Waiting for a conflict in a neutral land

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The House of Representatives' audit committee visits the border Schweizerisches Bundesarchiv

An artillery observation post near Basel Schweizerisches Bundesarchiv

Major Simon (left), and a signals soldier with telephone, Delémont, canton Jura Schweizerisches Bundesarchiv

Sappers relax during the day ahead of a nighttime exercise, Bützberg, canton Bern Schweizerisches Bundesarchiv

Border patrol in Thayngen, canton Schaffhausen Schweizerisches Bundesarchiv

German and French dummies, Oberwil, canton Basel Country Schweizerisches Bundesarchiv

Infantry surge forward, La Joux, canton Fribourg Schweizerisches Bundesarchiv

Defence position on the Hauenstein, cantons Solothurn and Basel Country Schweizerisches Bundesarchiv

Morning exercise up on the alp, Monte Gesero, canton Ticino Schweizerisches Bundesarchiv

A crater left by a German mortar shell north of Beurnevésin, canton Jura Schweizerisches Bundesarchiv

Fully-armed troops take up their positions in a trench Schweizerisches Bundesarchiv

Soldiers taking a bath Schweizerisches Bundesarchiv

Empty trenches (left), a guarded resting place for horses and men Schweizerisches Bundesarchiv

A dragoon squadron dropping down a steep hill, Rheinfelden, canton Aargau Schweizerisches Bundesarchiv

Clearing up after heavy snowfall, Monte Gesero, canton Ticino Schweizerisches Bundesarchiv

The line of troops stretches out on the long march home, Monte Gesero Schweizerisches Bundesarchiv

In the soldiers' mess, Courtételle, canton Jura Schweizerisches Bundesarchiv

Colonel Chavannes, Bern (left), and a 42 cm mortar, Dornachbrugg, canton Basel Country Schweizerisches Bundesarchiv

A group of convalescing soldiers during a singing lesson, St Beatenberg, canton Bern Schweizerisches Bundesarchiv

A soldier with an amputated leg gets a prosthesis fitted at a rehabilitation centre Schweizerisches Bundesarchiv

A captive balloon and the Henri Farlan biplane, Bern Schweizerisches Bundesarchiv

Pile of packages at Bern's city high school waiting for distribution to foreign soldiers interned in Switzerland. Schweizerisches Bundesarchiv

A biplane over the airfield in Dübendorf, canton Zurich Schweizerisches Bundesarchiv

Field artillery during an exercise Schweizerisches Bundesarchiv

At a post on the border with Italy at the Piz da las Trais Linguas in canton Graubünden Schweizerisches Bundesarchiv

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Switzerland mobilised its troops in August 1914 to protect its neutrality. During the First World War, soldiers kept guard at the country's borders. The Federal Archives has 5,000 photos providing a glimpse of life on active duty.

Troop numbers varied depending on the potential threats over the border. In August 1914, there were around 220,000 soldiers called up, but only 12,500 by the end of the war. Most men spent on average 500 days serving. The Swiss army didn’t take part in any fighting, but approximately 3,000 men died because of accidents or illness, including 1,800 during the infamous Spanish flu epidemic in 1918.

One hundred years after the conflict began, the Federal Archives has brought out 5,000 photos illustrating life during the mobilisation. This collection provides a complete overview of the soldiers’ activities, including marching, shooting, cycling patrols, trench digging, cleaning weapons and so forth.

(Photos: Swiss Federal Archives; photo editing: Christoph Balsiger, swissinfo.ch; text: Olivier Pauchard, swissinfo.ch)