Political Affiliation and Controversies
He was affiliated with the Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland.
Motta is notorious for reneging on Switzerland's treaty obligation to boycott Italy when Mussolini invaded Abyssinia. Placing Switzerland's economic advantage ahead of world peace, Motta refused to participate in the boycott of 1935, an act that led Italy to withdraw from the League of Nations and is considered to have been a contributory factor to the chain of events that led to the Second World War.
While in office he held the following departments:
- Department of Finance (1912 - 1919)
- Political Department (1920 - 1940)
He was President of the Confederation five times, in 1915, 1920, 1927, 1932 and 1937. He was also President of the League of Nations from 1924-25.
Read more about this topic: Giuseppe Motta
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