Swiss neutrality

Swiss neutrality is one of the main principles of Switzerland's foreign policy which dictates that Switzerland is not to be involved in armed conflicts between other states. This policy is self-imposed, permanent, and armed, designed to ensure external security and promote peace.

Switzerland is the second oldest neutral country in the world; it has not participated in a foreign war since its neutrality was established by the Treaty of Paris in 1815.

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 and did not join the United Nations until 2002. Nevertheless, it pursues an active foreign policy and is frequently involved in peace-building processes around the world.

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 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.

In 1798, the French First Republic invaded Switzerland and created 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 affirmed Swiss neutrality.

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