The History Of Switzerland For The Swiss People

Despite its position at the heart of Europe and its quintessentially European nature, Switzerland's history is often overlooked within the English-speaking world. This comprehensive and engaging history of Switzerland traces the historical and cultural development of this fascinating but neglected European country from the end of the Dark Ages up to the present. The authors focus on the initial Confederacy of the Middle Ages; the religious divisions which threatened it after 1500 and its surprising survival amongst Europe's monarchies; the turmoil following the French Revolution and conquest, which continued until the Federal Constitution of 1848; the testing of the Swiss nation through the late nineteenth century and then two World Wars and the Depression of the 1930s; and the unparalleled economic and social growth and political success of the post-war era. The book concludes with a discussion of the contemporary challenges, often shared with neighbours, that shape the country today.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1875.

This is a history of Switzerland written by reformer Heinrich Zschokke, who became Swiss later in his life. From the preface: "WHILE studying the history of Switzerland on Swiss soil, I was charmed by the simple beauty, the conciseness and impartiality of Zschokke's popular work, which is used as a textbook in many, if not in all, of the Confederate Cantons; and, with the assent of pastor Emil Zschokke of Aarau, the worthy continuer of his late celebrated father's labors, I made the following translation from the ninth enlarged edition. Having myself felt a want of information on the subject, I now present this translation to my fellow-citizens of these United States, in the hope that a more extended acquaintance with the history of our sister republic may teach us to shun the perils through which the Swiss people have passed at the cost of so much suffering, and may aid us to appreciate our own more favorable position as a nation."

Excerpt from The History of Switzerland, for the Swiss People The savage manners and mercenary wars of the Swiss; they conquer Valtelina and the' Italian bailiwicks. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.