Confederate victory
84-425: [REDACTED] Swiss Confederation Sonderbund The Sonderbund War ( German : Sonderbundskrieg , French : Guerre du Sonderbund , Italian : Guerra del Sonderbund ) of November 1847 was a civil war in Switzerland , then still a relatively loose confederacy of cantons . It ensued after seven Catholic cantons formed the Sonderbund ("separate alliance") in 1845 to protect their interests against
168-615: A Bataillon de Chasseurs , for the service of his majesty. Frederick William III then established by his "most-supreme cabinet order" ( Allerhöchste Cabinets-Ordre , A.C.O.), issued in Paris on 19 May 1814, the Bataillon des Tirailleurs de la Garde following the same principles as with the Neuchâtel battalion within the Grande Armée. The Conseil d'Etat of Neuchâtel had the right of nomination for
252-542: A Protestant, and also to be strong enough to protect their territory but based far enough away to leave them to their own devices. King Louis XIV of France actively promoted the many French pretenders to the title, but the Neuchâtelois people in the final decision in 1708 passed them over in favour of the Protestant King Frederick I of Prussia , who claimed his entitlement in a rather complicated fashion through
336-562: A Radical bent was elected, who as its first act expelled the order of the Jesuits from the canton. The day after, the Vaudois commander, Colonel Rillet-Constant, had to declare a state of siege to prevent federal soldiers from pillaging and sacking the city, against the strict orders of their superiors. On both sides of the war, the fall of Fribourg was commented on by the press and the political leaders. In Lucerne and Valais, proclamations were read to
420-475: A Vaudois lieutenant to Fribourg under a flag of truce. The emissary's message revealed Dufour's forces and plan of attack to the Fribourgeois government, and called on them to surrender in order to prevent a murderous battle. The besieged Fribourgeois asked for an armistice for the day, which Dufour accepted. But because of mistaken orders, the Vaudois troops facing the redoubt of Bertigny launched an attack against
504-422: A canton Ausserschwyz temporarily seceded from the canton of Schwyz in 1831, but was re-united with Schwyz in 1833 after the drawing up of an egalitarian constitution. Since 1830 the democratic forces had been in the ascent. The Radical Democratic Party of Switzerland embodied these democratic forces. Demands for a new federal constitution with a tighter relationship between the various cantons and rights for
588-654: A centralization of power. The war concluded with the defeat of the Sonderbund. It resulted in the emergence of Switzerland as a federal state , concluding the period of political "restoration and regeneration" in Switzerland. The Sonderbund consisted of the cantons of Lucerne , Fribourg , Valais , Uri , Schwyz , Unterwalden and Zug , all predominantly Catholic and governed by conservative administrations. The cantons of Ticino and Solothurn , also predominantly Catholic but governed by liberal administrations, did not join
672-468: A formal vote. Between 25–29 November federal troops moved peacefully into Central Switzerland and Valais. Unterwalden surrendered on November 25, followed by Schwyz on the following day and then Uri on November 27. The last member of the Sonderbund, Valais, surrendered on November 29 bringing the war to an end. The federal army had lost 78 men killed and had 260 wounded. Sonderbund losses were even lower. Later research arrived at 60 deaths and 386 wounded on
756-461: A hundred casualties on both sides. After the hostilities ceased, the Catholic side having the disadvantage, Modern Switzerland was formed by the first Federal Constitution . Canton of Neuch%C3%A2tel The Republic and Canton of Neuchâtel ( French : République et Canton de Neuchâtel ; German : Kanton Neuenburg ; Romansh : Chantun Neuchâtel ; Italian : Cantone di Neuchâtel )
840-481: A peaceful revolution took place and established a republic, in the same year that the modern Swiss Confederation was transformed into a federation. King Frederick William IV of Prussia did not cede immediately, and several attempts at counter-revolution took place, culminating in the Neuchâtel Crisis of 1856–57. In 1857, Frederick William finally renounced the monarchy's claim on the area. The canton of Neuchâtel
924-570: A proclamation on October 26, Dufour appointed as division commanders: Peter Ludwig von Donatz ( Grisons ), Johannes Burckhardt and Eduard Ziegler ( Zürich ) from among the Conservatives and Louis Rilliet de Constant ( Vaud ), Dominik Gmür , Giacomo Luvini ( Ticino ) and Ochsenbein ( Bern ) from among the Radicals. On October 30, the Diet ordered the general mobilisation of the army and, on November 4,
