Switzerland's 1918 General Strike: Class War in the Alps

In November 1918, as World War I ended, Switzerland faced its own internal battle. The Landesstreik, or General Strike, saw 250,000 workers walk off the job, demanding political reform, proportional representation, and the 48-hour work week. In this episode, Lucas and Luna examine the Oltner Aktionskomitee, the Role of the Swiss Army under Ulrich Wille, and the strike's aftermath—which led to the 9-hour work day but no revolution. They discuss the social divide between industrial workers and the rural countryside, the government's use of military force, and how the strike shaped Swiss labor relations for decades. Key figures include Robert Grimm, the socialist leader, and General Ulrich Wille, who threatened to crush the strike. This is a story of a nation that chose negotiation over violence—but only just. #Landesstreik #GeneralStrike #Switzerland #1918 #RobertGrimm #UlrichWille #OltnerAktionskomitee #SocialDemocracy #SwissArmy #ClassConflict #Neutrality #LaborHistory #SwissPolitics #WorldWarI #ProportionalRepresentation #48HourWorkWeek #History #FexingoHistory #SwissHistory #RTlischwur Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo