The invasion was inadvertent, according to the Swiss government, which explained that 170 of its infantry soldiers got lost (the one accessory Swiss army knives lack is a compass, but most have corkscrews, which are handy when opening bottles of riesling) and accidentally invaded the country next door. After asking for directions, the soldiers turned around and went home to make cocoa, or possibly to open a bottle of riesling.
Liechtenstein has a population of about 35,000, making it nearly as large as Pennsauken, New Jersey. (Come on, Switzerland, pick on someone your own size!) Out of the 35,000 residents of Liechtenstein, only about 23,100 are actually from Liechtenstein. The rest are from Switzerland, Austria, Germany and Italy. Still, the Swiss infantry was outnumbered.
The Swiss soldiers were carrying assault rifles but had no ammunition. That’s not necessarily a disadvantage when invading Liechtenstein, since the country disbanded its military in 1868. On the other hand, Liechtenstein’s largest company, Hilti, makes nail guns, which may explain the Swiss’ hasty retreat.
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