used Wikipedia materials
Paleolithic (c. 12 millennium BC) - the first traces of human settlements in the lowlands of Switzerland.
Neolithic - people lived in settlements on stilts along the shores of lakes, were engaged in agriculture and cattle breeding.
10th-1st centuries BC. Switzerland was occupied mainly by the Celtic tribes. From the 1st century BC. the territory was occupied by the Helvetians, a large Celtic tribe, so the Romans called it Helvetia. The Helvetians already had literacy, brought from Greece, they minted coins. At that time, cities already existed: the capital Aventicum (Aventicum, now Avenche), Geneva, Lausonium (Lausonium, Lausanne), Salodurum (Salodurum, Solothurn), Turicum (Turicum, Zurich), Vitudurum (Vitudurum, Winterthur).
With 3 in. BC. the gradual seizure of the territory by the Romans begins. In 121 BC The territory around Geneva was taken over by Rome.
AT 58 BC about 300 thousand Helvetians set off towards the Atlantic Ocean, as they were forced out by the Germanic tribes. However, Caesar did not allow them to move further than Lake Geneva and forced them to return to Helvetia. Caesar recognized the Helvetii as allies and retained their independence.
AT 15 BC the Roman army crossed the Alps and the Rhine and established control over eastern and central Switzerland. The Romans built settlements, roads, trade developed. Already during the reign of the Romans, Christianity began to penetrate into Helvetia, monasteries arose.
264- Alemanni invaded Helvetia, the lands on the right bank of the Rhine were lost, Aventicum was destroyed.
406-407 The Alemanni conquered eastern Switzerland. They destroyed almost all traces of Roman influence, including Christianity.
470- Western Switzerland fell under the rule of the Burgundians (also a Germanic tribe).
Already in the 5th c. Switzerland was divided linguistically into groups: in the territory subject to the Alemanni - German, in the southeast (Canton of Graubünden), formerly under the Ostrogoths - Romansh was preserved, in Ticino (later under the rule of the Lombards) - Italian, the western part (Burgundians) - French.
496- the Alemanni were conquered by Clovis (the Franks), in 534 his sons conquered the Burgundians, in 536 the Ostrogoths ceded Rhaetia.
569- Ticino was conquered by the Lombards and only in 774 passed into the power of the Franks.
6th-7th centuries- under the Franks, the monasteries received large land plots.
843- Under the Verdun Treaty, Switzerland was divided: the western (together with Burgundy) and the southern (together with Italy) were given to Emperor Lothair, the eastern (together with Alemannia) - to King Louis the German.
888- Duke Rudolph of the House of Welf founded the Upper Burgundian Kingdom (included western Switzerland with Wallis).
10th c.- attacks of the Hungarians and Saracens.
With 1032 power over Burgundy passed to the German emperor Conrad 2.
AT late 11th - early 12th century. count and ducal families rose, especially the Zähringens, who founded several new cities (Freiburg in 1178, Bern at the end of the 12th century, Thun in the 13th century, etc.). In the 13th century the Tseringen family died out and their possessions passed to the empire and other counts, especially large possessions went to the end of the 13th century. Counts of the Habsburgs. In the 13th century Switzerland consisted of many petty political entities, some of which were directly imperial, others belonged to counts, dukes, or were ecclesiastical possessions.
AT 1231 Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II bought Uri from the Habsburgs, and in 1240 granted Schwyz a special Liberty Charter, making it imperial. The Habsburgs did not recognize this charter and undertook the conquest of Schwyz in 1245-1252. Uri and Unterwalden, still subject to the Habsburgs, came to the aid of Schwyz; during the war, they concluded the first allied treaty, the text of which has not been preserved. After some time, Schwyz and Unterwalden were forced to recognize the power of the Habsburgs, and their alliance broke up.
1 August 1291 the treaty was renewed "in perpetuity". The act of the treaty, drawn up much later in Latin, has been preserved in the archives of the city of Schwyz. The allies undertook to help each other with advice and deed, personally and with property, on their lands and outside them, against anyone and everyone who wants to inflict offense or violence on all of them or any of them. The treaty confirms the rights of local lords, but rejects attempts to establish power from outside (ie, the Habsburgs). The beginning of Switzerland as a state is counted from this treaty. Until the 19th century people believed in the legend of the formation of the Swiss Union, associated with William Tell and the mythical agreement on the Rütli meadow in 1307.
AT 1315 an attempt was made to subjugate Uri, Schwyz and Unterwald to Austria. The inhabitants ambushed the Habsburg army at Morgarten, over Lake Egeri, and put it to flight. A new treaty was concluded at Brunnen, confirming the union of the three cantons. Formally, they depended on the empire, but its power was minimal.
AT 1332 Lucerne entered into an alliance with the three cantons, which had been under the rule of the Habsburgs since 1291. The war of 1336 did not help the Habsburgs. In 1351 Zurich joined the union. In the ensuing war, Glarus and Zug joined the alliance, and in 1353, Bern. Education ended by 1389 "Union 8 old lands”(Eidgenossenschaft or Bund von acht alten Orten), which remained in this form until 1481. Internal relations between the allied lands were and remained until 1798 completely free and voluntary. General issues were decided at Diets (Tagsatzung), which met with representatives of the lands.
During 15th c. the Allies expanded their holdings in Switzerland. At the same time, they did not accept the conquered lands into their union, they ruled them precisely as conquered. The lands were divided between the cantons or remained in common use. The internal organization of the lands was varied. The original cantons have long been democratic, and after the liberation from the power of the Habsburgs - democratic republics. They were governed by a nationwide gathering, at which all the most important issues were decided, foremen, judges and other officials were elected. The entire free male population, and sometimes the unfree or semi-free, could converge on gatherings. In other cantons, more urban in nature, there was a sharp contrast between the city and the lands subject to it. In the cities themselves, there was a struggle between the old patrician families, burghers (mainly merchants, bankers) and the lower class of the population - artisans organized in workshops. Depending on the greater or lesser strength of one or another of these classes, power was organized in one way or another. In general, during this period, Switzerland was the most free and comfortable country.
1460 - Switzerland's first university in Basel.
Military victories of the Swiss Union in the 15th century. created glory for his troops, so foreign rulers began to look for mercenaries in them, and neighboring lands began to seek to enter into an alliance. At the end of the 15th century in Stans a new treaty was concluded, which included two new lands - Solothurn and Friborg (Stan agreement). From this period, the connection with the empire was finally terminated, although this was formally recognized only by the Peace of Westphalia (1648). At the beginning of the 16th century as a result of participation in the Italian wars, the union received the ownership of Ticino.
