Editing Switzerland (section)

=== Napoleonic era ===
{{Main|Switzerland in the Napoleonic era|Helvetic Republic|Act of Mediation}}

[[File:Acte de Médiation mg 0643.jpg|thumb|The Act of Mediation was Napoleon's attempt at a compromise between the [[Ancien Régime]] and a Republic.]]
In 1798, the [[French Revolution|revolutionary French]] government invaded Switzerland and imposed a new unified constitution.<ref name="Brief" /> This centralised the government of the country, effectively abolishing the cantons: moreover, [[Mulhouse|Mülhausen]] left Switzerland and the [[Valtellina]] valley became part of the [[Cisalpine Republic]]. The new regime, known as the Helvetic Republic, was highly unpopular. An invading foreign army had imposed and destroyed centuries of tradition, making Switzerland nothing more than a French [[satellite state]]. The fierce French suppression of the [[Nidwalden]] Revolt in September 1798 was an example of the oppressive presence of the [[French Army]] and the local population's resistance to the occupation.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}}

When war broke out between France and its rivals, Russian and [[Habsburg monarchy|Austrian]] forces invaded Switzerland. The Swiss refused to fight alongside the French in the name of the Helvetic Republic. In 1803 [[Napoleon I of France|Napoleon]] organised a meeting of the leading Swiss politicians from both sides in Paris. The [[Act of Mediation]] was the result, which largely restored Swiss autonomy and introduced a Confederation of 19 cantons.<ref name="Brief" /> Henceforth, much of Swiss politics would concern balancing the cantons' tradition of self-rule with the need for a central government.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Linder |first1=Wolf |last2=Vatter |first2=Adrian |date=2001 |title=Institutions and outcomes of Swiss federalism: The role of the cantons in Swiss politics |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01402380108425435 |journal=[[West European Politics]] |language=en |volume=24 |issue=2 |pages=95 |doi=10.1080/01402380108425435 |issn=0140-2382 |access-date=11 June 2024 |archive-date=22 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230622141822/https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01402380108425435 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 1815, the [[Congress of Vienna]] fully re-established Swiss independence, and the European powers recognised permanent Swiss neutrality.<ref name="Nationsencyclopedia-Hist" /><ref name="Nationsonline" /><ref name="Brief" /> Swiss troops served foreign governments until 1860 when they fought in the [[Siege of Gaeta (1860)|siege of Gaeta]]. The treaty allowed Switzerland to increase its territory, with the admission of the cantons of [[Valais]], [[Canton of Neuchâtel|Neuchâtel]] and [[Canton of Geneva|Geneva]]. Switzerland's borders saw only minor adjustments thereafter.<ref>{{HDS|7841|Swiss border ("Les principales rectifications postérieures à 1815 concernent la vallée des Dappes en 1862 (frontière Vaud-France, env. 7,5 km2), la valle di Lei en 1952 (Grisons-Italie, 0,45 km2), l'Ellhorn en 1955 (colline revendiquée par la Suisse pour des raisons militaires, Grisons-Liechtenstein) et l'enclave allemande du Verenahof dans le canton de Schaffhouse en 1967.")}}. It should be noticed that in [[Lago di Lei|valle di Lei]], Italy got in exchange a territory of the same area. [http://www.admin.ch/opc/it/classified-compilation/19520241/196306260000/0.132.454.21.pdf See here] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140521110525/http://www.admin.ch/opc/it/classified-compilation/19520241/196306260000/0.132.454.21.pdf |date=21 May 2014}}</ref>