Albert Bachmann
Encyclopedia
Albert "Bert" Bachmann was a Swiss military intelligence officer.
Bachmann worked as a printer after leaving school. As a young man he flirted with communism, joining the youth wing of the PdA. Following the 1948 Communist seizure of power in Czechslovakia
, he changed course and became strongly patriotic. While doing his military service
he applied for officer training, and went into military intelligence.
In 1968, he was the lead author of an official civil defence booklet that was distributed throughout the country which provided instructions on how to respond to invasion, through the character of "Wilhelm Eiferli". Its warning of the danger from collaborationist elements in the Swiss Left made it the subject of national debate. 'Défense civile' has since been translated for distribution in Japan and Egypt; an attempt by Franco
's Spain to buy the right to publish the book was rebuffed by the Swiss military. Bachmann was not involved in the subsequent political controversy- he was on a undercover mission in the Republic of Biafra, a small nation struggling for independence from Nigeria.
In 1976, he was promoted to the rank of Colonel, heading up the intelligence and defense subsection of the Federal Military Department. He had control of three clandestine units, Bureau Ha, a foreign intelligence unit, an Extraordinary Intelligence agency, which monitored internal threats, and Special Service D (Spec D), a organization formed to provide the basis of resistance to an occupation. Expanding Spec D, Bachmann formed Projekt-26
, a more widely capable unit. He bought the Liss Ard country estate in Cork, Ireland
as a retreat for a Swiss government-in-exile in the event of an invasion.
The year after an embarrassing incident in 1979 Bachmann was forced to take early retirement, and an inquiry by politicians exposed many of his contingency plans to the public. The Swiss government sold Liss Ard in the early 1980s, but Bachmann continued to live around the Cork region following his departure from Switzerland. He ran a riding school in the area for a number of years.
Bachmann worked as a printer after leaving school. As a young man he flirted with communism, joining the youth wing of the PdA. Following the 1948 Communist seizure of power in Czechslovakia
Czechoslovak coup d'état of 1948
The Czechoslovak coup d'état of 1948 – in Communist historiography known as "Victorious February" – was an event late that February in which the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, with Soviet backing, assumed undisputed control over the government of Czechoslovakia, ushering in over four decades...
, he changed course and became strongly patriotic. While doing his military service
Conscription in Switzerland
Switzerland has mandatory military service for all able-bodied male citizens, who are conscripted when they reach the age of majority, though women may volunteer for any position....
he applied for officer training, and went into military intelligence.
In 1968, he was the lead author of an official civil defence booklet that was distributed throughout the country which provided instructions on how to respond to invasion, through the character of "Wilhelm Eiferli". Its warning of the danger from collaborationist elements in the Swiss Left made it the subject of national debate. 'Défense civile' has since been translated for distribution in Japan and Egypt; an attempt by Franco
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
's Spain to buy the right to publish the book was rebuffed by the Swiss military. Bachmann was not involved in the subsequent political controversy- he was on a undercover mission in the Republic of Biafra, a small nation struggling for independence from Nigeria.
In 1976, he was promoted to the rank of Colonel, heading up the intelligence and defense subsection of the Federal Military Department. He had control of three clandestine units, Bureau Ha, a foreign intelligence unit, an Extraordinary Intelligence agency, which monitored internal threats, and Special Service D (Spec D), a organization formed to provide the basis of resistance to an occupation. Expanding Spec D, Bachmann formed Projekt-26
Projekt-26
Projekt-26, best known as P-26, was a stay-behind army in Switzerland charged with countering a possible invasion of the country. The existence of P-26 as secret intelligence agencies dissimulated in the military intelligence agency was revealed in November 1990 by the PUK EMD Parliamentary...
, a more widely capable unit. He bought the Liss Ard country estate in Cork, Ireland
Cork, Ireland
Cork, Ireland is a term which may refer to the following places in southern Ireland, depending on context.* Cork * Barony of Cork City* County Cork* Metropolitan Cork* Greater Cork...
as a retreat for a Swiss government-in-exile in the event of an invasion.
The year after an embarrassing incident in 1979 Bachmann was forced to take early retirement, and an inquiry by politicians exposed many of his contingency plans to the public. The Swiss government sold Liss Ard in the early 1980s, but Bachmann continued to live around the Cork region following his departure from Switzerland. He ran a riding school in the area for a number of years.