In 1501 Basel and Schaffhausen were admitted to the Union, in 1513 Appenzell was converted from an “assigned land” into an equal member of the Union. Thus formed Union of thirteen lands. In addition to them, Switzerland included quite a few assigned lands or lands friendly with one or another (or several) of the members of the Union (Eidgenossenschaft). Neuchâtel (Neuenburg) occupied a very special position for a long time: it was an independent principality, which had its own princes, but it was under the patronage of Switzerland. Later, the princely power went to the king of Prussia, thus it was a Prussian principality in the Swiss Union. Friendly lands were also the Bishopric of Basel, the Abbey of St. Gallen and the city of St. Gallen (which, at the same time as Appenzell, asked for admission to the Union, but were refused), Biel, Grisons, Valais, somewhat later (since 1526) Geneva. Thus, the geographical boundaries of Switzerland, if we count both assigned and subject lands, were almost the same as now.
AT 16th century The Reformation movement began, leading to religious wars, as a result of which Switzerland was divided into Catholic and Protestant. In 1586, seven Catholic cantons (4 forest, Zug, Freiburg, Solothurn) concluded the so-called "Golden", obliging its members to defend Catholicism within each canton, if necessary - by force of arms. As a result, the Swiss Union, as it were, fell apart. The Catholic cantons had their diets in Lucerne, the Protestant ones in Aarau, although the former general ones remained nearby, having lost a large share of their already modest significance. To religious strife in the 16th century. plague epidemics and famine were added, only in the 17th century. industry again began to develop rapidly, which was facilitated by the fact that Switzerland was on the sidelines of the Thirty Years' War. During this period, the desire to maintain neutrality in European clashes manifested itself and took a conscious form in Switzerland.
AT 18th century religious conflicts continued and there was a continuous struggle between different classes of the population, which more than once reached open clashes and peasant uprisings. 18th century is also the era of intellectual development and flourishing of Switzerland (Albrecht Haller, Bernoulli, Euler, Bodmer, Breitinger, Solomon Gessner, Lavater, Pestalozzi, J. von Müller, Bonnet, de Saussure, Rousseau, etc.).
During the French Revolution, unrest also began in Switzerland, which the French took advantage of - in 1798 they brought their troops into Switzerland. Representatives of 10 cantons adopted a constitution (approved by the French Directory) of a single Helvetic Republic, replacing the former Union of thirteen lands. The new constitution proclaimed the equality of all before the law, freedom of conscience, press, trade and crafts. The supreme power was declared to belong to all citizens. Legislative power is vested in the Senate and the Grand Council, while executive power is vested in the directory, which consists of 5 members. The latter elected ministers and commanders of troops and appointed prefects for each canton. Meanwhile, the course of action of the French, who imposed a significant military indemnity on some cantons, annexed Geneva to France (in April 1798) and demanded immediate accession to the Helvetic Republic and the rest of the cantons, caused great excitement in the latter. However, they were forced to give in and join the republic.
Meanwhile, Austrian troops entered Switzerland, occupied its eastern part and established a provisional government in Zurich. All this caused a popular uprising, suppressed by the French. Before 1803 power was constantly changing in the country and people's discontent grew, until in 1803 the Helvetic Republic ceased to exist. Napoleon made up mediation act- the federal constitution of Switzerland, which on February 19, 1803 was solemnly handed over by Bonaparte to the Swiss commissioners. Switzerland formed a union state of 19 cantons. The cantons were supposed to assist each other in case of external or internal danger, did not have the right to fight with each other, and also to conclude agreements between themselves or with other states. In internal affairs, the cantons enjoyed self-government. In addition to the 13 old cantons, the Union included Graubünden, Aargau, Thurgau, St. Gallen, Vaud and Ticino. Valais, Geneva and Neuchâtel were not included in the Union. Each canton with a population of more than 100,000 had two votes in the Sejm, the rest - one each. At the head of the Union was the Landammann, who was elected annually in turn by the cantons of Friborg, Bern, Solothurn, Basel, Zurich and Lucerne. Switzerland concluded a defensive and offensive alliance treaty with France, under which she undertook to deliver to France an army of 16,000 people. This obligation fell upon Switzerland as a heavy burden, but in general Switzerland suffered less from Napoleon's warlike enterprises than all other vassal states. After the Battle of Leipzig (1813), the Allied Sejm decided to maintain strict neutrality, which was reported to the warring countries.
Declaration signed on March 20 1815, the powers recognized the eternal neutrality of the Swiss Union and guaranteed the integrity and inviolability of its borders. Valais, Geneva and Neuchâtel were annexed to the Union, which thus included 22 cantons. The union treaty of August 7, 1815 again turned Switzerland into a number of independent states, loosely linked by common interests. The supreme power, although it belonged to the Sejm, but its activity was very weak. The Polish revolution that broke out in 1830 gave a strong impetus to the liberal movement. A whole series of popular demonstrations began, demanding democracy, equality of rights, separation of powers, freedom of the press, etc.
The struggle, which went as far as armed clashes and the formation of a union (Sonderbund) by several cantons, led to the creation in 1848 constitution, in general terms similar to the modern constitution of Switzerland. Bern was chosen as the federal capital. A permanent body of executive power was established - a federal council of seven members elected by a legislative body from two chambers - the national council and the council of cantons. The federal government was empowered to issue money, regulate customs regulations, and determine foreign policy. Now Switzerland could devote time not to wars, but to economic and social issues. Production, established in the cities of Switzerland, began to be based mainly on highly skilled labor. New railways and roads made it possible to penetrate into previously inaccessible regions of the Alps and promoted the development of tourism. In 1863, the International Red Cross was established in the Swiss city of Geneva. Compulsory free education appeared.
AT 1874 A constitution was adopted that introduced the institution of a referendum.
During World War I Switzerland remained neutral.
At the beginning World War II, after a series of armed clashes, mainly in the air, Germany and Switzerland concluded an agreement. Switzerland remained neutral, provided banking services to Germany, allowed the free transit of German goods through Switzerland. The military of other countries who entered the territory of Switzerland were kept in internment camps. Civil refugees, especially Jews, were denied entry in most cases. In the 90s of the 20th century. a scandal arose over the fact that Swiss banks store Nazi gold and valuables taken from victims of the genocide, and also prevent heirs from accessing accounts. As a result, the Swiss banking group agreed in 1998 to pay $1.25 billion in compensation to the victims of the genocide and their heirs.
After the Second World War, Europe slowly and painfully recovered from the destruction. Switzerland has used these years to improve its intact commercial, financial and economic system. Over time, the Swiss city of Zurich became an international banking center, the headquarters of major international organizations (for example, WHO) settled in Geneva, and the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne. Fearing for its neutrality, Switzerland refused to join the UN (it currently has observer status) and NATO. But she joined the European Free Trade Association. In 1992, the Swiss government announced its desire to join the EU. But for this, the country needed to join the European Economic Area, which citizens opposed in a referendum in 1992. Switzerland's application for EU membership is still on hold.

