Weaver, Ralph Three Weeks in November

A Military History of the Swiss Civil War of 1847

Volume 52 in the series From Musket to Maxim 1815-1914. The political phenomenon known as the Spring of Nations engulfed all of Europe in 1848, toppling thrones, forcing old autocratic regimes to grant constitutions to the people, and bringing street fighting and large-scale campaigning to cities and states across the continent. What is not widely known is that a precursor to these events had already taken place in the centre of Europe, in the Alpine valleys of the group of independent states collectively known as Switzerland. In November 1847, twelve of the Swiss cantons were at war with seven other cantons over the country's future. The campaign lasted only three weeks, claimed only a few hundred casualties, and ended with the establishment of the modern Swiss state we have today. Had it not been ended so quickly, France, Austria and Prussia would probably have interfered, leading to a Europe-wide war. This book is unique in that it focuses on the military aspects of this episode in history. In addition to an outline of the campaign itself, the strengths and organisation of each canton are covered; in 1847, each was a separate state with its own army. Included are chapters on the uniforms of the armies of the cantons, their battle flags, weapons and insignia. The main battle of the war, at Gislikon (now Gisikon), a small village with a strategic river crossing north of the city of Lucerne, is covered in detail. Alongside the general picture, the stories of individual soldiers illustrate the fighting techniques of the time. Biographies of some of the leading personalities of both parties to the conflict are presented, illustrating the European dimension. Many served in French, Dutch and Neapolitan armies before joining the Swiss cantonal armies. To complement the text, the book is illustrated with a mixture of contemporary images in colour and black and white, as well as specially produced colour plates of uniforms and flags of the Swiss cantons. To enable the reader to follow the campaign, maps from official Swiss sources are included. Battle formations for all cantons and detailed battle formations for the main action at Gisikon are also included.