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#17328375868391008-459: A right to intervene if they all agreed it was necessary. At this point, Austria and France were conservative Catholic powers and wanted to help the Swiss conservatives. Austria did provide some money and munitions, but bickered with France on exactly what to do. When they finally did agree, Lord Palmerston , Prime Minister of Britain, vetoed any intervention, because he favored the liberal cause and wanted
1092-540: A uniform system of coinage. These reforms, especially the economic reforms would strengthen trade, industry and banking within Switzerland. However, the monetary reforms were the reforms that were opposed the strongest. The opposition to these economic demands became cloaked in religious rhetoric. Members of the Radical Party and of Young Switzerland were attacked by the Jesuits as being infidels. In this political conflict,
1176-443: A violent character which cannot but harm our cause.". To the surprise of both sides, the parliament of the canton of Zug voted for surrender on 21 November by a large majority. The federal troops which entered the city of Zug unopposed the day after were acclaimed by the population, and a few months later, a new government would be elected. Dufour launched his principal offensive according to plan on November 23: The 4th (Ziegler) and
1260-529: Is a mostly French-speaking canton in western Switzerland . In 2007, its population was 169,782, of whom 39,654 (or 23.4%) were foreigners. The capital is Neuchâtel . Neuchâtel has a unique history as the only part of present-day Switzerland to enter the Confederation as a principality (on 19 May 1815). Its first recorded ruler, Rudolph III of Burgundy , mentioned Neuchâtel in his will in 1032. The dynasty of Ulrich count of Fenis (Hasenburg) took over
1344-639: Is located in Romandy , the French-speaking western part of Switzerland . It is also located in the Jura mountainous region. To its northeast it borders the canton of Bern , to the northwest France ( Bourgogne-Franche-Comté ). Lake Neuchâtel lies southeast of the canton, while the canton of Vaud is southwest of the canton of Neuchâtel. The canton lies in the central area of the Jura Mountains . Lake Neuchâtel drains
1428-551: Is the canton's largest settlement. Some 38,000 of the inhabitants, or a little less than a quarter of the population, are of foreign origin. The historical population is given in the following table: The canton is well known for its wines, which are grown along the Lake Neuchâtel shore, and for its absinthe . The Val-de-Travers is famous as the birthplace of absinthe, which has now been re-legalized both in Switzerland and globally. There are dairy farming and cattle breeding in
1512-963: The Canton of St. Gallen in Wattwil , Altstätten and St. Gallenkappel as well as in Balsthal in Solothurn . The final assembly was held in Münsingen in Bern in January 1831. The speeches and articles reporting on the assemblies were widely distributed and became very popular. The crowds were generally well-behaved and orderly. For example, in Wohlenschwil it was reported that they met "in unexpectedly quiet attitude with decency and perfect order". Even in Aargau and St. Gallen , where
1596-497: The House of Baden . Their heiress, Johanna of Hachberg-Sausenberg (Jehanne de Hochberg), and her husband, Louis I d'Orléans, duc de Longueville , inherited it in 1504, after which the French house of Orléans-Longueville (Valois-Dunois) . Neuchâtel's Swiss allies then occupied it from 1512 to 1529 before returning it to its widowed countess. The French preacher Guillaume Farel brought
1680-514: The House of Orange and Nassau, who were not even descended from Jeanne de Hachberg. Frederick I and his successors ruled the Principality of Neuchâtel ( German : Fürstentum Neuenburg ) in personal union with Prussia from 1708 until 1806 and again from 1814 until 1857. Napoleon Bonaparte deposed King Frederick William III of Prussia as prince of Neuchâtel and appointed instead his chief of staff Louis Alexandre Berthier . Starting in 1807,
1764-449: The 1830s, raising the conflict to the point of civil war by 1847. When Napoleon's fall appeared imminent, the Act of Mediation was suspended in late December 1813, and lengthy discussions about future constitutions were initiated in all cantons of Switzerland . The Tagsatzung (the gathering of delegates from all the nineteen cantons) which took place between 6 April 1814 and 31 August 1815,