The Legend of William Tell

According to legend, the peasant Wilhelm Tell from Bürglen, a famous archer, went with his son to the town of Altdorf to the fair. Gessler, the newly appointed governor of the Habsburgs, hung his hat on a pole in the square, to which everyone was supposed to bow. Tell did not do this. For this, Gessler ordered his son to be taken and suggested that Tell shoot down an apple from the boy's head with an arrow. Tell took one arrow, put the second in his bosom. His shot was successful. Gessler asked why the second arrow was needed. Tell replied that if his son had died, the second arrow would have been for Gessler. Tell was arrested and taken on Gessler's ship to be taken to his castle in Küssnacht. At this time, a storm broke out on the lake, Tell was unleashed to help save the boat. Tell jumped out of the boat at the place now known as Tellsplatte and went to Küssnacht. When Gessler arrived there, Tell shot him on the narrow road. Tell's act inspired people to revolt against the Austrians, in which Tell played the role of one of the leaders. Representatives of the three cantons (Uri, Schwyz and Unterwald) took the legendary oath of mutual assistance on the Rütli meadow in 1307. According to legend, Tell died in 1354 trying to save a drowning child.
The first written sources documenting the legend of William Tell date back to the 15th century. (White Book of Sarnen, 1475). For a long time, the legend was considered a historical event, later, in the 19th-20th century, it was confirmed that the formation of the Swiss Union dates back to 1291.
The legend of Tell inspired Goethe during his travels in Switzerland. He wanted to write a play about it, but then passed the idea on to Friedrich Schiller, who in 1804 wrote the play William Tell. Rossini used Schiller's play as the basis for his opera William Tell.

