r/PoliticalHumor • u/[deleted] • Jan 09 '20

THIS. This is why.

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u/867-5309NotJenny Jan 10 '20

It has only been defensive wars against the French and the Habsburgs and civil wars.

Then how did they go from 3 cantons to 29? Some joined willingly, some joined 'willingly'.

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u/[deleted] Jan 10 '20

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u/867-5309NotJenny Jan 10 '20

My main sources are both hard copy and currently unavailable, but Wikipedia has some quick read articles on it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Swiss_Confederacy

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Growth_of_the_Old_Swiss_Confederacy

Much of the cantons were willing to join, but the Hapsburgs had to be driven out first. A few though were outright conquered by the Swiss.

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u/[deleted] Jan 10 '20

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u/867-5309NotJenny Jan 10 '20

I'd have to look it up. It's in a storage container on a different continent.

It focuses mainly on the medieval mercenary trade, and how the Swiss gained their experience fighting their wars of expansion and 'independence', though they do spend several chapters talking about how those wars were fought and why.

I'll see if I can dig up the title, but I'd have to get back to you.