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#17328375868391848-761: The 200 members of the National Council (lower chamber) and two of the 46 members of the Council of States (upper chamber). Until 2018 the Canton was divided into six districts. On 1 January 2018 the districts were dissolved and all municipalities were placed directly under the canton. There are 27 municipalities in the canton (as of 2021 ). The population is almost entirely French -speaking. The canton has historically been strongly Protestant , but in recent decades it has received an influx of Roman Catholic arrivals, notably from Portugal and Italy . In 2000, its population
1932-406: The 5th division engaged troops from Schwyz near Meierskappel . The Sonderbund forces resisted for a while before retreating. This federal victory cut the connection between Lucerne and Zug, another of Dufour's objectives. In his report to the Diet of November 23, Dufour wrote with satisfaction that the troops of Schwyz had withdrawn to the other side of Lake Zug and were now cut off from the rest of
2016-516: The 5th divisions (Gmür) followed the Reuss valley to the south, each on one side. They were supported by the 3rd division (von Donats) descending along the Suhr until Sursee , and by the 2nd division (Burckhardt), which left Langenthal to arrive at the Reuss north of Lucerne by way of Willisau and Ruswil . The reserve artillery was concentrated on the bridgehead of Gisikon, which set up the main battle between
2100-615: The Constitution. Restoration and Regeneration in Switzerland The periods of Restoration and Regeneration in Swiss history lasted from 1814 to 1847. "Restoration" is the period of 1814 to 1830, the restoration of the Ancien Régime ( federalism ), reverting the changes imposed by Napoleon Bonaparte on the centralist Helvetic Republic from 1798 and the partial reversion to
2184-567: The Jesuits expelled. There was no significant foreign intervention. The question of command remained long unsettled with the Sonderbund. The coalition's strong man, Constantin Siegwart-Müller of Lucerne, first considered appointing a foreigner ( Dezydery Chłapowski of Poland or Friedrich von Schwarzenberg of Austria were mentioned), but the allied council insisted on a Swiss commander. General Ludwig von Sonnenberg and Colonel Philippe de Maillardoz of Fribourg were considered, but ultimately
2268-528: The Sonderbund a violation of section 6 of the Federal Treaty of 1815, which expressly forbade such separate alliances. The confederate army was raised against the members of the Sonderbund. The army was composed of soldiers of all the other cantons except Neuchâtel and Appenzell Innerrhoden (which remained neutral). By the Treaty of Vienna of 1815, the major powers guaranteed the new Swiss Constitution and had
2352-450: The Sonderbund army. The federal victories at Gisikon and Meierskappel brought federal troops within striking distance of Lucerne. On the evening of November 23, the leadership of Lucerne and the Jesuits abandoned the city and fled to Uri. On the following morning the victorious federal troops entered the city unopposed. On 26 November 1847, the Sonderbund council dissolved in Flüelen without
2436-441: The Sonderbund position were repulsed, Colonel Ziegler personally led his division's third and victorious assault, later depicted in a lithograph that would become one of the war's most well-known images. After two hours, the battle resulted in a federal victory after von Salis-Soglio, wounded in the head by a mortar detonation, ordered a retreat to Ebikon . The battle of Gisikon was the longest and, with 37 dead and some 100 wounded,
2520-477: The alliance. After the Tagsatzung (Federal Diet) declared the Sonderbund unconstitutional (October 1847) and ordered it dissolved by force, General Guillaume Henri Dufour led the federal army of 100,000 and defeated the Sonderbund forces under Johann Ulrich von Salis-Soglio in a campaign that lasted only a few weeks, from November 3 to November 29, and cost about 100 lives. Dufour ordered his troops to care for
2604-465: The annual presidency in turn and manage the departments of justice, health and safety; finance and social welfare; public economy; regional management; education and culture. The cantonal authorities, which have their seat in the castle (the Château de Neuchâtel), are elected every four years by universal suffrage. The people also elect their representatives to the federal parliament every four years: five of
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2688-453: The assemblies in each canton addressed different specifics, but they all had two main issues. First, they called for peacefully adjusting the constitutions by adjusting the way seats in local legislatures and the Tagsatzung were allocated. In particular, they objected to what they saw as the over-representation of the cantonal capital in the government. Secondly, they sought a way to amend
