The strike was almost the only political leverage that somewhat matched that of the peak associations and the bourgeois lobbies. Therefore, especially in light of the emergency situation of 1918, its legitimacy cannot be denied. However, this last point also shows that the history of the national strike cannot be considered closed. As long as its interpretation also applies to today’s current understanding of the state, the national strike remains an element of contradiction and challenge. It is all the more necessary to include it in the general and popularized image of Swiss history, as well as to engage in a permanent discussion based on historical research.

Gautschi's thorough work is one of the most comprehensive and objective accounts. The book relies – perhaps for the first time – in a comprehensive manner not only on the sources made available by the workers' circles but also on the documents of the government and the army.