Editing History of Liechtenstein (section)

=== Cold war ===
After World War II, the country's low taxes have spurred strong economic growth. Liechtenstein became increasingly important as a financial center. In dire financial straits following the war, the Liechtenstein dynasty often resorted to selling family artistic treasures, including for instance the portrait "[[Ginevra de' Benci]]" by [[Leonardo da Vinci]], which was purchased by the [[National Gallery of Art]] of the [[United States]] in 1967.<ref name=":13"/> Liechtenstein prospered, however, during the decades following, as its economy modernized with the advantage of low corporate tax rates which drew many companies to the country.<ref name=":03">{{Cite web |last=Tikkanen |first=Amy |date=21 April 2023 |title=Francis Joseph II, prince of Liechtenstein |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/prince-title |url-status= |access-date=21 April 2023 |website=Britannica}}</ref>

In 1949, Liechtenstein ceded the [[Ellhorn]] mountain to Switzerland as a result of Swiss demands and threats to, among other things, end the [[customs union]] between the two countries. Despite the local community in [[Balzers]] previously refusing to do so in November 1948, the transfer was approved by the Landtag of Liechtenstein the following month. In exchange to the transfer, Switzerland agreed to forgive much of Liechtenstein's debt that it had acquired to the country throughout World War II.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Büchel |first=Donat |date=31 December 2011 |title=Ellhorn |url=https://historisches-lexikon.li/Ellhorn |access-date=19 March 2024 |website=[[Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein]] |language=de}}</ref>

Liechtenstein was neutral during the [[Cold War]], but sided with the [[Western world|West]] ideologically, politically and economically. The nuclear threat has led to the expansion of civil defence since the 1960s in Liechtenstein. In 1964–1965, the Liechtenstein government built a command bunker with protection against nuclear bombs in [[Vaduz]]. Liechtenstein condemned the suppression of the [[Hungarian Revolution of 1956]] and the [[1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia]]. Liechtenstein boycotted the [[Olympic Games]] twice- in [[1956 Summer Olympics|1956]] in [[Melbourne]] in protest against the suppression of the [[Hungarian Revolution of 1956|Hungarian uprising]] and in [[1980 Olympics boycott|1980]] in Moscow due to the [[Soviet War in Afghanistan|Soviet war in Afghanistan]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Büchel |first=Donat |date=31 December 2011 |title=Kalter Krieg |url=https://historisches-lexikon.li/Kalter_Krieg |access-date=28 September 2023 |website=[[Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein]] |language=de}}</ref> Women in Liechtenstein received voting rights for the first time, following [[Liechtenstein women's suffrage referendum, 1984|a referendum on the topic]] (among men only) in 1984.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2 July 1984 |title=AROUND THE WORLD; Liechtenstein Women Win Right to Vote |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/07/02/world/around-the-world-liechtenstein-women-win-right-to-vote.html |access-date=21 April 2023}}</ref>[[File:Fürst Hans-Adam II. von und zu Liechtenstein.jpg|thumb|[[Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein]]]]Franz Joseph II handed over most of his powers to his son, [[Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein|Hans-Adam]] on 26 August 1984.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hofmann |first=Paul |date=July 23, 1989 |title=WHAT'S DOING IN: Liechtenstein |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/07/23/travel/what-s-doing-in-liechtenstein.html |access-date=16 May 2023 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref><ref name=":46">{{Cite news |date=15 November 1989 |title=Liechtenstein's Prince Franz Josef II, 83 |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-11-15-mn-1750-story.html |access-date=17 May 2023 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref> On 13 November 1989, he succeeded him as prince as [[Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein|Hans-Adam II]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pendleton |first=Devon |date=26 October 2017 |title=The Richest Royal in Europe Just Keeps Getting Richer |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-10-26/europe-s-richest-royal-gets-richer-as-family-bank-lures-wealthy |access-date=8 August 2019 |website=[[Bloomberg News]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=14 November 1989 |title=Liechtenstein's Franz Josef II Dead at 83 : Royalty: The tiny nation's popular prince was the world's longest-reigning monarch. |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-11-14-mn-2074-story.html |access-date=17 May 2023 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref> In 1996, Russia returned the Liechtenstein family's archives, ending a long-running dispute between the two countries. In 1978, Liechtenstein became a member of the [[Council of Europe]], and then joined the [[United Nations]] in 1990 following [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 663|Security Council Resolution 663]] and a member of the [[European Free Trade Association]] (EFTA) in its own right in 1991.<ref name=":35">{{Cite web |date=31 December 2011 |title=Brunhart, Hans |url=https://historisches-lexikon.li/Brunhart,_Hans?marker=Hans+Brunhart |access-date=19 February 2024 |website=[[Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein]] |language=de}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=15 August 1990 |title=Tiny Liechtenstein Joining the U.N. |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/new-york/syracuse/syracuse-post-standard/1990/08-15/page-5/ |access-date=19 February 2024 |work=[[Syracuse Post Standard]] |pages=5}}</ref>