The Burgundian Wars — marked the most important period in Swiss history. After , the Reformation triggered permanent religious conflicts in Switzerland, which culminated in the two Wars of Kappel and as well as the two Wars of Villmergen and In between these two conflicts, a fifth war was waged.
During these terrible conflicts, Switzerland turned away from the outside world. It focussed on solving its domestic conflicts but still remained an integral part of the western European economy. The next stage of Swiss history is characterised by the introduction of a kind of external governance in Switzerland. The fate of the country was first determined by Napoleon and later by the European powers during the Congress of Vienna. This period is considered one of the most unpopular chapters in Swiss national history.
The Swiss do not like to admit that all necessary political and social reforms were only introduced after French revolutionary troops invaded in This content was published on Mar 20, Mar 20, The neutrality so strongly associated with modern Switzerland originated in a congress years ago, when the Great Powers met in Vienna.
The Congress of Vienna was followed by a second permanent and slow civil war that lasted for about 20 years. This war put an end to a series of local political conflicts between the Protestant liberals and Catholic democrats. The Protestants thought that the people should be enlightened and educated in the rational spirit of Protestant ethics and that the creation of a unified state was of utmost importance.
This content was published on Nov 28, Nov 28, Many people are surprised when they hear that little Bern is the Swiss capital. Wouldn't industrial Zurich or international Geneva be more logical? Catholics believed that people should live as they wanted and should have the freedom to believe in their Catholic religion. They stressed the importance of having sovereign cantons. This content was published on Oct 10, Oct 10, Here's how, in , Switzerland made the historic decision to move to a proportional representation system at national level.
This consistent historic development has lasted for more than years without any dramatic breaks — a phenomenon that has no analogies in the history of Europe. You can Login or register here. Your web browser is outdated. The 20th century was generally marked by a series of striking developments in the political, economic and social arenas. Domestically there was a shift towards a multi-party system. While at the beginning of the century one party occupied all the positions in the government Federal Council , there were four parties represented there at the end of the century.
Agrarian Switzerland developed into an industrial state with the result that there were more immigrants than emigrants and the standard of living rose significantly. Working conditions and social security steadily improved and there was greater access to a more extensive range of consumer goods.
Although Switzerland remained politically neutral — it did not actively participate in either of the two World Wars — neutrality remained the subject of intense debate. Switzerland as a small neutral state was spared from direct military events during World War I. In economic and social terms, however, Switzerland went through a difficult period. The period after World War I was marked by reconstruction, short-term economic recovery and changes in policy — as well as the rise of fascism in Europe.
Before and during World War II, Switzerland's main goal was to preserve its independence and to stay out of the fighting. Rapid technical progress and economic growth after the 2nd World War resulted in material prosperity.
Switzerland succeeded in establishing itself as a major player on the world markets. History of Switzerland. Lavertezzo, Ponte dei salti. Intro Much of the territory covered by present-day Switzerland is mountainous. From the beginnings to the Romans The oldest traces of human existence are about , years old, while the oldest flint tools that have been found are about , years old.
First settlers in Switzerland Some of the most interesting archaeological finds in Switzerland are those of the lakeside settlements with their houses built on piles. Learn more Common. Of First settlers in Switzerland. Of Under Roman influence.
Switzerland after the Romans After the Romans departed, the kingdom of Burgundy ruled Western Switzerland, the Alemanni controlled central and eastern Switzerland, and the Alpine regions remained in the hands of local Gallo-Roman rulers. Of Switzerland after the Romans. The rise of Christianity It was in the ancient Roman cities and along the Roman trade routes that Christianity first spread in Switzerland. Of The rise of Christianity.
Under German rule When the Ottonians and Saliers - occupied the German imperial throne, the areas of Switzerland were divided between the Kingdom of Burgundy , the duchy of Swabia, the Duchy of Bavaria and the Kingdom of Italy. Of Under German rule. Switzerland in the late Middle Ages is traditionally regarded as being the founding year of the Confederation — this was when three rural valley communities banded together in order to be better prepared for attacks from the outside.
Of Rise of the Swiss Confederation. Dissension and the Burgundian Wars The expansion of the Confederation did not proceed entirely smoothly. Of Dissension and the Burgundian Wars. Independence and the end of expansion Two wars brought about the end of this policy of expansion: The victorious Swabian War in the north and the Italian campaigns in the south, in which the Confederates were defeated.
Of Independence and the end of expansion. Reformation and the 17th century The 16th century in Western Europe was dominated by the Reformation, a movement which divided western Christianity into two camps. Of Two Reformers: Zwingli and Calvin.
Conflict and religious wars As elsewhere in Europe, the Reformation plunged the Confederation into religious wars. Of Conflict and religious wars. Political structure in the 17th century In the 17th century, the Confederation consisted of various territories whose inhabitants enjoyed greatly varying amounts of freedom depending on where they lived.
However, in other areas, choices that have been made in surrounding countries are adopted by the Swiss rather late: it was not until that the Swiss chose to entitle women to vote. The choice to be neutral and independent that had been made years earlier resulted in a large majority of the population that voted against joining in the UN United Nations in Switzerland did accept to actively join some special agencies and UN-programs.
One of the results was the establishment of the European UN headquarters in Geneva. Switzerland does not share the opinion of many other countries to have a single European currency. For the time being, the country holds on to its Swiss franc while surrounding countries are using the Euro. Swiss neutrality remains subject of discussion. By that, many trading barriers between the involved countries were cleared.
In March , the Swiss people again got the chance to express their opinion on participating in the UN United Nations. President Villiger emphasized that Switzerland joins the UN as a neutral country, always in accordance with the wishes of the Swiss people but in the interest of global solidarity as well. It allowed Switzerland to simplify border checks as surrounding countries were Schengen members already, and checks on the external borders of Schengen are very strict.
Active participation to Schengen started on 12 December, Switzerland is not a member of the European Union or the Eurozone countries using the uro as their currency. Meanwhile, other important decisions have been made too. Switzerland is a major transit country for both passengers and freight between northern and southern Europe.
The Swiss people voted for expanding rail traffic rather than road traffic, although maintaining existing roads is a priority too.
As a result, sensitive alpine regions remain attractive to locals and tourists, CO 2 emission is limited, traveling times are reduced and transport capacity is growing.
On the Zurich to Italy route, the Gotthard base tunnel was opened in December Planning your trip is much easier with a free MySwissAlps account.
Learn all about Switzerland and get in touch with us quickly if you have questions. Learn more. Book 11 months in advance. Free cancellation. Swiss Alps experts since Coronavirus Plan your trip About Switzerland. Traveling to Switzerland Traveling in Switzerland Rail passes. MySwissAlps features commercial and non-commercial links. The history of Switzerland. Must knows about the history of Switzerland Switzerland was founded on August 1, August 1 is still the national holiday.
Switzerland declared itself a neutral state in Neutrality still plays a major role in today's politics. Switzerland is a United Nations member since It's not a European Union member. Roman theatre in Augusta Raurica in Augst. Get a customized itinerary Save time and let Swiss travel consultants plan and book your trip. Early 20th century: First and Second World War Switzerland maintained its neutrality during the First World War between and , although there were differing opinions among Swiss communities.
Late 20th century: holding on to neutrality In many respects, thriving Switzerland makes rather progressive choices. Get a free account to plan your trip Planning your trip is much easier with a free MySwissAlps account.
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