In the summer of 1866, the Austro-Prussian War erupted across Central Europe, pulling dozens of kingdoms and principalities into the conflict. Among the smallest participants was Liechtenstein, a tiny alpine state wedged between Switzerland and Austria with a total population of barely seven thousand people.
Bound by treaty to support the German Confederation, Prince Johann II mobilized the entire standing military force of Liechtenstein.
The army was eighty men strong.
Under strict orders not to fight fellow German-speaking brothers in Prussia, the eighty soldiers were assigned to defend the scenic Stelvio Pass along the mountainous border with Italy. While hundreds of thousands of troops were clashing in bloody infantry battles to the north, Liechtenstein’s contingent found itself stationed high up in the alpine peaks.
The Italian army never launched an attack through the pass.
With zero enemy forces anywhere in sight, the eighty soldiers spent roughly five weeks sitting on mountain terraces, enjoying scenic views, smoking tobacco pipes, and drinking local wine and beer. Not a single bullet was fired in anger.
When the war ended after seven weeks, the unit packed up their gear and marched back home to the capital city of Vaduz for their victory parade. When the commander conducted the final roll call, the crowd realized something bizarre.
Eighty men had marched out to the front. Eighty-one men marched back in.
During their uneventful deployment, the soldiers had befriended an Austrian liaison officer who decided to accompany them on the journey home. Instead of taking casualties, the army of Liechtenstein achieved a casualty rate of minus one.
Two years later, realizing how expensive soldiers were and deciding that the mountain wine had been the highlight of the expedition, Liechtenstein dissolved its military for good. The country has not maintained a standing army ever since.
Deploying eighty soldiers, fighting zero battles, drinking wine on vacation, and returning with a new friend remains the cleanest military campaign ever pulled off. That wraps up Day 9 of Crazy History Facts!
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