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The Times (Saturday) - Beware the mighty Liechtenstein
Past Notes: German anger towards the tiny principality goes back to the 19th century, by Graham Stewart

Although the allegation was false, Liechtenstein’s vote had been what tipped the curia’s casting vote for war [in June, 1966]. Playing up the absurdity of it, Bismarck was incandescent, accusing the tiny mountain state, with a population of 6,000, of starting the Austro-Prussian War, which resulted in more than 100,000 casualties.

For Austria the conflict proved calamitous. Liechtenstein, however, fared rather better. It posted its entire army out of the way on Tyrolean sentry duty. Eighty were dispatched; 81 returned.

Notwithstanding Bismarck’s accusations against the country he held responsible for starting the war, nobody remembered to include Liechtenstein in the Treaty of Prague, which ended it. In 1938, Nazi activists pretended that the principality was therefore still at war with Germany and should be annexed. Perhaps taking a hint, the ailing Prince Franz I chose that moment to abdicate in favour of his cousin. The Nazis had started to take an interest in Franz’s Jewish wife.

Thus Liechtenstein managed to sit out the Second World War, while giving refuge both to Jews escaping Hitler and, at the end of the conflict, to pro-German White Russian soldiers fleeing Stalin.

The German tax authorities may be a formidable force. But can Mrs Merkel really hope to outwit the country that successfully ignored the wrath of Bismarck, Hitler and Stalin?

I’d like to think people stay true to type, but things have changed.