Switzerland History

Uri, Schwyz, Unterwalden

The three cantons that the alliance of the Old Swiss Confederacy/Switzerland was founded from

Rutli Meadow

The site of Ruetlischwur, which is the oath marking the foundation of the original Swiss Confederacy, it is treated as a national monument and has a celebration of the site on August 1st

Swiss Confederation 1291

The federal Charter of Letter of alliance is one of the earliest constitutional documents in Switzerland, and was formed between the cantons of Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden

Battle of Morgarten

Conflict between Switzerland (Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden) and Austria under the command of Leopold I; The victory in this battle formed the core of the Old Swiss Confederacy (League of the Three Forest Cantons)

1499 Peace of Basel

An armistice concluding the Swabian War, which was fought between the Swabian League and the Old Swiss Confederacy; Marked the beginning of de facto Swiss independence

John Calvin

Theologist who created Calvinism, which included predestination, God's absolute sovereignty in the salvation of the human soul, and were influenced by Augustinian and other Christian traditions

Ulrich Zwingli

Swiss theologians who was the leader of the Reformation in Switzerland, died in battle whenever Catholic cantons attacked after an unsuccessful food blockade on the Catholic cantons

Swiss Guard

Armed force and honor guard maintained by the Holy See that protects the Pope and the Apostolic Palace, established in 1506 under Pope Julius II

Helvetic Republic

Created following the French invasion and the dissolution of the Old Swiss Confederacy

Armed neutrality

One of Switzerland's main foreign policies is Switzerland will not be involved in armed conflicts between other states, and is the oldest policy of military neutrality in the world; It was established by the Treaty of Paris in 1815

1971

Women gained the ability to vote in federal elections in 1971