Summary
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 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 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 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 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 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.
About this result
This page is automatically generated and may contain information that is not correct, complete, up-to-date, or relevant to your search query. The same applies to every other page on this website. Please make sure to verify the information with EPFL's official sources.
Related courses (32)
ME-341: Heat and mass transfer
This course covers fundamentals of heat transfer and applications to practical problems. Emphasis will be on developing a physical and analytical understanding of conductive, convective, and radiative
ME-469: Nano-scale heat transfer
In this course we study heat transfer (and energy conversion) from a microscopic perspective. First we focus on understanding why classical laws (i.e. Fourier Law) are what they are and what are their
HUM-471: Economic growth and sustainability I
This course examines growth from various angles: economic growth, growth in the use of resources, need for growth, limits to growth, sustainable growth, and, if time permits, population growth and gro
Show more
Related lectures (81)
Genome Editing: CRISPR Babies
Explores the creation of gene-edited babies using CRISPR technology in China, highlighting the ethical and scientific implications.
Additive Manufacturing: Space Mechanisms
Explores additive manufacturing for space mechanisms, covering 3D printing technologies, materials, design rules, and applications in space.
Social Media Trends
Delves into the evolution of internet usage and social media trends, analyzing global users, mobile activities, and engagement patterns.
Show more
Related publications (19)

Characterizing Swiss Alpine Lakes: from Wikipedia to Citizen Science

Yuanhui Lin

In Switzerland, there are more than 1500 lakes located above 2000 meters of altitude. In order to understand the ecological impacts of climate change on bacteria communities in these high mountain lakes, researchers in project 2000Lakes analyze their chemi ...
2022

The Role of Biochar and Peatlands in Reaching Swiss Net Zero

Jean-André Tony Davy-Guidicelli

This master thesis explores the role of Biochar production and Peatlands renaturation as Nature-based solutions to reach Swiss Net Zero by 2050, by analyzing the historical, socio-economic context, and the scientific phenomena behind these topics. It aimed ...
2022
Show more
Related concepts (23)
Helvetic Republic
The Helvetic Republic (République Hélvetique, Helvetische Republik, Repubblica Elvetica) was a sister republic of France that existed between 1798 and 1803, during the French Revolutionary Wars. It was created following the French invasion and the consequent dissolution of the Old Swiss Confederacy, marking the end of the ancien régime in Switzerland. Throughout its existence, the republic incorporated most of the territory of modern Switzerland, excluding the cantons of Geneva and Neuchâtel and the old Prince-Bishopric of Basel.
Swiss Alps
The Alpine region of Switzerland, conventionally referred to as the Swiss Alps (Schweizer Alpen, Alpes suisses, Alpi svizzere, Alps svizras), represents a major natural feature of the country and is, along with the Swiss Plateau and the Swiss portion of the Jura Mountains, one of its three main physiographic regions. The Swiss Alps extend over both the Western Alps and the Eastern Alps, encompassing an area sometimes called Central Alps.
Swiss Plateau
The Swiss Plateau or Central Plateau (Schweizer Mittelland; plateau suisse; altopiano svizzero) is one of the three major landscapes in Switzerland, lying between the Jura Mountains and the Swiss Alps. It covers about 30% of the Swiss surface area, and is partly flat but mostly hilly. The average height is between and AMSL. It is by far the most densely populated region of Switzerland, the center of economy and important transportation. In the north and northwest, the Swiss Plateau is sharply delimited geographically and geologically by the Jura Mountains.
Show more
Related MOOCs (3)
SES Swiss-Energyscope
La transition énergique suisse / Energiewende in der Schweiz
Il robot Thymio come strumento di scoperta delle scienze digitali
In questo corso, imparerai a utilizzare il robot Thymio e ad usarlo come strumento didattico per introdurre nella tua classe i principali concetti appartenenti al mondo digitale e al pensiero computaz
Il robot Thymio come strumento di scoperta delle scienze digitali
In questo corso, imparerai a utilizzare il robot Thymio e ad usarlo come strumento didattico per introdurre nella tua classe i principali concetti appartenenti al mondo digitale e al pensiero computaz