General Ulrich Wille – Swiss Border Patrol 1914 – Color Lithograph

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This Swiss militaria print is a color lithograph or chromolithographic illustration, a common format for patriotic and military imagery in the early 20th century.

“General Ulrich Wille – Grenzbesetzung 1914”
(“General Ulrich Wille – Border Occupation 1914”)

Print Information:

Artist: H. Stückelberger (signature visible lower right)
Date of illustration: 1914 (as signed on the artwork)
Date of printing: Likely circa 1914–1918, during or shortly after World War I

The image shows General Ulrich Wille (1848–1925), Switzerland’s top military leader at the time, mounted on horseback, inspecting or leading Swiss troops during the Grenzbesetzung (border occupation) of 1914. This military mobilization marked Switzerland’s immediate response to the outbreak of World War I, when the country sought to protect its neutrality by deploying forces along its borders.

Wille is accompanied by officers and soldiers, some carrying bayoneted rifles and others bearing the Swiss flag, symbolizing national unity and readiness during a time of international crisis.

About General Ulrich Wille:

Born: 1848, Hamburg, Germany
Died: 1925, Meilen, Switzerland
Role: Appointed General of the Swiss Army during World War I, the highest military rank in Switzerland, typically only assigned in times of war or national emergency.
Background: A trained military officer with a strong interest in Prussian-style military discipline. He was known for his conservative and authoritarian tendencies.

Wille’s leadership was controversial due to his perceived pro-German sympathies during the war. Though Switzerland remained officially neutral, Wille was seen by many as favoring the Central Powers (Germany and Austria-Hungary) over the Entente (France, Britain, Russia). This caused tension within the multilingual and politically diverse Swiss population—especially between German-speaking Swiss, who felt ties to Germany, and the French-speaking Swiss, many of whom viewed France more favorably.

Wille’s, cultural alignment with Germany, including personal connections and military admiration for Prussia, led to deep political divides during his command. The Oberstenaffäre (Colonels’ Affair) of 1916, in which two Swiss officers were caught passing intelligence to Germany and Austria, worsened suspicions of pro-German bias within the Swiss command, although Wille was not directly implicated.