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Table 4.1
Swiss Religious Wars

1525
Repression of the Anabaptists
Religious leader Huldrych Zwingli declares the Anabaptists, who favor "full acceptance" of the Sermon on the Mount, are "heretics," and the city of Zurich begins a repression. Anabaptists are expelled, drowned, hung, and burned.

1531
Battle of Kappel Catholic cantons, with outside backing from Austria, defeat a force of Protestant forces from Zurich. In this battle the Swiss religious leader Zwingli -- a pacifist -- fought for the Zurich forces and was killed along with 500 compatriots. (October 11,1531).

1586-89
Civil War Plans; Savoy hits Geneva Central cantons form an alliance with Spain. Catholic Savoy attempts to take over Protestant (Calvin) Geneva. (Catholic cantons opposed.) "Civil war was probably averted," the Catholic historian Hillaire Belloc argues, "only by the defeat of the Spanish Armada" in 1588.

1618-1649
Wars over Graubünden Reformed Synod of Bergiin condemns local pacts with Spain, Austria, aimed at preserving Catholic predominance. Prominent Catholics are driven from their homes; some killed. In July 1620, Catholic bands retaliate, murdering 500 persons. Spain, Austria, France, and Venice intervene, with major engagements in 1621,1622,1624,1633,1635, and 1637. A "permanent peace" was signed in 1649.

1633-1634
Swedish intrusions Zürich (according to Catholic cantons) allows Swedish troops, on their way to battle the forces of the Kaiser, safe passage through Thurgau. Catholic cantons demand resistance. Reformed cantons make plans for a war, the Catholic cantons allege, at Zurich in January 1634. The Swiss Diet (May 21, 1634) approves a plan for internal peace and neutrality vis-a-vis Sweden. This statecraft, according to Gagliardi, "saved the country," and leads to conclusion of the Defensionale of Wyl (1647).

1655-1656
First Villmergen War Schwyz confiscates properties by citizens converting to Protestant faith, beheads others, and demands return of subjects who fled to Zurich. Zurich (aided by Bern) mobilizes 25,000-man army against 6,000 Catholics, but the confrontation dissolves. Erupting again, the two forces meet at Villmergen on January 24, 1656. The forces of the mountain Cantons crush the Bernese forces (backed by Zurich), and craft an agreement confirming cantonal sovereignty for confessional matters (Baden, March 7).

1667-1681
French Comte Louis grabs the French Comte without strong resistance. Switzerland's newly federalized war council tries to organize a response, but too late. The cantons renew the Defensionale in 1668 and briefly win the return of the region to Spain. But France re-enters in 1674. As the War Council contemplates retaliation (1675-76), Schwyz, then other cantons, withdraw (1679) from the Defensionale.

1701-1735
Expulsion of the Anabaptists Bern, Zurich, and other cities engage in large-scale expulsion of Anabaptists. Some Anabaptists are compensated, but others suffer property confiscation and harassment. Bern hires Ritter & Company to assist the effort, paying a fee for every Taüfer Ritter could dispatch to America or Canada; there was a bonus for paupers.

1712
Baden and the Freiamter Zürich and Bern combine against five of the central cantons to fight over administrative control of Baden and the so-called Freiamter. "The Swiss lack only one thing," the Swiss historian Abraham Ruchat comments. "They are not united ... and the cause of their division is religion."

1732-1768
Geneva: Burning Rousseau Geneva, Swiss historian Johannes von Mtiller commented, was "nearly always" troubled in this period. Peasant demands focused on economics but had a sectarian edge given the Calvinism of the ruling aristocracy. In 1738 the city gave in to many of their demands. The ruling class attempted a reversal in 1760, and held a celebrated burning of the books of Jean-Jacques Rousseau in front of the Geneva Council House. The burghers again revolted, and though Bern and Zurich sent aid to their fellow Protestant elites, the oligarchs retreated in 1768.

1798-1815
French Occupation Only partly religious, but there were confessional and clerical issues at stake. These strengthen after Napoleon declares the Protectorate Constitution in 1803. (See text.)

1802
Federalist Revolution Due to the treaty system of Luneville and Amiens, French troops had to evacuate Switzerland in 1802. Immediatly afterward a federalist popular revolt swept away the centralist government left by the French and installed a government at Schwyz. Napoleon Bonaparte sent his troops a second time and had them stay until 1804 to stabilize his clever adaptation of the newly federalist Swiss system, the so-called Mediation of 1803.

1847
Sonderbund War (Swiss Civil War) Civil war between Catholic cantons, which formed their own "defense league" against alleged intrusions against cantonal rights to allow Jesuit instruction in the schools, and Protestant cantons opposed to what they term de facto secession. (See text.)

