The Alpine Redoubt
			Mario Muigg Abstract for 1st ACIPSS session November 27th 2004 Abstract In the summer of 1944 the military situation in Germany started to deteriorate. The Allied forces landed in Normandy, the southern sector of the front line in Italy could not prevent the anglo-american advance. The central sector of the eastern front line had already collapsed and Germany could no longer deny the increasing superiority of the allied air force. Under these circumstances the Allies began to think about a posssible last and fanatical stand of Nazi Germany. It took not long before the myth of the "Alpine Redoubt" was born. When in late April/early May of 1945 the Allied forces advanced through the Alpine region meeting hardly any serious resistance they were in complete confusion: What had happened? Does the "Alpine Redoubt" exist at all? If it turns out to be nothing more than a phantom stronghold – what made the Allied intelligence services believe in this hoax? Can an error of these dimensions happen to experts of the intelligence services? Or was there more behind it? It is the responsibility of historical research to solve these questions. Maybe the "Alpine Redoubt" was simply an utopian plan, maybe it was a real fortress whose defence inevitably had to end in chaos. The Swiss had a crucial influence on shaping the concept of an "Alpine Redoubt". From 1940 to 1942 a so-called "Réduit National" was built in Switzerland. It comprised massive fortifications as well as bunker and tunnel systems which were to serve as a safe place of retreat. From 1944 onwards more and more reports arose which believed that the last stand of Nazi Germany would also be situated in the Alps. The construction of German fortifications and increasing military activities in the Alpine area attracted particular attention of the Allied intelligence services. Nevertheless, the question whether there was ever going to be an "Alpine Redoubt" could not be answered until the end of the war. In the end we can say that the "Alpine Redoubt" was neither a completely utopian plan, but that it did not deserve its name. The Allies overestimated the Redoubt while the Germans started their project far too late. But although the "Alpine Redoubt" never went beyond the planning stage it still caused confusion and insecurity until the very end of the war.		ÜBERSICHT DIE ALPENFESTUNG