to remember what to do, even if he may
not have done things too well the first time around.
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