A military/political reference to a nation which remains uninvolved in an armed conflict, making no alliance to any nation engaged on any side. Neutral countries, claiming no alliances, often take the stance of opposing any army to enter it's territory. Whilst pleading neutrality in the Second World War, Ireland stated that, should the German Army invade, it would side with the British and vice versa should the British station troops on Irish soil. An alliance can be: an agreement between two parties, made in order to advance common goals and to secure common interests. ...

Neutral countries commonly mainatain trade and commerce with all parties involved in the conflict, sometimes acting as a 'middle man', allowing two opposing nations to continue trading, albeit without being aware.

Switzerland is famed for it's neutrality, taking neither side in both World War I and World War II, thus avoiding any destruction, deaths or financial strains brought about by armed conflict. As a result, Switzerland continued to prosper throughout the 20th Century whilst the major combatants spend huge sums and suffered huge losses in both manpower and material. World War I was primarily a European conflict with many facets: immense human sacrifice, stalemate trench warfare, and the use of new, devastating weapons - tanks, aircraft, machineguns, and poison gas. ... World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons like the atom bomb. ...