Around 500 BC, a group of Celts called the Helveti came into Switzerland from the west. This is where our story starts. But at the same time that they came, the Romans were taking over and setting up their city at Aventicum by 58 BC.
Romans completely changed Switzerland over the course of several hundred years, building towns and roads that changed the scenery.
But the peace didn’t last long because in 260 AD, the Alemani group attacked with great force. After the Roman army left Switzerland in 400 AD, it was hard for the country to recover from the damage of the attack, which let new powers come into being.
In the fifth century, the Alemans, Burgundians, and Lombards came to the land now known as Switzerland, but by 600 AD, the Franks of France had beaten them. During the rule of Charlemagne in the ninth century, the Franks took over more of Europe, including Switzerland.
However, things changed when the Austrian Hapsburgs took over Switzerland in the 1300s. Even so, agreements were made.
For example, in 1291, the Schwyz, Uri, and Unterwalden cantons joined together at Rutli Meadow, which is what made modern Switzerland possible.
When Prince Leopold Hapsburg’s army was soundly beaten in 1315, Switzerland’s strength really shone through. In the years that followed, the Swiss Confederacy grew. In 1332, Luzern joined, and in 1351, Zurich did too. After that, Glarus, Zug, and Bern joined as well.
During the Swiss Renaissance, the country grew and became stronger. In 1481, Fribourg and Solothurn merged, and in 1513, Appenzell joined, making Switzerland a stronger union of thirteen cantons.
The famous Swiss Guard was created by Pope Julius II in 1506 to protect him. This shows that Swiss soldiers were known to be skilled freelancers.
This reputation was put to the test in 1515, though, when the French and Venetians beat Switzerland in the Battle of Marignano. After that, Switzerland took a passive stance as the political winds in Europe changed.
With the start of the Reformation in the 1600s, Switzerland went through huge changes. Switzerland’s country areas stayed Catholic, but its cities, led by people like Ulrich Zwingli in Zurich and Jean Calvin in Geneva, became Protestant.
Even though the Reformation caused a lot of trouble, Switzerland did well in the 1600s. During the Thirty Years’ War, which was happening all over Europe, Austria officially recognized Switzerland’s freedom in 1648. This made it even more of a neutral country.
In the 18th century, Switzerland’s economy continued to grow, in part because of the large number of Huguenots who left France because they were being persecuted for their religion. Industries like making watches and clothes did very well, which strengthened Switzerland’s image for fine engineering.
However, Switzerland’s peace was broken when Napoleon invaded in 1798. This led to the creation of the Helvetic Republic and the end of the thirteen cantons. Even though France ruled Switzerland until 1815, it rose from the ashes and restored its cantonal structure in 1803.
In the 1800s, Switzerland had problems with internal divides, most notably the split between liberal and conservative Catholics, which led to the Sonderbund war in 1847.
Still, Switzerland came out of the war united, which made it possible for the economy to grow quickly near the end of the century.
As the 19th century came to a close, Switzerland’s economy grew quickly thanks to tourists, famous food products like chocolate and powdered milk, and the growth of its engineering and chemical industries.
When the First World War ended, Switzerland was a peaceful place in the middle of all the chaos in Europe. Even though there were disagreements among its people, Switzerland stayed neutral and avoided the damage of war.
Switzerland did, however, have its own problems, such as the national strike in November 1918. Even though the Swiss army stepped in, the workers’ demands for a 48-hour workweek and fair representation were eventually met, showing how powerful it is to work together.
After Switzerland joined the League of Nations in 1920, the 1920s were good years for the country. But the world economic slump in the early 1930s made things less bright for Switzerland.
Even though the rest of the world was getting ready to rearm in the late 1930s, Switzerland’s economy did amazingly well.
During the chaos of World War II, Switzerland stayed silent, even though some Swiss banks and businesses were involved in conflicts.
Even though Switzerland was very wealthy after World War II, women didn’t get the right to vote until 1971. This shows how long the fight for equality goes on.
When it joined the UN in 2002, at the start of the 21st century, Switzerland took on a new role on the world stage. Even though Switzerland’s economy had problems during the 2009 crisis, just like the rest of Europe’s, it has been strong and is now thriving again.
With a population of 8.7 million people, Switzerland is a shining example of security and wealth in a world that is changing quickly.