1525 Repression of the Anabaptists	Religious leader Huldrych Zwingli declares the Anabaptists, who favor "full acceptance" of the Sermon on the Mount, are "heretics," and the city of Zurich begins a repression. Anabaptists are expelled, drowned, hung, and burned.
1531 Battle of Kappel	Catholic cantons, with outside backing from Austria, defeat a force of Protestant forces from Zurich. In this battle the Swiss religious leader Zwingli -- a pacifist -- fought for the Zurich forces and was killed along with 500 compatriots. (October 11,1531).
1586-89 Civil War Plans; Savoy hits Geneva	Central cantons form an alliance with Spain. Catholic Savoy attempts to take over Protestant (Calvin) Geneva. (Catholic cantons opposed.) "Civil war was probably averted," the Catholic historian Hillaire Belloc argues, "only by the defeat of the Spanish Armada" in 1588.
1618-1649 Wars over Graubünden	Reformed Synod of Bergiin condemns local pacts with Spain, Austria, aimed at preserving Catholic predominance. Prominent Catholics are driven from their homes; some killed. In July 1620, Catholic bands retaliate, murdering 500 persons. Spain, Austria, France, and Venice intervene, with major engagements in 1621,1622,1624,1633,1635, and 1637. A "permanent peace" was signed in 1649.
1633-1634 Swedish intrusions	Zürich (according to Catholic cantons) allows Swedish troops, on their way to battle the forces of the Kaiser, safe passage through Thurgau. Catholic cantons demand resistance. Reformed cantons make plans for a war, the Catholic cantons allege, at Zurich in January 1634. The Swiss Diet (May 21, 1634) approves a plan for internal peace and neutrality vis-a-vis Sweden. This statecraft, according to Gagliardi, "saved the country," and leads to conclusion of the Defensionale of Wyl (1647).
1655-1656 First Villmergen War	Schwyz confiscates properties by citizens converting to Protestant faith, beheads others, and demands return of subjects who fled to Zurich. Zurich (aided by Bern) mobilizes 25,000-man army against 6,000 Catholics, but the confrontation dissolves. Erupting again, the two forces meet at Villmergen on January 24, 1656. The forces of the mountain Cantons crush the Bernese forces (backed by Zurich), and craft an agreement confirming cantonal sovereignty for confessional matters (Baden, March 7).
1667-1681 French Comte	Louis grabs the French Comte without strong resistance. Switzerland's newly federalized war council tries to organize a response, but too late. The cantons renew the Defensionale in 1668 and briefly win the return of the region to Spain. But France re-enters in 1674. As the War Council contemplates retaliation (1675-76), Schwyz, then other cantons, withdraw (1679) from the Defensionale.
1701-1735 Expulsion of the Anabaptists	Bern, Zurich, and other cities engage in large-scale expulsion of Anabaptists. Some Anabaptists are compensated, but others suffer property confiscation and harassment. Bern hires Ritter & Company to assist the effort, paying a fee for every Taüfer Ritter could dispatch to America or Canada; there was a bonus for paupers.
1712 Baden and the Freiamter	Zürich and Bern combine against five of the central cantons to fight over administrative control of Baden and the so-called Freiamter. "The Swiss lack only one thing," the Swiss historian Abraham Ruchat comments. "They are not united ... and the cause of their division is religion."
1732-1768 Geneva: Burning Rousseau	Geneva, Swiss historian Johannes von Mtiller commented, was "nearly always" troubled in this period. Peasant demands focused on economics but had a sectarian edge given the Calvinism of the ruling aristocracy. In 1738 the city gave in to many of their demands. The ruling class attempted a reversal in 1760, and held a celebrated burning of the books of Jean-Jacques Rousseau in front of the Geneva Council House. The burghers again revolted, and though Bern and Zurich sent aid to their fellow Protestant elites, the oligarchs retreated in 1768.
1798-1815 French Occupation	Only partly religious, but there were confessional and clerical issues at stake. These strengthen after Napoleon declares the Protectorate Constitution in 1803. (See text.)
1802 Federalist Revolution	Due to the treaty system of Luneville and Amiens, French troops had to evacuate Switzerland in 1802. Immediatly afterward a federalist popular revolt swept away the centralist government left by the French and installed a government at Schwyz. Napoleon Bonaparte sent his troops a second time and had them stay until 1804 to stabilize his clever adaptation of the newly federalist Swiss system, the so-called Mediation of 1803.
1847 Sonderbund War (Swiss Civil War)	Civil war between Catholic cantons, which formed their own "defense league" against alleged intrusions against cantonal rights to allow Jesuit instruction in the schools, and Protestant cantons opposed to what they term de facto secession. (See text.)