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82-755: The Schweizerischer Schützenverein (SSV) was founded in 1824 during the Swiss Restoration , in the wake of the collapse of the Helvetic Republic seen as a means to return to the martial prowess of the Old Swiss Confederacy , e.g. in Gottfried Kellers Das Fähnlein der sieben Aufrechten , where before the background of the Schützenfest of 1849 in Aarau, the shooting clubs are portrayed as

164-422: 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

246-495: A crucial rail link through Vichy France was severed in 1942, leaving Switzerland surrounded by the Axis. Switzerland relied on trade for half of its food and essentially all of its fuel, but controlled vital trans-alpine rail tunnels between Germany and Italy. Switzerland's most important exports during the war were precision machine tools, watches, jewel bearings (used in bombsights), electricity, and dairy products. During World War Two,

328-521: 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 . Swiss history Since 1848, the Swiss Confederation has been a federal republic of relatively autonomous cantons , some of which have a history of federation that goes back more than 700 years, putting them among

410-844: A small-scale civil war against rural cantons that were strongholds of pro-Catholic ultramontanism . The Radical–liberal–Protestant element charged that the Sonderbund violated the Federal Treaty of 1814, § 6 of which expressly forbade such separate alliances. Forming a majority in the Tagsatzung they decided to dissolve the Sonderbund on October 21, 1847. The odds were against the Catholics, who were heavily outnumbered in population; they were outnumbered in soldiers by 79,000 to 99,000 and lacked enough well-trained soldiers, officers, and generals. When

492-594: 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,

574-605: A vigorous " radical " grass roots movement vital for the preservation of direct democracy in the young Swiss federal state . The SSV became a member of Swiss Olympic Association in 1941. In 1995, the SSV merged with the Swiss Revolver and Pistol Shooting Association (German: Schweizerische Revolver-und Pistolen-Schützenverbandes, SRPV ). In 2002 the Swiss Shooting Federation was founded in its current form through

656-705: Is Dora Andres. The SSV is a member of the International Shooting Sport Federation , the European Shooting Confederation , and the Swiss Olympic Association . From its " radical " origins, the Swiss shooting clubs have evolved into a staunchly right wing / conservative milieu with considerable political leverage, although the 2002 fusion with explicitly socialist shooting associations ( Arbeiterschützen ) tends to emphasize

738-565: 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 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

820-963: 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

902-577: The Carolingian kings, the feudal system proliferated, and monasteries and bishoprics were important bases for maintaining the rule. The Treaty of Verdun of 843 assigned Upper Burgundy (the western part of what is today Switzerland) to Lotharingia , and Alemannia (the eastern part) to the eastern kingdom of Louis the German which would become part of the Holy Roman Empire . In the 10th century, as

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984-556: The Congress of Vienna (18 September 1814 to 9 June 1815), the Swiss Confederation 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

1066-590: The Holy Roman Empire . The Valtellina became a dependency of the Drei Bünde again after the Treaty and remained so until the founding of the Cisalpine Republic by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1797. In 1653, peasants of territories subject to Lucerne , Bern , Solothurn , and Basel revolted because of currency devaluation. Although the authorities prevailed in this Swiss peasant war , they did pass some tax reforms and

1148-572: The Late Middle Ages to the Renaissance . Their service as mercenaries was at its peak during the Renaissance when their proven battlefield capabilities made them sought-after mercenary troops. The traditional listing order of the cantons of Switzerland reflects this state, listing the eight "Old Cantons" first, with the city-states preceding the founding cantons, followed by cantons that joined

1230-460: The Revolutions of 1848 . In those violent revolutions, outside Switzerland, the conservatives were always successful. As a consequence of the civil war, Switzerland adopted a federal constitution in 1848, amending it extensively in 1874 and establishing federal responsibility for defense, trade, and legal matters, leaving all other matters to the cantonal governments. From then, and during much of

