The,Napoleonic,Wars,Switzerlan travel,insurance The Napoleonic Wars of Switzerland
Torres del Paine is among the biggest of Chiles national parks, occupying almost 600,000 acres (242,000 ha) of land in the south on the border with Argentina. It is also among the most important, receiving a significant proportion of domes Like any American, traveling occasionally is just what I love doing and I bet you share the same stuff with me. But traveling does not mean that you would be safe. Escaping from our job and other stressful activities is just something that w
Many visitors to the peaceful destination of Switzerland may enjoy the rose-coloured misconception that the country hasn’t been at war since the early 16th century – a period of over 500 years. While the country’s neutrality has existed over that extraordinary length of time, that’s not to say that it has been entirely peaceful - and it’s also necessary to clarify what’s meant by ‘country’ in that context.Certainly, Swiss neutrality didn’t mean much to the great powers during the French revolution and Napoleonic times! If you're planning on a visit to this lovely country, you may wish to learn more of its interesting history.The Nature of SwitzerlandIf you go back to the 16th century, the notion of a ‘country’, as we understand it today, was still evolving. There were increasingly centralised countries such as England or France, but others, including today’s Germany, Italy and Switzerland, were still largely a collection of individual states that may or may not have been co-operating with each other at a given period of time.In the case of Switzerland, it was a geographic area divided into a series of sovereign and independent cantons. The cantons (federal territories) would work together when required, meeting in what was called a ‘Diet’ or council where inter-cantonal issues were discussed and resolved.Echoes of that structure remain in Switzerland today, with a high degree of autonomy for the individual cantons - although a federal system has been in place since 1848. It’s interesting to note that today the Swiss refer to Berne as the 'Federal City' rather than the 'Capital', in recognition of the sensitivities of the cantons. The Late 18th CenturyHistorically, though, things didn’t always go smoothly. There were major tensions between the wealthy cities and more impoverished rural areas and, like most of Europe, the country at one time suffered from stresses arising out of religious fervour and Catholic versus Protestant conflict.By the late 18th century, France, Switzerland’s large neighbour to the west, was undergoing the traumas of the Revolution. It didn’t take long for one or two of the disgruntled Swiss cantons to appeal to the revolutionaries for help, and initially indirectly, but later through direct military intervention, the French began to move in. Quickly occupying large areas, France established a centralised Swiss Republic largely based upon French models.The End of NapoleonThe enemies of France in the area (mainly Austria and Russia) decided to start confronting French forces and this led to a few years’ warfare as the sides fought for control. A number of battles occurred on Swiss soil and many Swiss favoured the Austrians and Russians, with the result that French 'punishments' took place and they, in turn, pushed Swiss sympathies even further away. In fact, several cantons united to raise an army to fight the French troops and the imposed government.Although Napoleon’s reforms of 1803 re-established at least some independence for the cantons, it wasn’t until his final defeat in 1815 that Switzerland’s confederation of largely sovereign cantons was finally re-established.Was It War?However these events are viewed, Switzerland was heavily embroiled in the wars of the time. Even though in some respects it’s possible to categorise elements of these as civil wars, they were certainly major conflicts - so, the 'no wars for 500 years' can certainly be called out as a myth.Getting to SwitzerlandThere are regular flights into various airports of the country – including Berne, Zurich and Geneva. For winter sports travellers, Geneva airport ski transfers are particularly popular for their accessibility to a number of high profile Alps resorts in the surrounding area. Geneva is probably the most-visited destination in the country – even in summer, when, instead of Geneva airport ski transfers, visitors arrive to take up warmer weather pursuits like hiking, cycling and climbing. For those travelling by car, the infrastructure of Switzerland is particularly good, with excellent routes in and out of all the major cities.
The,Napoleonic,Wars,Switzerlan