2772-465: The battalion's officers. The commander was the battalion's only officer chosen by the monarch. A year later he agreed to allow the principality to join the Swiss Confederation , then not yet an integrated federation , but a confederacy , as a full member. Thus Neuchâtel became the first and only monarchy to join the otherwise entirely republican Swiss cantons. This situation changed in 1848 when
2856-416: The bloodiest of the war. It is, to date, the last pitched battle in the history of the Swiss army. It was also the first battle in military history in which dedicated wagons were employed to treat the wounded on the battlefield. These horse-drawn ambulances were operated by volunteers and nurses from Zürich. Also on November 23, while the 2nd and 3rd federal divisions proceeded without opposition to Lucerne,
2940-494: The canton for at least five years (2002), as well as to lower the voting age to 18. The legislature, the Grand Council of Neuchâtel , has 115 seats distributed in proportion to the population of the six districts that make up the electoral constituencies: Neuchâtel (35 seats), Boudry (25), Val-de-Travers (8), Val-de-Ruz (10), Le Locle (10), La Chaux-de-Fonds (27). The State Council (cantonal government), five "ministers" who assume
3024-528: The canton, however, is the Neuchâtelois Mountains at 900 m (2,950 ft) to 1,065 m (3,494 ft). This region is made up of a long valley, home to La Chaux-de-Fonds , Le Locle and La Brévine . Neuchâtel was one of the first cantons in Switzerland to grant women the right to vote (1959) and also to grant the vote to foreigners holding a residence permit and who have been domiciled in
3108-538: The canton, the Freischarenzüge of 1844 and 1845, led by Wilhelm Snell , the later Federal Councillors Ulrich Ochsenbein and Jakob Stämpfli . Also participating was Gottfried Keller , but he never participated in combat. The invasion of 1845 ended in a disaster for the Freischärler , 35 of their number being killed. The Radical side again reverted to political means, and the Jesuits were again expelled by decree of
3192-438: The capital. The Fribourgeois commander was led to anticipate an attack from the direction of Bern by the advance of a Bernese reserve division, which had been ordered to pretend to attack with a maximum of noise. Meanwhile, Dufour brought a battery of 60 guns into position, with which he intended to bring down the fortifications of the city of Fribourg . On the morning of 13 November, with the assault ready to begin, Dufour sent
3276-456: The capitulation came soon enough for the Valaisans to recall the troops and set them into motion for a manoeuvre against Ticino. The act of surrender signed by Fribourg would become a template for the other Sonderbund cantons. With it, Fribourg undertook to leave the Sonderbund, to disarm its soldiers and to provide for the federal occupation troops. On 15 November, a new Fribourgeois government of
3360-548: The capture of a lake steamship of Neuchâtel by troops from Vaud. On 29 October, Colonel Rillet-Constant asked Dufour's permission to march on Neuchâtel. The general refused, instead asking Rillet-Constant to levy additional troops in order to make up for the defection of Neuchâtel. When the Federal Diet on October 30 formally requested Neuchâtel to supply its contingent of troops, the Principality refused. King Frederick William IV of Prussia , as Prince of Neuchâtel, eventually settled
3444-471: The city of Basel. The Treaty of Paris of 20 November included a financial compensation for Switzerland besides the acquisition of a small territorial gain, connecting the canton of Geneva (formerly an exclave ) to Vaud. Most significantly, the Treaty included the recognition of permanent Swiss neutrality by all European powers. Cantonal constitutions were worked out independently from 1814, in general restoring
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3528-503: The closure of monasteries and convents in Aargau in 1841, and the seizure of their properties. When Lucerne, in retaliation, recalled the Jesuits to head its education the same year, groups of armed radicals ( Freischärler ) invaded the canton. This caused a revolt, mostly because rural cantons were strongholds of ultramontanism . The liberal majority in the Tagsatzung voted to order the Sonderbund dissolved on October 21, 1847; it deemed
3612-750: The connection between central Switzerland and the Valais open via the Furka Pass . But contrary to triumphant proclamations in the Sonderbund newspapers, the action failed to effectively separate the federal troops under Luvini in the Ticino from those in the Grisons under Eduard de Salis-Soglio (the brother of the insurgent commander), because the San Bernardino Pass remained open to the Confederates. The first deaths of
