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Questions about Restoration and Regeneration in Switzerland

Short answers, pulled from the story.

What were the periods of Restoration and Regeneration in Swiss history?

Restoration covers 1814 to 1830, when Switzerland reversed the changes Napoleon had imposed through the Helvetic Republic and reverted toward the Ancien Regime. Regeneration covers 1830 to 1848, when a liberal movement pushed back against those restored institutions, culminating in the Sonderbund War of 1847 and the drafting of the first Federal Constitution.

When did Switzerland gain recognition of its permanent neutrality?

Permanent Swiss neutrality was recognized by all European powers in the Treaty of Paris signed on the 20th of November 1815. The recognition came after a lengthy diplomatic effort at the Congress of Vienna, which ran from the 18th of September 1814 to the 9th of June 1815.

What was the Sonderbund War and how many casualties did it cause?

The Sonderbund War began in November 1847 when federal forces invaded the territory of the Catholic Sonderbund, a defensive alliance formed in 1845 whose existence violated inter-cantonal treaties. Under General Guillaume-Henri Dufour's command, the campaign ended with fewer than a hundred casualties on both sides combined.

What was the Ustertag and why is it significant in Swiss history?

The Ustertag was a public assembly held near Uster in Zurich in November 1830, one of a series of large gatherings that called for liberal constitutional reforms following the French July Revolution. The assemblies demanded fairer representation in cantonal governments and the right to amend cantonal constitutions, and cantonal governments quickly amended their constitutions in response.

Who were the leaders of the Freischarenzuge invasions of Lucerne?

The armed invasions of Lucerne in 1844 and 1845, known as the Freischarenzuge, were led by Wilhelm Snell and included Ulrich Ochsenbein and Jakob Stampfli, both of whom later served as Federal Councillors. The writer Gottfried Keller also participated in the movement but never took part in combat.

How did the Congress of Vienna change Switzerland's borders and membership?

The Congress of Vienna finalized on the 20th of March a declaration recognizing Valais, Neuchatel and Geneva as full members of the Swiss Confederation, raising the canton count to twenty-two. The Valtellina, Chiavenna and Bormio were removed from the Grisons and attached to the Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia.