Hitler from retreating with the Wehrmacht into the mountains. By 1940 many of the Alpine countries were under the control of the Axis powers. Austria underwent a political coup that made it part of the Third Reich; France had been invaded and Italy was a fascist regime. Switzerland and Liechtenstein were the only countries to avoid an Axis takeover. The Swiss Confederation mobilized its troops—the country follows the doctrine of "armed neutrality" with all males required to have military training—a number that General Eisenhower estimated to be about 850,000. The Swiss commanders wired the infrastructure leading into the country with explosives, and threatened to destroy bridges, railway tunnels, and roads across passes in the event of a Nazi invasion; and if there was an invasion the Swiss army would then have retreated to the heart of the mountain peaks, where conditions were harsher, and a military invasion would involve difficult and protracted battles. German Ski troops were trained for the war, and battles were waged in mountainous areas such as the battle at Riva Ridge in Italy, where the American 10th Mountain Division encountered heavy resistance in February 1945. At the end of the war, a substantial amount of Nazi plunder was found stored in Austria, where Hitler had hoped to retreat as the war drew to a close. The salt mines surrounding the Altaussee area, where American troops found of gold coins stored in a single mine, were used to store looted art, jewels, and currency; vast quantities of looted art were found and returned to the owners. Largest cities The largest city within the Alps is the city of Grenoble in France. Other larger and important cities within the Alps with over 100,000 inhabitants are in Tyrol with Bolzano (Italy), Trento (Italy) and Innsbruck (Austria). Larger cities outside the Alps are Milan, Verona, Turin (Italy), Munich (Germany), Graz, Vienna, Salzburg (Austria), Ljubljana, Maribor, Kranj (Slovenia), Zurich, Geneva (Switzerland), Nice and Lyon (France). Cities with over 100,000 inhabitants in the Alps are: Alpine people and culture The population of the region is 14 million spread across eight countries. On the rim of the mountains, on the plateaus, and on the plains the economy consists of manufacturing and service jobs whereas in the higher altitudes and the mountains farming is still essential to the economy. Farming and forestry continue to be mainstays of Alpine culture, industries that provide for export
{
        'QUESTION: What happened during World War II in relation to the Alps?' : 'ANSWER: During WWII, many parts of the Alpine region came under the control of the Axis powers. Austria became part of the Third Reich after a political coup. Switzerland and Liechtenstein remained neutral. The Swiss prepared their defenses against potential invasions. Germany planned ski troop training for potential mountain warfare.',
        'QUESTION: Which countries did the Axis powers control during WWII in the Alpine region?' : 'ANSWER: Many parts of Austria, France, and Italy fell under the control of the Axis powers during WWII.',
        'QUESTION: How did Switzerland prepare itself for a potential Nazi invasion?' : 'ANSWER: Switzerland followed the doctrine of armed neutrality and prepared its citizens for defense. They wired their infrastructure with explosives and threatened to destroy them in case of invasion. Their plan involved retreating to the mountain peaks if necessary.',
        'QUESTION: Where did Hitler hope to retreat to at the end of WWII?' : 'ANSWER: Hitler intended to retreat to Austria at the end of WWII.',
        'QUESTION: What valuable items were discovered in Austrian salt mines at the end of WWII?' : 'ANSWER: Large amounts of stolen art, jewelry, and currency were found in the Austrian salt mines at the end of WWII.',
        'QUESTION: Which city is considered the largest in the Alps?' : 'ANSWER: Grenoble in France is the largest city located within the Alps.',
        'QUESTION: Can you name other large cities within the Alps with populations greater than 100,000?' : 'ANSWER: Some of these cities include Bolzano, Trento, and Innsbruck in Tyrol, and others like Munich, Graz, Vienna, Salzburg, Ljubljana, Maribor, Kranj, Zurich, Geneva, Nice, and Lyon are situated just outside the Alps but are also significant.',
        'QUESTION: What are the primary economic activities in the Alpine region?' : 'ANSWER: Manufacturing and services dominate the economies of cities and towns near the base of the mountains. Higher up, farming remains crucial due to the harsh environment.',
        'QUESTION: Why is farming so important in the higher regions of the Alps?' : 'ANSWER: Because the terrain is too rough and the climate too harsh for anything else, farming continues to play a vital role in the economy of the higher reaches of the Alps.'
    }'
    
    For each key in q_a_dict, I will create a new line containing the format "QUESTION: [key]" and "ANSWER: [q_a_dict[key]]", separated by the string "SEPARATOR".