A semiconductor switching device comprising: a control-triggered stage (210 1) comprising: one or more semiconductor switches (S 1,i) connected in parallel, each semiconductor switch (S 1,i) comprising a power input (PI 1,i), a power output (PO 1,i), and a control input (CI 1,i); a breakover switch (BOS 1) comprising an anode and a cathode, the anode of the breakover switch (BOS 1) coupled to the power input (PI 1,i) of each semiconductor switch (S 1,i), the cathode of the breakover switch (BOS 1) coupled to the control input (CI 1,i) of each semiconductor switch (S 1,i); and a control switch (SW 1) connected across the breakover switch (BOS 1); one or more auto-triggered stages (210 j, j=2,...,n) connected in series, each auto-triggered stage (210 j, j=2,...,n) comprising: one or more semiconductor switches (S j,i, j=2,...,n) connected in parallel, each semiconductor switch (S j,i, j=2,...,n) of each auto-triggered stage (210 j, j=2,...,n) comprising a power input (PI j,i, j=2,...,n), a power output (PO j,i, j=2,...,n), and a control input (CI j,i, j=2,...,n); and a breakover switch (BOS j, j=2,...,n) comprising an anode and a cathode, the anode of the breakover switch of the each auto-triggered stage (210 j, j=2,...,n) coupled to the power input (PI j,i, j=2,...,n) of each semiconductor switch (S j,i, j=2,...,n) of the each auto-triggered stage (210 j, j=2,...,n), the cathode of the breakover switch (BOS j, j=2,...,n) of the each auto-triggered stage (210 j, j=2,...,n) coupled to the control input (CI j,i, j=2,...,n) of each semiconductor switch (S j,i, j=2,...,n) of the each auto-triggered stage (210 j, j=2,...,n), wherein the control-triggered stage (201 1) is connected in series with the one or more auto-triggered stages (210 j, j=2,...,n). a control-triggered stage (210 1) comprising: one or more semiconductor switches (S 1,i) connected in parallel, each semiconductor switch (S 1,i) comprising a power input (PI 1,i), a power output (PO 1,i), and a control input (CI 1,i); a breakover switch (BOS 1) comprising an anode and a cathode, the anode of the breakover switch (BOS 1) coupled to the power input (PI 1,i) of each semiconductor switch (S 1,i), the cathode of the breakover switch (BOS 1) coupled to the control input (CI 1,i) of each semiconductor switch (S 1,i); and a control switch (SW 1) connected across the breakover switch (BOS 1); one or more semiconductor switches (S 1,i) connected in parallel, each semiconductor switch (S 1,i) comprising a power input (PI 1,i), a power output (PO 1,i), and a control input (CI 1,i); a breakover switch (BOS 1) comprising an anode and a cathode, the anode of the breakover switch (BOS 1) coupled to the power input (PI 1,i) of each semiconductor switch (S 1,i), the cathode of the breakover switch (BOS 1) coupled to the control input (CI 1,i) of each semiconductor switch (S 1,i); and a control switch (SW 1) connected across the breakover switch (BOS 1); one or more auto-triggered stages (210 j, j=2,...,n) connected in series, each auto-triggered stage (210 j, j=2,...,n) comprising: one or more semiconductor switches (S j,i, j=2,...,n) connected in parallel, each semiconductor switch (S j,i, j=2,...,n) of each auto-triggered stage (210 j, j=2,...,n) comprising a power input (PI j,i, j=2,...,n), a power output (PO j,i, j=2,...,n), and a control input (CI j,i, j=2,...,n); and a breakover switch (BOS j, j=2,...,n) comprising an anode and a cathode, the anode of the breakover switch of the each auto-triggered stage (210 j, j=2,...,n) coupled to the power input (PI j,i, j=2,...,n) of each semiconductor switch (S j,i, j=2,...,n) of the each auto-triggered stage (210 j, j=2,...,n), the cathode of the breakover switch (BOS j, j=2,...,n) of the each auto-triggered stage (210 j, j=2,...,n) coupled to the control input (CI j,i, j=2,...,n) of each semiconductor switch (S j,i, j=2,...,n) of the each auto-triggered stage (210 j, j=2,...,n), one or more semiconductor switches (S j,i, j=2,...,n) connected in parallel, each semiconductor switch (S j,i, j=2,...,n) of each auto-triggered stage (210 j, j=2,...,n) comprising a power input (PI j,i, j=2,...,n), a power output (PO j,i, j=2,...,n), and a control input (CI j,i, j=2,...,n); and a breakover switch (BOS j, j=2,...,n) comprising an anode and a cathode, the anode of the breakover switch of the each auto-triggered stage (210 j, j=2,...,n) coupled to the power input (PI j,i, j=2,...,n) of each semiconductor switch (S j,i, j=2,...,n) of the each auto-triggered stage (210 j, j=2,...,n), the cathode of the breakover switch (BOS j, j=2,...,n) of the each auto-triggered stage (210 j, j=2,...,n) coupled to the control input (CI j,i, j=2,...,n) of each semiconductor switch (S j,i, j=2,...,n) of the each auto-triggered stage (210 j, j=2,...,n), wherein the control-triggered stage (201 1) is connected in series with the one or more auto-triggered stages (210 j, j=2,...,n).