SWITZERLAND 



5664 



SWITZERLAND 



came a part of the Holy Roman Empire. Late 

 in the thirteenth century the House of Haps- 

 burg, the imperial dynasty of Austria, became 

 very powerful in the country. The tyranny of 

 the Austrian rulers led to the formation, in 

 1291, of a league of three Forest Cantons Uri, 

 Schwyz and Unterwalden. These cantons en- 

 tered into a perpetual alliance to resist Austrian 

 oppression, and this union was the first step in 

 the war for Swiss independence. 



The annals of this period abound in tales of 

 heroism. Typical of the spirit of the time, 

 though perhaps not historically accurate, is the 

 story of William Tell. In 1315 the first blow 

 for liberty was struck when the confederation 

 decisively defeated the Austrians at the Battle 

 of Morgarten. This victory gave the Swiss 

 seventy years of peace. 



Meantime Lucerne, Zurich (center of a pow- 

 erful coalition), Glarus, Zug and Bern joined 

 the confederation, and the united cantons were 

 able to present a strong front against the Aus- 

 trians when war was renewed in 1386. At Sem- 

 pach (1386), where Arnold Winkelried "made 

 way for liberty and died," and at Nafels (1388) 

 the Swiss were completely victorious, and Aus- 

 trian power was permanently weakened. 



In 1415 the cantons began offensive warfare, 

 compelling Austria to reliquish Aargau, and 

 about half a century later they added Thurgau 

 to their country. Then followed a war with 

 Charles the Bold of Burgundy, in which the 

 Swiss were again victorious. In 1481 the con- 

 federation was strengthened by the addition of 

 the towns of Fribourg and Solothurn. Seven- 

 teen years later (1498) the Emperor Maxi- 

 milian I began a war to place the Swiss again 

 under the rule of the Empire, but the cantons 

 held their ground in six desperate battles. 

 Though they were practically independent from 

 this time on, their independence was not for- 

 mally recognized until 1648, when the Peace of 

 Westphalia was ratified. In 1501 Basel and 

 Schaffhausen came into the confederation, and 

 in 1513 Appenzell was admitted. 



The Protestant Reformation, which began in 

 Germany in this period, soon made itself felt in 

 Switzerland, and the cantons were involved 

 in religious wars in the sixteenth century. 

 Through the influence of Zwingli and of Calvin, 

 the latter of whom made Geneva his head- 

 quarters, Protestant doctrines spread rapidly 

 through the country; difficulties between op- 

 posing factions were partially adjusted by the 

 Peace of Westphalia, which closed the Thirty 

 Years' War. 



During the remainder of the seventeenth 

 century and for many years thereafter Switzer- 

 land was torn by political and religious dis- 

 orders, and in 1798 a short-lived Helvetic re- 

 public was founded to take the place of the old 

 confederation. In 1803 a new confederation of 

 nineteen cantons was organized by Napojeon, 

 and for a time peace and order prevailed. 

 When the affairs of troubled Europe were set- 

 tled in 1814-1815 by the Congress of Viejma, 

 the powers acknowledged the independence of 

 Switzerland and guaranteed its perpetual neu- 

 trality. A confederation of twenty-two cantons 

 was organized (three being divided into half- 

 cantons). It was not until 1848, however, that 

 a really efficient form of government was es- 

 tablished. In 1874 the constitution was revised, 

 and more extensive powers were granted the 

 central government. 



Since that date Switzerland has made rapid 

 progress. During the War of the Nations the 

 country maintained its neutrality successfully, 

 though often under great difficulties. The 

 Swiss embassy took charge of American inter- 

 ests with respect to Germany when the United 

 States severed diplomatic relations with the 

 Imperial German government. B.M.W. 



Consult Story's Swiss Life in Town and Coun- 

 try; Wade's Our Little Swiss Cousins; Craw- 

 ford's Switzerland of To-day. 



Related Subjects. The following articles in 

 these volumes will give addetl details as to the 

 geography and life of Switzerland : 



Altdorf 



Basel 



Bern 



Geneva 



Interlaken 



Lausanne 



Lucerne, subhead under 



Lucerne, Lake of 

 Neuchatel 

 Zurich 



HISTORY 



Calvin, John Tell, William 



Helvetii Thirty Years' War 



Holy Roman Empire Winkelried, Arnold 

 Reformation Zwingli, Ulrich 



Constance, Lake 

 Geneva, Lake 

 Lucerne, Lake of 

 Lugano, Lake of 



Alps 



Jungfrau 



Matterhorn 



Rhine 



Avalanche 



Chillon 



Glacier 



LAKES 



Maggiore, Lake 

 Neuchatel, subhead Lake 

 of Neuchatel 



MOUNTAINS 



Mont Blanc 

 Monte Rosa 

 Saint Gotthard 



RIVERS 

 Rhone 



UNCLASSIFIED 



Mer de Glace 



Saint Bernard, Great 



Simplon 