1312-693: The Swiss franc was the only remaining major freely convertible currency in the world, and both the Allies and the Germans sold large amounts of gold to the Swiss National Bank . Between 1940 and 1945, the German Reichsbank sold 1.3 billion francs worth of gold to Swiss Banks in exchange for Swiss francs and other foreign currency. Hundreds of millions of francs worth of this gold was monetary gold plundered from

1394-419: The central banks of occupied countries. 581,000 francs of "Melmer" gold taken from Holocaust victims in eastern Europe was sold to Swiss banks. In total, trade between Germany and Switzerland contributed about 0.5% to the German war effort but did not significantly lengthen the war. Over the course of the war, Switzerland interned 300,000 refugees. 104,000 of these were foreign troops interned according to

1476-695: 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 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

1558-725: The microstate Liechtenstein ) has been surrounded by EU member states since 1995. In 2002, Switzerland joined the United Nations . Archeological evidence suggests that hunter-gatherers were already settled in the lowlands north of the Alps in the Middle Paleolithic period 150,000 years ago. Agriculture in Switzerland began around 5500 BC. By the Neolithic period, the area was relatively densely populated. Remains of Bronze Age pile dwellings from as early as 3800 BC have been found in

1640-404: The " Helvetic Republic " (1798–1803). It had a central government with little role for cantons. The interference with localism and traditional liberties was deeply resented, although some modernizing reforms took place. Resistance was strongest in the more traditional Catholic bastions, with armed uprisings breaking out in spring 1798 in the central part of Switzerland. The French Army suppressed

1722-679: The 1990s the controversies included a class-action lawsuit brought in New York over Jewish assets in Holocaust-era bank accounts. The government commissioned an authoritative study of Switzerland's interaction with the Nazi regime. The final report by this independent panel of international scholars, known as the Bergier Commission , was issued in 2002. During the Cold War , Swiss authorities considered

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1804-407: The 20th century, continuous political, economic, and social improvement has characterized Swiss history. While Switzerland was primarily rural, the cities experienced an industrial revolution in the late 19th century, focused especially on textiles. In Basel, for example, textiles, including silk, were the leading industry. In 1888 women made up 44% of the wage earners. Nearly half the women worked in

1886-525: The Allies denounced a proposal by one politician to negotiate peace on the Eastern Front; they wanted the war there to continue to tie Germany down. While the industrial sector began to grow in the mid-19th century, Switzerland's emergence as one of the most prosperous nations in Europe—the "Swiss miracle"—was a development of the short 20th century , among other things tied to the role of Switzerland during

1968-727: The Alps from the Duchy of Milan . The Swiss Reformation divided the Confederacy and resulted in a drawn-out history of internal strife between the Thirteen Cantons in the Early Modern period . In the wake of the French Revolution , Switzerland fell to a French invasion in 1798 and was reformed into the Helvetic Republic , a French client state. Napoleon's Act of Mediation in 1803 restored

2050-578: The Bold of Burgundy during the Burgundian Wars (1474–1477), greatly due to the success of the Swiss mercenaries , a powerful infantry force constituted by professional soldiers originally from the cantons of the Old Swiss Confederacy . They were notable for their service in foreign armies, especially among the military forces of the Kings of France , throughout the Early Modern period of European history, from

2132-490: The Christians. In 1803, Napoleon's Act of Mediation partially restored the sovereignty of the cantons, and the former tributary and allied territories of Aargau , Thurgau , Grisons, St. Gallen , Vaud , and Ticino became cantons with equal rights. Napoleon and his enemies fought numerous campaigns in Switzerland that ruined many localities. The Congress of Vienna of 1814–15 fully re-established Swiss independence and

2214-687: The Confederation after 1481, in historical order. The Swiss defeated the Swabian League in 1499 and gained greater collective autonomy within the Holy Roman Empire, including exemption from the Imperial reforms of 1495 and immunity from most Imperial courts. In 1506, Pope Julius II engaged the Swiss Guard , which continues to serve the papacy to the present day. The expansion of the Confederation and

