Swiss History: 1798-1848 & The Federal State (1848-Present)

Swiss History: 1798-1848

Aim

  • Understand the formation of the federal state (1848-today).
  • Outline how it came to be.
  • Explain the changes it brought.
  • Describe the form of government.

Creation of Modern Switzerland

  • After the liberal victory, the Federal Pact was revised.
  • A new liberal constitution was written, and new institutions were created.
  • The political system put in place in 1848 is still in force today.

Post-War Revision of the Federal Pact

  • Occupation of defeated cantons: Governments were abolished.
  • Financial Burden: The question of who pays for the war arose.
  • Timing: The quick victory meant foreign powers came too late, and the March revolutions kept them busy, which was lucky for Switzerland.
Constitution
  • Radicals wrote the new constitution.
  • The Diet (with a liberal majority) passed the draft version.
  • The cantons ratified the draft with 15.5 votes against 6.5.
  • Customs barriers between cantons were abolished, and common external tariffs were established.
  • Switzerland became a centralized Federal State but continued to call itself a "Confederation," or Confoederatio Helvetica (CH).

Change of Political Structure

Confederation vs. Centralized Federal State
  • Confederation: An alliance between independent states (cantons).
  • Centralized Federal State: A central government holds the most important functions, and cantons lose independence.
  • Analogy: A fruit bowl (Confederation) where different independent fruits are held together by a bowl versus an orange (Centralized Federal State) where the single pieces are held together by a strong peel.

Competences

Federation
  • Postal system
  • Army
  • Single currency
  • Standardized weights and measures
  • Decimal system adopted in 1874.
  • Federal taxes
  • Effect: General prosperity and simplified economic development.
Cantons
  • Education
  • Health
  • Roads
  • Public works
  • Judiciary
  • Religion
  • Own government
  • Own parliament
  • Laws
  • Administration
  • Police
  • Finances, cantonal taxes
The People
  • Acquired rights and freedoms:
    • Right to choose the place of residency (if Christian).
    • Freedom to practice Christian rites (not for Jesuits).
    • Freedom of the press.
    • Freedom of association, meetings, and petitions.
    • Freedom to engage in trade and industry.
    • General equality before the law.
      *Note: Women did not have the vote (suffrage) until 1971.

Political Institutions of Switzerland

Government: Executive Power
  • Federal council, seven members.
  • Rotating one-year presidency.
  • The president does not have more rights than the other members; he is a primus inter pares.
  • The members are elected by the National Council and Council of States together.
Parliament: Legislative Power
National Council
  • Represents the people.
  • Small cantons have little influence here.
  • Elected for three years, holding 111 members (one per 20,000 citizens).
  • Today, the number is fixed at 200 members, and the council is elected for 4 years.
Council of States
  • Represents the cantons.
  • Every canton has the same amount of representatives: 2 representatives per canton, 1 per half canton = 44 total.
  • Holds 46 members today because in 1978, Jura became the last canton to join.
Capital
  • The capital of Switzerland is Bern.
  • This city was chosen in 1848 with the help of the French-speaking part of Switzerland.
  • Zürich as compensation received the ETH.

Overview Summary: Constitution of 1848

Form of Government
  • Centralized Federal State
Constitution
  • One for the federal state (still in force today) and one each for the cantons.
Cantons
  • No new cantons.
  • Massive change in competences: the cantons lose a great part of their independence to the federation.
Capital
  • Bern
Federal Diet
  • Replaced by a strong central government of seven ministers.
Liberal Rights
  • Yes
Standardization
  • Yes. Single currency and postage introduced; the decimal system adopted throughout Switzerland in 1874.
Problems
  • How to integrate the defeated Sonderbund cantons.

Historical Concepts Applied to Swiss History from 1798-1848

  1. What changed and how?
  2. What remained the same throughout the period?
  3. Why did things happen?
  4. What was the consequence of events?
  5. What is the importance of events / their significance for different people?
  6. How do different people interpret these events?
Key Concepts
  • Change
  • Continuity
  • Causation
  • Consequence
  • Significance
  • Perspectives