A Short History of Switzerland: From the Formation of the Alps to Federer

Switzerland was the country of my birth, schooling and upbringing. I emigrated for good in 1981, but have kept in touch with relatives there and returned time and time again. No one can deny their roots; this work speaks to that fact. Through the years I have had mixed emotions: admiration for the democratic system, contrasted by dismay at the low rate of voter participation and the reactionary nature of some popular initiatives; a sense of awe and wonder concerning the small country's natural beauty, contrasted by disillusionment with volatile weather and environmental degradation; admiration of the population's diligence and thriftiness, contrasted by repulsion over occasionally small-minded attitudes and xenophobia. The Swiss experience reflects humanity's internal conflicts and struggles, but also its accomplishments. The book consists of five parts:1. Before Homo Sapiens2. The periods of Swiss settlement and civilization3. Minority language groups and particularities4. Swiss accomplishments5. Notable Swiss citizensSwiss civilization began with the Iron Age around 800 BC. Periods of foreign occupation followed before representatives from Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden concluded their eternal alliance. Five hundred years of Swiss Confederacy resulted, the most successful ever. The mountainous terrain made it possible to defend independence without central government. The Austrian and French monarchies officially recognized the confederacy's sovereignty in 1648. French occupation in 1798 created the Helvetic Republic and ultimately elevated the old confederacy's members to cantons. Fifty years later, after the Sonderbund conflict, progressive forces gave birth to modern federal Switzerland, with Berne as the capital. The concept of armed neutrality kept the country safe during the calamitous 20th century. In 2002 the Swiss finally joined the UN, after decades of harboring UN offices in Geneva. It is a success story like no other.Politically the country has become the world's foremost direct democracy, where enough signatures for a popular initiative automatically trigger a referendum. A Short History of Switzerland captures the essence of the little landlocked federation that could, from the perspective of someone who grew up there and went through its school system. The book makes the Swiss story accessible to readers fluent in English. At the same time, the narrative does not shy away from controversial topics, including the wartime experience or drug addiction problems.Government lockdowns due to Covid-19 shut down public life shortly after the publication of the third edition. The developments of the past year, particularly the Swiss response to the pandemic, called for an update. Other changes aim to provide more detail and context on historical circumstances and events, in order to clarify and elaborate. The fourth edition once again contains many additions, corrections and new material, amounting to 30% more content than its predecessor. I wrote several new chapters and included some 50 illustrations. The new chapters in Part 3 deal with Swiss guilds, witch hunts, productivity and industrialization, and computer use. Part 4 contains chapters on art and hydro power. Finally, Part 5 has a new section on Albrecht von Haller, the Swiss physician, politician and natural scientist of the Enlightenment era.