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During World Wars (-)
Modern history (with)

Ancient history

The first important contact between the Swiss Helvetians and the Romans (except for the Allobroges who lived in the very south, near Lake Geneva, known already from the 3rd century and partly conquered by the Romans in the 2nd century) took place in 107 BC. e., when the Tigurin tribe joined the Cimbri and Teutons and made a raid on Southern Gaul, where on the banks of the Garonne they inflicted a heavy defeat on the Romans. In 58, the Helvetii, pressed from the north by the Germans, and from the south threatened by the Romans, undertook with their whole mass a campaign, or rather a resettlement, into Gaul. Their number was determined at 265,000 souls, which were joined by 95,000 souls from other tribes. All this mass, consisting of men and women, old people and children, free and slaves, with cattle, with provisions, having burned cities and villages behind them, gathered at Lake Geneva. Caesar prevented them from crossing the Rhone, then inflicted a severe defeat on them at the city of Bibracte (now Autun, Autun) and forced them to return to Helvetia. Fearing the Germans more than the Helvetians, the Romans looked upon the latter as a buffer against the former, and therefore J. Caesar recognized them as allies (foederati) of Rome and retained their independence.

In 52, the Helvetii joined the Gauls in revolt against Rome, but were put down. Since then, the Romanization of Switzerland began, moving forward slowly and gradually, but firmly and steadily over several centuries. Caesar began, and Augustus in 15 BC. e. completed the conquest of the present Wallis; under Augustus, Tiberius and Drusus conquered Rhaetia, which constituted a special province, which included eastern Switzerland, that is, the current cantons of Graubünden, Glarus, St. Gallen, Appenzell, as well as Tyrol and part of Bavaria. Western Switzerland was at first attached to the province of Gallia Transalpine, and later formed the special province of Maxima Sequanorum or Helvetia; only Tessin and Vallis were part of Cisalpine Gaul. Within these provinces, each tribe formed a separate community (civitas), which enjoyed a very significant independence in internal affairs. The inhabitants of these civitates paid tribute to Rome; the provinces were separated from each other by customs borders; so, in Zurich there was a customs office that levied duties on goods transported. The Romans covered the country with a network of excellent roads and water pipes, revived it with trade; cities under them developed, decorated with temples and monuments; a highly developed culture was introduced into the country, and with it the Latin language and the Roman religion spread.

Even during the reign of the Romans, Christianity began to penetrate into Helvetia (Beat - a preacher in the Bernese Oberland, Lucius - in Rhaetia); monasteries arose in some places, a whole church organization appeared with its own (local) bishops. From the 3rd century after R. X., Roman dominance in Helvetia began to decline under the influence of the attacks of the Germans.

In 264 Helvetia was invaded and devastated by the Alemanni; they destroyed the Aventicum, which after that could no longer rise and lost all significance. In the 4th century, due to the loss of land on the right bank of the Rhine, Helvetia acquired special significance for Rome; they began to build new fortresses and set up camps in it, but it was all in vain. In 406-407 years. eastern Switzerland was conquered by the Alemanni; in 470 western Switzerland fell under the rule of the Burgundians. Both those and others at that time were barbarians, and the first, moreover, pagans. The Alemanni managed to almost completely destroy the traces of Roman influence (including Christianity) and completely Germanize the already Romanized areas. It is they who can most of all be considered the ancestors of the present inhabitants of German Switzerland; the admixture of Celtic and Romanesque elements is comparatively weak there. And in later times, when a significant part of Europe, including Germany, received Roman law, the law of German Switzerland was subjected to Roman influence only to a very weak degree and still has a much purer German character than the law of Germany itself. The Burgundians, to a much lesser extent, succeeded in subordinating the part of Helvetia they conquered to their influence, and therefore western Switzerland remained Romanesque. Similarly, the southeast (the present canton of Graubünden), which fell under the rule of the Ostrogoths, retained its Romansh language and partly Roman culture, as did Tessin, who in the subsequent Lombard era was even more subject to Roman influences. Thus, ethnically, or rather linguistically, Switzerland was already in the 5th century. was divided into the same three or four groups as now, and even the boundaries between them, quite accurately and clearly marked by the distribution of mountains and the course of rivers, were almost the same as now. These groups maintained their cultural ties with neighboring political entities; the development of their Celtic-Romance dialects went in parallel with the development of the languages ​​of French and Italian.

