Although Switzerland is now known for its neutrality, this wasn’t always the case. In the Middle Ages, the Swiss allies fought many battles against the Austrians, then called Habsburgs. In this episode, we take you through 730 years of Swiss history, from the initial pledge of allegiance at the Rütli meadow to the recent formation of the canton Jura and Switzerland’s agreements with the EU.
Timestamps
00:00 Intro
03:40 Swiss national heroes
04:56 Swiss neutrality
05:37 The 30 Years War
06:03 The Swiss army and military service
07:20 The role that Napoleon played
07:58 The Helvetic Republic
09:33 Equal, self-governing cantons
09:55 The Swiss Civil war
10:49 The Swiss flag
11:15 The Swiss Federation
11:47 Federal parliament
12:05 The First World War
13:18 The General Strike
14:14 The Second World War
15:00 The National Redoubt
17:50 The European Union
Next Steps
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Who We’re Talking To
Diccon Bewes grew up in Britain but moved to Switzerland in 2005. His first book, Swiss Watching, became an international bestseller and he is now writing his ninth Swiss title. He lives in Bern with his partner (and a cupboard full of chocolate).
About the Episode
A few important milestones and battles in Swiss history are:
• The sealing of the oath on the Rütli meadow:
Representatives from the three original cantons, Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden promised to protect each other from the Habsburgs. There is no proof that this happened exactly as the legend tells it, but the Letter of Allegiance exists to this day.
• The Battles of Morgarten and Sempach:
In 1315 and 1386, the Swiss won against the Austrians.
• The Battle of Marignano:
In 1515, the French won over the Swiss. A year later, the Swiss Confederation signed a peace treaty with France. This is widely believed to be the start of Swiss neutrality.
• The 30 Years War:
This took place in the 17th century. Although the Swiss weren’t involved, the treaty that ended the war resulted in the recognition of Swiss independence in 1648.
• The Congress of Vienna:
In 1814 and 1815, a series of international diplomatic meetings took place. Switzerland was assured permanent neutrality, and it has not been involved in any battles since, except for the one-month-long civil war in 1847.
• Modern Switzerland:
The country we know today was created in 1848, with the only recent change being the separation of canton Jura from canton Bern in 1978-79.
Resources
The Rütli Pact the Rütlischwur - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%BC...
The Bundesbrief Museum in Schwyz has that signed pact and is really worth a visit - www.bundesbrief.ch/
The Tell play - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William...)
The House of Habsburg - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_o...
Arnold von Winkelried - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold_...
The symbol of the country, Helvetia - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helvetia
The Swiss Guard - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_G...
Swiss neutrality - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_n...
The Battle of Marignano - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_...
The Thirty Years War - Swiss not involved despite being split between Catholics and Protestants - www.myswitzerland.com/en-ch/p...
The Treaty of Westphalia 1648 recognised Swiss independence - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peace_o...
The Congress of Vienna guaranteed Swiss neutrality and has been respected ever since - www.swissinfo.ch/eng/congress... Congress of Vienna was,and villages did the same.
Swiss National Day - The August 1 public holiday - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_N...
Compulsory military service in Switzerland - www.ch.ch/en/safety-and-justi...
The Swiss Civil War, The Sonderbund War - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonderb...
The origins of the Swiss flag - www.eda.admin.ch/aboutswitzer...)
The General Strike - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1918_Sw...
Operation Tannenbaum - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operati...
The National Redoubt - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nationa...)