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Switzerland: Overview and History
Home » Switzerland » Switzerland: Overview and History » Switzerland: Overview and HistorySwitzerland is a small landlocked country that is located in the heart of Europe. Its area is about 15,940 square miles and it has a population of about 7.5 million. The country is divided into three topographical regions: the Alps, the Middle land or Plateau, and the Jura. Switzerland is bordered by Germany in the north, Austria in the east, Italy in the south, and France in the west. Therefore, three European cultures meet in Switzerland: the French, the Italian, and the German-speaking region.
Out of the approximately 30 countries in the world with a federal structure, Switzerland is the smallest. But it is also one of the most complex federal states, with 26 cantons, or states, and four official languages. Some of these cantons have a history of confederacy that dates back to the 13th century. This makes these cantons some of the world’s oldest surviving republics.
Switzerland is full of contrasts, with high mountains and low valleys, rainy areas and extremely dry locales, and four distinct seasons. It is one of the most popular countries to visit. This guide will outline the history of Switzerland, acknowledge the very unique aspects of its government, and explain how it came to be the country it is today.
In 1291, leaders from the cantons of Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden signed the Federal Charter, which was a letter of alliance stating that these cantons were joining the battle against the Habsburgs. The Habsburgs were a Swiss family who, at that time, held the German throne of the Holy Roman Empire. At the Battle of Morgarten in 1315, the Swiss defeated the Habsburgs. Therefore, these three cantons formed the somewhat independent Swiss Confederation.
The Swiss Confederation was joined by the cantons of Glarus and Zug in 1353, and also the cities of Lucerne, Zürich, and Berne. These eight states, called the Old Federation, held together through most of the 15th century. These eight states began to increase in power and wealth, partially due to the success of Swiss mercenaries. Since these were the first eight states, they are listed in that order today, followed by the states that joined the federation after 1481, all listed in historical order. When the Swiss won the Swabian War in 1499, they were finally declared independent from the Holy Roman Empire.
In 1506, Pope Julius II engaged the Swiss Guard; this is the same Swiss Guard that serves the Vatican today. By this time, the Swiss federation had gained a reputation of being somewhat invincible because of their success in earlier wars. However, in 1515, the Swiss were defeated in the Battle of Marignano, which eventually led to wars between the cantons in 1529 and 1531. Still present was the conflict between Catholic and Protestant cantons, which caused even more battles to erupt at the Battles of Villmergen in 1656 and 1712.
The Treaty of Westphalia in 1648 was a positive step for Switzerland, as other European countries recognized Switzerland’s independence and from the Holy Roman Empire and its neutrality as a country. However, the Swiss lost ground again in 1798 during the French Revolution, since the Revolution’s armies conquered Switzerland and imposed a new constitution.
This new constitution abolished the cantons and revolutionized the government, and the new regime was called the Helvetic Republic. The new constitution was not well-liked by the Swiss people, because it had been forced on them by a foreign invading army and had destroyed traditions that the Swiss had worked for centuries to build, including the right to worship. The Swiss rebelled often against this new constitution, but they did not succeed because of the presence of the French troops in their country. One such rebellion, the Nidwalden revolt, made history because of the extreme brutality of the French.
War soon broke out between France and other countries, and suddenly Switzerland was being invaded by Austria and Russia. By this time, the Swiss people were divided: the Republicans were in favor of the new style of government, while the Federalists wanted the cantons to become independent again. The conflict between these two groups was ever-present. In 1803, Napoleon Bonaparte organized a meeting in Paris, inviting leaders from both sides. This resulted in the Act of Mediation, which restored the independence of Switzerland and allowed a Confederation of 19 cantons. From that time on, Swiss politics mainly focused on keeping the cantons autonomous. In 1815, the Congress of Vienna fully re-established Swiss independence, and Switzerland was to be recognized permanently as a neutral country, the European powers agreed. At this time, new cantons Valais, Neuchatel, and Geneva were added, increasing Switzerland’s land area for the last time.
A civil war was started in 1847 between the Catholic and Protestant cantons. This war produced less than 100 deaths and lasted for less than a month. This was the last armed battle on Swiss territory. Consequently, after this civil war, Switzerland adopted a federal constitution in 1848 and amended it in 1874. Switzerland’s responsibility for defense, trade, and legal matters was also dealt with at this time. In 1891, the constitution was amended yet again, naming Switzerland a direct democracy. This amendment still remains and makes the country’s government very unique. Switzerland still possesses the only government in the world to employ a direct democracy system. Since this amendment was added to the constitution, the country of Switzerland has vastly and continually improved in the areas of politics, economy, and socialization.
Switzerland joined the League of Nations in 1920 and the Council of Europe in 1963. The country’s neutral status remained intact during World War I, so Switzerland’s military was not involved in the war. Amazingly, its neutrality also remained through World War II, and a planned German intervention did not happen. History claims that the reason for the failure of the German intervention was that Swiss armed forces had been mobilized under General Henri Guisan’s command. Another major factor, according to modern historical research, was the trade relationship between Swiss banks and Nazi Germany.
In 1959, women were given the right to vote in the first cantons. In 1971, they were allowed to vote at the federal level, and only in 1990 were women allowed to vote in the last canton, Appenzell Innerrhoden. A new canton, Jura, was formed in 1979 from parts of the canton of Berne gaining independence. And in 1999, the cantons along with the Swiss people voted favorably for a revised federal constitution.
Switzerland became a full member of the United Nations in 2002, which left the Vatican as the only remaining state that did not have full United Nations membership. While Switzerland is not a member of the European Economic Area (EEA), it is a founding member of the EFTA, or European Free Trade Association. Switzerland applied for membership to the European Union (EU) in 1992, but it was rejected later that year when Switzerland launched a referendum on the EEA, being the only country to do so. Since then, several referenda on the EU matter have been initiated, but the government has supported none of them. However, Swiss law is being changed little by little to that of the EU, and the government has signed several bilateral agreements with the EU, which refer to trade, politics, and culture. The EU has encompassed Switzerland and Liechtenstein since 1995, when Austria gained membership. In 2005, the Swiss population agreed, by a slim majority, to join the Schengen Treaty. This was seen by the EU as a sign of goodwill by Switzerland, which had been perceived as isolationist for years.
Sources:
www.swissworld.org
www.en.wikipedia.org
www.myswitzerland.com
www.about.ch
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