3696-673: The constitution. Very few cantons even had a way to amend or modify the constitutions, and none of them allowed citizen's initiatives to be added. The first assembly was held near Weinfelden in Thurgau in October and November 1830. Followed in November by meetings in Wohlenschwil , Aargau then Sursee , Lucerne and finally the Ustertag near Uster in Zurich . In December there were three assemblies in
3780-406: The council elected Guillaume de Kalbermatten of Valais. After Kalbermatten declined the appointment (he would later command the troops of Valais), Colonel Jean-Ulrich de Salis-Soglio of Grisons was elected and sworn in as commander in chief on 15 January 1847. He appointed Franz von Elgger as chief of staff. Although a Protestant himself, Salis-Soglio was a staunch Conservative and an opponent of
3864-457: The crowd marched through the streets of Aarau ( Freiämtersturm ) and St. Gallen , the protest march was peaceful. Following the assemblies and marches, cantonal governments quickly gave into the demands of the assemblies and amended their constitutions. This "restored" state of affairs meant that the Patriciate and the free cities regained much of their former power, to the disadvantage of
3948-539: The day after towards Faido and on the 21st towards Biasca , where they stopped to await reinforcements. But the first to be reinforced were the Ticinesi, who received the support of some battalions from the Grisons, which arrived on the 22nd. In Aarau, Dufour prepared his forces and his battle plan until November 20. He declined to equip his forces with Congreve rockets offered to him by the local arsenal, writing that he intended to "avoid as far as possible to give this war
4032-528: The district of March, was then approved by the electorate on 27 February 1848. The new constitution of 1848 reformed the government of the Canton. Perhaps the greatest change was that it abolished the Landsgemeinde, which had formerly been the supreme authority. It split the government into three branches, legislature, executive and judiciary and created a three-tier structure of municipalities, districts and canton. It created proportional representation and allowed
4116-579: The end of October between Saint-Maurice and Saint-Gingolph , with a view of invading the Chablais of Vaud. On 21 October 1847, the Federal Diet elected General Guillaume Henri Dufour of Geneva as commander in chief of the federal army, despite his reluctance and the efforts of the Bernese government to appoint Ulrich Ochsenbein to this post. In his letter of acceptance to the Diet of October 22, Dufour emphasized that he would "do everything in order to alleviate
4200-552: The federal Tagsatzung on 3 September 1847 (a decree only repealed in 1973). The Catholic Sonderbund of 1845 was a reaction to the Freischarenzüge . Due to its violation of inter-cantonal treaties, the confederate army was raised. The confederate forces invaded Sonderbund territory in November 1847, initiating the Sonderbund War , which thanks to the thoughtful campaign by General Guillaume-Henri Dufour resulted in fewer than
4284-537: The federal side and 33 killed and 124 wounded among the Sonderbund. The Sonderbund governments were forced to resign and in Fribourg, Lucerne and Valais the Liberals gained power. Neuchâtel and Appenzell Innerrhoden were punished for not providing troops to the federal army. Neuchâtel paid 300,000 francs and Appenzell paid 15,000 into a fund to support war widows and orphans. By February 1848 all federal troops withdrew from
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#17328375868394368-401: The fortress after a brief artillery exchange. They were repelled with eight dead and some fifty wounded; several defenders were also killed or wounded. Nonetheless, on the morning of 14 November, two delegates of the governing Council of State of Fribourg brought Dufour the news of the canton's surrender, decided by majority vote. While Confederate Switzerland rejoiced at the news, the surrender
4452-579: The individual citizens arose from the Radical Party of Switzerland and from liberal groups like the group that called itself La Jeune Suisse ( Young Switzerland ). Indeed, the Radical Party had formed the group called Young Switzerland in the first place with the intent of arousing liberal support for these ideas in all cantons of Switzerland. The central demands of the liberal groups like Young Switzerland, were for abolition of censorship , separation of church and state , popular sovereignty and representative democracy . Also included were demands for