Middle Ages

In 496 the Alemanni were subjugated by Clovis, in 534 the Burgundians by his sons; after that, Rhetia was ceded by the Ostrogoths to the Franks (536), and thus all Switzerland, with the exception of the extreme south (Tessin), became part of the Frankish kingdom; this latter was conquered by the Lombards in 569 and only with the fall of their kingdom in 774 did it come under the rule of the Franks. Already under the Alemanni and Burgundians, Christianity began to spread again in Switzerland; under the Franks in the VI-VII centuries. it finally triumphed. A significant number of monasteries arose in the country, which, under the Frankish kings, received large landed property in their possession. Under the Alemanni and Burgundians, the comparatively small number of significant urban settlements began to be replaced by many small farms; the subjugated elements partly made up the serf population (Hörige and Leibeigene), the victors formed the free and noble classes. During the reign of the Franks, who subjugated yesterday's masters, feudalism made further progress.

Under Charlemagne, Switzerland, in the interests of government, was divided into ten counties (Gaue). According to the Treaty of Verdun (843), Switzerland was divided: the western one, together with Burgundy, and the southern one, together with Italy, went to Emperor Lothair, the eastern one, along with all of Alemannia - to King Louis the German. In this latter part of Switzerland, the city of Zurich began to play a prominent role. In 854, Louis the German expanded the possessions and rights of the pre-existing monastery of St. Gallen, which was an important center of education in Switzerland in the following centuries. After the death of Louis the Child (911), the Duchy of Alemannia was formed, and eastern Switzerland became part of it.

In 888 Duke Rudolf of the House of Welf established the Upper (Transjuranian) Kingdom of Burgundy, which included western Switzerland with Wallis. The collapse of the monarchy of Charlemagne weakened it; kings were not always able to defend their possessions from the raids of half-savage barbarians. In the tenth century Switzerland began to be threatened from the east by the Hungarians, from the south by the Saracens. In the city, the first plundered Basel, in the city - St. Gallen; in 936-40 Saracens devastated Hurretia (Graubünden), burned the monastery of St. Mauritius and robbed, but gradually received in flax various possessions from Lake Geneva to Aare; in addition, they were vested with the right of hereditary vogtstvo in Zurichgau (that is, in that part of it that did not depend on the Zurich monastery), and in the city they received the title of rectors (governors) of Burgundy. The secular rulers of Switzerland, especially the Zähringens, in the form of a struggle with already very strong monasteries, encouraged the development of cities and founded a number of new ones: Freiburg (1178), Bern (at the end of the 12th century), Thun, Murten and others (in the 13th century .). Near Zähringen, large estates were acquired during the 13th century. Counts Habsburgs, Kyburgs, Savoy.

In 1218 the family of the dukes of Zähringen died out; part of their possessions became imperial, part passed into other hands. When dividing the inheritance, the counts of Kyburg and the counts of Habsburg were especially lucky, and the latter in 1264 inherited the extinct Kyburg family. The city of Zurichgau passed to the emperor, who made the city of Zurich imperial, and divided other parts of the region into several small cities. The rectorship over Burgundy also returned to the hands of the emperor, but already in the middle of the 13th century. Count Pierre of Savoy forced a significant number of rulers of Burgundian Switzerland to recognize his authority; the spread of his possessions was put to an end by Count Rudolf IV of Habsburg (later Emperor Rudolf I). In the XIII century. a struggle began between the Habsburgs and the imperial power, among other things, over control of Switzerland. Already at the beginning of the XIII century. The S.-Gothard passage became known to the German emperors as a convenient road to Italy. As a result, the territories of the original cantons, especially Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden, acquired a special significance for them.

The overall result of the time period from the 10th to the 13th centuries. for Switzerland it was as follows: the former political unity of Switzerland, as part of the unified monarchy of Charlemagne, was destroyed; Switzerland broke up into many small political units, some of which were directly imperial; in terms of government, they were mainly aristocratic republics in which the city ruled over rural areas completely subordinate to it; others were the possessions of secular or spiritual lords. The internal life of the country, even at the moment of the greatest strength of the monarchy, was little subject to regulation from the centers; later she became even more independent. Separate communities got used to self-government, and the beginnings of republican-democratic self-government were laid down even then. Serfdom in Switzerland has never been particularly strong. Next to the serfs who worked for the masters, in Switzerland there has always been a significant number of free settlers (hunters, fishermen, cattle breeders, farmers), who had small plots of land and sometimes made up entire villages. The population of the cities was almost always free. Thanks to the relative peace that Switzerland enjoyed after the disturbing 10th century, it was in the 11th-13th centuries. was one of the most densely populated countries in Europe and enjoyed relatively great prosperity.

