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Swiss neutrality
One of the main principles of Switzerland's foreign policy is that Switzerland is not to be involved in armed conflicts between other states. This policy is self-imposed and designed to ensure external security and promote peace.
Switzerland has the oldest policy of military neutrality in the world; it has not participated in a foreign war since its neutrality was established by the Treaty of Paris in 1815. However, the country did have a civil war in 1847.
Although the European powers (Austria, France, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Prussia, Russia, Spain and Sweden) agreed at the Congress of Vienna in May 1815 that Switzerland should be neutral, final ratification was delayed until after Napoleon Bonaparte was defeated so that some coalition forces could invade France via Swiss territory.
The country has a history of armed neutrality going back to the Reformation; it has not been in a state of war internationally since 1815, joining the League of Nations in 1920 and did not join the United Nations until 2002. It pursues an active foreign policy and is frequently involved in peace-building processes around the world.
On February 28, 2022, Switzerland imposed economic sanctions on Russia and froze a significant amount of assets held by Russian civilians and companies as "punishment" for the invasion of Ukraine. Some described this as "a sharp deviation from the country's traditional neutrality." According to Swiss president Ignazio Cassis in 2022 during a World Economic Forum speech, the laws of neutrality for Switzerland are based on The Hague agreement principles which include "no participation in wars; international cooperation but no membership in any military alliance; no provision of troops or weapons to warring parties and no granting of transition rights".
The beginnings of Swiss neutrality can be dated back to the defeat of the Old Swiss Confederacy at the Battle of Marignano in September 1515[better source needed] or the peace treaty the Swiss Confederacy signed with France on November 12, 1516. Prior to this, the Swiss Confederacy had an expansionist foreign policy.
The Peace of Westphalia in 1648 was another important step in the development of Switzerland's neutrality. Other countries were disallowed from passing through Swiss territory, and the Confederation became legally independent from the Holy Roman Empire, even though it had been independent from the Empire de facto since 1499.
The 1798 invasion of Switzerland by the French First Republic culminated in the creation of a satellite state called the Helvetic Republic. While the 1798 Swiss constitution and the 1803 Act of Mediation stated that France would protect Swiss independence and neutrality, these promises were not kept. With the latter act, Switzerland signed a defensive alliance treaty with France. During the Restoration, the Swiss Confederation's constitution and the Treaty of Paris's Act on the Neutrality of Switzerland in 1815 affirmed Swiss neutrality.
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Swiss neutrality
One of the main principles of Switzerland's foreign policy is that Switzerland is not to be involved in armed conflicts between other states. This policy is self-imposed and designed to ensure external security and promote peace.
Switzerland has the oldest policy of military neutrality in the world; it has not participated in a foreign war since its neutrality was established by the Treaty of Paris in 1815. However, the country did have a civil war in 1847.
Although the European powers (Austria, France, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Prussia, Russia, Spain and Sweden) agreed at the Congress of Vienna in May 1815 that Switzerland should be neutral, final ratification was delayed until after Napoleon Bonaparte was defeated so that some coalition forces could invade France via Swiss territory.
The country has a history of armed neutrality going back to the Reformation; it has not been in a state of war internationally since 1815, joining the League of Nations in 1920 and did not join the United Nations until 2002. It pursues an active foreign policy and is frequently involved in peace-building processes around the world.
On February 28, 2022, Switzerland imposed economic sanctions on Russia and froze a significant amount of assets held by Russian civilians and companies as "punishment" for the invasion of Ukraine. Some described this as "a sharp deviation from the country's traditional neutrality." According to Swiss president Ignazio Cassis in 2022 during a World Economic Forum speech, the laws of neutrality for Switzerland are based on The Hague agreement principles which include "no participation in wars; international cooperation but no membership in any military alliance; no provision of troops or weapons to warring parties and no granting of transition rights".
The beginnings of Swiss neutrality can be dated back to the defeat of the Old Swiss Confederacy at the Battle of Marignano in September 1515[better source needed] or the peace treaty the Swiss Confederacy signed with France on November 12, 1516. Prior to this, the Swiss Confederacy had an expansionist foreign policy.
The Peace of Westphalia in 1648 was another important step in the development of Switzerland's neutrality. Other countries were disallowed from passing through Swiss territory, and the Confederation became legally independent from the Holy Roman Empire, even though it had been independent from the Empire de facto since 1499.
The 1798 invasion of Switzerland by the French First Republic culminated in the creation of a satellite state called the Helvetic Republic. While the 1798 Swiss constitution and the 1803 Act of Mediation stated that France would protect Swiss independence and neutrality, these promises were not kept. With the latter act, Switzerland signed a defensive alliance treaty with France. During the Restoration, the Swiss Confederation's constitution and the Treaty of Paris's Act on the Neutrality of Switzerland in 1815 affirmed Swiss neutrality.