Political Conditions. 187 



The league of cantons was only a very loose con- 

 federation without any central power, although a 

 diet, to which each canton sent a delegate, had de- 

 liberative functions. Almost immediately after the 

 alliance was formed it became fatally divided, 

 especially when religious differences arose, and 

 throughout the 16th and first half of the 17th century, 

 continuous warfare existed between the different 

 allies. 



It must not, however, be understood that the 

 peasants in the different cantons were entirely free 

 from the ancient tyrannies. With the exception of 

 the three forest cantons, which were truly democratic 

 republics, the majority of the Swiss peasants, free 

 in the eyes of the outside world, were mere serfs until 

 the beginning of the 18th century, and secured their 

 freedom only after many revolts. 



After nearly 500 years of this loose federation, it 

 was reserved to Napoleon to proclaim the Helvetian 

 Republic one and indivisible, in 1798, after a short 

 struggle of 74 days. This constitution fell with the 

 fall of Napoleon, and gave place, in 1815, to a re- 

 organized federation, in which the former sovereignty 

 of each canton was re-established, the inviolability of 

 the territory being guaranteed by the European 

 powers. Finally in 1848, the seventh and last phase 

 of reconstruction brought into existence the "Bund," 

 the Confederation of Switzerland, very much after 

 the pattern of the United States, the constitution then 

 adopted being once more revised in 1874. 



The country is divided into 19 entire and 6 half 

 states or cantons, which are a unit towards foreign 