2296-534: The European powers agreed to recognize permanent Swiss neutrality. At this time, Valais , Neuchâtel , and Geneva also joined Switzerland as new cantons, thereby extending Swiss territory to its current boundaries. The long-term impact of the French Revolution has been assessed (by William Martin): On 6 April 1814, the so-called " Long Diet " (delegates from all the nineteen cantons) met at Zürich to replace

2378-581: The Rights and Duties of Neutral Powers outlined in the Hague Conventions . The rest were foreign civilians and were either interned or granted tolerance or residence permits by the cantonal authorities. Refugees were not allowed to hold jobs. 60,000 of the refugees were civilians escaping persecution by the Nazis. Of these, 26,000 to 27,000 were Jews. Between 10,000 and 25,000 civilian refugees were refused entry. At

2460-554: The Sonderbund refused to disband, the national army attacked in a brief civil war between the Catholic and the Protestant cantons, known as the Sonderbundskrieg ("Sonderbund War".) The national army was composed of soldiers from all the other cantons except Neuchâtel and Appenzell Innerrhoden (which remained neutral). The Sonderbund was easily defeated in less than a month; there were about 130 killed. Apart from small riots, this

2542-557: The Swiss Shooting Sport Federation, major reasons for the decline are that Swiss soldiers finish their military service earlier and some choose to hand in their firearms earlier, resulting in fewer marksmen, as well as that the shooting sports now are competing with several other recreational activities for the attention of Swiss youth. Restoration (Switzerland) The periods of Restoration and Regeneration in Swiss history lasted from 1814 to 1847. "Restoration"

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2624-640: The World Wars and the success of the banking industry furthered the ascent of Switzerland to its status as one of the world's most stable economies . Switzerland signed a free-trade agreement with the European Economic Community in 1972 and has participated in the process of European integration by way of bilateral treaties , but it has notably resisted accession to the European Union (EU) even though its territory almost completely (except for

2706-523: The World Wars . Germany considered invading Switzerland during World War II but never attacked. Under General Henri Guisan , the Swiss army prepared for the mass mobilization of militia forces against invasion and prepared strong, well-stockpiled positions high in the Alps known as the Réduit . Switzerland remained independent and neutral through a combination of military deterrence, economic concessions to Germany, and good fortune, as larger events during

2788-471: The activities of any individual, party, or faction in Switzerland that acted with extremism or attempted to break the unity of the nation. The Swiss-German speaking areas moved linguistically further away from the standard (high) German spoken in Germany, with more emphasis on local Swiss dialects. In the 1960s, significant controversy arose among historians regarding the nation's relations with Nazi Germany. By

2870-453: 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

2952-616: The beginning of the war, Switzerland had a Jewish population of between 18,000 and 28,000 and a total population of about 4 million. Within Switzerland at the time of the conflict, there was moderate polarization. Some were pacifists. Some took sides according to international capitalism or international communism. Others leaned more towards their language group, with some in French-speaking areas more pro-Allied, and some in Swiss-German areas more pro-Axis. The government attempted to thwart

3034-428: The beginning, and only gained popularity in a few other cantons until 1899 when SSV established common national competition rules and started to provide financial support. Field shooting gained much popularity from the turn of the century, and from 1919 pistol field shooting was also included in addition to rifle field shooting, albeit at a much shorter distance. In 1926, all the cantons of Switzerland were represented at

3116-538: 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

3198-533: The cantons of Glarus and Zug and the city-states of Lucerne , Zürich , and Bern , forming the "Old Federation" of eight states that persisted during much of the 15th century. The Holy Roman Empire built roads and bridges to connect the industrial region of north Italy with the Rhine (linked with the other industrial area of Middle Age Europe, the Burgundian Netherlands ), making the peasants and bankers on

3280-422: 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

3362-409: The closure of monasteries and convents in Aargau in 1841, and the seizure of their properties. Catholic Lucerne, in retaliation,1844 recalled the Jesuits to head its education. That succeeded and seven Catholic cantons formed the "Sonderbund." This caused a liberal-radical move in the Protestant cantons to take control of the national Diet in 1847. The Diet ordered the Sonderbund dissolved, igniting