Briefly about Switzerland

The history of Switzerland is short, relatively speaking. Although people lived here for a long time, Switzerland stood out as an independent state only in the 14th century. It is known for certain that in the third century BC. this land was inhabited by the Celts, but in 58 BC. the Romans came here. This land was part of the Roman Empire until its collapse, after which it constantly changed hands until it became part of Frankish state.
However, towards the end of the 13th century, an event occurred that pushed Switzerland towards self-determination. In 1291, the so-called "perpetual union" of the forest cantons was formed. This formation, occupying a relatively small territory, managed to fight off all attempts to encroach on its independence. The allied cantons fought off Austria several times, and since then the Swiss military has become famous throughout Europe. Although Switzerland was officially recognized only in 1643, after the failure of the Austrian invasion, no one else risked attacking it, but the Swiss were often invited as mercenaries, knowing their unparalleled discipline and loyalty to their word. Even to this day, it is the Swiss Guard that is responsible for the safety of the Pope.
However, the French captured Switzerland in 1798, but Napoleon Bonaparte decided to restore the independence of Switzerland. In 1847, a bourgeois revolution also took place in the country, and the following year the constitution of the Swiss Confederation was adopted. In subsequent years, Switzerland managed to remain neutral, even Hitler did not attack her. As already mentioned, Switzerland occupies only a small area, in short, it is equal to half the territory of Austria, it is 41.284 thousand km, about 8 million people live here.

Modern Switzerland is the most militarized country in the world, literally every Swiss has weapons at home, and is ready at any moment to join the ranks and defend their homeland. However, this does not mean at all that the country is dangerous for visitors, on the contrary, the Swiss are very hospitable hosts and are always happy to see tourists, especially since the country is rich in old buildings and is located in perhaps the most picturesque region of Europe.

The period of "old Switzerland" - 1291-1515

1291: Representatives of the nobility of the regions of Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden sign the so-called "Letter of Alliance" (Bundesbrief), which contains the principle of mutual assistance "in the face of the treacherous times." In fact, this document, one of numerous documents of its kind, was written down much later, around the beginning of the 14th century.

1315: Peasants' militia defeats the superior Habsburg knights at Morgarten Heights.

1332-1353: The territory of "old Switzerland" expands to include the regions of Lucerne, Zurich, Glarus, Zug and Bern.

1386-1388: Swiss victories over the Habsburgs at Sempach (1386) and Naefels (1388).

1474-1477: The period of the so-called. "Burgundian Wars". The troops of the Confederates under the leadership of the strengthened Bern (“Swiss Prussia”) defeat Charles the Bold of Burgundy, laying the foundation for the financial prosperity of the noble ruling strata. Bern acquires "administered territories" (actually colonies) on the site of the current canton of Vaud. The confederation becomes a strong military power supplying hired soldiers.

1499: The "Swabian War" with the Great Roman Empire of the German Nation ends with the establishment of the de facto independence of Switzerland from the empire.

1481-1513: The territory of "old Switzerland" is expanded to 13 cantons. Its new members are Friborg, Solothurn, Basel, Schaffhausen and Appenzell. Valais and the "Union of Three Lands" (now the canton of Graubünden) are part of Switzerland as a colony.

1510-1515: Military campaigns in Italy. After a crushing defeat from the combined troops of France and Venice at the Battle of Marignano (Lombardy, Italy), the Confederates abruptly stop their expansion policy. The end of the era of "old Switzerland"

The "Old Regime" in Switzerland and the Religious Schism - 1515-1798

1527-1531: Beginning of the Reformation in Switzerland. Spread of Protestant ideas by Ulrich Zwingli in Zurich and John Calvin in Geneva. The split of Switzerland into two religious camps that are at war with each other. Two sectarian wars end with the defeat of the Protestant cantons. Strengthening the regime of domination of the urban nobility (patricians).

1648 - the signing of the Peace of Westphalia, in which there is a separate "Swiss Article", means the completion of the process that began in 1499. Switzerland becomes independent not only in fact, but also formally.

1653: The end of the "30 Years' War" leads to a deterioration in the economic situation of the Swiss peasants - they have no one else to supply food and nothing, therefore, to pay loans taken from noble families. This leads to mass peasant uprisings, brutally suppressed by the urban nobility.

1712: Another sectarian war, Protestant cantons win. The end of the domination of the Catholic cantons, the establishment of a "parity" regime between Catholics and Protestants.

1700-1798: Beginning of the Swiss industrialization period (primarily in the Glarus region). Contradictions between the traditions of self-government of the people and the power privileges of the nobility (urban patricians), between town and country, between the logic of capitalism and medieval workshops are accumulating and aggravating. Enlightenment ideas come to Switzerland.

Helvetic Republic. The eras of "Restoration" and "Regeneration" - 1798-1848.

