Since the end of the 19th century, the Federal Charter (Bundesbrief) of 1291 has been considered as the founding document of the present-day Swiss Confederation.
In the 17th century, the Confederation was beset by confessional tensions. Nevertheless, the cantons of the Confederation, unlike the Three Leagues, managed to stay out of the Thirty Years’ War (1618-48).
In terms of foreign relations, the 18th century was a peaceful time in which, after the Battle of Villmergen in 1712, religious tensions gradually began to ease.
In the first half of the 20th century, Switzerland lived through not only two world wars but also an interwar period that saw a dramatic economic downturn and major political unrest.
A consociational government, which was known as a “concordance government” and which included the Social Democrats, was formed during the post-war period.