4536-537: The inevitable evils of war". On October 24, immediately prior to taking the oath of office, Dufour requested explanations concerning his orders (which were written in German) and, after an impolitic remark by the representative of Vaud, Jules Eytel, he declined the office and left the meeting of the Diet. It took two sessions behind closed doors, and a delegation of the representatives of Geneva, to convince Dufour to reconsider and to be sworn in on 25 October. After publishing
4620-626: The injured, anticipating the formation of the Red Cross in which he participated a few years later. Major actions were fought at Fribourg , Geltwil (12 November), Lunnern , Lucerne , and finally at Gisikon (23 November), Meierskappel , and Schüpfheim , after which Lucerne capitulated on 24 November. The rest of the Sonderbund surrendered without armed resistance in the subsequent weeks. The radical (progressive liberal) Free Democratic Party of Switzerland ( German : Freisinnig-Demokratische Partei , French : Parti radical-démocratique ), which
4704-443: The issue by declaring the Principality "neutral and inviolate" during the hostilities. The canton of Basel-Stadt resisted the requests of the Diet for a time, but ultimately provided its contingent of troops by November 6, two days after the opening of hostilities. The first actions were taken by the Sonderbund. Troops from Uri seized the undefended St. Gotthard Pass in the early days of November. They thereby succeeded in keeping
4788-574: The lands in the south, whilst the river Doubs drains the northern areas. The canton is commonly divided into three regions. The viticultural region is located along the lake. Its name derives from the many vineyards found there. The region called Les Vallées lies further north. The two largest valleys of the canton of Neuchâtel lie in this region: the Ruz Valley and the Val de Travers . Both valleys lie at about 700 m (2,300 ft). The highest region of
4872-542: The late feudal conditions of the 17th and 18th centuries. The Tagsatzung was re-organized by the Federal Treaty ( Bundesvertrag ) of 7 August 1815. The Tagsatzung reintroduced the old flag consisting of a white cross on a red field, using it for the seal and coat of arms of the confederation. Following the French July Revolution in 1830, a number of large assemblies were held calling for new cantonal constitutions. As each canton had its own constitution,
4956-470: The left bank of the Reuss and the lake of Zug , with the Lucernese troops caught between five columns of troops arriving from five different directions. Near Gisikon, the federal army constructed several pontoon bridges to cross the Reuss. At this point, the Sonderbund commander, von Salis-Soglio, had concentrated his troops on an elevation, well-hidden behind trees and underbrush. After two federal assaults on
5040-560: The liberal Radicals who now controlled the "rump Confederation". The Sonderbund cantons, except for Lucerne and Fribourg, sought and obtained the assent of their popular assemblies ( Landsgemeinden ) for general conscription. These votes occurred on September 26 (Schwyz), October 3 (Uri and Zug) and October 10 (Nidwalden, Obwalden and Valais). Troop mobilisation began on October 16 and was concluded on October 19. Also in October, several fortifications were built on Sonderbund territory, notably in Valais, where Kalbermatten's forces were massed by
5124-417: The military execution of its decree dissolving the Sonderbund. The cantons of Neuchâtel and Appenzell Innerrhoden , which both had a strong Catholic minority population, officially declared their neutrality in the conflict and refused to provide troops for the Confederation. Vaud, in particular, suspected the Principality of Neuchâtel of secretly supporting the Sonderbund. Several incidents ensued, notably
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#17328375868395208-473: The new constitution. These cantons combined to form the Sonderbund in 1845. In addition to the centralization of the Swiss government, the proposed new Constitution also included protections for trade and other progressive reform measures. The Sonderbund alliance was concluded after the Federal Diet, with the approval of a majority of cantons, had taken measures against the Roman Catholic Church such as
5292-433: The occupied cantons. In Schwyz the conservative government was dissolved and a new provisional government and constitution established. The first attempt at a constitution, which split the district of Schwyz in two and moved the cantonal capital away from Schwyz, was narrowly defeated on 27 January 1848. The second constitution, which removed the mentioned points and merged the former districts of Wollerau and Pfäffikon in