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3444-447: The conflict, and it often mediated communications between the Axis and Allied powers. Switzerland's trade was blockaded by both the Allies and the Axis . Both sides openly exerted pressure on Switzerland not to trade with the other. Economic cooperation and extension of credit to the Third Reich varied according to the perceived likelihood of invasion, and the availability of other trading partners. Concessions reached their zenith after

3526-407: The constitution. Cantonal constitutions were worked out independently from 1814, in general restoring the late feudal conditions of the 17th and 18th centuries. The Tagsatzung was reorganized by the Federal Treaty ( Bundesvertrag ) of 7 August 1815. The liberal Free Democratic Party of Switzerland was strong in the largely Protestant cantons and obtained the majority in the Federal Diet in

3608-425: 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

3690-450: The construction of a Swiss nuclear bomb . Leading nuclear physicists at the Federal Institute of Technology Zurich such as Paul Scherrer made this a realistic possibility. However, financial problems with the defense budget prevented substantial funds from being allocated, and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty of 1968 was seen as a valid alternative. All remaining plans for building nuclear weapons were dropped by 1988. From 1959,

3772-408: The course of the following centuries. The center of Roman administration was at Aventicum ( Avenches ). In 259, Alamanni tribes overran the Limes , putting the settlements on Swiss territory on the frontier of the Roman Empire. The first Christian bishoprics were founded in the fourth century. With the fall of the Western Roman Empire , Germanic tribes entered the area. Burgundians settled in

3854-405: 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

3936-449: The death of Berchtold V in 1218, and their cities subsequently became reichsfrei (essentially a city-state within the Holy Roman Empire), while the dukes of Kyburg competed with the house of Habsburg over control of the rural regions of the former Zähringer territory. Under the Hohenstaufen rule, the alpine passes in Raetia and the St Gotthard Pass gained importance. The latter especially became an important direct route through

4018-413: The early 1840s. It proposed a new Constitution for the Swiss Confederation which would draw the several cantons into a closer relationship. In addition to the centralization of the Swiss government, the new Constitution also included protections for trade and other progressive reform measures. The Federal Diet, with the approval of a majority of cantons, had taken measures against the Catholic Church such as

4100-439: 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

4182-445: The field shooting for the first time. The field shooting has been held annually since 1940. While firearms long have been closely linked to Swiss traditions, clubs have been struggling to recruit younger members in the last years and experienced a steady fall in the number of participants. In 2018, the number of participants in the field shooting event were 20 000 less compared to ten years earlier. According to Walter Harisberger in

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4264-422: The hands of one of their rivals. Politically, they all tried to take influence, by way of mercenary commanders such as Jörg Jenatsch or Johann Rudolf Wettstein . The Drei Bünde of Grisons , at that point not yet a member of the Confederacy, were involved in the war from 1620, which led to their loss of the Valtellina in 1623. At the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648, Switzerland attained legal independence from

4346-401: The incident in the long term prevented an absolutist development as would occur at some other courts of Europe. The confessional tensions remained, however, and erupted again in the First War of Villmergen , in 1656, and the Toggenburg War (or Second War of Villmergen), in 1712. During the French Revolutionary Wars , the French army invaded Switzerland and turned it into an ally known as

4428-579: 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

4510-477: 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,

4592-475: The merger of the Swiss Shooting Association (Schweizerischer Schützenverein, SSV) with the formerly independent Swiss Sport Shooting Association (Schweizerischer Sportschützenverband, SSSV) and the Swiss Workers Shooting Association (Schweizerischer Arbeiterschützen-Bund, SASB). The Swiss Clay Shooting Federation ( SCSF ) is also a part of the SSPF. The SSV has about 133,000 members, including about 60,825 licensed members. Its current president (as of 2016)

