The Transformation of Switzerland’s Militia Armed Forces and the Role of the Citizen in Uniform

Abstract

This article describes the structure of the Swiss militia armed forces and its preconditions. It explores in what ways the Swiss militia, which is founded on the principle of citizens in uniform, was affected by the changes in values that took place in Western societies from the 1960s and 1970s onwards as well as by the new security–political situation arising in the aftermath of the cold war. There is strong evidence that the concept of the citizen in uniform has clearly lost relevance. Voluntary commitment to society and a sense of duty as a citizen are no longer the main reasons for the involvement in the military. Instead, it is a question of individual cost-benefit analysis. Thus, the concept of the citizen in uniform may not only change for the individual soldier, but it may also be perceived differently by society.