In the controversy about 'Switzerland in the Second World War', the subject of national defence is of secondary, not to say tertiary, importance when compared with the issues of refugee policy, foreign trade, and Switzerland's dealings in financial services and gold with the belligerent powers. Nevertheless, the question of the importance of the deterrent effect of the Swiss army against the military potential of the belligerent powers is one of the topical issues of debate concerning Switzerland in the Second World War. It was in the specific context of that debate that a disagreement flared up regarding the military, political and identifying significance of the Swiss army's redoubt (reduit) concept.