Military history of Switzerland
The military history of Switzerland comprises centuries of armed actions, and the role of the Swiss military in conflicts and peacekeeping worldwide. Despite maintaining neutrality since its independence from the Holy Roman Empire in 1499, Switzerland has been involved in military operations dating back to the hiring of Swiss mercenaries by foreign nations, including the Papal States.
Depiction of Swiss mercenaries assaulting the Landsknecht mercenaries in the French lines at the Battle of Marignano, 1515.
Conclave with Pius V, a Swiss Guard guarding the entrance, ca. 1578.
A battalion of soldiers advance during the Battle of Meierskappel. The battle was fought during the Sonderbund War, a civil war in 1847.
Plan of the defence lines of the National Redoubt
The Swiss mercenaries were a powerful infantry force constituted by professional soldiers originating from the cantons of the Old Swiss Confederacy. They were notable for their service in foreign armies, especially among the military forces of the kings of France, throughout the early modern period of European history, from the Late Middle Ages into the Renaissance. Their service as mercenaries was at its peak during the Renaissance, when their proven battlefield capabilities made them sought-after mercenary troops. There followed a period of decline, as technological and organizational advances counteracted the Swiss' advantages. Switzerland's military isolationism largely put an end to organized mercenary activity; the principal remnant of the practice is the Pontifical Swiss Guard at the Vatican.
Swiss mercenaries crossing the Alps; illustration from an illuminated manuscript of the Luzerner Schilling (1513).
Swiss mercenaries and Landsknechte engaged in a push of pike (engraving by Hans Holbein the Younger, early 16th century)
Right hand section of preceding drawing (engraving by Hans Holbein the Younger, early 16th century)
The Swiss (on the left) assault the Landsknecht mercenaries in the French lines at the Battle of Marignano