1798-1803: French troops enter Switzerland through what is now the canton of Vaud and proclaim the Helvetic Republic, a republican unitary state controlled by France. Cancellation of all medieval orders and privileges. A historical paradox - progressive reforms come on the bayonets of the occupiers. The cantons lose their independence and become simply administrative districts. Switzerland becomes the arena of struggle between the troops of Napoleon and the anti-French coalition. 1799 - Suvorov crossing the Alps and the battle at the Devil's Bridge.

1803: Internal unrest and numerous coups d'état lead Napoleon to issue the "Mediation Act" (or "Mediation Act"), which ends the Helvetic Republic and returns the cantons to their full independence. New "mediation cantons" emerge: Aargau, St. Gallen, Thurgau, Ticino and Vaud. Graubünden also joins the Confederation as no longer a colony, but a full-fledged canton.

1815: End of the Napoleonic Wars. The European powers, including Russia, are interested in the emergence and preservation of a neutral independent Switzerland in order to neutralize the strategic Alpine passes. To Switzerland depart the cantons of Valais, Neuchâtel (which is also a possession of Prussia) and Geneva. Switzerland becomes an interstate association of independent, loosely connected cantons. At the Congress of Vienna, the European powers recognize the "permanent neutrality" of Switzerland.

1815: The restoration of cantonal autonomy does not contribute to the economic development of Switzerland. The development of a free market and trade is hampered by the disunity of the cantons (the absence of a common currency, a system of measures and weights, and the amount of customs fees).

1815-1830: "Restoration" period. The old cantonal patrician families are returning to power in the cantons, which, however, are not able to completely destroy the progressive phenomena associated with the influence of the Napoleonic Code in Switzerland. The balance of old political orders and new trends.

1830 - 1847: Period of "Regeneration". Influenced by the agitation of the liberal intelligentsia and with an eye on the "July Revolution" in France and on the creation of Belgium in Switzerland, a cantonal movement begins for the liberalization of the political and economic order and for the creation of a single Swiss state. The canton of Thurgau was the first to introduce a liberal constitution. It provides the population with economic and political freedoms. As a result, a sharp struggle unfolds between conservative and liberal-minded cantons, advocating the centralization of the country.

1847: Differences lead to a brief civil war between the liberal Protestant cantons and the conservative Catholic cantons of central Switzerland, forming the so-called. Sonderbund. The Catholic cantons are defeated.

1848: The new Constitution turns Switzerland into a liberal federal state. The abolition of restrictions that prevented free trade and free movement within the country. Introduction of universal suffrage and the right to vote for men.

Modern Switzerland and its development - 1848-2010

1848-1874: The government of the new federal state, the Federal Council, is absolutely dominated by Protestant liberals. Catholic conservatives are in opposition. The rapid development of capitalism in Switzerland leads to the creation of oligarchic clans, there is a merger of politics and business (“A. Escher's system”), infringement of the rights of the people and cantons. The emergence of a movement of left-wing radical liberals for the creation of a "true people's" Switzerland. A. Escher begins to build railways on the basis of the principle of private initiative and creates a bank, which is now called Credit Suisse.

1874: The first "total revision" of the constitution, the introduction of instruments of direct democracy (an optional referendum that allows the people to express their opinion on any laws issued by parliament and government), the collapse of the oligarchic "Escher system" as a result. Construction of the Saint Gotthard and Simplon tunnels. The rapid growth of foreign tourism.

1891: Consolidation in the Constitution of the right of legislative initiative in its modern form. The Catholic-conservative opposition for the first time receives one seat in the Federal Council (government).

1898: Nationalization of the Swiss railways. Establishment of the state company Swiss Federal Railways (SBB). The final elimination of the remnants of the "A. Escher system".

1914-1918: During World War I, Switzerland remains neutral. However, there is a threat to the national unity of the country due to the fact that the German-speaking Swiss sympathize with Germany, and the French-speaking - with France. However, flexible Swiss federalism keeps the country from collapsing.

1918: Political disagreements lead to a general strike in Zurich. The leadership of the strike ("Olten Committee") demands the introduction of proportional elections to the national parliament, the right to vote for women, a 48-hour work week, and pension and disability insurance. The Federal Council sends troops into Zurich and crushes the strike.

1919: Elections to the National Council (the grand chamber of the Swiss parliament) under a proportional representation system of parties. The liberals lose most of the seats in parliament, the socialists increase their faction. The people of Switzerland understand that they can use the instruments of direct democracy and elections for their own purposes. Since then, the communist ideology has not had a single chance in the Confederation.

1920: Switzerland's admission to the League of Nations is decided by a popular referendum by a narrow majority.

1929: World economic crisis.

1937: Conclusion in Switzerland of a "labor peace" between workers and employers.

1939: Holding a grand "Industrial Exhibition" in Zurich ("Landi") to highlight the confrontation with Nazi Germany. Swiss-German dialects are given the status of a political instrument of delimitation from their northern neighbor. The culmination of the development of the ideology of the "Spiritual Defense of the Country" ("Geistige Landesverteidigung").

