Old Swiss Confederacy

A loose alliance of Swiss cantons and associated territories that developed from the late medieval period and lasted until the French invasion of 1798. It lacked a permanent central government, relying on treaties and periodic assemblies.

Federal Charter of 1291: A medieval alliance document between Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden, traditionally dated to 1291. It became the Confederacy’s foundational symbol, though its precise role in the alliance’s origins remains debated.
Swiss–Habsburg conflicts: A series of political and military struggles between the Swiss Confederacy and the Habsburg dynasty. Resistance to Habsburg power helped bind the early allied communities together.
Peace of Westphalia: The 1648 treaties that ended the Thirty Years’ War and reshaped political relations in Europe. The settlement formally recognized the Confederacy’s separation from the Holy Roman Empire.
Holy Roman Empire: A multiethnic political entity in central Europe that lasted from the Middle Ages until 1806. The Confederacy remained formally within the Empire for centuries while acquiring extensive autonomy.
Tagsatzung: The periodic assembly of delegates from the Swiss cantons and associated territories. It coordinated common affairs without becoming a permanent federal parliament.
Battle of Morgarten: A 1315 battle in which forces from Schwyz and allied communities defeated a Habsburg army. The victory reinforced the alliance and its reputation for resisting outside rule.
Swiss neutrality: A policy of abstention from armed conflicts between other states, associated with Switzerland’s later history. Confederate practices of avoiding some foreign wars contributed to neutrality’s later development.
Swiss Reformed Confederation: A Protestant alliance of Swiss cities and territories formed during the religious conflicts of the sixteenth century. It challenged cooperation across confessional lines within the broader Confederacy.
Swiss cantons: Member polities of the Swiss Confederacy, each retaining substantial political autonomy. Their separate governments formed the alliance’s basic units.
Battle of Sempach: A 1386 battle in which the Confederates defeated a Habsburg army near Sempach. The victory strengthened the Confederacy’s position during its medieval expansion.

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