Lesson 1 - The Ancien Régime – Switzerland before 1789
Switzerland is often described as one of the oldest democracies in the world. This is largely a myth. Swiss women did not gain the right to vote in federal elections until 1971, and women in the canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden could not vote in cantonal elections until 1991. But the lack of women's suffrage is only part of the story.
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Before 1798, Switzerland's social and political system was dominated by a ruling, aristocratic class not unlike that of pre-revolutionary France. As we have seen earlier this year, following the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, which formally recognised Swiss independence from the Holy Roman Empire, most European states went through a process of political modernisation and centralisation. Switzerland did not. She had little need to. Her independence was valued by her neighbours, who relied on Swiss cantons for mercenary soldiers right up to the 19th century. In return, the cantons received considerable wealth and a recognised neutrality that suited everyone. Despite deep internal divisions, notably between Catholics and Protestants, Switzerland acquired a reputation for stability and prosperity.
Yet this stability came at a price. Switzerland before the French Revolution was a collection of largely feudal states, each dominated by powerful ruling families who controlled political life from generation to generation. From the 17th century onwards, political positions were increasingly passed from father to son, a practice that had not been common in earlier centuries. Individual rights declined. Popular participation in politics shrank. Slowly, the ruling families became what we might fairly call absolute rulers.
Not all parts of the Old Swiss Confederacy were equal either. There were just 13 full cantons, which, together with a number of associate cantons, controlled vast areas of what is now modern Switzerland. The French-speaking region of Vaud, for example, which would play a central role in the revolution of 1798, had been under the control of German-speaking Berne since the 16th century. Its people had no political rights whatsoever.
Not all parts of the Old Swiss Confederacy were equal either. There were just 13 full cantons, which, together with a number of associate cantons, controlled vast areas of what is now modern Switzerland. The French-speaking region of Vaud, for example, which would play a central role in the revolution of 1798, had been under the control of German-speaking Berne since the 16th century. Its people had no political rights whatsoever.
The impact of the Enlightenment.
As in France, the political system in Switzerland came under increasing pressure for change throughout the 18th century. The ideas of the Enlightenment spread rapidly. Voltaire, who wrote Candide while living in Switzerland, and the Geneva-born philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau both exercised considerable influence. Swiss society was becoming more open: executions for heresy and witchcraft ended, and the use of torture was increasingly criticised. The French Encyclopédie was published in Yverdon in the 1770s, and Geneva, Lausanne and Neuchâtel became important publishing centres that drew intellectuals from across Europe.
As in France, the political system in Switzerland came under increasing pressure for change throughout the 18th century. The ideas of the Enlightenment spread rapidly. Voltaire, who wrote Candide while living in Switzerland, and the Geneva-born philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau both exercised considerable influence. Swiss society was becoming more open: executions for heresy and witchcraft ended, and the use of torture was increasingly criticised. The French Encyclopédie was published in Yverdon in the 1770s, and Geneva, Lausanne and Neuchâtel became important publishing centres that drew intellectuals from across Europe.
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At the same time, Switzerland was beginning to be transformed by economic change. Agricultural reforms, the wider use of the potato, and improvements in hygiene led to significant population growth. The development of spinning and weaving, a domestic production system known as the 'putting-out' system, and better roads gradually encouraged the growth of a market economy. Rural families moved beyond simple subsistence farming and began to generate income from trade and manufacturing.
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(We will examine this more closely later in Matu 4 - The Industrial Revolution.)
Together, these cultural and economic forces made it increasingly difficult for the ruling families to hold back reform. Switzerland witnessed a series of attempted political revolutions throughout the 18th century. In March 1723, Major Abraham Davel, the commanding officer of the Lavaux region, marched on Lausanne and demanded an end to Bernese domination of Vaud and reform of the conservative Bernese church. He was beheaded. His death inspired later Vaudois 'patriots', and there is a statue of him today in front of the Château Saint-Maire in Lausanne |
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In Geneva in 1762, the government ordered the burning of Rousseau's Emile and Social Contract because of their radical content. The public reaction was swift: a new opposition movement formed to prevent the government from censoring books without wider discussion. New rights were won in the short term, but many opposition leaders were eventually forced into exile. Beyond the desire for political reform, Swiss intellectuals increasingly began to think about a shared national identity that could unite the different cantons. Franz Urs Balthasar's Patriotic Dreams inspired the creation of the Helvetic Society in 1762, which campaigned for a unified Swiss state that could overcome the divisions between the cantons. The Society called for democratic reform and universal education, drawing heavily on the ideas of Rousseau. These ideas would become increasingly important during and after the French Revolution, which had a profound influence on the future of Switzerland and on the construction of Swiss national identity. (Matu 5, Lesson 1) |
Activities
Play the game below as many times as you need to in order to win a million Euros. It is probably a good idea that you read the text on this page first, but you probably won't. However, don't spend too long on this game because this wlll not go into your OneNote and will not be graded by anyone but this computer.
Switzerland and Democracy before 1789 - The Myths
This does go into your OneNote. Create a new page in Matu 3. This is Lesson 1. Read the following text carefully. This is why you should have read the text before playing the quiz. The text contains four myths about Switzerland before the French Revolution. Make a copy of the text and paste it into Lesson 1.
This does go into your OneNote. Create a new page in Matu 3. This is Lesson 1. Read the following text carefully. This is why you should have read the text before playing the quiz. The text contains four myths about Switzerland before the French Revolution. Make a copy of the text and paste it into Lesson 1.
1. Identify the four myths. Copy out the sentence or phrase that is incorrect.
2. Explain why is is incorrect using evidence from this lesson. |