1939-1945: Switzerland's main goals in World War II are to defend its independence by any means. Both the readiness of the army and the people to fight against Nazism (the Rediut strategy) and the close financial and economic relations of Switzerland with Germany until about 1943 play their role. Then Switzerland gradually turns off cooperation with Germany and reorients itself towards the Allies. Since 1942 - the complete closure of the borders of Switzerland, refugees (including Jews) do not have the right to enter the country.

1943: Social Democrats get one seat in government for the first time.

1945-1970: After the end of World War II, Switzerland enjoys an economic upsurge, fueled by a "labor peace" regime between workers and employers. Switzerland's main driver of development is the "economic miracle" in Germany and the restoration of Europe.

1947: Introduction of state pension insurance for old age and disability (AHV).

1959-2003: The era of the so-called "magic formula" (Zauberformel) of the formation of the Swiss government. The Federal Council (government) is represented by: two federal councilors from the FDP (Freisinnig-Demokratische Partei / Radical Democratic Party of Switzerland, liberals); two from the CVP (Christlichdemokratische Volkspartei/Christian Democratic People's Party, Demo-Christians); two from the SP (Sozialdemokratische Partei/Social Democratic Party, Socialists); one from the SVP (Schweizerische Volkspartei/Swiss People's Party, "populists").

1963: Accession of Switzerland to the Council of Europe.

1978: Formation of the new canton of Jura by secession from the canton of Bern.

1984: Elisabeth Kopp (RDPS) becomes the first female member of the Federal Council.

1991: Speech by Fr. Dürrenmatt about Switzerland as a "spiritual prison". The beginning of the crisis of traditional historical identity in Switzerland.

1998: Conclusion of the 1st package of bilateral (bilateral) agreements between Switzerland and the European Union (EU).

1963 -1999: Development and coordination in the cantons of the draft of the new Constitution and the second "total revision" of the basic law of the country. The amendments to the Constitution come into force on January 1, 2000.

2002: Swiss citizens vote to join the UN. On September 10, the Confederation becomes the 190th member of the UN. Publication of the "Final Report" of the so-called. The Bergier Commission, in the center of which is the disclosure of close economic ties between Switzerland and Nazi Germany. Public discussion about the history of the country, in particular - the problems of refugees during the Second World War.

2003: The end of the "magic formula" era. The right-wing conservative SVP wins the parliamentary elections in a convincing manner and puts Christoph Blocher into the government, depriving the CVP of one seat in the cabinet. Its composition is now as follows: 2 federal councilors from the SVP, 2 from the FDP, 2 from the SP, 1 from the CVP.

2005: Swiss citizens approve the 2nd package of bilateral agreements with the EU, providing for Swiss cooperation with the EU in the framework of the Schengen and Dublin agreements.

2007: In December, the parliament refuses to re-elect Christoph Blocher as a member of the Federal Council, opting for the more moderate SVP member Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf of the Canton of Graubünden. The party demands from it not to recognize the results of the elections, but it does its own thing, agreeing with its election. As a result, she is expelled from the party, the SVP split.

2008: Populists Samuel Schmid and Evelynn Widmer-Schlumpf leave the SVP and form the Bürgerlich-Demokratische Partei (BDP). Composition of the Federal Council: 2 federal councilors from the SP, 2 from the FDP, 2 from the BDP, 1 from the CVP. Switzerland joins the club of the Schengen countries.

2009: In January, Ueli Maurer (SVP) takes over from the resigned Samuel Schmid (BDP). Thus, the SVP returns the government, the composition of which is as follows: 2 federal councilors from the SP, 2 from the FDP, 1 from the CVP, 1 from the SVP, 1 from the BDP. 16 September Didier Burkhalter (FDP) is elected by parliament as successor to the resigned Federal Councilor Pascal Couchepin (FDP)

2010: 22 September - Parliament elected successors to the resigned federal councillors, Moritz Loenberger and Hans-Rudolf Merz. They were representatives of the canton of Bern, businessman Johann Schneider-Ammann (FDP) and member of the Council of States from Bern Simonetta Sommaruga (SP). Switzerland becomes the fifth country in the world in which the majority in the government (4 out of 7 ministers) are women. The party composition of the government remains the same.

2011: October 23 - as a result of the last parliamentary elections, the parties of the so-called "new burgher center" turned out to be the winners: the Green Liberals (GLP), which received 5.2% of the vote, and the Burgher Democratic Party (BDP), which also won 5, 2%. The strongest party remains SVP (25.3%, minus 3.6%). The Socialists lost 1.9% of the vote, gaining 17.6% of the popular vote. Democratic Christians (CVP) lost 1.5%, gaining 13.0% of the vote. The biggest losses, however, were suffered by the liberals (FDP.Die Liberalen). They lost 3.0% of the vote, winning only 14.7% of the popular vote. The Greens secured 8.0% of the vote (minus 1.6%).