Armed neutrality

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See also: Neutral country

Armed neutrality, in international politics, is the posture of a state or group of states which makes no alliance with either side in a war, but asserts that it will defend itself against resulting incursions from all parties.

The phrase armed neutrality sometimes refers specifically to the League of Armed Neutrality, an alliance of minor naval powers organized in 1780 by Catherine II of Russia to protect neutral shipping in the War of American Independence. There was an effort to revive this during the French Revolutionary Wars.

Switzerland and Sweden are, independently of each other, famed for their armed neutrality, which they maintained throughout both World War I and World War II.

During the Second World War, Ireland stated that it would take the British side if invaded by Germany but the German side if the British stationed troops on Irish soil. In light of Ireland's unofficial but heartfelt cooperation with the Allies at many levels throughout what it called The Emergency, the latter part of the declaration can be regarded as an overstatement, though public opinion did strongly oppose the idea of a British presence (as in the Treaty Ports).