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Period: Jan 1, 1100 to Jan 1, 1300
Foundation of Cities and Trade
The cities, amongst them Berne, Lucerne and Fribourg got founded and trade was made in the Alps. -
Aug 1, 1291
Format of the Old Swiss Confederation
The official date of birth of the Old Swiss Confederation is August, 1st 1291, when the cantons Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden came together to create the Oath of Rütli. -
Jan 1, 1315
Battle of Morgarten
A battle in which the Habsburg were defeated and had to leave their native castle in northern Switzerland -
Jan 1, 1332
Lucerne entered in the confederacy
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Jan 1, 1351
Zurich entered the Confederation
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Jan 1, 1352
Berne entered the Confederation
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Jan 1, 1353
Glarus entered the Confederation
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Jan 1, 1415
The conquest of Aargau
On the council of Constance in 1415, Duke Friedrich IV. of Habsburg was on the same side as the antipope, but the German King Sigismund was against them and won. As a result he encouraged confederates to conquer the native territories of Habsburg in Aargau. At the same time, Lucerne, which was still under Habsburg regime, became a free city -
Jan 19, 1436
War of Zurich
The last Count of Toggenburg died in 1436 without heirs in his family, so Schwyz, Glarus and Zurich quarrelled with each other about the heritage. In 1440 this caused a civi war between the three confederates. This is the so called Old Zurich war and Schwyz and Glarus won and could expand their territory in 1446. -
Jan 1, 1460
Conquest of Thurgau
After a dispute between the church and the nobility, Pope Pius II. excommunicated duke Sigismund of Habsburg, which meant that any person was allowed to lay hands on his property. The confederacy used the occasion to conquest Thurgau and the region of Sargans. Zurich bought Winterthur. -
Jan 1, 1499
Swabian War
German king Maximilian I. of Habsburg wanted to make German regions stronger and introduce a new tax. The Swiss Confederation as a part of the German Empire refused to obey to the new rules and attacked and defeated the king in multiple battles. Basel and Schaffhausen got accepted into the Confederacy as a consequence. As a last member Appenzell was admitted and Switzerland was now independent from the German Empire -
Jan 1, 1515
Defeat of Mirignano
The French king came to Italy with his troops and wanted to fight against the Italian dukes. This was too much of a risk for Berne, Fribourg and Solothurn and led to the withdrawal of their troops. The Swiss troops wanted to defend Swiss territory in southern Switzerland but they lost the war and hence it came to an end of the Expansion of Switzerland. -
Formal Declaration of the Swiss
Peace Treaty between European powers in which Swiss delegation claimed and reached formal independence for Switzerland.