4674-522: The mountains. Uri (in 1231) and Schwyz (in 1240) were accorded the Reichsfreiheit to grant the empire direct control over the mountain pass. Most of the territory of Unterwalden at this time belonged to monasteries that had previously become reichsfrei. The extinction of the Kyburg dynasty paved the way for the Habsburg dynasty to bring much of the territory south of the Rhine under their control, aiding their rise to power. Rudolph of Habsburg , who became King of Germany in 1273, effectively revoked

4756-411: The nineteen cantons) which took place between 6 April 1814 and 31 August 1815, 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

4838-487: The opposing religion illegal, and to the formation of two diets, the Protestant one meeting in Aarau and the Catholic one in Lucerne (as well as the formal full diet still meeting usually in Baden), despite this the Confederation survived. During the Thirty Years' War , Switzerland was a relative "oasis of peace and prosperity" ( Grimmelshausen ) in war-torn Europe, mostly because all major powers in Europe depended on Swiss mercenaries, and would not let Switzerland fall into

4920-415: 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

5002-479: 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

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5084-598: The purely sportive character of the contemporary SSV, with lobbyist activity contained to issues directly connected with gun laws . The SSV organizes the Eidgenössische Schützenfeste , currently in intervals of five years. The Swiss Shooting Sport Federation administers several shooting disciplines. Among the most popular are the 300 meter rifle competitions, which also have some of the longest traditions within Swiss shooting. Competitions can be either individual or team events, and each year several sectional and national championships are held. There are also separate events for

5166-401: 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

5248-494: 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

5330-610: The reputation of invincibility acquired during the earlier wars suffered its first setback in 1515 with the Swiss defeat in the Battle of Marignano . The Reformation in Switzerland began in 1523, led by Huldrych Zwingli , priest of the Great Minster church in Zürich since 1518. Zürich adopted the Protestant religion, joined by Berne, Basel, and Schaffhausen, while Lucerne, Uri, Schwyz, Nidwalden, Zug, Fribourg, and Solothurn remained Catholic. Glarus and Appenzell were split. This led to multiple inter-cantonal religious wars ( Kappeler Kriege ) in 1529 and 1531, as each canton usually made

5412-486: 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

5494-498: The road rich, allowing them to buy specialized Italian armor and to stop paying the road collecting taxes to the Empire who built the road. At the Battle of Sempach in 1386, the Swiss defeated the Habsburgs, gaining increased autonomy within the Holy Roman Empire. Zürich was expelled from the Confederation from 1440 to 1450 due to a conflict over the territory of Toggenburg (the Old Zürich War ). The Confederation's power and wealth increased significantly, with victories over Charles

5576-515: The rule of the Carolingians waned, Magyars destroyed Basel in 917 and St. Gallen in 926. Only after the victory of King Otto I over the Magyars in 955 in the Battle of Lechfeld , were the Swiss territories reintegrated into the empire. In the 12th century, the dukes of Zähringen were given authority over part of the Burgundy territories which covered the western part of modern Switzerland. They founded many cities, including Fribourg in 1157, and Bern in 1191. The Zähringer dynasty ended with

5658-448: 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,

5740-472: The shallow areas of many lakes. Around 1500 BC, Celtic tribes settled in the area. The Raetians lived in the eastern regions, while the west was occupied by the Helvetii . A woman who died in about 200 BC was found buried in a carved tree trunk during a construction project at the Kern school complex in March 2017 in Aussersihl . Archaeologists revealed that she was approximately 40 years old when she died and likely carried out little physical labor when she

5822-436: The status of Reichsfreiheit granted to the "Forest Cantons" of Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden. The Forest Cantons thus lost their independent status and were governed by reeves . On 1 August 1291, the cantons of Uri , Schwyz , and Unterwalden united to defend the peace upon the death of Emperor Rudolf I of Habsburg, forming the nucleus of the Old Swiss Confederacy . By 1353, the three original cantons had been joined by