5376-615: The old system with the Act of Mediation of 1803. "Regeneration" is the period of 1830 to 1848, when in the wake of the July Revolution the "restored" Ancien Régime was countered by the liberal movement. In the Protestant cantons, the rural population enforced liberal cantonal constitutions, partly in armed marches on the cities. This resulted in a conservative backlash in the Catholic cantons in
5460-415: The other hand, de La Harpe opposed the creation of a federal state as opposed to a united Swiss republic. In addition, de La Harpe and his friend Henri Monod lobbied Emperor Alexander, who in turn persuaded the other Allied powers opposing Napoleon to recognise Vaudois and Argovian independence, in spite of Bern's attempts to reclaim them as subject lands . The official delegation had the mission of ensuring
5544-560: The other members of the Sonderbund ; the latter meant that it posed a threat to the Federal Diet if it was not neutralized immediately. Moreover, Fribourg's capture would allow Dufour to concentrate his forces in the center of the country. By 10 and 11 November, federal troops seized the city of Estavayer-le-Lac , the enclaves of Fribourg in the canton of Vaud, and most of the district of Murten without resistance. The Fribourgeois troops under Colonel Philippe de Maillardoz retreated to defend
5628-533: The passage of allied troops across Swiss territory (see the minor campaigns of 1815 ). Swiss troops under General Niklaus Franz von Bachmann advanced to the Franche-Comté without orders from the diet, but were ordered back. The French fort at Hüningen near Basel was placed under siege by Austrian and Swiss troops and surrendered on 28 August. The Swiss were particularly eager to lay siege to this fortress after its commander General Joseph Barbanègre opened fire on
5712-409: The population to vote on laws and constitutional amendments. In 1848, a new Swiss Federal Constitution ended the almost complete independence of the cantons and transformed Switzerland into a federal state. The Jesuits were constitutionally banished from Switzerland. This Special Provision was lifted on 20 May 1973, when 54.9% of the population and 16.5 cantons out of 22 voted to approve modifying
5796-520: The principality provided Napoleon's Grande Armée with a battalion of rangers. The rangers were nicknamed Canaris (i.e. canaries ) because of their yellow uniforms. After the Liberation Wars the principality was restored to Frederick William III in 1814. The Conseil d'État (state council, i.e. government of Neuchâtel) addressed him in May 1814 requesting the permission to establish a special battalion,
5880-610: The recognition of Valais , Neuchâtel and Geneva as part of Switzerland, while the Valtellina , Chiavenna and Bormio were detached from the Grisons and made part of the Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia . Recognition of Swiss neutrality was left undecided, and on 20 May, after Napoleon's return from Elba the Swiss Tagsatzung gave in to allied pressure and declared war on France, allowing
5964-494: The recognition of Swiss neutrality, but their efforts were hampered by a complicated web of cantonal rivalries and diverging agendas, which went to discourage the interest of the great European powers in Swiss affairs. On 20 March, the Congress finalized a declaration on the future status of Switzerland, including the recognition of the territory of the 19 cantons of the Act of Mediation (including financial compensation for those cantons which had lost territory to newly formed ones) and
6048-597: The right-wing Conservative Party representing the Patriciate was pitted against the " free thinking " left-wing "Radical Party", the predecessor of the contemporary Free Democratic Party of Switzerland . When the Radicals rose to power during the 1830s, they imposed restrictions against the Catholic Church in the Aargau in 1841. Lucerne in retaliation re-admitted the Jesuits as teachers at cantonal schools. Provoked by this (the " Jesuit question ") armed radicals invaded
6132-500: The rural population, resulting in rebellions and violent conflicts such as the Züriputsch of 1839. Some Republican achievements were preserved, however, such as the abolition of the subject territories, preserving the Aargau and Thurgau as independent cantons, and the guarantee of equal political rights of all (male) citizens of a canton. In Basel, the conflict resulted in the split of Basel-City and Basel-Country in 1833. Similarly,
6216-467: The so-called " Long Diet ", met at Zurich to replace the constitution. The Diet remained dead-locked until 12 September when Valais, Neuchatel and Geneva were raised to full members of the Confederation. This increased the number of cantons to 22. The Diet, however, made little progress until the Congress of Vienna . At the Congress of Vienna (18 September 1814 to 9 June 1815), the Swiss Confederation
