Swiss Democratization
A history of Swiss democratization.
Old Swiss Confederacy
The Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft was established as loose confederation of independent states within the Holy Roman Empire. These states form the historic basis for the modern cantons.
The Forest States (Waldstätten) (Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden) had been granted reichsfreiheit in the 13th century because the Hohenstauffen emperors aimed to consolidate control over this crucial alpine trade route. The Federal Charter (Bundesbrief) was written around 1300. Lucerne, Zurich, and Bern joined later in the 14th century. As the Habsburgs ascended, this confederacy won de facto independence through the Burgundian Wars and the Swabian War. A pact was signed with Glarus and Zug despite these cities being returned through peace treaties. These are considered the Acht Orte (Eight Cantons).
Associated with the confederacy, but not member to it, were the Three Leagues (Drei Bünde, Tre Leghe) and the republic of Seven Tithings (Sieben Zenden, Sept-Dizains)
The Three Leagues was a free association of three alliances. These military alliances were formed by districts and bailwicks for mutual defense. The three came together first in a 1450s conflict against the counts of Werdenberg-Sargans. They joined with the confederacy during the Swabian War.
The tithings of Upper Valais had been elevated by Charles IV and enjoyed de facto independence since the Raron affair in 1420. The lands, previously organized under the prince-bishopric of Sion, had been granted to the barons of Raron by Sigismund. The people rebelled and deposed Witschard; he then appealed to Amadeus VIII of Savoy for military support. The ensuing invasion threatened the unity of the confederacy, as some cantons wished to remain neutral. Ultimately the barons were restored, but with their properties sacked and the population insurgent, they abandoned the claim.
The Raron affair also solidified the confideracy's supremacy over foreign affairs.
By the 16th century, there were 13 cantons. 5 are counted as rural states (Länder)
- Uri
- Schwyz
- Unterwalden
- Glarus
- Appenzell
8 are counted as urban states (Städte)
- Zürich
- Bern
- Luzern
- Zug
- Basel
- Fribourg
- Solothurn
- Schaffhausen
The practice of landsgemeinde emerged in this century as well. These were cantonal assemblies where direct, non-anonymous democracy was practiced. These were primarily used in the rural cantons.
Napoleonic Wars
In March 1798, the French army rapidly overran Switzerland. The Helvetic Republic (République helvétique, Helvetische Republik) was established as a client state. A constitution was drafted which included a bicameral legislature (Grand Council with 8 members per canton and Senate with 4 members per canton) and a council executive called the Directory. Canton citizenships were also replaced with Swiss citizenship.
At this time, the Swiss Confederacy became known as the Old Swiss Confederacy.
In 1799 the country became a warzone as Russian and Austrian armies pushed towards France. The republic was racked by uprisings including the Bourla-papey and the War of Sticks (Stecklikrieg).
The Act of Mediation (Acte de Médiation) in 1803 dissolved the republic and replaced it with a new Swiss Confederation. Other territories including the Three Leagues were incorporated into Switzerland at the same time. This period is generally known as the Mediation.
The Act was a set of constitutions, one for each of the (now 19) cantons, followed by a Federal Act dictating the structure of a Diet (Tagsatzung). Small cantons had one vote, while the populous cantons of Bern, Zurich, Vaud, St Gallen, Graubünden, and Aargau each had two.
Restoration
The Congress of Vienna granted a Swiss state including Valais, Neuchâtel, and Geneva. A large portions of the Grissons, however, was granted to the kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia. This was land that had been under the Three Leagues and had only been incorporated under a Swiss state for about a decade.
The cantons independently wrote constitutions, largely restoring the old regime. This can be characterized as advantaging the urban cantons over the rural ones. A new Federal Treaty (Bundesvertrag) in 1815 restored the Diet. This was however a greatly weakened federal state.
Following Napoleon's return, the Swiss were pressured to declare war and allow transport of foreign armies. They relented on this, but the Treaty of Paris recognized permanent Swiss neutrality. The treaty also ceded land to Switzerland, connecting the exclave of Geneva to the contiguous state.
Regeneration
The July Revolution in 1830 triggered assemblies and protests across Switzerland. Largely this was contained and addressed in the cantons, where constitutions were peacefully amended.
The Radical Party rose to prominence nationally, seeking to consolidate the cantons into a national state. This quickly evolved into a religious conflict between the Catholic cantons and the largely Protestant ones which leaned towards Radicalism. The Catholic cantons established a Sonderbund (separate alliance), leading to the Sonderbund War. After the Diet declared the Sonderbund illegal in 1847, the Swiss army was dispatched to dissolve it by force. The conflict lasted only a few weeks in November and caused relatively few deaths, compared to the number of troops mobilized.
The next year, a federal constitution was drafted. It includes a bicameral legilature with the National Council and Council of States. Supremacy of the federal government was made explicit.
The constitution was rewritten and submitted to referenda in 1999. There were 10 referenda in total, most on narrow and separable issues. The major change from the returned results was to explicitly list fundamental rights.