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Napoleonic era

This division ended when French revolutionary forces invaded Savoy (1792) and Napoleon invaded Geneva and Berne (1798) bringing the whole region temporarily under French control. Napoleon re-established a Swiss Confederation in 1803, separating Valais from Savoy and breaking up Berne into smaller cantons including Vaud. The feudal structure was abolished and the cantons in this confederation were set up with governments based on democratic principles. After Napoleon’s fall (1815), the Congress of Vienna gave Savoy to the kingdom of Sardinia, a nation that already controlled neighbouring Piedmont in northern Italy. This congress also recognised Swiss neutrality.

Nineteenth-century Switzerland

For most of the 19th century, Switzerland remained one of Europe’s poorest countries, relying upon agriculture with very little industry or natural resources. The coming of railways that enabled rich visitors from northern Europe to visit the Alps and the attraction of clean air and medical facilities for those with consumption and bronchitis started to lift the Swiss economy. The development of hydro-electric generation gave Switzerland plentiful cheap energy and spurred the growth of engineering businesses. Swiss banks in Zurich and Geneva, with a policy of secrecy and a reputation for trust, attracted funds from foreign investors who wished to avail themselves of these benefits.