The origins of the Swiss Confederacy can be traced back to the late Middle Ages in Europe. During this period, the region that is now Switzerland was made up of various small, independent communities, each with their own unique customs and traditions. These communities were also highly decentralized, with no central government or overarching authority to govern the region as a whole.
Over time, however, these communities began to come together to form loose alliances for mutual protection and defense against outside threats. One of the earliest of these alliances was the “Eidgenossenschaft,” which was formed in the early 14th century by three communities in central Switzerland: Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden.
The members of the Eidgenossenschaft pledged to support each other in the event of an attack, and to work together to maintain peace and stability within the region. Over time, other communities in the region began to join the alliance, and by the mid-15th century, the Eidgenossenschaft had grown into a confederation of 13 cantons, each with its own government and laws.
The Swiss Confederacy continued to grow and evolve over the centuries, with various wars and political upheavals shaping its development. One of the key events in the history of the Confederacy was the Battle of Marignano in 1515, which marked a turning point in the conflict between the Confederacy and the Duchy of Milan.
Following this battle, the Confederacy began to adopt a more aggressive foreign policy, and it began to expand its territories through conquest and annexation. By the 17th century, the Confederacy had become a major power in Europe, with its armies fighting alongside various other European powers in conflicts such as the Thirty Years’ War and the War of the Spanish Succession.
Despite its military strength, however, the Confederacy remained highly decentralized and internally divided, with each canton fiercely guarding its own autonomy and interests. This decentralized structure would ultimately prove to be both a strength and a weakness for the Confederacy, allowing it to maintain its independence and neutrality in the face of outside threats, but also making it difficult to implement major reforms or changes at the national level.
Today, the Swiss Confederacy continues to be a unique example of a highly decentralized, federalist state, with its cantons enjoying a high degree of autonomy and self-government. The origins of the Confederacy can be seen as a testament to the power of local communities to come together for a common purpose, and to the resilience and adaptability of a political system that has endured for centuries.