5904-548: The status of Switzerland as a Confederation, and after the end of the Napoleonic period, the Swiss Confederation underwent a period of turmoil culminating in a brief civil war in 1847 and the creation of a federal constitution in 1848. The history of Switzerland since 1848 has been largely one of success and prosperity. Industrialisation transformed the traditional agricultural economy, and Swiss neutrality during

5986-483: The textile mills, with household servants as the second-largest job category. The share of women in the workforce was higher between 1890 and 1910 than it was in the late 1960s and 1970s. Swiss universities in the late 19th century are notable for the number of female students receiving medical education. The major powers respected Switzerland's neutrality during World War I . In the Grimm–Hoffmann Affair ,

6068-474: The uprisings but support for revolutionary ideas steadily declined. The reform element was weak, and most Swiss resented their loss of local democracy, centralization, new taxes, warfare, and hostility to religion. Major steps taken to emancipate the Jews included the repeal of special taxes and oaths in 1798. However, many such reforms were turned back in 1815, and not until 1879 were the Jews granted equal rights with

6150-489: The war delayed an invasion. Attempts by Switzerland's small Nazi party to cause an Anschluss with Germany failed miserably, largely due to Switzerland's multicultural heritage, a strong sense of national identity, and long tradition of direct democracy and civil liberties. The Swiss press vigorously criticized the Third Reich, often infuriating German leaders. Switzerland was an important base for espionage by both sides in

6232-634: The west; while in the north, Alamanni settlers slowly forced the earlier Celto-Roman population to retreat into the mountains. Burgundy became a part of the kingdom of the Franks in 534; two years later, the dukedom of the Alamans followed suit. In the Alaman-controlled region, only isolated Christian communities continued to exist and Irish monks re-introduced the Christian faith in the early 7th century. Under

6314-449: The world's oldest surviving republics . The early history of the region is tied to that of Alpine culture . Switzerland was inhabited by the Helvetii , and it came under Roman rule in the 1st century BC. The Gallo-Roman culture was amalgamated with Germanic influence during Late Antiquity , with the eastern part of Switzerland becoming Alemannic territory. The area of Switzerland

6396-439: The youth ( Jungschützen ) and the elderly ( Veteranen ). The annual field shooting organized by SSV is the largest shooting event in the world with around 135,000 participants in decentralized locations, and has been held early in the summer every year for over 130 years. The development of field shooting in the 20th century was largely related to compulsory shooting training in the Swiss army. The annual target shooting for teams

6478-524: Was alive. A sheepskin coat, a belt chain, a fancy wool dress, a scarf and a pendant made of glass, and amber beads were also discovered with the woman. In 58 BC, the Helvetii tried to evade migratory pressure from Germanic tribes by moving into Gaul , but were defeated by Julius Caesar 's armies and then sent back. The alpine region became integrated into the Roman Empire and was extensively romanized in

6560-713: Was incorporated into the Frankish Empire in the 6th century. In the High Middle Ages , the eastern part became part of the Duchy of Swabia within the Holy Roman Empire , while the western part was part of Burgundy . The Old Swiss Confederacy in the Late Middle Ages (the Eight Cantons ) established its independence from the House of Habsburg and the Duchy of Burgundy , and in the Italian Wars gained territory south of

6642-464: Was introduced in 1850, but the shooting results were deemed unsatisfactory with only 15% managing to hit a man sized target at 300 meters, while the remaining 85% missed the target. Based on these results, Twannberg in the canton of Bern arranged a mandatory civilian field shooting competition in 1872. There is evidence that field shooting events have been held regularly in the cantons of Bern and Solothurn since 1879. However, field shooting spread slowly in

6724-608: Was the last armed conflict on Swiss territory. Many Sonderbund leaders fled to Italy, but the victors were generous. They invited the defeated cantons to join them in a program of federal reform, and a new constitution was drafted along American lines. National issues were to be under the control of the national parliament, and the Jesuits were expelled. The Swiss voted heavily in favor of the new constitution by 2 million against 300,000. Switzerland became calm. However, conservatives around Europe became frightened and prepared their forces to meet possible challenges, which indeed soon exploded

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