6300-584: The teachings of the Protestant Reformation to the area in 1530. Therefore, when the house of Orléans-Longueville became extinct with Marie d'Orléans-Longueville 's death in 1707, Neuchâtel was Protestant, and looked to avoid passing to a Catholic ruler. The rightful heiress in primogeniture from Jeanne de Hachberg was Paule de Gondi , Duchess of Retz , who was Catholic. The people of Neuchâtel chose Princess Marie's successor from among fifteen claimants. They wanted their new prince first and foremost to be
6384-493: The town and its territories in 1034. The dynasty prospered and, by 1373, all the lands now part of the canton belonged to the count. In 1405, the cities of Bern and Neuchâtel entered a union. The lands of Neuchâtel had passed to the Zähringen lords of Freiburg in the late 14th century as inheritance from the childless Elisabeth, Countess of Neuchâtel , to her nephews, and then in 1458 to margraves of Sausenburg who belonged to
6468-512: The troops, assuring them that this setback would have no effect on the coalition. Catholic newspapers doubted the news of the capitulation or claimed that the Valaisans had launched a victorious offensive into the Chablais. On the Federal side, public confidence and the morale of the army grew. As soon as the new government was installed, Dufour left Fribourg for central Switzerland with his army. He left
6552-492: The war occurred on November 4, when an officer and a soldier from Uri were killed by the Ticinesi. On November 7, Sonderbund forces under direct command of Jean-Ulrich de Salis-Soglio and von Elgger prepared to launch a second offensive into the Freiamt region of Aargau . After destroying a bridge over the river Reuss , they entered Aargau on November 12 in order to split the federal forces into two halves and relieve Fribourg, which
6636-454: The western theatre of operations to Rillet-Constant, who was allowed to shift his headquarters to the Chablais, but was forbidden to take any unilateral action against Valais without Dufour's direct order. By 15 November, the federal forces passed through Bern and reached Aarau on the evening of the 16th. On the morning of 17 November, the troops of Uri with some reinforcements from Nidwald advanced into Ticino towards Airolo , which fell, then
6720-574: Was a bitter disappointment to the Fribourgeouis troops. Many accusations of treason were raised, notably against the commander, Colonel de Maillardoz, who had to flee into exile to Neuchâtel. While it was eventually shown that the surrender had been a decision of the civil government about which de Maillardoz had not even been consulted, he remained disgraced. On the evening of 14 November, the government of Valais decided to launch an offensive against Vaud in response to Fribourg's call for help. But news of
6804-466: Was closely split between Protestants (38%) and Roman Catholics (31%). The 175,894 inhabitants (as of 2020 ) are fairly evenly distributed with many small towns and villages lining the shore of the Lake of Neuchâtel. The average population density is 209 inhabitants per square kilometre (540/sq mi). Neuchâtel (2020 population: 33,455) is the canton's capital while La Chaux-de-Fonds (2020 population: 36,915)
6888-492: Was mainly made up of urban bourgeoisie and burghers and was strong in the largely Protestant cantons, obtained the majority in the Federal Diet (the Tagsatzung ) in the early 1840s. It proposed a new Constitution for the Swiss Confederation which would draw the several cantons into a closer relationship. In 1843, the conservative city patricians and mountain or Ur-Swiss from the largely Catholic cantons were opposed to
6972-419: Was represented by a delegation of three conservative politicians, Hans von Reinhard , Johann Heinrich Wieland and Johann von Montenach , besides a number of unofficial lobbyists attempting to influence the country's re-organisation, such as Frédéric-César de La Harpe who, with the support of his former pupil Emperor Alexander I of Russia , campaigned for Vaud 's independence from Bern — though, on
7056-467: Was surrounded by Confederate territory. But after a few advances, they were stopped by Ziegler and retreated with losses into the canton of Lucerne. On 9 November, Dufour launched the first offensive against Fribourg, in accordance with his general plan. Dufour chose Fribourg as his first target in part because it was geographically isolated from the other rebel cantons and in part because it was close to Bern. The former factor made it easier to confront than
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