De 1914 à 1945, quatre grandes puissances - les États-Unis, la Grande-Bretagne, l'Allemagne et la France - dominent économiquement et politiquement la scène mondiale. Ce sont aussi les principaux partenaires économiques de la Suisse. Les études réunies dans cet ouvrage répondent à une double ambition. Il s'agit, d'une part, de mieux apprécier le poids relatif de la Suisse pour chacun des quatre pays en question, et réciproquement, grâce à des données quantitatives en partie nouvelles. D'autre part, ces études permettront de mieux comprendre certains aspects importants de la politique économique menée par la Suisse durant une période cruciale de son histoire, à l'aide d'archives peu ou pas exploitées jusqu'à maintenant. Les contributions présentées ici permettent de dégager une conclusion générale, qui tranche avec une image d'Épinal encore largement répandue aujourd'hui. Elles montrent que de 1914 à 1945, la Suisse, loin d'être un frêle esquif sans grande liberté de manœuvre face à ses partenaires étrangers, s'est affirmée comme une véritable puissance sur le plan commercial et financier, avec laquelle les grands États ont dû de plus en plus compter. Pages de début Introduction. De la Suisse comme petit État faible : jalons pour sortir d'une image en trompe-l'œil Les relations commerciales de la Suisse avec les Grandes puissances durant l'entre-deux-guerres Un survol chiffré Place financière suisse et crédits aux belligérants durant la Première Guerre mondiale Swiss investments in the United States 1914-1945 Les discussions américano-suisses autour de la clause-or au début des années 1930 Les Etats-Unis entre la Suisse et l'Allemagne pendant la Deuxième Guerre mondiale : antinazisme ou primat des affaires ? Le blocage des avoirs suisses aux États-Unis en 1941 et ses conséquences Die Handelsbeziehungen zwischen Deutschland und der Schweiz von 1914 bis 1945 Relations commerciales entre l'Allemagne et la Suisse : histoire d'une rupture 1930-1932 Die Auswirkungen des Ersten Weltkrieges auf die Beziehungen der Schweizer Banken zur deutschen Industrie : Die Schweizerische Gesellschaft fur elektrische Industrie (Indelec) und der Siemens-Konzern L'impact de la politique française du change sur les échanges franco-suisses durant l'entre-deux-guerres Le rôle des facteurs non commerciaux dans les relations économiques franco-suisses au cours des années de crise 1930-1939 La diplomatie suisse et les relations financières avec la France 1936-1945 Multinational Cross-Investment between Switzerland and Britain 1914-1945 The Swiss Franc and British policy towards Switzerland 1939-1945 Notice sur lesauteurs Index des noms de personnes et de sociétés Pages de fin.

In Switzerland and Sub-Saharan Africa in the Cold War, 1967-1979, Sabina Widmer analyses Swiss foreign policy in Angola, Mozambique, Ethiopia, and Somalia in the late 1960s and 1970s, at the crossroads of the global East-West confrontation and decolonisation. Focusing on the independence wars in Angola and Mozambique, the Angolan War and the Ogaden War as well as regime changes that brought Soviet-allied governments to power, this book sheds new light on Switzerland’s role in the Third World during the Cold War. Based on extensive multi-archival research, it exposes the limits of neutrality in North-South relations, reveals the growing marge de manoeuvre of small states during Détente, and highlights the role of non-state actors in the making of foreign policy.

Mira Wilkins, the foremost authority on foreign investment in the United States, continues her magisterial history in a work covering the critical years 1914-1945. Wilkins includes all long-term inward foreign investments, both portfolio (by individuals and institutions) and direct (by multinationals), across such enterprises as chemicals and pharmaceuticals, textiles, insurance, banks and mortgage providers, other service sector companies, and mining and oil industries. She traces the complex course of inward investments, presents the experiences of the investors, and examines the political and economic conditions, particularly the range of public policies, that affected foreign investments. She also offers valuable discussions on the intricate cross-investments of inward and outward involvements and the legal precedents that had long-term consequences on foreign investment. At the start of World War I, the United States was a debtor nation. By the end of World War II, it was a creditor nation with the strongest economy in the world. Integrating economic, business, technological, legal, and diplomatic history, this comprehensive study is essential to understanding the internationalization of the American economy, as well as broader global trends.

This collection of essays sheds light on the history of Switzerland during World War II, covering such topics as: trade; financial relations; gold; refugees; defence; and foreign relations. It also touches on official post-war measures to suppress Switzerland's involvement in the war.

The Americanization of Europe and the strategic initiatives of American firms abroad have been well studied. The expansion of American firms in Europe, however, lacked a comprehensive study. This book gathers the works of two dozen economic and business historians from across Europe, preceded by Mira Wilkins' comparative essay. The collection addresses the timetable and pace of American direct investment in Europe, the patterns followed in each country according to the specificities of each industry and service sector, and the strategies followed by the different firms. The studies go beyond the facts, scrutinizing the immaterial aspects of this business history, especially European perceptions of American firms and the essential stakes of corporate images and identities. The Europeanization of American firms is a key issue, including social relations, management, commercial policies, brand image, connections and embeddedness. The authors gauge the reaction of public authorities and lobbies (industrialists and trade unions). Graphs and tables provide data, while overviews of ads published by American affiliates fuel analyses of consumer perception.

Switzerland's exceptional scenic beauty of valleys, lakes, and mountains, its central location on international trade routes, and its world famous banking system are just a few elements that have contributed to its rise in the global market. It consists of twenty-six member states, called cantons and it’s actively engaged in the maintenance of peace among nations. The history of the Swiss Confederation is as rich and varied as its culture and people. This updated second edition of Historical Dictionary of Switzerland features the nation's multicultural and democratic traditions and institutions, its complex history, and its people's involvement in past and present world affairs. This is done through a list of abbreviations and acronyms, a chronology, an introduction, appendixes, maps, a bibliography, and over 500 cross-referenced dictionary entries on important persons, places, events, and institutions, as well as significant political, economic, social, and cultural aspects. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone who wants to know more about Switzerland.