Napoleon to Nixon: Helvetic Republic

Part 1: Helvetic Republic 1802
Part 2: Restoration of the Swiss Confederation
Part 3: Coming soon...
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On 12 April 1798 121 cantonal deputies proclaimed the Helvetic Republic, "One and
Indivisible". The new régime abolished cantonal sovereignty and feudal rights. The
occupying forces established a centralised state based on the ideas of the French Revolution.
Before the Helvetic Republic, each individual canton had exercised complete sovereignty
over its own territory or territories. Little central authority had existed, with matters
concerning the country as a whole confined mainly to the Diet, a meeting of leading
representatives from the cantons. The constitution of the Helvetic Republic came mainly
from the design of Peter Ochs, a magistrate from Basel. It established a central two-
chamber legislature which included the Grand Council (with 8 members per canton) and
the Senate (4 members per canton). The executive, known as the Directory, comprised 5
members.

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